Archived decisions

Contact: Terry Rath, Education Officer. Tel. 01962 846457

1 Summary

1.1 This report updates the Policy Review Committee on progress in implementing the action plans of the seven first year and six second year best value reviews. The details provided in the appendix of this report will be incorporated into the Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) for 2003.

2 Background

2.1 Seven BV reviews were undertaken during the financial year 2000-01, although because of changes to the dates of Education Committee meetings, most were not agreed by Committee until June and July. The dates the BV reviews were reported to Committee are set out below.

21 November 2000	School Crossing Patrols
23 January 2001	School Admissions
24 June 2001	Home to School Transport Strategic Management
1 July 2001	Specialist Teacher Advisers Bilingual Support Service Outdoor Education

2.2 A report was received by the Policy review Committee on 22 January 2002 which updated members on the implementation of action plans. Although the delay in approving some of the reviews meant that some of the original target dates for implementation were optimistic the report to the PRC noted by then 51 of the actions to be completed by 20 December 2001 had been completed. It was also noted that although not full completed, some of the actions not fully advanced nevertheless had still had a significant level of officer time put into taking them forward.

2.3 The second year BV reviews were all reported at the Education Policy Review Committee on 20 December 2001. The services covered are set out below.

Governor Services
Education Psychology Services
Hampshire Music Service
Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service
School Library Service
Education Training Agency

2 Review progress on action plans

2.1 At its meeting on 22 January 2002 the PRC agreed that before the report was prepared for the Committee, members would review progress on the BV action plans with the review team leader.

2.2 It has been possible to implement this process for most second year reviews but as so few of the members associated with the first year reviews are not now members of the Education PRC it was decided after consultation with the Chairman, not to pursue this approach with the first year reviews.

2.3 In the case of the School Crossing Patrol Service, the review has led to it being transferred in April 2002 to the Environment Department and the summary has been completed by an officer in that Department. The summary is also being reported to the Environment Department PRC. Organisational changes have had an impact on the Education Training Agency which no longer exists as a separate business unit, but has been incorporated within the Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service.

2.4 The table below sets out the number of improvements identified in the reports in the Appendix and the progress made in completing them. In the cast of the first year reviews, improvements that had been implemented by December 2001 have been excluded. Some improvements in the original action plans were also identified as on-going.

3.5. The attached reports show that significant progress has been made in
implementing both the Year 1 and year 2 action plans. In some cases
the action plans have been fully implemented and the development of
the service will be dependent on securing and building on these
improvements. In some cases, actions have not proved to be practical,
for example, the inclusion of catchment area maps in the admission
booklet, or developments have taken place which delay or reduce the
potential impact of the improvement. Some improvements have not
been implemented because the funding has not been available. An
example would be some of the staffing improvements recommended for
the Specialist Teacher Advisory Service.

3.6. The reports of the second year reviews show that considerable officer time has been put into the implementation of their recommendations. These reviews produced fewer, but higher level outcomes than the first year reviews which are less capable of implementation within a short time frame but will influence the on-going improvement of this range of services.

Future Reports and Service Development

3.7. In the report to the PRC in December 2001 it was mentioned that as the
BV action plans were implemented and wider environmental changes
occurred, there would be a need to reconsider bringing annual reports
on these action plans to the PRC. The County Council has now a new
context into which service development planning can be placed. This
has already existed for those services operating as business units,
which have to produce an annual business plan, to enable them to
enjoy increased flexibility in their finances. To complement this for
other services, service planning is being introduced. This will require
services to produce plans outlining their priorities for the future. It
is, therefore, proposed that in future the monitoring of the development
of these services should be undertaken through the business and service
planning arrangements. This will mean that future reports to the PRC
on the implementation of BV action plans will not cover these Year 1
and Year 2 services.


Recommendations

1. That the Executive Member be asked to agree that satisfactory progress has been made in implementing the action plans of the Year 1 and Year 2 Best Value reviews.

2. That the future development of these Year 1 and year 2 services reviewed under BV be monitored through the arrangements for business and service planning.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

The following documents disclose factors or matters on which this report, or an
important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Nil.