Vale Council chiefs say they've received "very encouraging" feedback from an independent review of their work.
A panel of external experts carried about an evaluation of the council's performance last November.
Their report concluded that the local authority was a "good council within the current context of high service demand, operational pressures, and resources."
But it also made four recommendations on further improvements behind the scenes.
The Panel Performance Assessment said: "It is a values-based organisation with a good internal culture and solid external relationships."
"There is a clear commitment to delivering on the corporate plan, with a particular focus on prioritising the needs of vulnerable people. Staff are enormously proud to work for the council, and there is a strong sense of ambition for the future.”
"In terms of its PPA scope and by linking it with its transformation programme, the council had demonstrably embraced the assessment process."
"We considered this to be an exciting and pivotal moment for the authority, and the council possesses strong foundations to drive future growth and development”.
It continued: “Our approach to the assessment was ambitious because the council itself is ambitious for its communities."
In terms of innovation, the panel noted it had "identified a range of strengths and areas of innovation relating to the council….with a culture demonstrating “a strong appetite for innovation and a willingness to do things differently."
They also noted that the “strong working relationships between the Leader, Chief Executive, senior staff and members demonstrated a cohesive and supportive working environment”.
The report also highlighted the council's "positive relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders” and referred to the results from last year's Let’s Talk About Life in the Vale survey which indicated people’s satisfaction with the Vale of Glamorgan as a place to live and work.
The council said it would consider the panel's four recommendations - including developing a narrative to communicate effectively its "positive vision" for the future.
Another was to further amplify details of its changing approach both within the organisation and across the Vale.
The Panel also suggested the council should build on existing strong partnerships and look to further develop its democratic arrangements with a particular emphasis on the effectiveness of scrutiny meetings.
Council leader Lis Burnett welcomed the findings, saying: "This was an opportunity to benefit from the insights of experienced people from outside the organisation and one we were determined to maximise."
“We were able to sense check work already underway and get a fresh perspective on our ambitious plans for the future, including the Draft Corporate Plan 2025-30 and Reshaping Programme."
“These set out what the organisation will look like over the next five years and beyond and explain how we will continue delivering for our residents."
“It was really encouraging to get such positive feedback, which has provided renewed confidence in both our vision for the future and how we intend to realise it."
“Given the financial obstacles the council is facing, there are challenging times ahead, but we view the contents of this report as confirmation that we are very much on the right track.”
The Welsh Government requires such evaluations of local councils to take place every five years - along with annual self-assessments - to gauge how they are meeting performance targets.
Similar reviews were held last year in Denbighshire and Ceredigion with more areas to follow.
The panel is made up of independent people from across the UK, including a peer from the wider public, private, or voluntary sectors, a senior local government officer and an elected member from outside the council.
Interviews were held with cabinet members, councillors, staff and partners before the panel reported its findings, which will be considered by the council's Cabinet on Thursday.
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