Executive summary
The London Borough of Havering was assessed as weak by the Audit Commission in its first Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) in 2002. Performance has improved markedly, with the authority achieving three stars in its 2007 CPA and in Ofsted’s words, ‘outstanding capacity to improve’.
The Council has embedded a cultural change, associated with its commitment to personal development of both officers and members. Councillors have benefited from a comprehensive skills training programme, with funding from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and Capital Ambition.
The training programme has featured modules directly related to councillors’ local authority roles and other modules, less closely related, which have proved important for members’ personal development, confidence and overall ability to lead the Council. Members’ improved competence and confidence has fed into better decision-making, higher quality corporate governance and a demonstrable relationship to the authority’s improved performance.