Maidenhead & Windsor

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough has once again retained its three-star rating for the above-average number of top performing services it provides – and is continuing its overall improvement rate.

This year’s rating of ‘improving well’ in the annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) published by the Audit Commission has risen from “improving adequately” in last year’s assessment – and includes strengthening its approach to providing good value for money.

Windsor and Maidenhead Services singled out for praise include:

• recycling rates – performance has increased in the past year
• housing benefit claims – greater accuracy in processing claims
• planning applications – greater speed in processing
• traffic growth – reduced to zero, with more people using buses.

Areas identified for improvement in last year’s assessment and now showing ‘good progress’ include:

• keeping the area clean
• faster processing of minor planning applications
• an increase in the number of adult social care assessments.

The report acknowledges the major re-structuring of the Windsor and Maidenhead council’s senior management team since the arrival of new chief executive, Ian Trenholm, last May – as well as the strengthening of partnership working to continue to improve performance.

Specific mention is made of the changes in the council’s delivery of its IT services, which are likely to result in an annual saving of £200,000, and a significant cut in carbon emissions – and there is also recognition for the newly-introduced balanced scorecard scheme which is used monthly to ensure that performance improves and targets are met.

Areas needing further improvement include: some aspects of services for children and young people and adult social care services; the management of data quality; streamlining the council’s business planning processes; completing the sustainable community strategy and refining the Local Strategic Partnership.

Cllr David Burbage, council Windsor and Maidenhead leader, said: “It is very pleasing to see recognition of our determination to improve – especially in the areas flagged up in the last CPA report as needing further attention and which we have specifically focused on in that time.

“There is well-deserved praise for the kind of services which are important to our residents such as recycling, keeping the borough clean and the speed of planning applications – as well as clear pointers for further improvement in specific areas such as care services for both adults and children.

“We are committed to providing high quality local services for all our residents and will continue to strive to improve to achieve that aim.”

This is the final year of CPA, which will be succeeded from April this year by the multi-inspectorate Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA). The first CAA results will be published in November 2009.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead