“We welcome the National Audit Office’s report, which highlights the same challenging climate as we did in our recent report, Under Pressure. Failings in governance are intrinsically linked to some of the practical issues we see going wrong when major transformation takes place in local government.
“We urge councils to get ‘the basics’ right when undergoing change. In this climate the core principles of good administration are more important than ever.
“Having a mature attitude to complaints, and using the feedback to reflect on services provided, and as a tool for improvement, is a vital way of helping to ensure services meet local needs.”