County Council is ‘performing well’
Warwickshire County Council is acknowledged as performing well overall by an independent assessment published this week.
The assessment of the county council will be published in full on a new website called Oneplace (http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/oneplace) on 9 December 2009. People will be able to see at a glance how well the county council is delivering public services and tackling important issues facing the county’s residents.
The Audit Commission assessment says that the county council’s services have improved in all areas that are important for local communities.
The Commission’s assessment of Warwickshire County Council is informed by the outcome of assessments of the local authority’s services for children and young people and of its adult social care services.
Overall, educational attainment in Warwickshire continues to be above the national average and good progress is being made to lift schools out of special measures. The rating for children’s services in Warwickshire County Council is that it performs well. The overall effectiveness of the large majority of inspected and regulated services and settings in Warwickshire is good.
The local authority fostering service was judged as outstanding in its most recent inspection. Performance against the very large majority of national indicators, including those for staying safe and enjoying and achieving, is in line or better than in similar areas nationally.
Warwickshire’s adult social care services are “performing well” and improving outcomes for residents, according to independent inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is the new health and social care regulator for England.
The CQC’s thorough annual assessment of Warwickshire’s adult social care services, which feeds into the Audit Commission’s assessment, found that the county continues to improve and sustain good standards.
According to the Audit Commission report, progress with increasing the number of older people living independently with support from the county council is particularly good. The county’s first extra care housing schemes opening in 2009 signals the first step towards better choices for older people who do not need more intensive residential care.
This year has seen recycling levels in Warwickshire rise faster than anywhere else in the country. Warwickshire’s homes are better protected from flooding and the county council is providing more help to Warwickshire’s businesses.
The report also says that Warwickshire is a safe place to live. Crime and antisocial behaviour is low and going down and roads are safer.
According to the independent assessment, although its finances are being hit hard by the recession, the county council has good financial plans and manages its spending well.
A new framework for evaluating how councils manage their resources has been introduced this year. The report concludes that Warwickshire County Council has a good handle on costs and knows how its services compare, so that it can improve where needed.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service also had an independent assessment of its performance, details of which are included in a separate news release.
Cllr Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said:
“We welcome the Audit Commission’s assessment that Warwickshire County Council is performing well. The Commission’s recognition that those services that have the most impact on local communities in Warwickshire are continuing to improve is testament to the changes we’re driving through to make the county a better place to live and work, working in partnership with others.
“We want to ensure that our services are more than just fit for purpose and are reshaped to meet the changing needs of individuals, families and businesses in the county.
“The report acknowledges that we, as a council, know where we can improve – and we are taking action to do just that. For example, the need for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service to change and improve has prompted the recent public consultation.
“Our priority areas of raising levels of educational attainment, maximising independence for older people and promoting a sustainable environment all receive praise in the report. I’m also very happy that our robust financial management during this current period of recession gets recognition.”