Ronnie Hinds

The Accounts Commission said the council now needs to work with partners to better involve and engage with residents and staff.

The council has a clear and ambitious plan for regeneration, addressing the area’s social and economic issues and improving services. The council now needs to set out workforce plans for all employees, reflecting the expected scale and pace of change, the report added.

Services such as housing and education are performing well, but the council needs to gain a better understanding of the reasons for falling satisfaction levels, particularly for care services. At the same time the council need to keep focusing on underperforming areas, with a quarter of all service indicators currently missing performance targets.

Ronnie Hinds, deputy chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “North Lanarkshire Council has a very high level of ambition for the future of the area, with plans that could deliver significant changes over the long term. This includes a vision to transform town centres and housing, as well as improving digital connectivity and skills. This is critical given challenging social and economic issues.

“To realise this ambition the council must ensure it has the right workforce with the right skills in place, as well as effective engagement with and involvement of its residents.”