The Comprehensive Area Assessment, or CAA, showed how the police, fire, health and other services worked together effectively in 2008/09 to tackle local priorities and meet the needs of local people.
The assessment was designed to give residents an easy overview of how well these local services are tackling important issues in their area bringing together the work of the Audit Commission, Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and HM Inspectorates of Constabulary, Probation and Prisons through the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
The CAA comprised two separate parts - the Area Assessment and individual Organisational Assessments for the main public services.
Headlines of the 2009 Area Assessment:
- The quality and popularity of Shropshire’s libraries is among the best in the country.
- Shropshire’s streets are among the cleanest in the country and people’s satisfaction with overall cleanliness is higher than the national average.
- There is less crime in Shropshire than most other parts of the country, and crime has fallen in recent years.
- Alcohol-related crime in some town centres is still an issue, but the police and other agencies are working well to tackle it.
- Shropshire is in the top five per cent of areas where people from different backgrounds feel they get on well.
How the assessment was scored?
Instead of a rating, such as four stars, areas were given red flags under certain categories if urgent action was needed because the outcomes for the quality of life of local people are not as good as they should be. Shropshire received no red flags as part of a very positive report.
Robin Thompson, Chair of the Shropshire Partnership which brings together public services and other organisations in the county, said: “It is important that people feel confident in the work being done by local public services who are responsible for spending public money. This assessment shows that Shropshire is well above the national average. It highlights areas where we can be proud of our achievements, as well as showing us where we can improve.”
Councillor Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council and vice-chair of the Shropshire Partnership, added: “This report makes very good reading for everyone living in Shropshire – it shows that public services are doing a good job and that the county is a great place to live. However, there are always things we can improve on, and the new council will take the lead in ensuring that all public services become ever more efficient and effective in these tough economic times.”
The Area assessment summary document and full document are attached to this page.
Organisational Assessment for 2008/09
The Organisational Assessment examined performance and value for money in councils and health services (primary care trusts), police and fire and rescue services, and how well they worked with one another. The Oneplace website reports on how all of these are providing value for money and using public funds. Follow the link on this page.
What did Shropshire score in Organisational Assessment?
- Managing performance N/A
- Use of resources 3 out of 4
- Managing finances 3 out of 4
- Governing the business 3 out of 4
- Managing resources 3 out of 4
Description of scores:
1. An organisation that does not meet minimum requirements, performs poorly.
2. An organisation that meets only minimum requirements, performs adequately.
3. An organisation that exceeds minimum requirements, performs well.
4. An organisation that significantly exceeds minimum requirements, performs excellently.
Because Shropshire Council only become a unitary council from April 2009 we were not scored for managing performance. This means that there is also no overall Organisational Assessment.
Report summary
The Council is delivering improved outcomes for most people in areas that they consider as priorities and has over recent years been one of the strongest performing councils of its type. School exam results are generally high, crime is falling in most parts of the county and the quality of care and services for vulnerable and older people continues to improve. Public transport is also improving with people able to access their local towns more easily and the Council is enabling residents to recycle more of their waste.
The Council manages its money well, including the setting of the budget for the Shropshire unitary Council which resulted in efficiencies being made which are being reinvested in key services. Councillors and officers work well together and there are strong arrangements for partnership working between the Council and other organisations in the county.
However, key challenges remain for the Council and its partners in areas such as reducing child obesity and smoking, helping vulnerable people to find affordable homes and continuing to lessen the impact of the recession. The Council also needs to ensure that services run in the past by the district councils like planning and licensing are delivered at a consistently high level across the county.
Ofsted has rated the Council's children's services as performing well. Exam results in Shropshire schools are generally high compared with other similar counties with GCSE results particularly strong. However, the unconfirmed 2009 results for Maths at key stage 2 worsened more than other councils. Vulnerable children are better cared for than before and the Council works well with its partners to help young people find training, educational opportunities or jobs. The quality of school meals in Shropshire is good and is helping to address the number of obese primary school aged children, although this figure is still quite high.
The Care Quality Commission has rated the Council's adult social care as performing well. The Council has worked well with its partners to improve the quality of care provided to older and vulnerable people in Shropshire. Many people are being helped to remain in their own homes and for those who move to residential accommodation, the quality is improving while the costs are being well managed. Also many more people on low income and people with disabilities are being helped to claim benefits compared to other Counties. A key challenge in this area for the Council is the provision of suitable homes for vulnerable adults.