Slough Council is expected to stay under government intervention for a further two years, it has been announced today (22 October 2024) by the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
This means we will continue working with commissioners on developing our improvement plans, new ways of working and managing the council’s finances.
The current government intervention was set to end in November 2024.
The Minister’s announcement today states he is minded to issue new directions for the council and set a new date for the intervention to end in November 2026.
This is informed by the latest update from the commissioner team working at Slough on behalf of the government, which observes the council is not yet ready to operate without intervention.
As part of the next stage of the council’s improvement, the minister is minded to appoint a Managing Director Commissioner (MDC) - a move that has worked well elsewhere. The MDC will have the same roles and responsibilities as all of Slough’s commissioners.
Will Tuckley, chief executive, is set to become the MDC taking on a dual role alongside his chief executive responsibilities for managing the day-to-day operations of the council.
The remit of the MDC is to provide stronger links between commissioners and senior corporate management, while working very closely with the council’s political administration and all elected members to drive change.
Will Tuckley, managing director commissioner and chief executive, said: “The announcement today provides stability for Slough as we work together to improve the council for the good of all in the borough.
“The joint role of Managing Director Commissioner and Chief Executive will provide a stronger link between commissioners and the management of the council to help support the democratic delivery of all we do.
“The council’s recovery will take time and energy, building on what has been done well so far, so we can face the challenges and recognise opportunities.
“I’m proud to be able to be a part of Slough Borough Council’s improvement and will be working closely with all involved, both within the council and with communities and partners across the borough.”
The fixed term appointment of the chief executive as a managing director commissioner further stabilises the senior management team and there has also been better retention of staff within the council with staff turnover at the lowest level since 2022 and showing a positive trend of moving lower still. This enables the council to gain better grip of the challenges and delivery of the recovery actions needed in the short and medium term.
The minister for MHCLG is due to confirm the plans in a few weeks from now, giving time for consideration of any comment or query relating to the changes to be considered.
Dexter Smith, leader of the council, said: “I welcome the news the government has proposed that the best value intervention of Slough Borough Council will continue for another two years. As council leader, I asked for this, supporting the best value commissioners’ request to continue working with us.
“Ever since forming my administration in May 2023, I have told Slough’s residents and council staff there is no quick or easy way to turn round our council’s fortunes.
“The situation we are dealing with has been years in the making and so it will take years to resolve the debt, to get the council living within its means, and to deliver best value services. Now we have the extra time and help from government to do that.”
The move comes at a time when the vast scale of the challenges the council faces are now clearer than earlier in the intervention. The council has made some progress but there is still a long way to go and that the pace of improvement needs to increase.
Gavin Jones, Lead Commissioner for Slough Borough Council, said: “The continuation of the intervention is necessary at this time to tackle the vast challenges involved in the council’s improvement. It has become clear that much more work is needed to provide stability and sustainability for the council’s operations and finances.
“The commissioner team welcomes the proposal of new government directions for the next two years and the addition of the Managing Director Commissioner role, which I have direct experience of seeing prove effective in another council under intervention.”
The next steps include implementing recommendations around financial sustainability, changing the way the council works (including a new operating model) to become a more efficient and smaller organisation, and a spotlight on the potential of Slough as a place to be proud of.