Performance management

Best Value Inspections

Best Value Inspections

The Government decided that the work of each authority should be scrutinised by an independent body, so that Council residents know whether Best Value is being achieved. Therefore, they established the Best Value Inspection Service to carry out independent inspections of local authority services.

Best Value Inspections normally follow a Best Value Review and usually last for one-week, during which time the inspectors will interview staff and Councillors involved with the review and the delivery of the service. The inspectors will also carry out a series of ‘reality checks,’ such as visiting facilities or holding focus groups of service users and stakeholders to verify the information provided by the Council. Most importantly, inspections will focus on the service as the user sees it.

At the end of the process, the inspectors make two judgements about the service:

How good is the service that they have inspected? – rated from 3 stars (excellent) to 0 stars (poor)
Will the service improve? – rated on a scale that runs from ‘yes’, to ‘probably’, to ‘unlikely’ to ‘no’.

The inspectors will plot their judgement on a simple matrix, like the one shown below.

To date the Best Value Inspectorate have published reports on four Council services and Best Value Implementation. Click on the links below to be transferred to the Audit Commission website where you will be able to view summaries and full reports on these services:

ONLINE SERVICES

Best Value Feedback Form

SERVICES A-Z

Performance Management
Best Value
Comprehensive Performance Assessment

Best Value Performance Plan
Best Value Links
Business Management
Best Value
Best Value Comparisions
Comprehensive Performance Assessment Documentation
Auditors Report on Best Value
Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Best Value Five Year Plan
Best Value Reviews
Performance Management Framework