{"id":69859,"date":"2026-06-01T16:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=69859"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:20:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:20:45","slug":"positive-change-highlighted-independent-review-of-devon-county-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/positive-change-highlighted-independent-review-of-devon-county-council\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Positive change&#8217; highlighted by independent review of Devon County Council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>An independent review has praised Devon County Council for major improvements in our culture and leadership.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report, which&nbsp;has been&nbsp;published following a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge, describes the authority as a \u201cvalues-led and learning organisation\u201d with a clear commitment to moving forward with \u201creal purpose\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Leader, Cllr Julian Brazil and Chief Executive, Donna Manson - Corporate Peer Review\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/wfHa7AHFLqo?feature=oembed&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The peer team, made up of senior councillors and officers from across local government, spent four days in Devon in March speaking to councillors,&nbsp;staff&nbsp;and partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their findings recognise the strong progress that the council has made in recent years, improving services and investing in its workforce to help build a council that is better placed to respond to local needs and work with communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It highlighted how staff \u201cconsistently spoke positively about the change\u201d in the organisation\u2019s culture, describing a workplace where people feel \u201ctrusted and empowered\u201d and proud of the work they do.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is already starting to translate into stronger services and better outcomes. The report points to improvements in key areas including workforce stability, partnership working and community engagement, all of which are critical to delivering high-quality services for residents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The review acknowledges the leadership at the council, including a \u201cstrong and trusting relationship\u201d between the Leader and Chief Executive, and the \u201cenergy, enthusiasm and constructive challenge\u201d provided by Cabinet members.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In services that have faced significant pressure, including children\u2019s services, the report provides encouraging feedback, confirming that Devon has \u201cthe capacity and capability to improve itself\u201d.&nbsp;It recognises both the progress made and the potential to go further, providing greater confidence for vulnerable children, young&nbsp;people&nbsp;and their families.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The review also highlights that the council is becoming more outward-looking and increasingly focused on its role in partnership working across Devon and beyond to support shared priorities such as economic growth, health and wellbeing, and stronger communities. It also recognised that the authority is taking a more purposeful approach to co-production and strengthening its relationships with partners and communities, working together to design and deliver services that meet their needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Devon County Council, said:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m&nbsp;extremely pleased with the report from the Corporate Peer Review. It&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;the dedication and commitment our staff continuously display every day as they strive to provide the best services for Devon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt reflects&nbsp;the progress we are making to build a council that works better for residents. One that listens,&nbsp;learns&nbsp;and&nbsp;works alongside communities to deliver the services people need.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe feedback&nbsp;about&nbsp;our culture is particularly encouraging. It shows we are creating&nbsp;a&nbsp;workplace where people feel supported,&nbsp;trusted&nbsp;and able to do their best for Devon, responding to local needs and making a real difference on the ground.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe know there is more to do, and we welcome the feedback on where we can improve further. This report shows we are moving in the right direction and&nbsp;are&nbsp;building&nbsp;strong foundations for the future.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_acf-block-6a1da34b37892\" class=\"councillor-quote align-right dcc grid-x\">\r\n\t<blockquote class=\"councillor-quote-blockquote medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n                    <div class=\"councillor-quote-title\"><p>Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, said:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\r\n        \t\t<div class=\"councillor-quote-text\"><p><!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\u201cThis is a really encouraging report, and it matters because it reflects real progress for the people of Devon.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\u201cWe\u2019ve\u00a0been working hard to get the council moving in the right direction, improving services, working more closely with\u00a0partners\u00a0and making better use of the resources we have.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0still a long way to go, and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0not pretending otherwise, but this report shows\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0turned a corner and are starting to see the benefits of those changes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\u201cFor me, this is about making sure we deliver the services our residents need and deserve, particularly for the most vulnerable in our communities.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\u201cWe\u2019re determined to build on this progress and keep improving outcomes for people right across Devon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n        <div class=\"councillor-quote-aside medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"councillor-quote-image grid-x\">\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"small-6 cell medium-12\" src=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/UserData\/7\/1\/1\/Info00000117\/bigpic.jpg\" alt=\"Councillor Julian Brazil\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\r\n        <figcaption class=\"councillor-quote-description small-6 cell medium-12\" >\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=117\" rel=\"noopener\">Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n            <\/figure>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \r\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the process, the council will now develop an action plan to respond to the recommendations in the report, ensuring continued focus on improving services and delivering positive outcomes for Devon\u2019s residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":69891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dcc-homepage"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":69891,"title":"Resizing pics for News Centre (52)","alt":"Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the council, and Donna Manson, Chief Executive of the Council, talking outside County Hall together about the very positive corporate peer review 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