Best Value Duty: consultation on revised statutory guidance

In May 2024, we published statutory guidance on the Best Value Duty to:

• provide greater clarity to the local government sector in England on what constitutes Best Value and the standards expected by central government

• explain the various models of statutory and non-statutory intervention available to the department and the then Secretary of State to support authorities to achieve compliance

We are now consulting on revised guidance. This revised guidance reflects the government’s public service reform principles of devolution, service integration and a shift towards preventative measures to resolve problems before they escalate into crises.

The draft incorporates lessons from the 2025 independent evaluation of interventions and emphasises the importance of authorities having appropriate arrangements for self-monitoring, self-assessment, effective scrutiny and engagement with early assurance and non-statutory support.