Scottish Borders Council's 'clear direction' praised

The council has been praised for its clear direction and strong leadership

An audit report has praised Scottish Borders Council (SBC) for its "strong leadership" and good quality services.

The Accounts Commission said the authority worked well with other organisations and had a "clear strategic direction".

The study also highlighted a "very challenging efficiency savings target" facing the council.

SBC leader David Parker said he was pleased with the findings but said the authority would not become complacent.

The study was undertaken by Audit Scotland on behalf of the Accounts Commission.

It will form the basis of improvement plans for the next three years.

However, it found the council was "improving well already" and was "well-regarded by the local community".

'Good outcomes'

John Baillie, chairman of the Accounts Commission, said: "SBC has strong leadership and effective governance as well as clear strategic direction and a good awareness of its own capacity and need for improvement."

Health improvement, social care, community safety and child protection were among the areas achieving "good outcomes".

The audit also stressed the need for scrutinising value for money across all services in order to meet savings targets.

Mr Parker said: "It is a clear validation of our strategic direction and provides an objective assessment of the improvements we have made to date."

However, he added that there was work still to be done.

"We need to ensure that we not only maintain our pace of improvement but also deal effectively with those areas requiring further action," he said.