A crucial Audit Wales report was mentioned by councillors in July 2025
A report from Audit Wales has stated that Bridgend County Borough Council does not have preparations in place to constantly safe worth for cash in the case of commissioning companies.
The report was heard by council bosses at a governance and audit scrutiny committee in July 2025, following the audit which was printed by the organisation in June.
Commissioning is the method by which an area council designs and units up the companies it desires to ship both internally or by procuring an exterior provider.
Audit Wales stated after taking a look at a small pattern of companies they felt that Bridgend County Borough Council didn’t have preparations in place to “guarantee itself that it constantly secures worth for cash when it commissions companies.”
A senior auditor stated a number of the primary issues they seemed for was proof that the council had a transparent rationale for commissioning a service, with monitoring preparations in place and a “complete” choices appraisal earlier than it befell.
Different standards included the consideration of balancing lengthy and brief time period wants, in addition to understanding the broader impacts and price of commissioning with the power to be taught classes.
They added that whereas they did discover examples of these items in a number of the reviewed companies it wasn’t seen constantly throughout the board.
Following questions from members, officers identified that there had been proof of excellent follow famous within the report, although accepted they wanted to ensure this was constant and standardised throughout all companies.
Councillor Martin Williams of Coity Larger stated on the face of it the report was “damning” and cited a latest occasion the place the council determined to in-source grass-cutting companies with little proof on whether or not or not it provided worth for cash.
He additionally requested for extra particulars on the council’s response to Audit Wales which addressed what the gaps have been and what was being achieved to plug them within the subsequent few months.
Officers stated the authority had set out a lot of actions it meant to take round commissioning which included producing a report on good follow, with administrators bringing bi-annual experiences to make sure they have been on the identical web page.
It will additionally see them reviewing commissioning preparations yearly with the potential for a working group, a coverage being circulated to all workers, and coaching provided the place crucial.
Councillor Simon Griffiths stated he felt the problems discovered have been extra about consistency versus clear proof of an incapability to indicate worth for cash, and supported requests to take the plans to additional scrutiny.
Audit Wales stated that they had carried out constructive conversations with the authority over the problems and have been happy that they have been being addressed.
They added {that a} nationwide assessment on all 22 Welsh councils would hopefully be launched earlier than the top of the yr. For the most recent Bridgend information signal as much as our publication right here.
