Council welcomes vote of confidence from watchdog

Convener Harvey Johnston has welcomed the response of the Accounts Commission to an independent assessment of Orkney Islands Council.

The Best Value report was published today (Thursday 14 December) by the local authority watchdog for Scotland.

It follows a Best Value Audit of OIC, the first in nine years, which was carried out earlier this year by a team from Audit Scotland.

Councillor Johnston said: “This was a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the Council, its performance and the impact of the many services we provide in Orkney. After such a thorough audit, I welcome the Accounts Commission’s finding that there is much to be commended in the report.

“For the smallest local authority in Scotland, with a relatively small number of staff providing an extensive range of services – many of them in addition to those provided by other councils – this is a tremendous vote of confidence in our staff and in the authority.

“The report shows that the Council has a clear understanding of the needs of our local communities, that we have an effective leadership, with Councillors and officers working well together, and that there is high level of satisfaction among residents with the services we provide.

“I welcome the Commission’s recognition of significant improvement made in recent years. As with all Best Value reports, areas where improvements can be made are described as well.

“The Council, though facing challenging economic conditions ahead, will continue to strive to make further improvements. This report and the Commission’s findings, show that we are well placed to do this.”

The Accounts Commission’s press release and a link to the Best Value report can be found here.