YOU really cannot win in this game.

For years, Torbay Council has come under fire from residents and others for not being run in a terribly businesslike fashion.

You only have to look at the report of the Audit Commission in 2002 which put us in the lowest category, 'poor'.

Even in recent times there have been plenty of judgements along the lines of 'must try harder' and last year's Use of Resources score was a disappointing two out of four.

Then, just as we are starting with our project to bring all the council's offices together on one site at Castle Circus, in order to save millions of pounds, we get our heads blown off because there may, repeat may, be some redundancies.

First, in any organisation which employs thousands of people (and where between five and 10 per cent of the workforce either retire or move on to better things every year), it should be perfectly possible to manage any changes humanely, through efficient workforce planning.

Indeed, we have got rather better at this in recent years and have avoided the 'hundreds to go in budget cuts' horror headlines which used to pop up every Christmas.

Secondly, it is absolutely fundamental Torbay Council should provide value for money to its council taxpayers, improving frontline services with the lowest establishment and overhead costs.

Council tax bills in Torbay are lower than in neighbouring areas and I am determined they stay that way.

It is not our mission to employ people for the sake of employing people, especially when sharing services with other organisations and using modern technology can achieve savings.

Thirdly, by bringing everybody together on one site, more or less, we should become one organisation, working together purposefully and marching together in the same direction.

Delivering so many services to so many people, it is easy in a unitary council for the left hand not to know what the right hand is doing.

When all the parts of Torbay Council are based in 14 different office premises, it only makes matters worse.

The council is improving and we have the performance scores to show it. But it will be easier to make further improvements when we are all under one roof.

The Castle Circus regeneration project will also provide substantial new office accommodation for businesses in the town centre.

The idea is also to make much more of the Assembly Rooms and other spaces for community use.

Indeed, the whole complex should be much more welcoming and user friendly.

At present, the faded grandeur, years of neglect, the horrid subdivision of original spaces, even worse loos and possibly the world's least efficient heating system, all make it feel like the setting for an Ealing comedy.

You only have to look at people's faces when they come for job interviews. They must wonder what sort of organisation this is.

So there you are. We are ready to 'go' with a project which will save money, breathe new life into the town centre, provide improved community facilities and transform the culture of Torbay Council. If anybody has a better idea, I would like to know what it is?

ONE area of the council's performance which has definitely improved in recent years is children's services.

Despite all the misguided talk of budget 'cuts', we are, in fact, spending more money than ever on this important work.

In part this is due to the pressures arising from the Baby P case, with exceptional numbers of child referrals, children judged as being at risk and then a high number of children taken into care.

Despite more prevention work, Torbay still has more children in care than many other similar sized councils.

Frontline child social care work must be one of the most difficult ways of earning a living.

I am not sure all the politicians who queue up to pass comment would have the mature judgement it takes to determine what is best for an individual child.

Do you support the natural parent, who may be up against it, in all sorts of ways? Do you intervene straight away and start a legal process, which may result in the child going into care?

There must be heartbreak and agony whatever you decide.

Life in care is far from a bed of roses and despite the best efforts of children's services, foster carers, children's homes and even the adoption system, there are huge risks involved.

Despite 50 years of prosperity it is shocking to see how poor the outcomes can be for those children who have been taken into care.

Our family intervention project is getting results, working with some of our most challenging families, tackling anti-social behaviour, improving parenting skills and school attendance.

Despite widespread derision, our school attendance mascot, the Torbay Chicken, is also proving popular in Primary Schools.

Pupils are happy to hear the message about the importance of turning up at school — I understand there are some early and encouraging signs of success.

I was delighted to give out certificates at a recent school attendance award ceremony.

School attainment is also improving strongly, especially at GCSE.

Another area of success is with youngsters judged as 'NEETs': not in education, employment or training. This is a national problem with youngsters aged 16 to 18, often at the margins of society, falling through the net.

Despite our poor economy (and poor job prospects) Torbay has generally done well in this area.

In recent months, however, we believe we are pretty much top of the league nationally. At the last count, more than 96 per cent of this age group were in education, employment or training.

This is something worth celebrating.

Our youth offending team also performs well.

Numbers of youngsters entering the criminal justice system for the first time have fallen significantly and re-offending rates remain low.

It is all this not terribly glamorous, but vitally important work, which goes on day after day in Torbay and elsewhere, which we should be grateful for.

It never makes the headlines except when things go wrong. I do hope politicians will not turn it into a political football from now until the General Election.

ANOTHER thing going well — the place is looking better. I have tried to write this week's column without mentioning Babbacombe, but when I last walked around you-know-where, I was impressed by the much-improved state of the parks, gardens and public spaces.

Likewise the coastal path from Meadfoot up to Daddyhole Plain.

The views are now stunning following the clearing of undergrowth.

More buildings have been smartened up along Victoria Parade, the new lights look magical, as do the gardens at the far end of Oldway, where a camellia was in flower last week.

Roundham Gardens have been much improved, the spitfire flower bed re-planted.

The memorial benches at Broadsands have been given a makeover.

Best news of all, work at Rock Walk is progressing well and I am told the view over the hoarding from a double decker bus shows attractive pathways, stone walls and high quality groundworks.

Over at Brixham work is just about complete on the new café and visitor centre at Berry Head. It should be open at the end of next month.

However (and sorry to finish on a 'down'), there still seems to be a real problem with dog mess on the far side of the Bay.

Brixham is remarkably litter-free, so it is a pity there should be so much evidence of man's best friend every time I visit the town.

If there was a wooden spoon award (or perhaps a wooden pooper scooper), then sadly Brixham would be in the running for it.

Mind where you walk.