Audit Commission shows Warwickshire County Council is ‘improving well’
Warwickshire County Council has been judged to be ‘improving well’ – that’s the verdict from the Audit Commission on the progress the council made in 2008.
The Audit Commission, an independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively, has today (Thursday 5th March) released its latest report on the performance of councils around the country.
The Audit Commission’s ‘direction of travel’ statement for Warwickshire County Council states that it is ‘improving well’. The Commission has awarded the county council a ‘3 star’ overall rating – the highest rating being 4 stars.
In its assessment of the council’s performance, the commission states that Warwickshire County Council is “continuing to deliver improving outcomes across priority areas” of raising educational attainment, caring for older people, pursuing a sustainable environment and economy and protecting the community and making Warwickshire a safer place to live.
Cllr Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “I am delighted that the county council’s continued improvement has been recognised by our external regulators. We have felt that we have been moving in the right direction but it is always pleasing when a comprehensive, independent assessment confirms this.”
“It goes without saying that whilst we welcome the Audit Commission’s assessment, we know that these are challenging times and we have to avoid complacency and continue to work to adapt to meet the changing needs of our communities.”
The Audit Commission also praised Warwickshire County Council for the fact that it has “moved quickly to evaluate the impact of the economic downturn and is taking action to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances”.
Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council, Jim Graham, said: " It is a positive report on the progress we continue to make. I am aware that from 1st April there will be a new process used by the commission and we welcome this new approach.
"It will be looking not only at our contribution to the public services but that of our partners. Our aim is to encourage all of the public bodies in Warwickshire to work together as best we can."
The county council’s website has a page dedicated to helping businesses and individuals across the county and offers support and advice for a range of problems ranging from help in reducing outgoings and securing the future of businesses to paying bills, legal rights if facing redundancy and how to gain skills and qualifications for individuals affected by the downturn.
The Audit Commission report follows similar commendation from the county’s residents in the Public Satisfaction Survey carried out last November. Customers were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with how the county council was performing in its priority areas, as identified in the Audit Commission report. In all areas, levels of satisfaction were, on average, four times higher than dissatisfaction.
The Audit Commission’s ‘Direction of travel’ judgement for Warwickshire County Council in full:
Warwickshire County Council is improving well. It is continuing to deliver improving outcomes across priority areas. Modernisation in Adult Services is helping more people live independently. Housing support services for vulnerable people are delivering better value for money. Foster care services are ‘outstanding’, with more timely reviews and young people leaving care provided with good support to achieve economic wellbeing. More people are using buses as a result of investment in transport services. There is sustained progress with improving road and community safety although fear of crime has risen for the first time. Access to services for diverse communities is improving. New waste arrangements are delivering higher recycling and diversion rates in some districts. Plans have been strengthened around joint commissioning services and is addressing gaps identified in the recent corporate assessment. Improvements in partnership working are targeting resources at the most needy areas but partnerships with health bodies are under-developed. The Council has moved quickly to evaluate the impact of the economic downturn and is taking action to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.