Pembrokeshire County Council “is now in a very different place” to when an Audit Wales report highlighted deficiencies in the wake of a £95,000 pay-off to its former chief executive, a new report states.

The Auditor General for Wales issued Pembrokeshire County Council with a Report in the Public Interest last January, which identified deficiencies in governance and decision making in relation to the way the council dealt with a departure payment made to former chief executive Ian Westley.

The council agreed an action plan to respond to this at a February 2022 extraordinary meeting.

Its Corporate Governance Improvement Plan 2022-24 contained 74 actions to address recommendations arising from a number of reviews and reports.

A follow-up Audit Wales report has been received by the council, with an additional recommendation before Pembrokeshire County Council’s July 13 meeting: “The council needs to assure itself and demonstrate that the actions it is taking to address the recommendations in our report in the public interest are sustainable and will achieve the intended impacts.”

A council report for members states: “Audit Wales’ report shows that whilst the council is making progress, more work is required on ensuring the intended impacts of the actions are being achieved and will result in sustained improvement for the long-term.”

The council will need to make a formal response to Audit Wales additional recommendation by July 22, a draft response including: “Whilst the council is now in a very different place following the changes already implemented or nearing conclusion, it is recognised that the simple absence of a problem is not of itself a source of reassurance that the actions taken have delivered on the intended outcomes, nor that the changes implemented can be regarded as sustainable.

“Significant work has been undertaken in recent months to provide the necessary solid foundations for sustainable change through the development and revision of policies, procedures and the constitution, along with associated training and briefings etc.”

The report for members concludes: “Whilst the report is generally positive and notes that progress is being made, it also notes that, as an organisation, we need to do more work on systems that will give us assurance that positive change has been embedded.”

Members are recommended to note the contents of Audit Wales’ Stage 1 follow-up for its Report in the Public Interest and adopt the response to its additional recommendation.

The Auditor General had made eight recommendations to the council covering: roles and responsibilities, member/officer relationships; decision making, termination payments, pay policy statement, procurement and use of external advisors, the council’s constitution, and adherence to the Nolan Principles of Public Life.