Wokingham Borough Council - good and still improving
In its latest national assessment, Wokingham Borough Council has been rated as a good council that is continuing to improve.
The Wokingham borough council’s comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) for 2007 by the Audit Commission gave it a three out of four star rating, meaning it is defined as being ‘good’ and that its services are ‘improving adequately’. The council has some ‘high performing’ services, ‘provides good value for money’ and is ‘performing strongly in the use of resources’. Educational achievement remains high and services to children and young people have improved. Planning applications are being decided faster and waste recycling rates are good and continue to improve, making the council one of the top recycling authorities in the country.
The CPA is an inspection by the Audit Commission to assess how well local authorities provide services and serve their communities. The authority’s overall rating is made up of individual assessments for the way it uses its resources and delivers services as well a corporate assessment that looks at the quality of the council’s leadership and plans for the future.
The Wokingham borough council scored a top four out of four in the use of resources category (which examines how the authority ensures it is providing the highest possible service standards at the lowest possible cost) putting it in the top ten per cent of all councils in the country.
The council scored three out of four for both its environment services and benefits service. Its revenues service has continued to improve the proportion of council tax collected, up to 99.2 per cent in 2006/07, which was the second highest level of performance in the country.
The Wokingham Borough continues to perform strongly in education, with the 2007 annual performance assessment carried out by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) finding that the council has made significant progress with good capacity to improve even further.
Whilst many services continue to improve, some areas require development. Adult social care, for example, is assessed as adequate with uncertain capacity for improvement, while elements of housing management need to improve. Community safety is assessed as fair with uncertain prospects for improvement. Action plans are, however, in place to address the areas identified by the Audit Commission.
And the Wokingham council is improving its performance management arrangements and becoming even more efficient. The scrutiny committee is moving in the right direction to improve its contribution to the way the council works and the council is working with partners to agree a new community strategy and Local Area Agreement that will sustain focus on improving outcomes.
The Wokingham borough council’s comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) for 2007 by the Audit Commission gave it a three out of four star rating, meaning it is defined as being ‘good’ and that its services are ‘improving adequately’. The council has some ‘high performing’ services, ‘provides good value for money’ and is ‘performing strongly in the use of resources’. Educational achievement remains high and services to children and young people have improved. Planning applications are being decided faster and waste recycling rates are good and continue to improve, making the council one of the top recycling authorities in the country.
The CPA is an inspection by the Audit Commission to assess how well local authorities provide services and serve their communities. The authority’s overall rating is made up of individual assessments for the way it uses its resources and delivers services as well a corporate assessment that looks at the quality of the council’s leadership and plans for the future.
The Wokingham borough council scored a top four out of four in the use of resources category (which examines how the authority ensures it is providing the highest possible service standards at the lowest possible cost) putting it in the top ten per cent of all councils in the country.
The council scored three out of four for both its environment services and benefits service. Its revenues service has continued to improve the proportion of council tax collected, up to 99.2 per cent in 2006/07, which was the second highest level of performance in the country.
The Wokingham Borough continues to perform strongly in education, with the 2007 annual performance assessment carried out by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) finding that the council has made significant progress with good capacity to improve even further.
Whilst many services continue to improve, some areas require development. Adult social care, for example, is assessed as adequate with uncertain capacity for improvement, while elements of housing management need to improve. Community safety is assessed as fair with uncertain prospects for improvement. Action plans are, however, in place to address the areas identified by the Audit Commission.
And the Wokingham council is improving its performance management arrangements and becoming even more efficient. The scrutiny committee is moving in the right direction to improve its contribution to the way the council works and the council is working with partners to agree a new community strategy and Local Area Agreement that will sustain focus on improving outcomes.
Wokingham Borough Council
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