What others think
- Introduction /
- Audit Commission /
- Commission for Social Care Inspection /
- Ofsted /
- Benefit Fraud Inspectorate /
- Improvement and Development Agency
Introduction
A number of different government bodies are involved in monitoring and assessing our performance. Their judgments feed into the annual rating we receive under the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment. For 2007, we were given the highest possible rating of four stars and ‘improving strongly’.
In 2007 we hosted two important inspections of our services: the Corporate Assessment by the Audit Commission, which examines the governance and achievements of the Council; and the Joint Area Review (JAR) of children's services, carried out by a number of different agencies including Ofsted and Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).
In May 2008 it was announced that Camden has become the first council in the country to achieve the top possible rating for its corporate assessment.
We have been given a score of four out of a possible four in all areas of inspection - ambition, prioritisation, capacity, performance management and achievement. This unprecedented result puts the council at the top of the league table across the country.
The main organisations involved in assessing council services are:
- Audit Commission - which is an independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently, and effectively in local government
- Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) - registers, inspects and reports on adult social care services in England
- Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) - which inspects and regulates the care of children and young people, and education and skills provision for learners of all ages
- Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) - which works to improve the administration of benefits through inspection and support
- Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) - is a local government body that works with councils to improve their services and areas, its functions include carrying out peer reviews of councils, and we volunteered for one of these in 2006