Somerset Council is embarking on the next phase of its Improvement and Transformation Programme as it continues to take bold action to protect public services.
Titled Inspiring Innovation, this next phase builds upon the work undertaken over the past two years which have focused on stabilisation and rationalisation through a £34m reduction in the Council’s pay bill. The proposals were approved at a meeting of Somerset Council’s Executive today (July 7).
Like many other councils across the country, Somerset Council’s financial position remains critical due to the broken system of funding for local councils which has not accounted rising demand and costs for core services like social care.
However, unlike some other councils, Somerset has managed to avoid having to declare a Section 114 notice – when a local authority’s projected income will be insufficient to cover its projected expenses for the upcoming year – through the extensive work it has undertaken to drive and deliver savings. This has meant democratic-decision making has remained in Somerset and avoided the need for the Government to allocate commissioners who would potentially have the power to cut services and drastically raise council tax with little or no democratic oversight.
The Improvement and Transformation Programme is guided by a clear principle: residents and communities must be at the centre of everything Somerset Council does.
The Inspiring Innovation plan reflects the Council’s pride in Somerset and a shared ambition to build a fairer, greener, and more resilient future. It’s a response to real challenges, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to do things differently – and better.
The plan can be seen here.
This phase will see Somerset Council procure a partner to work alongside us to provide the expertise and independent scrutiny required to support us to drive a programme of change which includes:
- Improving service delivery and responsiveness.
- Reducing operational costs and inefficiencies.
- Enhancing the overall experience of interacting with Somerset Council for residents, businesses, and staff.
- Supporting the development of a data-driven organisation, where insight and evidence underpin strategic and operational decisions.
- And to help us deliver large, small and innovative changes that help us address the budget gap of £190m over the next five years and achieve financial sustainability.
The Council will apply best practice and will require a return of at least £2.50 to £3 for every £1 invested over a four year period, noting that some initiatives will reach higher returns.
Council Leader Bill Revans said:
“We have had to make a lot of hard decisions over the past two years due to the broken system of local Government funding but we have always made these choices with the best interests of our communities at heart and to ensure that the future of our county remains in Somerset’s hands.
“We will continue to do everything we can to move towards financial sustainability, including exploring all areas to further reduce costs and find savings, and the procurement of independent expertise to support this work is critical to driving the level of savings we need to continue to make.
“We will also continue to lobby Government for a fairer system to provide essential services looking after the most vulnerable adults and children in our communities.”
Cllr Theo Butt Philip, Lead Member for Transformation, Human Resources and Localities said:
“We know that the challenge we face is great – to meet the twin objectives or delivering the aspirations of the people and communities of Somerset, while making this Council truly financially sustainable.
“We need to move forward with hope and purpose. Undertaking transformation of the scale we propose will require investment and we must not shy away from that reality – unless we invest wisely now, we will not be able to close our budget gap and continually improve outcomes for our residents and communities.“This phase will be about redesigning services around the real needs of people and places, empowering local teams, and working in partnership with residents, voluntary groups, and public services.
“We are investing in digital tools and data to make services more accessible and responsive, while ensuring no one is left behind. We will be fostering a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning – where every voice matters and every idea has the potential to spark change.”
