Comprehensive Performance Assessment

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We are categorised as a 3 star council that is improving well. For further information on Kingston's 2006 CPA score please see the related documents at the bottom of the page.

Background Information

The CPA was introduced in December 2002. The assessment is carried out annually by the Audit Commission in order to assess an individual Council’s performance.

The Audit Commission has introduced a new framework for CPA in single tier and county councils from 2005 to 2008, CPA - The Harder Test.  The framework is both a harder and a different test and the CPA categories have been renamed to reflect this change. The different elements of the assessment now place a greater emphasis on value for money, user focus and community leadership. The overall CPA framework for single tier and county councils comprises:

• Direction of travel assessments, reported by the Audit Commission.
• Annual use of resources assessments by the Audit Commission, based on the work of its appointed auditors.
• Annual service assessments by the Audit Commission (environment, housing, culture), or provided to the Audit Commission by the Office for Standards in Education (children and young people), the Commission for Social Care Inspection (children and young people and adult social care) and the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (benefits).
• Periodic corporate assessments of a councils capacity to improve by the Audit Commission.

The CPA leads to each Council being categorised as either: 4 Star, 3 Star, 2 Star or 1 Star.  Together with the star rating the Audit Commission provide a Direction of Travel Statement classifying each council as either 'improving strongly', 'improving well, 'improving adequately', or 'not improving adequately'.

Contact us

For further information on Comprehensive Performance Assessment and the Royal Borough of Kingston, please contact:
Chris Field (Chief Policy Officer)
Telephone:  020 8547 5010
Email:  chris.field@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

You may also wish to visit the Audit Commission website.