main content Inspectors recognise achievements and challenges for Bromley

Independent inspectors have given Bromley Council 3 out of 4 and say it is “performing consistently above minimum requirements” following its first corporate assessment (CA) inspection under the Audit Commission’s ‘harder test’ framework.

The Commission’s report, published today, states the Council has: “clear ambitions and priorities which reflect the expressed wishes of local people” and that “robust financial management is a strong feature”. It also states that the Council is “performing well in achieving its priorities.”

Among the strengths highlighted by the inspectorate are that we:

• Demonstrate good performance and sustained improvement in many services, as well as progressing shared objectives 
• Make good use of available resources, manage our finances well and deliver good value for money 
• Maintain high resident satisfaction levels with the Council and the borough as a place to live
• Perform well in high priority services such as educational attainment and recycling

Ambitions for the borough are clear, imaginative and challenging, and reflect the priorities of residents.

The report also lists areas to improve further including: 

• Adopting a more strategic and coordinated approach to how we meet the service needs of some vulnerable and hard to reach groups 
• Continuing work with our partners to reduce health inequalities in the borough 
• Reviewing the effectiveness and consistency of performance management

Also published today, is the outcome of Bromley’s Joint Area Review (JAR) conducted in November last year. The overall score for our children and young people’s services is 2. The report states that outcomes for most children and young people are generally good, with some very good features. Continued development of services for vulnerable children and those from deprived areas of the borough is seen as a priority and inspectors have endorsed our existing plans for improving these services.

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Council Leader Stephen Carr said: “I am delighted our latest corporate assessment acknowledges the hard work and progress we have made, particularly given the harder test framework, and that overall our services and work with partners have been shown to be good. Whilst the Joint Area Review report acknowledges some areas of good and very good service provision, we are disappointed that it doesn’t fully recognise all of our achievements and progress made across services for children and young people in the borough. I am confident we will deliver the necessary improvements and continue to Build a Better Bromley.”


ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The CA assesses how well the council engages with and leads its communities, delivers community priorities in partnership with others, and ensures continuous improvement across the range of council activities.

2. The JAR assesses all local services for children and young people whether delivered by statutory, voluntary or private providers in receipt of public funds or other public resources. Judgments are made on how far the council, with its partners and other local agencies, are working together to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; achieving economic well-being.

3. Corporate and service assessments, along with that for use of resources, are scored on the Local Services Inspectorate Forum scale ranging from 1 to 4, with 4 being the best. They are elements in the overall assessment that leads to a Corporate Performance Assessment (CPA) score and category.

4. The onsite inspections for the JAR and CA took place in November and December 2006. 


For media enquiries, please contact emma.dedier@bromley.gov.uk, 020 8313 4415 or john.skillicorn-aston@bromley.gov.uk, 020 8313 4310. Alternatively, call 020 8313 4778. 

Further information is available at www.audit-commission.gov.uk and www.ofsted.gov.uk.