We have been confirmed as the third most productive council in the country. This means we achieve the most value for residents per pound spent.
Independent consultancy, IMPOWER, analysed 149 councils across eight core areas using their index. These are the areas where councils spend the most money and include:
- housing
- homelessness
- waste and recycling
- high needs
- children's social care
- working age adults
- older adults
- health
They used nationally available metrics to determine the top 10 and found Essex is achieving better outcomes for people for a less-than-average spend.
In the last league table, Essex ranked seventh. This latest ranking means we have outperformed our 10 closest statistical peers by the biggest margin and across the most areas.
Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: “I am proud that despite of the tough financial challenges currently faced by local government, Essex has continued to put residents at the heart of decision making and that this has again been recognised. This is undoubtedly down to the incredible work of our employees and I’d like to thank them for their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of our residents.
“I have always been clear that it is public money we are spending and we must do so wisely. Through prudent decision-making and collaborative working with our public sector partners and the voluntary and community sector, we can continue to think big and be ambitious for our residents and their future.
“This does not mean that we, like other councils across the country, don’t have tough decisions ahead of us. However, residents should feel confident based on this latest endorsement that we will continue to make decisions in their best interests and do what we can to continue serving our communities well.”
Read more about the IMPOWER index.