REDDITCH Borough Council has invited colleagues from other authorities to review whether it is doing a good enough job.

The Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) involves engaging with a wide range of people connected with the council, including officers, members, partners and the media.

The aim is to get an independent, and cost effective, view of how it is doing and things it could be doing to improve.

Phase one will see people on site from January 21 until January 24 and will include Bromsgrove District Council too because of the amount of shared services that exist across the two councils.

Council Leader Bill Hartnett said: “Over the last eight years this council has taken some decisions including sharing services with Bromsgrove, a transformational approach to delivering services and we are currently pursuing our commercialism agenda.

“The peer challenge offers an opportunity to validate the direction of travel and approach being taken by the council, and test, stretch and further evolve thinking for the future.

“Because of the magnitude of the shared services across both councils it was deemed sensible to visit both councils at the same time but the democratic sovereignty of each will be respected.”

The peers will deliver a report of recommendations based on their visit which will be presented to the council in February, phase two, and which will be considered as part of the council’s future planning.

Chief executive Kevin Dicks added: “Corporate Peer Challenges are a proven tool for improvement and a cost effective way for councils to get an independent view on how they're doing and to help one another improve.

“We felt it timely that we take a look at our own position and consider external challenge and the suggested actions which will ensue.”