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Home: Council full menu: Policies, strategies, plans and publications:
Best Value
Our approach to improvement and recent Council Performance Plans
Performance and Communication - June 2008
karen.hayward@kirklees.gov.uk
In December 2006, we were judged a three stars council that is improving well by the Audit Commission under the
national Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). Our Benefits and Social Care and Environment services have been rated top four
star services following independent inspection. Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing is also top star rated.
Our approach to improvement is largely driven from within, as we try to take a strongly self-aware attitude to
what we do, whilst opening ourselves up to challenge. It is also a strategic approach that contains the following
strands:
- Strong central ownership of the improvement agenda within an overall culture that
supports devolved decision-making and service delivery.
- A multi-faceted improvement programme that embraces Corporate Improvement
Priorities, Scrutiny reviews, Internal Audit investigations, external inspection reports and continuous
improvement within Service plans and initiatives.
- Using, as appropriate to circumstance, a range of different tools to guide and
facilitate improvement - e.g. Performance Excellence Across Kirklees (PEAK), which is our approach to performance
management; programme, project, process and risk management; option appraisals, review and evaluation
techniques; analysis of performance indicators and user satisfaction data; public consultation exercises and
surveys, staff surveys and learning events.
- A strong focus on our Corporate
Improvement Priorities managed either through our local public service boards or through our Corporate Improvement Programme.
Inspection
As an 'excellent' council under the previous CPA assessment process, many of our individual services have been
entitled to an inspection 'holiday' from the Audit Commission, since the initial CPA rating in December 2002. However,
we value the challenge and independence that inspection can bring and welcome it where we feel it can make a real
contribution to improving our performance.
The focus of the Audit Commission has also been to reduce the amount of inspection and concentrate on those areas
where authorities or services are not good. Inspection reports are gradually being phased out of the CPA process for
housing, environment and culture, with growing emphasis on Performance Indicators. Part of this move away from
inspection relies on local authorities undertaking realistic and frank self-assessments, which can then be used to
focus attention on where improvements are needed.
Service inspections are still applicable, however, for Children's Service, Social Care and Revenues and Benefits.
These services are covered by other inspectorates and the Audit Commission will use information from these
assessments when making its CPA judgement on the whole Council.
From 2009, the current CPA framework will change again to become a CAA (Corporate Area Assessment)
Council Performance Plans
Each year since 2000, we have had to produce and make publicly available a Performance Plan, as part of Best Value
legislation. This sets out the services we deliver and how well we are performing, together with our targets for
future performance.
Our Council Performance Plan is audited by the Audit Commission to ensure it is compliant with the appropriate
regulations.
In addition to the current Council Performance Plan 2008/09 that is on our website, we include below the five previous Council Performance Plans.
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