QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Sep 15 2011, 09:20 PM)
That's true, but this was a comparative study. All local authorities made cuts to services and budgets and in isolation it would be very difficult to say for any individual authority whether their actual efficiency improved or not, but by comparing the change in services as against cost for one council against another the survey is essnetially a relative measure of efficiency. WBC ranked highly, which means it improved its efficiency, and while that's good now I think we should understand why it wasn't as good previously, because there's been no recognition of previous inefficiency and it would be good to ensure that old habits didn't return.
But WBC only ranked highly in respect of one of the service areas - disability services. No other area is covered in this 5th place ranking.
Below are the comments from the Demos survey on West Berks:
2.89 per cent budget change to disabled children and families' care and support
3.65 per cent budget change to adult care and support
-3.63 per cent budget change to older people's care and support
West Berkshire has recently closed five local day centres used by disabled people but they are using the money to give people more choice over the services and support they want by using personal budgets. Personal budgets are cash payments that can be given to disabled people who are eligible for care and support services to buy their own services, rather than have them provided by the council. The council does not deduct any money from the amount of a personal budget before giving it to the disabled person. Finally the council has said that they have not increased the cost of any disability care and support services services.