Islington Council is still on the up, listening to residents and 'improving well', according to the Audit Commission, which has rated it a three star council for the second year running. <br><br>Published today on www.auditcommission.com, the Commission's report says Islington's improvement levels are 'above average', with almost three quarters of council services improving. Council service areas that performed particularly well were Environment, which increased from a two to three star score, and the benefits service, which has gone up from a score of three to four - so it's now an excellent service which processes applications much faster than average.<br><br>The Audit Commission particularly highlights the council's investment in making the borough's streets both cleaner and safer, which has 'resulted in significant improvements in overall crime rates'. It also praises Islington's investment in 'green' environmental policies, which has paid off, for example, by boosting the recycling rate.<br><br>In addition the commission notes that the council is building stronger communities by continuing to improve access to services. 'Contact Islington' goes from strength to strength, response times are improving and longer opening hours are making things better for residents. It says the council has 'listened to local people' and implemented practical diversity initiatives, for example for hearing impaired customers and faith based projects with specific communities. <br><br>Leader of Islington Council James Kempton said:"This is good news though we are not complacent and will continue our work to keep on getting better for the residents of this borough. It is very encouraging that the Audit Commission believe as we do that this council is 'well placed to continue to deliver improvements for local people' and this is at the heart of everything we do. They have recognised our work to make the borough greener, cleaner and safer and to build stronger communities. It's improving for residents that all our efforts are geared towards though it is good to have our achievements and our hard work endorsed by the Audit Commission."<br><br>The council's significant achievement comes despite changes to the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) -- the process by which the Commission measures councils -- making it a 'harder test' of performance this year. Also this year exam results are up and Islington has the 6th highest 'value-added' score in the country, which means that children make good progress from their starting position when they leave primary school. <br><br>Cllr Marisha Ray, Executive Member for Performance, Islington Council, said: "I'm delighted with these results, which show that the council, together with its partners, has made real improvements in the services it provides for local people. Islington's made huge progress, and better still -- the Commission has recognised that we've got the commitment and capacity to improve even further.<br><br>"But it's important to remember that there are a number of areas that are not measured by CPA, which mean just as much to local people and we're equally committed to doing our best with them. For example, crime is down by 16 per cent, and the number of people who smoke is down, and the quality of teaching in early years is among the best.<br><br>"We'll keep listening to local people, and making sure that we invest in the areas that are important to them, and make our services better for the people who use them." <br><br>Islington's scores for other service areas, including housing, adults, children and young people, and use of resources, stayed the same overall but showed considerable improvements in their sub categories. For example, homelessness, the proportion of decent homes, rent collection and tenant satisfaction have all improved.<br><br>ENDS <br><br><br><br><br><br>
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009