Better Regulation Delivery Office
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Endorsement for sector-led approach to improvement

Local councils now have a robust tool for improving their regulatory services, an independent report has concluded.

The report from Shared Intelligence evaluated the Regulatory Services Peer Challenge Project led by Beacon councils for environmental health - Coventry and Westminster City Councils alongside senior partners Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO). The project was possible with funding from the Communities and Local Government's Beacon fund and LBRO.

The report found the Excellence Framework and processes of self-assessment and peer challenge were flexible and benefited all types and sizes of councils, including new unitary authorities as well as all types of regulatory services. The councils who participated felt it would lead to real service improvements, and the peer challenge component was seen as integral to delivering benefits.

Evidence from the evaluation showed that services were becoming more efficient and effective, with a range of spin-off benefits such as improving staff motivation and raising the profile of the service.

Participating councils were taking improvement plans seriously and were generally very strong on implementation, particularly relating to improved internal communications, relationships with elected members and customers; staff training and development.

All councils contributing to the evaluation, whilst recognising the time and resources needed to participate, felt it was a good return on investment and all would recommend, indeed have recommended to other councils.

Richard Block, Service Manager (Food, Health and Safety) at Westminster City Council, was lead challenger for Stockton-on-Tees. He said: "The interaction within the peer challenge teams is of great benefit. I learned a lot from my peer team, especially our IDeA member.

"It is a powerful moment when an elected member in the host authority is constructively challenged by our ‘member' peer. I think I gained a lot of understanding about political awareness, especially power sharing arrangements and how they impact on services."

And Keith Ford, Service Director (Neighbourhood and Environment) for North Lincolnshire Council, said: "The advantage of the peer challenge lies in the fact that it's an external assessment conducted by competent people, who are familiar with the issues from their regulatory work and peer challenges in other authorities.

"They can compare situations, help us to benchmark. The more councils that undergo this type of review, the more impact it will have on the general condition and improvement of the regulatory services sector."

LBRO and LACORS are now looking at some of the improvement messages that have emerged from the evaluation and a further cohort of councils will be testing an amended process in the latter part of 2010. An example is how incorporating LBRO's Impacts and Outcomes toolkit into self-assessment training and guidance could help move away from ‘activity-based' culture towards an outcomes oriented one.

LACORS and LBRO will also be looking at options for encouraging and sustaining this sector-led approach. LACORS will be looking at how this approach can be embedded in the Local Government Association (LGA) Group offer to the new coalition suggesting a new improvement framework with councils leading self-regulation including a commitment for peer review. LBRO will be leading on work with National Regulators to see how they can make use of the improvement plans that result from the self-assessment process that are then peer challenged.

For further information on the ongoing work please contact for LACORS, mark.duval@lacors.gov.uk and for LBRO Ffiona.Kyte@lbro.org.uk.


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