Who’d have thought it? After their recent visit to see local government in the North East, a permanent secretary took me aside during a meeting, and said: ‘You know, local government really has changed. It’s really improved’.
One swallow does not a summer make, but the latest CPA results are further confirmation that things are, indeed, on the mend.
In Hackney last week, the Audit Commission and the CLG congratulated the now-three star authority on its journey from grotty to great.
The public, hopefully, will catch up with the inspectors’ judgments in due course, but interestingly, when one compares the ‘stalled’ authorities with the four-star and improving group, what is marked is the 14 percentage point difference in overall satisfaction between them – the public do notice better performance!
While local government has not always enjoyed its diet of financial pressure and inspection, it certainly has made a difference, even if the public still hope for more.
The new CAA poses some real challenges, not least the extent to which it makes clear judgments about the place, public services and local government. While, of course, as ‘place maker’ local government is entirely responsible for what happens on its patch, it is undoubtedly the case that some ‘places’ will always be more challenged than others.
Even when Hackney hits four stars or equivalent, and is improving on rocket fuel, its punters will never be as pleased with it as Kensington & Chelsea’s. The layers of diversity of need and deprivation are too great. But the trajectory of once-derided authorities such as Hackney shows what the sector can do when it wants to.
The challenge from the public is for more authorities to show the same focus. The sector is much improved, but there’s still lots more to do, and nothing ever stays the same. You either get better or stagnate.
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