CPA District Councils

1
CPA District Councils
Our journey to Excellence
2
Re-categorisation background

• A District Councils CPA category may only change
  if there is considered a need for
  re-categorisation
• Re-categorisation will only happen if
• a Council can demonstrate a significant
  improvement in performance
• there is evidence of significant deterioration.

3
Re-categorisation

• Decisions about whether or not to undertake
  re-categorisation activity will be made
  regionally by Commission Panels which will
  include Council Peer Representatives
• The earliest opportunity for Councils to request
  re-categorisation was October 2006

4
Re-categorisation

• The categories (i.e. Excellent to Poor) must
  remain the same and corporate assessment broadly
  similar, to ensure comparability between 2003/04
  categories and those determined from 2006 onwards.

5
Re-categorisation Model
Service Performance Information
Council requests re-categorisation and is able to
demonstrate significant evidence of improvement
Or Audit Commission identifies evidence of
significant deterioration
Excellent Good Fair Weak Poor
Direction of Travel Statement
Corporate Assessment
Use of Resources Assessment
6
Service Performance Information

• Largely BVPIs summarised to show any changes in
  performance since 2002/03, service inspection
  reports (if any) and Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
  scores.

7
Direction of Travel Statement

• The annual assessment of whether Councils are
  making arrangements to secure continuous
  improvement.
• a positive statement was received for 2005/06
  including the comment that satisfaction levels
  for BDC were among the highest in the country.

8
Use of Resources Assessment

• The annual assessment of how well a Council
  manages and uses its financial resources.
• a score of 3 overall including 3 for VFM was
  achieved for 2005/06. Only two district councils
  nationwide achieved a maximum of 4 for VFM and
  overall BDC were in the top 1/3rd in the country.
  

9
Corporate Assessment

• This will only be carried out if AC Panel
  considers sufficient evidence for
  re-categorisation. Self-assessment remains the
  starting point for corporate assessment.
• User focus and diversity continues to be a core
  element of the corporate assessment.

10
Corporate Assessment Themes
11
Corporate Assessment Bandings
12
BDC score under Previous Themes/Weightings
13
Corporate Assessment Key Questions and Themes
14
Bolsover District Council CPA

• CPA 2004 GOOD
• Submission to Regional Panel at first date
  October 2006
• Approved 6th November 2006
• Inspection W/C 18th June!!!

15
Re-categorisation

• Councils should work closely with their
  Relationship Managers in deciding if and when to
  apply for a corporate assessment. Early
  discussion with Relationship Managers is
  recommended
• Above Audit speak for CRUCIAL

16
Service Performance Information

• Audit Commission considerations
• the extent of improvement what proportion of
  the PIs in the set are improving
• the strength of improvement whether improvement
  seen at the individual PI level is significant or
  better than expected and
• the areas of improvement whether improvement is
  seen in areas of previously weak performance or
  areas of local priority.

17
Service Performance Information

• Report prepared specifically for discussion with
  RM covering
• The Audit Commission analysis of service
  performance information
• Extent of Improvement
• Strength of Improvement
• Service Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA
  2004
• Inspections since the last CPA
• Waste Management
• Performance against the Councils six Corporate
  Aims setting out key achievements against these
  key priorities since last CPA

18
Service Performance Information Extent and
Strength of Improvement to 2004/05
19
Service Performance Information Extent and
Strength of Improvement to 2004/05
20
Service Performance Information Blips
21
Service Performance Information Blips
22
Service Performance Information Extent and
Strength of Improvement to 2005/06
23
Service Performance InformationTo 2005/06
24
Service Performance Information Strength of
Improvement

• Substantially Improving 6
• Improving 11
• Static 4
• Deteriorating 6
• Deteriorating Substantially 2
• Comments supplied showing justification, where
  improvements have been made or acknowledgement
  and details of improvement plan

25
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004

• Poor performance for non-decent homes.

26
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004

• Poor performance on waste recycling and collection

27
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004
28
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004
29
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004

• Poor satisfaction with Environmental Services.
  The three satisfaction measures for environmental
  services are
• BVPI 89 Satisfaction with cleanliness of public
  space
• BVPI 90a Satisfaction with waste collection
• BVPI 90b Satisfaction with recycling
• These have all improved substantially to the
  extent that BVPIs 89 and 90b are in best
  quartile and 90a in the 2nd quartile after
  previously being 3rd and worst quartiles.

30
Service Performance Information - Service
Performance Weaknesses identified in CPA 2004

• Poor satisfaction with leisure facilities. BVPI
  119 is the only agreed national indicator to
  measure the performance of a district council and
  Sport England have commented that they do not
  think this is representative of all of a district
  councils services.
• Sport services are often delivered in partnership
  and the testing for satisfaction does not cover
  the broad range of activities such as community
  events, promotion and marketing, sport
  development on neighbourhood estates, support for
  voluntary sector for clubs to deliver sport and
  retention of playing fields much of which the
  council has a good record.

31
Inspections since last CPA

• Waste Management
• Fair with promising prospects for improvement
• Progress against the improvement plan

32
Performance against the Corporate Aims

• Key achievements against each corporate aim since
  last CPA
• Significant outcomes
• Significant investments
• Capacity improvements
• Performance Management improvements

33
Direction of Travel Statement

• An annual assessment of whether Councils are
  making arrangements to secure continuous
  improvement.
• 2004/05 Since CPA the Council has focused
  effectively on its priorities for improvement
• 2005/06 the Council has continued to improve
  in those service areas which it has identified as
  prioritiesthe Council implements its improvement
  plans effectively

34
Use of Resources Assessment

• An annual assessment of how well a Council
  manages and uses its financial resources.
• 2004/05 - a score of 3 overall including 3 for
  VFM.
• 2005/06 - a score of 3 overall including 3 for
  VFM.

