Message from the Interim Chief Executive
Good morning colleagues,
I appreciate I’ve not managed to meet you all yet to introduce myself in person, although I have enjoyed visiting several teams in various locations, partner organisations and some community groups during my time here so far.
Nevertheless, I hope you’ll find it helpful for me to give my views on where we are as an organisation and on our improvement journey. This includes some of the big issues we’re wrestling with and facing together over the coming months. Including our response to the Best Value Audit findings; balancing our books; and ensuring we have the right resources in the right places to deliver on the Council’s priorities.
It has been a genuine privilege and pleasure to contribute to the day-to-day running of the Council and help our local communities since I took over from Roddy on a full-time, interim basis in the Chief Executive role at the beginning of June.
I have enormous respect for colleagues I see working above and beyond in Moray Council. The high levels of commitment, dedication and loyalty are to be applauded, and I wish to thank you all for the invaluable contributions you make every day. I am acutely aware, however, that the work/life balance is not consistently at appropriate levels across the organisation and this an issue that needs to be addressed.
I have observed the enthusiasm and steadfastness of our local Councillors working to achieve the best outcomes for their Wards and for Moray’s communities overall.
I worked in a few Councils as a permanent employee from 1974, the majority of which was in senior roles up to my so-called retirement in 2016. Since then, I have helped and supported several Councils across the UK. Moray is certainly a beautiful area and there is no doubt in my mind that Moray Council has the potential, and all the essential ingredients, to become an amazing Council.
Indeed, I fundamentally believe that we can transition to be best in class by working collaboratively together. Officers and Members with a crystal-clear focus on delivering highly valued, quality services to our local communities on a right first time, on time, every time basis.
Notwithstanding the substantial opportunities such as the eight Moray Growth Deal projects being delivered across Moray, Levelling Up Fund, Long Term Town Fund, Just Transition funding, new school projects and major housing developments like Bilbohall, there are several significant challenges that must be addressed and resolved over the next few months.
My job is to create the environment and secure the right resources for you and others to perform across the whole organisation. My role is also to lead, co-ordinate, instruct, support, cajole and guide to get the best from our passionate and committed Team. In other words, I see my role as not only serving the Moray community and our Council but serving you.
Our Council has been at the wrong end of a microscope because of the findings from External Audit and Inspection work over the last year mainly with a focus on the corporate of Best Value including an external Thematic Review relating to workforce issues. We need to continue to drive constructive change to address the issues highlighted, and positive progress is being made, but we still have a long way to go. We need to demonstrate and evidence positive continuous improvement. Which we can and will.
The extremely positive outcome from the Adult Support and Protection follow-up inspection by the Public Protection Partnership demonstrates how impressive improvement can be delivered in a relatively short space of time. I reiterate my thanks to all involved for their efforts to do just that. These teams are an inspiration to us all that sustainable improvement is possible.
With respect to balancing our budget, we are making good progress but regrettably some painful decisions lie ahead for 2025/26 and 2026/27, and we can no longer rely on reserves to help lessen the pain. We have already come a long way since our budget gap was reported as £31.89m before the start of the current 2024/25 fiscal year. The budget gap has now been considerably reduced through collective effort to £12.7m for the next two years.
Nevertheless, this is still a very significant gap that we must bridge. It is becoming increasingly challenging to achieve savings, with colleagues in Health and Social Care also required to deliver an £8m savings package. The Council has already approved £2.54m of additional savings since August. Senior Officers and Councillors are continuing to work hard to identify and agree more savings by February 2025 for the next two fiscal years. A second Members/Officers Budget Workshop was held this week to consider further proposals. I know this continuing work will be successful in achieving our goal. It is not optional, we must operate within our financial means, and further updates on the budget will be shared over the coming weeks.
However, I wholeheartedly accept that some colleagues may be affected by savings proposals, and I wish to reassure you that the Corporate Management Team remain committed to ensuring that these situations are minimised and handled as sensitively as possible.
On to the opportunities we have now, the last time the Corporate Management Structure was reviewed was in 2019. Elected Members have asked me to review it again given the many contextual changes that have taken place since then. This work is being progressed over the coming weeks, and I plan to have a report completed in January for subsequent consideration by Members. This is an opportunity to ensure a modern, sustainable structure, that is right for this Council, is in place to continue our transformation journey.
The recruitment process for the Chief Officer, Moray Integration Joint Board is underway and scheduled to be completed on 19 November. In addition, the advertisement for your permanent Chief Executive is currently live. The Chief Executive recruitment and selection process is planned to be concluded on the 6 December and after allowing for a three month period of notice, I would expect the successful candidate to be in post by no later than the start of April 2025. All of this signals a new era of stability in Moray Council that will help to reach those heady heights of being the best in class that I believe is possible.
Finally, we all have a part to play. Our improvement journey is about you. All our teams working together, in extremely challenging circumstances, delivering in new and better ways for the communities we serve in Moray, despite the ever-increasing squeeze on resources.
I am confident that we will deliver and thanking you all in anticipation.
Sincerely yours,
John W Mundell OBE
Interim Chief Executive
Moray Council