A REPORT issued by the Wales Audit Office (WAO) has concluded that the Vale of Glamorgan Council is currently meeting its objectives, in a broadly positive document published last month.

The Annual Improvement Report brings together the findings of several inspections carried out during the year and is largely complimentary of the council's work.

Whilst the document does highlight several proposals for improvement, it does state that given the wide range of services provided by the council and the challenges it is facing, it would be "unusual" for it to find nothing that could be improved.

The most recent report, which assessed how the council manages major service changes, concluded there was "a clear corporate framework for determining and delivering service changes and effective arrangements to support delivery."

It praised the council’s Reshaping Services programme, which it said enabled changes to be managed effectively, and pointed to effective working between cabinet and senior managers.

Potential areas for improvement included better engagement with the public on changes to services, as well as ensuring that financial planning arrangements were more detailed and strategic. There were, however, no formal recommendations issued.

The latest report reveals the council has made good progress on addressing the five proposals for improvement that were agreed as part of the Corporate Assessment.

Council leader John Thomas said: "It is extremely satisfying to receive such favourable further feedback from the Wales Audit Office. We were hugely encouraged by the findings of their previous assessment and this latest update proves the Vale of Glamorgan Council continues to achieve high standards of leadership and service delivery.

"But there is no room for complacency. The aim now is to continue improving and that is a challenge we will fully embrace."