28 May 2004
The Audit Commission is piloting the creation of area profiles as a way of building a complete picture of frontline services and quality of life within a specific location.
The spending watchdog wants to draw together the information produced by inspection bodies on services provided by councils and other public agencies, such as NHS trusts and police authorities.
It has signalled its intention to incorporate area profiles into the reformed model for Comprehensive Performance Assessments, which will come into effect after 2005.
The watchdog has previously made clear that the revised framework will take greater account of councils' ability to establish effective partnerships with local agencies.
Area profiles could provide a means of scrutinising the performance of Local Strategic Partnerships, drawing together in one place the bewildering array of performance data on member organisations.
Bob Walding, the commission's director of knowledge and learning, said area profiles would help to reduce the audit burden facing service providers. 'If you had one place where people could go to get the data, that would reduce a lot of bureaucracy,' he said.
They would also enable regulators to take a proportionate approach to inspection, and to focus on those services requiring intervention, he added.
The commission believes the profiles could direct the activities of LSPs, too, allowing managers to identify weaknesses in services and target resources accordingly.
A pilot scheme involving 18 councils was launched in October 2003 and the results are being collated. Participating councils include London boroughs such as Southwark and Camden; Bristol and Reading in the South; Birmingham and Shropshire from the central region; and Manchester and Gateshead in the North. One Welsh authority, Rhondda Cynon Taf, is also taking part.
An initial report is expected in July and this is likely to advocate another round of pilots to test early conclusions and finalise methodology.
The commission envisages a variety of applications for the model. 'Vertical mapping', for example, would assess the experiences of specific groups, such as young people or pensioners, in an area.
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