There was rather an impressive collection of chief executives gathered in the LGA's Bevan Hall this week to hear all about the latest on BVPIs from Ipsos MORI's Ben Page. The good news is, local government is improving at CPA, services are getting better satisfaction ratings, and London boroughs are doing well. Why then is the image of local government dropping? For almost all upper-tier councils, services score consistently higher than overall satisfaction levels. Value for money makes a difference to how people think about their council– but, conversely, levels of council tax don't. So, stop worrying about council tax and start worrying about value. Feeling you can make a difference in your area also makes people happy. The real key, as anyone who reads Mr Page's MJ column or has seen him speak at conferences will already know, is communications. How do the public know you offer value for money? How do the public know you provide the services they like? How do the public know they can get involved? You have to tell them. None of this is new, but it still isn't happening everywhere. Mr Page told the audience influencing the local and national media to write good stories about local government was just too hard. I disagree. Too often, chief officers and politicians see the media as the enemy. They try to scupper stories by refusing to talk, rather than setting the record straight, or being honest with the media – and therefore the public. It isn't always going to work, but when it doesn't, move on. The LGA Reputation project is trying to buck the trend of bad stories, but it is a bit of a hard slog. It is a job for comms teams around the country, not just half a dozen people in Smith Square. Hire good comms staff and listen to them. SOLACE director general, David Clark, who also shared the platform with Mr Page, claimed communications used to always be on the top team in councils, and now it is not. If the image of local government is to improve, it is time for a re-think on the value of communications. Heather Jameson Deputy Editor, The MJ
