24 June 2009
LGA slates delayed satisfaction survey
Heather Jameson
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Data published by the CLG this week is too old to be helpful for councils because the Government took so long to release it, the LGA has claimed.
The Place Survey data, which was revealed exclusively by The MJ last month, found 80% of people like the place where they live, but only 45% were satisfied with their council.
However, the data is now eight months out-of-date, and does not reflect the national mood since the country went into recession the LGA claims. The association is also angry it was released to the press before it was given to councils this week.
LGA programme director for improvement, Corin Thomson, said: ‘It is disappointing the data has not been put out until now.’ She said the information would have been far more useful if it had been released ‘when it was timely’.
The delay has meant councils – and the Audit Commission’s CAA process – have had to use draft data.
A CLG spokesman said the statistics had to ‘meet strict quality standards’. ‘Collating more than half-a-million responses from 329 local results into a reliable national survey is a complex and time-consuming process, and the results were published as soon as this was completed.’
The data shows a growing gap between the perception of an area and the contribution councils make to their communities.
Chief executive of Ipsos MORI, Ben Page – who carried out the survey and revealed the details in The MJ and on Localgov.co.uk last month – said: ‘The sector does have to ask itself some tough questions – and so does central government.’ He believes the lack of satisfaction comes from a lack of communication from councils to the public.
LGA chairman, Margaret Eaton, said: ‘Councils are failing to get the credit for this success. They need to keep working at letting people know that the services they so clearly prize are paid for by their council tax.’
Releasing the data, communities secretary, John Denham, said: ‘There is a challenge here for both local and central government. I want to see local councils do more – and gain more power – to shape the services offered in their area. There is an untapped demand for local people to have more say in what goes on.’
The Place Survey data, which was revealed exclusively by The MJ last month, found 80% of people like the place where they live, but only 45% were satisfied with their council.
However, the data is now eight months out-of-date, and does not reflect the national mood since the country went into recession the LGA claims. The association is also angry it was released to the press before it was given to councils this week.
LGA programme director for improvement, Corin Thomson, said: ‘It is disappointing the data has not been put out until now.’ She said the information would have been far more useful if it had been released ‘when it was timely’.
The delay has meant councils – and the Audit Commission’s CAA process – have had to use draft data.
A CLG spokesman said the statistics had to ‘meet strict quality standards’. ‘Collating more than half-a-million responses from 329 local results into a reliable national survey is a complex and time-consuming process, and the results were published as soon as this was completed.’
The data shows a growing gap between the perception of an area and the contribution councils make to their communities.
Chief executive of Ipsos MORI, Ben Page – who carried out the survey and revealed the details in The MJ and on Localgov.co.uk last month – said: ‘The sector does have to ask itself some tough questions – and so does central government.’ He believes the lack of satisfaction comes from a lack of communication from councils to the public.
LGA chairman, Margaret Eaton, said: ‘Councils are failing to get the credit for this success. They need to keep working at letting people know that the services they so clearly prize are paid for by their council tax.’
Releasing the data, communities secretary, John Denham, said: ‘There is a challenge here for both local and central government. I want to see local councils do more – and gain more power – to shape the services offered in their area. There is an untapped demand for local people to have more say in what goes on.’
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