Our Annual Self Assessment Report
Every year the Council publishes an Annual Performance Report & Self Assessment. Our most recent report, the Annual Performance Report & Self Assessment 2024/25 was published in October 2025, following consideration by Governance and Audit Committee on 16 September 2025 and full Council on 24 September 2025.
The report contains an annual summary of our progress towards our priorities, or Well-being objectives, as set out in our Corporate Plan. It sets out our assessment of how well the Council is performing, including how effective our governance arrangements are for decision making, how well we use our resources and how well we deliver our functions.
The Panel Performance Assessment 2025
Approximately every 5 years, each Local Authority in Wales undertakes a Panel Performance Assessment. The Panel Assessment is not an audit or inspection, but a sector-led review of how well the Council is meeting its performance requirements. The panel is made up of independent members including senior officers and Elected Members from local government, and from the wider public and other sectors. The aim of the Panel Assessment is to be both challenging and constructive, to support the Council in deepening its understanding of how it operates and where it can further develop its approach to performance, governance and improvement.
RCT’s first Panel Assessment was undertaken in October 2025. Overall, the Panel concluded that -
“Rhondda Cynon Taf is a good, well run and ambitious Council, focused on improving the lives of its citizens.
The Council demonstrated that it has a strong track record of delivery underpinned by an ethos of continuous improvement. The Council is working to better understand the impact and outcomes of its work, moving from a service-focused approach to one which is personcentred, and which will help to deliver its ambition to strengthen communities’ resilience. The panel further concluded that the Council is exercising the functions against the performance duties within the Local Government and Elections Act 2021.”
The Panel’s Full Report was published following consideration by Governance and Audit Committee on 24th November 2025 and full Council on 28th January 2026 along with the Council’s response.
How we will use our Self Assessment and Panel Assessment
We will use the identified areas for improvement to focus our work over the next year, and will report on our progress in the next Annual Performance report and Self Assessment in the Autumn 2026.
How we are meeting our legal requirements
The Council’s Annual Performance Report & Self Assessment and the Panel Performance assessment help us to discharge our duties under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015.
The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 requires us to evidence how we are meeting the duty to -
‘keep under review the extent to which [the Council] is meeting the ‘performance requirements’ that is the extent to which:-
- it is exercising its functions effectively.
- it is using its resources economically, efficiently and effectively.
- its governance is effective for securing the above.
The Act requires us to undertake an annual Self-Assessment of the Council to review our performance, identify where we need to improve and put plans in place to deliver those improvements. The annual Self-Assessment needs to be considered by Councillors, must be reviewed by the Council’s Governance and Audit Committee and be made publicly available.
The Local Government and Elections Act also requires us to undertake a Panel Performance Assessment at least once during the period between ordinary elections of Councillors to the Council (approximately every 5 years).
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 requires us to set Well-being Objectives and report annually on our progress towards meeting our goals and the extent to which these contribute to the achievement of the well-being goals within the Act. Our Well-being Objectives are set through our Corporate Plan and our progress is reported in our Performance monitoring reports to Cabinet and Annual Performance Report & Self Assessment.
View our Previous Self Assessment Reports
For further information please email the Performance Management Team at improvement@rctcbc.gov.uk
[Updated January 2026]