35
Outcome

• Relationship Manager supported the Application

36
Application to Regional Panel

• Guidance
• Short statement no longer than three sides of A4
• Should clearly and concisely highlight
  significant changes in performance in the
  councils priority areas and previously
  identified areas of weakness since last CPA
  categorisation
• Purpose is to demonstrate step change in
  performance

37
Application to Regional Panel

• Guidance
• Evidence should show clear progress against the
  councils improvement plan and cover areas such
  as
• Action taken to address key weaknesses identified
  at the last CPA
• The impact of this action
• Signposting supporting evidence such as robust
  local PIs or recent progress assessments

38
Application to Regional Panel

• Emphasis
• Context highly deprived district
• Internal culture and capacity
• External outcomes needed to achieve quality of
  life changes
• Strong partnership working and how work together

39
Application to Regional Panel

• Emphasis
• Use of tables to show how directed resources to
  priorities identified in Corporate Plan
• Each corporate aim showing investments and key
  outcomes to-date

40
Outcome

• Regional Panel considered that the Council had
  overall maintained its level of achievement and
  appeared to have made improvements in other areas
  such as community safety and officer and member
  capacity

41
Key learning points

• Work with your RM it will not happen without
  their support
• Be prepared
• Use the guidance
• Use the tool kit
• Demonstrate areas of improvement against
• Priorities
• Previous weaknesses
• Acknowledge weaknesses but ensure robust plans to
  address them
• Ensure have shown investments, outcomes, impacts
  and keep asking yourself the So What question

42
Timetable
43
Self Assessment

• Highlight within text key messages reflecting
  assessment themes
• Demonstrate linkages to national and local
  priorities

44
Ambition

• Context high levels of deprivation
• Our ambition developing healthy, prosperous
• and sustainable communities
• Our target no areas of the District within the
• top 10 of most deprived areas in 10 years
• Outcome reduction from 11 to 7 areas in IMD
• 2004

45
Prioritisation

• SCS Priority a better place to live
• Corporate Plan Target achieve Decent Homes
  Standard by 2010 for Council housing
• Progress Moved from bottom to top quartile by
  2005/06

46
Capacity

• A Management Competency Framework
• introduced for senior and middle managers
• A Leadership/Management Development
• Programme has resulted in 11 senior
• managers being awarded NVQ 5 for
• management
• 21 middle managers being developed with
• CBC and NEDDC
• Over 200,000 investment in training during
• 2005/06
• Significant numbers of employees have also
• obtained 23 separate relevant professional
• and other qualifications during 2006/07
• Joint Member training projects with CBC and
• NEDDC

47
Performance Management

• Our 2004 CPA Inspection highlighted a
• weakness in our appraisal system. As a result,
• voluntary assistance was requested from the AC
• and a working group established to improve
• performance from a lowly 17. The working
• group revised the process, including training
• and a fixed timetable for completion. A
• corporate target of 95 employees to be
• appraised by September 2006 was set. Actual
• performance was 90 in October 2006, with the
• final target achieved in November following
• further targeted interventions by SMT.

48
Achievement and Improvement Maximum weighting
(x7)

• Key Questions
• 5.1 What level of quality has the Council with
  its partners achieved in relation to its
  services, priority areas and impact on local
  quality of life?
• 5.2 How much progress has the Council made?

49
Achievement - Environment

• Our Corporate Plan 2005-07 identified the
• following environment targets and current
  progress against
• these is
• X Twin bin central composting scheme
• X Improve recycling and composting
• X Conservation area appraisals for Whitwell
• and Creswell
• X Energy efficient council dwellings
• v Clowne conservation area appraisal
• v Supplementary planning documents
• approved
• v Support Creswell Crags as a world
• heritage site
• v Improve environmental enforcement
• action
• Awaiting in vessel composting facility
• Prepared and awaiting consultation
• Outcome being confirmed

50
Achievement - Regeneration

• Our Corporate Plan 2005-07 identified the
• following Regeneration targets and current
  progress against
• these is
• v Continue towards meeting Decent Home
• Standard
• v Refurbish Creswell Model Village
• v Commence preparation of planning brief
• for former Whitwell and Creswell colliery
• sites
• v Reduce number of areas in top 10 most
• deprived nationally
• v Increase in tourism spend
• v GP referral scheme

51
Achievement Make it personal

• The regeneration of Creswell Model Village has
  been recognised by the Heritage Lottery Fund as a
  flagship project and with MVMP is the partnership
  entry for the Regeneration and Renewal Awards
  2007 as Heritage-led Project of the Year.
• Val Neeve, a local resident has commented
• I have lived in the Model Village almost all of
• my life.From a slum with over half the houses
• boarded up and derelict, a unique partnership
• no one thought would work has produced an
• estate we are proud of. My own dream is at last
• realised. I can again say I live in the Model
• Village with my head held high.

52
Previous Themes/Weightings - 2004
53
(No Transcript)
54
CPA Category

• EXCELLENT

55
Sporting analogy

• Premier League status top 16 of District
  Councils
• Maintain status
• Aim for mid table then top of the table results
• Not the pinnacle of achievement BUT the basis for
  continued improvement

56
Areas for Improvement

• Need to set clear and measurable outcomes for all
  priority objectives focus on impacts on local
  quality of life
• Strengthen approach to workforce and succession
  planning
• Focus on continuing to improve performance in
  priority areas where targets not met e.g.
  recycling rates

57

• Questions?