Effective Foundations To Council Services Highlighted In Governance Review

An important review of practices underpinning Dover District Council services has been carried out to ensure the Council is working effectively, efficiently and economically, fulfilling its duties and safeguarding public money. The review has been approved by DDC Cabinet and highlights the strong governance principles and good practice in place to support Council services for the whole community.

The Annual Governance Assurance Statement is prepared internally and required by Government, and includes the following findings:

There is effective performance management and reporting, and a quarterly performance report carefully monitors key services
There is a strong budget monitoring system, and effective complaints procedures are in place
The independent Chairman of the Standards Committee has provided a positive opinion on the ethical conduct of Members of the Council
An effective system of internal audit is provided in partnership with neighbouring authorities through the East Kent Audit Partnership.

The report also looks at areas for improvement during the forthcoming year, which includes improving the Council's focus on outcomes for the community and engaging with stakeholders, as well as further embedding an Equality and Diversity Policy.

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council: "This statement represents an important assurance of the practices and principles underpinning the way the Council works, which we were pleased to sign. We look forward to continuing to work over the year ahead to further enhance our governance arrangements, and to continuing to deliver quality services for the future of the district."

For more information, please see the Annual Governance Assurance Statement on the DDC website at www.dover.gov.uk/agendas/ click on the Cabinet agenda 2 June 2008.