What is CPA?
In 2002 the Audit Commission introduced Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) as a way of pulling together the important audit and inspection work covered by the Audit Commission, Ofsted, Commission for Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI) and the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI), into a structure that forms an overall view of performance of all Local Authorities and their actions for improving services to the public.
In 2005 the Audit Commission changed their method and introduced CPA 2005-08 'The Harder Test'.
The key parts include:
- A corporate assessment - an inspection of the Council's corporate effectiveness that takes place once in the three-year period (2005-08). <
- Service block assessments - an annual update of scores based on inspection results as well as performance information for two levels of services as follows;
- Level 1 - use of resources, children and young people and adult social care
- Level 2 - benefits, culture, environment and housing.
The scores from each of these parts are pulled together to give each Local Authority a rating of 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 stars, this is supported by a 'direction of travel statement' judged to be one of the following; improving strongly, improving well, improving adequately, not improving adequately or not improving and they are published in December every year.
The diagram below illustrates how all the elements of CPA fit together.
(Click on the image to see a larger version).
