The Audit Commission has noted the contents of a report on Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) published by Localis today. The Commission will consider its recommendations alongside the independent evaluation of CAA being undertaken by Cardiff University and Shared Intelligence, due to be published later in the year.
However the Commission notes that the £2 billion figure quoted as the cost of CAA is wrong. Even if all inspection of public services is included (covering schools, care homes, hospitals, prisons and police forces), most of which is outside the scope of CAA, the cost does not remotely approach £2 billion. To illustrate how misleading this figure is, the Audit Commission’s costs for delivering CAA in 2009/10 are approximately £23m. Local public services will still require efficient and effective performance management systems whatever inspection framework is in place.
The second year of CAA will be different to the first, building on the baseline now established and proportionate to risk and performance. Those places, organisations and services providing good quality, value for money services will find inspection less onerous, while those who fail the public will be in the spotlight. The inspectorates will shortly be setting out their plans for achieving this.
In the meantime, the inspectorates are pleased to note the high level of interest in the Oneplace website www.audit-commission.gov.uk/oneplace which is designed to put independent information about local services in the hands of those who use and pay for them.
For further information please contact:
Mark Nicholson
Media Relations Manager, Audit Commission Millbank Tower, London SW1P 4HQ
Direct line 0844 798 2135 / 0207 166 2135
24hr Press line 0844 798 2128
Mobile 07813 038132
E-mail m-nicholson@audit-commission.gov.uk