Councils are subject to regular external assessments, which report on service strengths and weaknesses. There is a lot to praise about the state of local government services, as reflected by the 7 “Green Flags” awarded to South East Councils in the recent Comprehensive Area Assessments. However, when external assessments are adverse, the impact is sometimes severe in terms of public perception and staff morale. Given limited resources available, it can be difficult to respond to the issues identified by an adverse external assessment. Concerned authorities may not be aware that they do not need to tackle the problems independently. Rather, there is an opportunity for councils to refer themselves to one of the five improvement bodies in the region (GOSE, Audit Commission, South East Employers, IDeA, and IESE). Funding has been specifically allocated to assisting councils tackle issues identified by external assessments. How we can help: * Provide expert guidance and support across all service areas * Provide funding for projects that will help you improve your council * Provide access to documents, research, and best practise guidelines * Facilitate partnerships between your council and other organisations * Enable your council to make significant cashable savings Last year, we helped councils save £20million and make vast improvements to their services. For more information, please contact: Richard Tyndall, Programme Manager IESE Performance Improvement Theme 07880-787007 01344-351412 richard.tyndall@bracknell-forest.gov.uk 2009-10-07T16:17:37+01:00 2 external-assessments-help-available

Following an adverse external assessment, authorities should be aware that there is an opportunity for councils to refer themselves for help and funding.

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