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LGA calls on inspection bodies to lighten burden faced by councils

The Local Government Association this week threw down the gauntlet to bodies that inspect local authorities, demanding that they explain how they will reduce the burden they place on councils in 2010.

The LGA has also published a list of requirements for the second year of the Comprehensive Area Assessment “to help ensure that the new inspection regime achieves everything it was meant to”.

Calling for inspection bodies to put figures on the scale of costings and savings local authorities can expect, the Association said two-thirds of councils believe that despite its billing, CAA is no less burdensome that its predecessor. Making the figures available would help local authorities deliver their efficency targets of 3% in 2009/10 and 4% in 2010/11, it suggested.

The LGA added that inspection bodies should:

  • Focus on encouraging improvement on particular problem issues identified in the first year of CAA, “not just re-run the whole process”
  • Ensure that collective activity by inspectors is more joined up, with better sharing of relevant data
  • Treat high-performing authorities with a much lighter touch.

The Association’s report on the first year of CAA acknowledged that it has brought benefits, not least because of its area-wide approach. “There has also been progress with linking the assessment to the priorities of local people,” it added.

Cllr David Parsons, chairman of the LGA’s improvement board, said: “At a time when the efficiency targets for councils are being increased, it is entirely reasonable for the inspectors of public services to be treated with the same rigour.

“CAA is an ambitious approach to the work councils and other public bodies do. Progress has been made in the first year but much more needs to happen in the coming months to prove it can save taxpayers’ money and make a significant contribution to improvement.”

The LGA recently launched its ‘Freedom to Lead’ initiative, which is exploring options for a new accountability framework.