Comprehensive Area Assessment and the impact of the third sector

1. Comprehensive Area Assessment and the impact of the third sector Tricia Kilsby 18 October 2008 Shaping places, delivering outcomes

2. 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 is Comprehensive area assessment?

3. What changes will CAA bring?

4. 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

5. Our current proposals Area assessment Organisational assessment Shared data National indicator Set data National indicator analysis National indicator analysis

6. 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? Area assessment – three key questions

7. Assesses setting local priorities Partnership priorities, inclusivity and duty to cooperate Using evidence Engagement of local people (duty to involve) Agreement of priorities Question 1

8. Question 2 Focuses on delivery and future prospects against outcome themes Safe Healthy Inequalities Well kept Prosperous Children Housing Cohesive Sustainable Families

9. 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? Outcome focus (influenced by priorities)

10. 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? Question 3

11. “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 What’s different?

12. 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 Organisational assessments will assess individual bodies’ contribution to agreed priorities

13. 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 A proportionate approach

14. 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 Government Policy on 3rd sector

15. 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. Aspirations for the 3rd sector and CAA

16. 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 What does the CAA consultation say?

17. 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 Partners working together

18. 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 Local Area Agreements and the 3rd Sector

19. 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 scoredfor 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 Reporting CAA

20. Find out more about CAA www.audit-commission.gov.uk/caa/index.asp Look at a demo of the web reports for an area www.audit-commission.gov.uk/caademo Find out about your area

21. 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 What will inspectorates be looking for?

22. 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 These approaches are being tested…

23. 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 CAA evolves and evaluates the success of LAAs

24. 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 Timeline