Wigan Council keeps good value rating

The local authority has retained its position in the Which Councils are Best? list which looks at which councils are spending their money most effectively and getting the best outcomes for its residents.

The Impower Index list ranks 150 authorities and looks at children’s social care, older people, all age disability, health and social care, housing and homeless, and waste and recycling.

Children’s social care was ranked third best in the country - moving up one place from fourth last year.

Wigan Council has radically transformed the way it delivers services through its public sector reform programme The Deal which has been hailed as the model that health organisations should replicate due to its success.

Chief executive of the council, Alison Mckenzie-Folan, said: “This is a brilliant achievement and is testament to our dedicated staff who have embraced The Deal and are making a real difference to people’s lives. We continue to improve our services and have seen an increase in resident satisfaction.”

The report is compiled by Impower, a consultancy which looks at change and transformation across public services.

The Deal has received national attention for how it has reinvented the way the council works with its communities while reducing demand.

Ms McKenzie-Folan said: “We’ve transformed our whole approach to delivering council services, empowering our residents and communities to make decisions and designing support around their needs.

“I am extremely proud of what we’ve achieved.”