Kent scores highly in Audit Commission review
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by political editor Paul Francis
Residents in Kent enjoy some of the best public services in the
country - according to an independent review of how well councils,
the police and the NHS are performing.
The review by the Audit
Commission rates how well public services are performing
against key priorities agreed by councils, the NHS and the police.
The initiative is an attempt to try and assess residents' quality
of life.
Overall, Kent ranks highly when it comes to measures on crime,
health care and the quality of key council services although there
are variations in standards across the county.
The
'Oneplace assessment' draws together the findings of six
independent inspectorates to judge the quality of services.
It singles out two initiatives in the county as exceptional:
- the county's pioneering Gateway centres, one-stop shops
bringing together key services under one roof;
- the help and support offered to young people - the number of
Neets (young people not in education or employment) is coming down
against the national trend.
Both merit "green flag" ratings in the assessment, as examples
other authorities could follow. Kent has no "red flags" - an
indicator showing where there is significant concern about
performance.
According to a separate assessment by the Audit Commission,
also published today, Kent County Council has cemented its
reputation as one of the best-performing local authorities in the
country.
It is one of just three counties to score the highest possible
ranking. The Audit Commission says KCC is performing excellently
and its leadership is far-sighted and strong. It says the authority
understands what matters to residents and targets these "with great
effect".
But there were more mixed results for Kent's district and
borough councils.
Six were assessed as only adequate, meaning they are meeting
only minimum requirements: Ashford; Dover; Gravesham; Shepway;
Swale and Thanet. The remainder were performing well, with
Sevenoaks receiving an excellent rating.
When it comes to health, care is improving but not fast enough,
says the Audit Commission.
On the plus side, more people are healthier and living longer
than other parts of the country and deaths from cancer, heart
disease, strokes and infant deaths significantly lower than the
national average.
On crime, the review says crime levels have fallen and more
people feel safe than in other parts of the country.
Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter said: "This is great
day for Kent and its residents. We have been massively complimented
on our achievements.
"These results don't just happen. They are as a result of hard
work, determination, innovation and dedication by everybody
involved."
Read Paul Francis' blog on the
"Oneplace" initiative here>>>
Tuesday, December 08 2009
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