LGA improvement

Councillors are being asked for their views as part of a consultation on local government improvement.

The LGA and IDeA are currently consulting on a new framework, ‘Setting the pace’ which calls for an increased role for councillors and local government in driving improvement in council performance.

Local government boasts an enviable record of improvement over recent years. But councils have not always got it right – for example when it comes to protecting vulnerable children – and what we have learnt from these failures is that turning things around and avoiding future problems requires strong political leadership and sharing of expertise.

The LGA’s improvement board, which is behind the consultation, believes that by working together councillors can make a significant contribution to driving up performance in councils and in local partnerships and ultimately in improving the lives of the communities they serve.

If the local government sector grasps the role of monitoring its collective performance, and if councils learn from each other, board members believe there will be less need for inspection and government intervention which is expensive to deliver and often ineffective in delivering improvements.

As a first step towards sector-led improvement, the LGA and the IDeA are canvassing views on a new framework for self-improvement for councils in England in the hope of making a strong case to government for renegotiating the roles of local and central government in bringing about improvement in public services.

 The consultation closes on 1 July. For more information see www.idea.gov.uk/settingthepace