FAIRly Good News at Fylde Council
News Article
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Fylde Borough Council and has re-categorised to the top of the Fair category (3 stars).
The Audit Commission has today published the results of a Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) on Fylde Borough Council and has re-categorised the Council at the top of the Fair category (3 stars).
The Council has jumped nearly two places in the categorisation having been given a score of 35, putting it at the top of the “fair” category, just one point away from the “good” (4 star) border line. When the Council was last inspected in 2002/03, a score of 23 points was awarded making this new score all the more cause for celebration at the council.
The inspection took place in November with independent inspectors leaving no stone unturned as they rigorously tested the staff, procedures and achievements of the Council. Even residents were tested to make sure they were happy with services and to gauge the public opinion of the Council.
The report noted how the Council was able to demonstrate how far it had improved in terms of partnership working, service delivery and working relationships and how it was addressing the challenges of a tough budget and external pressures on service delivery. The strength of the authority was evident by the way in which it is tackling the effects of the economic downturn on the community and dealing with the financial capacity. The report also acknowledges that the only factor preventing a ‘good’ rating at the time of the inspection was the uncertainty over the impact of the external financial pressures that the Council was facing at the time.
Phil Woodward, Chief Executive of Fylde Borough Council, said: “This is great news for everyone associated with Fylde Borough Council. It is a resounding endorsement of the skills, abilities and dedication of all our staff, partners and elected members and their commitment to high quality service. And it’s not just a one off, other performance indicators such as resident surveys also show that we are improving in the eyes of the people that matter; our residents.”
The inspectors pointed out real strengths in delivering improvements and outcomes against the council’s corporate objectives and delivering services to the public that are consistently above standard requirements, demonstrated by high levels of satisfaction in most areas. In the report they make particular note of the Council:
- Having enthusiastic and knowledgeable managers and exceptionally dedicated front line and back office staff.
- Making significant progress in its promotion and enhancement of the natural and built environment.
- Exceeded the national recycling/composting target of 40 per cent for household waste three years earlier than required and establishing a successful recycling service for local business users.
- Having a positive impact on the number of affordable homes and on homelessness.
- Having made good progress on its priority to improve community safety.
- Improving the quality of its services.
In the Executive Summary the report adds: “Fylde Council has made good progress in many areas since the 'weak' Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) judgement of 2003. It is able to demonstrate some good local achievements.”
Phil Woodward added: “As pleasing as these results are we cannot be complacent and I know that we have a long way to go to meet the high expectations people have of us. I also know that continuing government requirements and restrictions will be a barrier for us in the future so we have a lot of hard work to do in order to continue our improvement journey. It is a challenge that I and the rest of the Council are more than happy to accept and reaffirm our commitment to making Fylde even better for our residents and visitors.”
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