Council commended for providing good quality services

Bracknell Forest Council has been officially praised by local government peers for providing good quality services to residents.

Peers also commented that the council is leading impressive work to support the regeneration of the area and the local economy. They said the council is well-regarded and innovative in many other areas of its work – including housing and children’s social care. 

The council welcomed 6 experienced local government staff and councillors in March during its latest Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Review. These reviews are a key way in which councils across the country monitor and benchmark their performance.

The team spent 3 days looking at the services the council provides. They talked to staff, councillors and representatives from other organisations like town and parish councils, the NHS and The Lexicon. They also looked at the council’s finances, governance, leadership and culture.

In their official report, the peer review team said: 

• the council is a respected authority that provides good services to residents
• many services are of high quality, backed up by positive independent inspections
• the council performs well compared to other similar local authorities
• impressive work is being carried out with residents and partner organisations to support community development, regeneration and economic development
• children’s services teams are carrying out innovative work to reduce the number of children in care and support young carers
• temporary accommodation work is addressing the challenge of rising housing demand and those in greatest need are being effectively prioritised 
• council staff are capable, responsive, willing to learn, can manage demand and change effectively and are keen to make a difference
• senior staff and councillors are playing an important role at a regional level
• performance reporting is strong and risk management is robust
• the council’s approach to overview and scrutiny and the briefing and training of councillors is commendable
• the council works well with its partners especially with regards to community resilience and cohesion, climate change and equality
• the council has had a strong financial position to date, but this is now being impacted by the national Fair Funding changes
• staff feel supported and there is an inclusive work culture
• councillors are capable and there is a constructive political culture
• senior leaders are visible, available and well respected

The Corporate Peer Review report was discussed by cabinet councillors on Tuesday, 19 May. They also agreed an action plan to address some of the areas for improvement, which will further strengthen services for residents.

The action plan addressed recommendations around:  

• resetting roles and responsibilities between councillors and senior staff to improve how political decisions are implemented
• consolidating different visions and strategies so that priorities for the council and the borough are clear
• strengthening the council’s financial management and clarifying budget setting timelines to help address immediate and future budget gaps
• bringing together transformation work into 1 programme to support political priorities and help address the budget gap
• empowering staff to lead change and innovation
• building on existing governance and assurance so there is appropriate challenge and oversight from councillors and key committees
• recognising the importance of a strong relationship with parish and town councils, including involving them more, and earlier 

The actions will be worked on based on urgency and importance over the next year. A follow up review by peers is expected before the end of 2026.  

Cllr Helen Purnell, leader of the council, said: 

“Bracknell Forest has been recognised nationally as a great place to be born, live and grow old, so it’s truly wonderful that the independent peer review team supports that view and recognises the council’s contribution. 

“Our staff and councillors work incredibly hard to ensure local people have access to good, high-quality services. The peer review team agree that we are high performing council with some real areas of excellence and innovation. 

“We have a lot to celebrate in the Corporate Peer Review report, and we also thank the review team for their suggestions on how we can further improve. The agreed action plan will keep us on track with making relevant and timely changes. We are dedicated to further strengthening our services and doing the absolute best we can for all our residents.”