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Comprehensive Performance Assessment

The Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) system aims to measure how well councils are serving their local community. It combines scores for a range of performance measures and inspections to produce a star rating for each council. These are now published each February in the annual council league tables.  The system is run by the Audit Commission, often described in the media as the government watchdog.

The current system was introduced in 2005 – this is known as 'CPA – the harder test'.  The name emphasises the fact that the assessments made under this framework have been made more difficult.   

Councils receive an annual star rating on a scale of 0 stars to 4 stars.  This is based on a combination of scores awarded for:

  • an annual assessment of the way the council uses its resources
  • an annual score for each of the following core services -  Children's Services, Benefits, Housing, Environment and Culture.
  • a 'Corporate Assessment'  i.e. an on-site inspection carried out once every 3-4 years.

The star ratings are announced each February together with an annual 'Direction of Travel statement' saying whether a council's performance is improving, deteriorating or staying the same. 

In February 2008 the council was awarded 3 stars. This rating was based on the score awarded for our last Corporate Assessment which was carried out in March 2006 and the latest scores for the way we run our services. Further details are attached, and full details can be found on the Audit Commission website.  

Each year the council has to provide the Audit Commission with self assessments of how it is improving value for money and its Direction of Travel. 

For the Council's most recent Corporate Assessment we also had to produce a self assessment of its overall performance.

The Audit Commission publishes an overall summary of its assessment of the Council. It draws on the findings and conclusions from the audit of the Council, from the latest Corporate Assessment, any recent inspections and from a wider analysis of the Council's performance and its improvement over the last year, as measured through the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) framework.  This is published in the Annual Audit & Inspection Letter.

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