The Audit Commission has published its annual assessment of Amber Valley Borough Council.
In its report the Audit Commission commented on the good improvements being made by the Council’s in its priority services, including housing and the environment.The Commission concluded that no specific actions are needed by the Council in response to its findings.
The report draws on the most recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), the findings and conclusions from its 2006/07 audit, and from any inspections undertaken since the last annual audit and inspection.
Councillor Stuart Bradford, Leader of Amber Valley Borough Council said: “We are pleased that the Audit Commission has recognised the improvements we are making in both our service provision and financial management.The annual inspection has been extremely valuable in providing a snapshot of how we’re performing and identifying opportunities for us to continue the drive to improve services for residents across the Borough.”
A number of the key findings from the report are summarised below.The Annual Audit can be viewed in full on our website www.ambervalley.gov.uk
·Value for money is good and the Council continues to perform well in its use of resources.The systematic approach to reviewing services, establishing priorities and targeting underperformance has resulted in significant savings and improved performance.Overall, its costs are broadly below average with generally average or above average performance across its range of services and indicators.
·Homelessness is reducing, more homes are being returned into use in the private sector and time spent in temporary accommodation is shorter – the average length of stay is around one week, much better than the national average.
·Recycling continues to increase, exceeding the Council’s target of 25%.The volume of waste collected continues to fall – it now exceeds Government targets and is among the best in the country.
·The Council has exceeded its target of increasing housing benefit take-up.New claims are now dealt with more quickly than the national average and changes of circumstances processing is also among the best nationally, as are council tax and business rates collection.
·Opportunities for health improvement have increased.The leisure centre refurbishments are progressing well.The number of young people participating in sport, cultural and recreational activities has increased beyond the Council’s target.
·The Council contributes towards crime reduction – it has introduced better lighting and surveillance which has led to seven car parks being awarded the Park Mark ‘Safer Parking Award’.
·The Council is contributing to wider community outcomes – we have provided land for free to develop children’s centres in the Borough, and secured around £1.6 million over the last two years for voluntary and community organisations.
·The Council is making progress in making services more accessible for residents in the Borough, although progress on equalities more widely is limited.All Council buildings and polling stations are now fully accessible to disabled people.
·The Council has improved its staffing capacity by reducing significantly the number of days lost due to sickness absence putting the Council among the best performing councils nationally.
·The Council’s performance as measured by performance indicators is improving overall, but at a slower rate than before.Satisfaction with the Council has also fallen.
Ends
For more information contact Lisa Garnham, PR and Communications Manager at Amber Valley Borough Council, on 01773 841655.
Notes for editors
From April the Government is introducing a new performance assessment framework for local government.The biggest change will be the replacement of CPAs with Comprehensive Area Assessments.Amber Valley Borough Council will be part of a Derbyshire wide assessment, which will use a range of indicators that replace the current Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs).
