Oflog fails to satisfy sector

While Solace’s latest members’ survey shows a split among council chiefs over whether current sector assurance arrangements are sufficient, there is little confidence that the Office for Local Government (Oflog) will fill any void.

Respondents to the survey don’t hold back on their views about the new watchdog. With 62% wanting it scrapped, there are calls for ‘experts’ to look at council finances rather than civil servants and for assistance to be provided to ‘councils in difficulty’, not a process likely to end up ‘damning them’.

There are also fears Oflog cannot be an ‘independent regulator’ of the sector while part of DLUHC and calls for any watchdog to be co-designed with local government.

There is no shortage of suggestions for how assurance around the sector can be enhanced, with a clear preference for achieving ‘better quality’ and ‘more timely’ audit through ‘greater investment’.

In addition, there is a feeling among senior figures in the sector that Local Government Association (LGA) peer challenges could have ‘more teeth’ and potentially be made mandatory, as well as issued with ratings.

Here, The MJ reveals a selection of responses to the Solace/Oflog survey.