Star ratings could be scrapped under new plans for Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA), unveiled by public sector watchdogs this week.
The proposals, outlined by Audit Commission chief executive, Steve Bundred, suggest there should be no ‘star rating', but different parts of the CAA would be scored differently.
But the LGA fears councils will take the blame for the poor performance of their local partners, if plans for risk assessment scores go ahead.
Under Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), councils are given a star rating and a ‘direction of travel' score.
Under the new plans there will be:
The LGA has already urged the Audit Commission to drop the risk assessment score.
Programme director for improvement and performance at the LGA, Corin Thomson, said: ‘As a tool for improvement, it is better than CPA'. But, she claimed councils would ‘get the blame' for a poor risk score, even if it was due to the performance of their partners.
She also claimed the proposals were ‘quite high level', and it was difficult to see how citizens could understand CAA, let alone engage with the process. The new proposals hope to join up inspections and cut the costs for each of the inspectorates by 30%.
They aim to provide a view of public services in the area, based on local priorities and focusing on value for money.
In a joint statement, the heads of the public service inspectorates involved said: ‘CAA puts the experience and needs of local people at the centre of the new assessment framework.
‘It will offer a meaningful insight into how local services are working together to deliver value for money, and a better quality of life for residents, particularly the most vulnerable.'
Thurrock, Hampshire, Tees Valley and Barking and Dagenham are currently piloting CAA – or are involved in ‘action learning'.
Barking and Dagenham LBC chief executive, Rob Whiteman, said he was delighted to be taking part in the pilot.
‘We have long recognised that it is only by combining our resources with the police, health services and voluntary sector, we can successfully tackle key issues such as housing, education and healthcare.'
