Inspection into the governance of Northamptonshire County Council
Documents relating to the inspection into the governance of Northamptonshire County Council and proposed intervention.
This page collates all the publications relating to the inspection carried out by Max Caller CBE of the governance and financial management of Northamptonshire county council conducted under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999, and proposed intervention.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced an independent inspection of Northamptonshire County Council on 9 January 2018, in the light of evidence including the external auditor’s (KPMG) “adverse” value for money opinion in relation to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 accounts, publicly available budget documents, and the September 2017 Local Government Association peer review into the council’s financial planning and management.
The independent inspection report was published on 15 March 2018, giving evidence that the council had failed in its best value duty. The inspector found that failures at the council were not due to a lack of funding, but a result of poor management, a lack of budgetary control and a culture which discouraged challenge.
The Secretary of State made an oral statement in the House of Commons on 27 March 2018 in which he:
- proposed to stabilise the council by appointing Commissioners to take over the key functions in relation to governance, financial management and the appointment of statutory officers in the council, and
- invited proposals for local government restructuring in Northamptonshire
Both elements of this package were then consulted on. The council and district councils submitted representations on the intervention by 12 April 2018. Restructuring proposals from principal councils in the area of Northamptonshire were invited by 31 August 2018.
The Secretary of State confirmed on 10 May 2018 that he was sending commissioners into Northamptonshire County Council.
On 2 November 2018 the commissioners wrote to the the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Communities seeking to extend the commissioner team to include a specific children’s social care focus.
The first commissioners’ report was published on 29 November 2018 and was followed by further reports.
Documents
Last updated 3 June 2021 + show all updates
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Added Northamptonshire County Council: final commissioners' report and Northamptonshire County Council: lessons learned report.
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Added Northamptonshire County Council: eighth commissioners' report.
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Addded Northamptonshire County Council: seventh commissioners' report.
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Added sixth commissioners' report and lessons learned reports from the first and second year.
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Added Northamptonshire county council: fifth commissioners' report.
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Added Northamptonshire county council: fourth commissioners' report
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Added Northamptonshire county council: third commissioners' report.
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Added letter from the Lead Commissioner in Northamptonshire to the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding children’s social care, and the Secretaries of State's response.
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Added letter informing the principal councils in Northamptonshire that the Secretary of State has agreed to their request to extend the date by which proposals for unitary structures should be submitted. Restructuring proposals are now invited by end of August 2018.
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Added Directions and explanatory memorandum (10 May 2018).
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First published.