Council is in the UK's Top 20
Released: 7 February 2008
Wolverhampton City Council is in the top 20 most improved local authorities in the country according to the Audit Commission’s latest findings, published today.
According to the Commission’s yearly Direction of Travel report, the council ranks 17 out of 388 authorities across the UK for its improvements over the last three years.
The report, published today as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, rates the council as three out of four stars and ‘improving well’.
In its comments on Wolverhampton City Council, the Audit Commission states that: “Performance during 2007 has continued to improve in priority areas”. The Commission also recognises that the council “has robust plans to continue to improve services and enhance capacity”.
Council Leader, Councillor Roger Lawrence said: “I am delighted that the council is in the top 20 most improved in the country and that the report has highlighted how services are improving in areas which we have identified as priorities.
“We are determined to build on this progress in delivering services that the citizens of Wolverhampton value.”
Chief Executive Richard Carr said: “This is a great endorsement of the hard work of staff across the council and an encouragement to us to maintain the momentum of our transformation programme.
“We are tackling the issues which our residents have told us are most important to them and our good progress in these areas means we have made real improvements to the quality of life of our citizens.”
Improvements
Some of the areas which are most improved include:
Housing
- Wolverhampton Homes has moved from a rating of ‘fair’ to ‘good’.
Children and Young People’s Services
- There has been a significant increase in the number of pupils achieving five good GCSEs.
Adults Services
- The number of people helped to remain living at home has increased.
- The number of people satisfied with recycling and waste disposal has increased.
- The number of people satisfied with theatre and concert halls, museums and galleries, libraries, parks and open spaces has also increased.
Areas for improvement
- Areas for improvement include the number of days lost to sickness absence, the cost of waste collection, educational attainment and the number of ‘non decent’ homes.
Overall improvement
Overall the council’s improvement is above average according to the report which uses a selection of performance indicators - including residents’ satisfaction - to reach its rating.
Additional information
The Audit Commission is the organisation responsible for delivering judgements on the performance of local authorities.
The star rating gives a rating about current performance and the Direction of Travel provides an assessment about the direction and strength of improvement a council is showing.
Issued by the press office.