Comprehensive Area Assessment and the impact of

the third sector

Tricia Kilsby

18 October 2008

Shaping places, delivering outcomes

What is Comprehensive area assessment?

• Catalyst for better local outcomes for people, better partnership working, more responsive services and better value for money

• Source of information and independent assurance for citizens, service users and taxpayers

• Independent evidence base for central government on progress against national priorities

• Means of rationalising and coordinating inspection

What changes will CAA bring?

CPA CAA

Local government focus All sectors and partners

Institution based Area based

One size fits all Focus on local priorities

Performance Outcomes and perceptions

Collaboration between regulators Joint assessment

Cyclical inspectionContinuous assessment, proportionate inspection

More backward looking More forward looking

A greater focus on local priorities…

CAA will have flexibility to look at;

• Sustainable Community Strategies (incl Districts);

• Local Area Agreements

• Designated targets

• Local targets

• Multi-Area Agreements

• The broader National Indicator Set and local evidence and performance information

Our current proposals

Areaassessment

National indicator Set data

Organisational assessment

National indicator analysis

National indicator analysis

Shared data

Area assessment – three key questions

• How well do local priorities express community needs and aspirations?

• How well are the outcomes and improvements needed being delivered?

• What are the prospects for future improvement?

Question 1

Assesses setting local priorities• Partnership priorities, inclusivity and duty to cooperate • Using evidence • Engagement of local people (duty to involve)• Agreement of priorities

Cohesive

Healthy Safe

Prosperous

Question 2 Focuses on delivery and future prospects against outcome themes

Sustainable

Well kept

Housing

Families

Inequalities

Children

Outcome focus (influenced by priorities)

• How safe is this area?• How healthy and well supported are people?• How well kept is the area?• How environmentally sustainable is the area?• How strong is the local economy?• How strong and cohesive are local communities?• How well is inequality being addressed?• How well is housing need met?• How well are families supported?• How good is the well-being of children and young

people?

Question 3

• Assesses prospects of achieving sustainable improvements in priority outcomes based on past and current performance

• and other evidence about capacity • and capability of partners to deliver

Asks:• Does something different need to be done?• Is there something innovative others can learn from?

What’s different?

• “How well are people served by local public services?,” not “How good is this organisation”

• Focus on outcomes, not organisations or services • Starting from local priorities, no one-size fits all• Forward looking assessment, • More about improvement; less compliance-focused and

rule-driven • Organisations’ own evaluation and support arrangements

used where they are robust

Organisational assessments will assess individual bodies’ contribution to agreed priorities

• Working with others• Priorities in business plans and medium term financial

plans• Contribution to agreed priorities and achieving value for

money• Attribution in respect of priority outcomes in the area• And have an overall focus on organisational

effectiveness

A proportionate approach

• Where priority outcomes are demonstrably improving we will reduce the level of assessment activity

• Better ways of gathering evidence and understanding• Area assessment will only focus on key areas requiring

improvement because outcomes are not on track to be delivered

• Use of resources:– Aligns with statutory audit - Proportionate to risk and change– Not all themes every year

• Managing performance – proportionate to risk and change• Most inspection activity will be ‘triggered’ and jointly planned• Fewer assessment reports

Government Policy on 3rd sector

• Sector recognised as full partners in an area, advocates and representatives of communities, deliverers of services in their own right or when commissioned, as contributors to developing sustainable community strategies and to delivering on priorities in their areas.

• Where there is a local compact this will give details of how the sectors agree to work together. CLG has published statutory guidance on a framework for effective third sector representation in Local Strategic Partnerships

• http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/923277.pdf

• Duty to involve

Aspirations for the 3rd sector and CAA

• Support aspirations for citizen and community empowerment, giving due weight to citizen intelligence

• Include consideration of an authorities commissioning and procurement capabilities, including as far as possible the application of key third sector funding principles and

• Take Comprehensive Area Assessment forward in partnership with key stakeholders including, amongst others, the third sector.

What does the CAA consultation say?

• Focus on outcomes and how well local bodies work with each other…voluntary sector and other organisations working locally• All members of the LSP are recognised as full partners• Proposes the use of information from new sources – including CAB and other Community sources• Views of residents, community groups and other 3rd sector organisations will count – including through the new survey of 3rd sector organisations

Partners working together

• Following good practice in engaging with local people• Focusing on outcomes for users• Managing the risks of engagement activities • Making changes as a result of engagement and inform

people of these• Addressing inequality and the needs of people whose

circumstances make them vulnerable

Local Area Agreements and the 3rd Sector

• LAAs in 43 localities include NI6 (participation in regular volunteering at least once a month). The indicator will be collected through the new place survey.

• NI7 (environment for a thriving third sector measured by how positively local statutory bodies are felt to influence the success of 3rd sector organisations in the area) is included in the LAAs of 61 localities. Data will be collected through a new survey of the sector to be conducted by OTS. More details of the survey can be found on the OTS website:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/080801_survey.aspx

Reporting CAA• Annual reporting in the autumn, but evidence will be updated

more frequently (In exceptional circumstances judgments may also be updated)

• Area assessment: Narrative, with ‘red’ and ‘green’ flags where relevant. No score

• Organisation Assessments: linked to areas and scored for each public body, assessments of councils, PCTs, schools, police, fire…

• Reports on the web – accessed through maps or postcode.• Includes reporting of National Indicator Set, with provision for

comparisons• National and themed reports to share learning

Find out about your area

• Find out more about CAA www.audit-commission.gov.uk/caa/index.asp

• Look at a demo of the web reports for an areawww.audit-commission.gov.uk/caademo

What will inspectorates be looking for?

• High levels of engagement with and knowledge and understanding of communities

• Ambitious shared vision for the place and the community• Productive relationships across public, private and third

sectors• Self-awareness & effective performance management

across organisations and partnerships• Innovation and well-managed risk-taking, and

Sustainable improvements in citizen satisfaction, priority outcomes and value for money

These approaches are being tested…

• Initial testing in 4 places January to March • Further and more detailed testing in 10 places

– Barking & Dagenham - Nottinghamshire– Birmingham - Stockport – Hampshire - Thurrock– Kirklees - Torbay– North Tyneside - Westminster

CAA evolves and evaluates the success of LAAs• Priorities and targets set

– Evidence– Involvement and engagement

• Partners• Citizens and users (incl equalities and vulnerable groups)

• Progress towards achieving targets• Performance management and capacity/capability to improve

outcomes• November 2011 will be a key set of assessments• Link with sub-regional and regional agendas• Link to review and refresh of LAAs and contribute to the

development of LAA3 and CSR11

Timeline

• 29 July – published consultation document• Monday 20 October – consultation closes• October - November – analyse consultation

responses and learning from trial sites• Early 2009 – publish final CAA framework• February 2009 – publish final council CPA results• November 2009 – publish first CAA results