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Audit Commission chairman Michael O'Higgins has told council leaders the new comprehensive area assessment (CAA) will not be ‘hoops to jump through'. Speaking at the County Councils Network conference this week in Macclesfield, Mr O'Higgins said the new system, which will replace CPA, will develop relationships between councils and other stakeholders. ‘For the public, the important issue is not the assessment process, it's whether the children are getting a good education,' he said. ‘Assessments are not about arbitrary hoops to jump through. CAA will be a catalyst for improvement. It will look and feel very different to your current experience of assessment.' The Audit Commission is launching a consultation on the new CAA framework on 19 November and Mr O'Higgins said it ‘will have a level of sophistication that will allow for the complexity of partnership working to be understood'. Addressing fears councils could be dragged down by the poor performance of partners, he said: ‘The individual institution use of resources and direction of travel will remain. ‘Secondly, I'm optimistic because councils will be choosing their own priorities. The arguments you will have with your local partners about your priorities should help develop relationships.' Mr O'Higgins also said there was still a ‘significant scope' for savings to be made with the merger of back office functions. ‘Phil Woolas said the improving performance of local government persuaded central government they could take the risk and let go,' he added. ‘DCLG are convinced of the virtue of allowing local government and local people to make more decisions.'

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WHITEHALL

CAA 'a catalyst to improve'

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