Knowing Your Communities toolkit

The 'Knowing Your Communities toolkit' reflects the Audit Commission's commitment to putting service users and citizens at the heart of public service improvement.

This tool has been produced because public service providers are expected to:

• demonstrate their positive impact on the quality of life of local communities; and
• provide access to high-quality, cost-effective services for everyone.

The tools are designed to support this approach. In particular, the Commission is giving greater emphasis to the perspective of services users in its work with local authorities through:

• corporate assessment;
• service inspections; and
• use of resources judgements.

This toolkit is a set of improvement tools and supporting resources. Designed to enable councils to undertake web-based self-assessments, it covers community engagement, customer focus, different aspects of diversity, and human rights.

Each tool comprises a series of high-level statements which describe four possible levels of performance ranging from 'working towards minimum standards' to 'performing strongly'. Having completed a self-assessment, councils can compare themselves with others and plan how to improve the services they provide and the quality of life experienced by all citizens.

If you do not have a username and password to use the toolkit or you would like to give us some feedback, please email userfocus@audit-commission.gov.uk.