Comprehensive Area Assessment

Infinity Bridge Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) was introduced in 2008 as a way of assessing local public services in England. It examined how well councils were working together with other public bodies to meet the needs of the people they serve. The CAA is a joint assessment led and co-ordinated by the Audit Commission with a group of five other independent watchdogs.

Assessments are published each year and provide an annual snapshot of quality of life in the area. The results appear within the Oneplace website.

CAA comprises two parts:

The Area Assessment2009 - looks at how councils, police, fire, health and other services work together effectively to tackle priorities in an area. It uses green flags to highlight exceptional performance and innovation and red flags for areas of concern. For Stockton, in 2009, the Audit Commission identified no red or green flags but praised many areas of local services.
The Organisational Assessment - an individual assessment of Stockton Council and other public sector agencies such as our partners; Police, Primary Care Trust and the Fire Service. Individual scores for Managing Performance and Use of Resources are awarded to each of these agencies. Through the organisational assessment, these themes combine to provide an overall score and assessment of organisational effectiveness.

Further details on the results for Stockton-on-Tees - Area Assessment 2009 can be found online.

Since August 2010 the secretary of state for the Department of Communities and Local Government announced that the Audit Commission was to be abolished.

We are awaiting an announcement from the minister to advise on a new performance framework for local government. Further details will be published here when known.