Sector confidence over services improves
Author: Allister Hayman (Local Government Chronicle) |
Councils’ assurance that they can safeguard their key services has improved significantly in recent months, LGC’s latest confidence survey has found.
The survey of 543 council chief executives, directors and senior managers found that confidence that councils can protect front-line services and meet their corporate goals had increased since a similar survey taken three months ago.
In February the LGC survey showed that 74% were not confident they could protect front-line services, with only 12% confident. But the latest survey showed that the two figures now stand at 51% not confident and 35% confident.
The survey, which took the temperature one year after the coalition government was formed, found that confidence in communities secretary Eric Pickles and his ministerial team continued to plummet, with Mr Pickles rated at -92% for net confidence (where negative scores are deducted from positive scores).
Overall belief that the coalition would deliver on its localism agenda also fell, with the government as a whole rated 2.75/10 on its commitment to deliver on its localism promises.