Report on the 2003-4 Service Delivery Plan of Isle of Wight Council’s Trading Standards Service

Introduction

This report gives individual feedback on the annual service delivery plan provided by Isle of Wight and is part of the analysis of all service delivery plans required under the National Performance Framework (NPF) for the Trading Standards Service. It has been prepared by the assessment team appointed by the Institute of Public Finance (IPF), contractors to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the analysis of all the plans and Information Returns.

The assessors and the quality controller appointed by IPF to analyse and assess the plans are all former trading standards professionals. They completed a desktop assessment to establish the extent to which Isle of Wight in its plan provides for the national priorities of the service and for its own service review and improvement to the standards set out in the NPF. It should be noted, however, that a desktop only assessment (as required by DTI) cannot, in the absence of information as to outcomes, reach a view on whether what is planned will succeed in meeting the priorities. A separate Peer Review, due to be piloted later this year, will assess and review actual progress against the plan.

It is also important to remember that the assessment team’s view of the plan is based solely on the material provided to them by the authority. They were required to take an evidence based approach and not to make assumptions. Their comments derive from what they have seen.

It will be helpful to Isle of Wight if this feedback report is read in conjunction with the national overview report on plans, which provides further background to the assessment process, the scoring and the NPF and describes trends within the service as a whole.

This year the assessment team used an electronic assessment form to analyse the plans. This has allowed a much more extensive range of issues and sub-issues to be scored than last year but, despite this sophistication, the analysis remains substantially subjective and for this reason scores for the plan have been banded by reference to the median score.

In response to comments about the individual feedback reports provided to some authorities last year, this report includes;

· details of the standards that appear not to have been met. Note that in some cases these have been sub-divided to refine the assessment process. A full list of the sub-divisions is provided in Annex C of the recently published report on Service Delivery Plans;

· a list of recommendations about areas for improvement;

· information about the extent to which the authority appears to have met the planning requirements of the NPF; and

· information about the extent to which the authority might be regarded as modernising and improving.

This report is provided in confidence to Isle of Wight and has not been seen by anyone outside the assessment team. It is for Isle of Wight to choose what use they make of this report and the extent to which they share it within their authority or outside.

PART ONE: CONTEXT AND COMPARATIVE FACTORS

In this first part of the plan Isle of Wight is required to give information about the authority, its responsibilities, and its assessment of the needs and expectations of its customers, both consumers and businesses.

The Trading Standards Service in the Community

Strategic planning

The plan should set out the authority’s corporate and community objectives as required by The Local Government Act 2000 and also the way in which the service contributes to those strategic objectives.

This service:

· Set out its authority’s strategic objectives, that is to say the impact that the authority can have on the community and upon its own service provision.

The relevant standard of the NPF is that the service should have a role in cross-cutting objectives and that these objectives should build on the promotion of economic well-being and quality of life in the community.

The plan should set out the trading standards service’s key aims and objectives. These should relate to the national priorities and any specific local priorities, that is to say, priorities reflecting specific socio-economic or geographic circumstances within the authority. The service’s key aims and objectives should also reflect the authority’s strategic objectives, the need to meet national and local priorities, and the principles of best value. Existing gaps in service provision should be identified and focused on in medium term planning.

This authority has set two local priorities to be met in its overall service provision and one of these is said to require an input from the trading standards service.

In developing its strategic thinking this Service:

· Set out all of its key aims and objectives.

· Showed how all of its own key aims and objectives link to its authority’s strategic objectives.

· Showed how some of its own key aims and objectives link to the national priorities for the service.

· Set out to an extent how the principles of Best Value have been applied in developing its own strategic thinking.

· Made reference to timescales for meeting its own key aims and objectives.

RECOMMENDATION

To improve its strategic planning of its key aims and objectives further this service may find it helpful to:

make clear how all of its key aims and objectives link to the four national priorities

make clear how the principles of Best Value have been applied throughout its strategic thinking

make clearer the timescales associated with meeting its own key aims and objectives.

Planning to meet strategic objectives

The plan should set out how the service intends to deliver its contribution to strategic objectives identified.

The Service has well made plans to meet nine of the strategic objectives it has identified. That is to say the objective is clearly set out and it appears that there are detailed plans in place that should address the stated objectives of: social inclusion; economic well-being; lifelong learning; health improvement; crime and disorder/public safety; quality of service delivery; openness and the better use of resources

RECOMMENDATION

This Service may be able to increase its contribution to meeting the authority’s strategic objectives by showing how it will contribute to equality issues

Local structure

The plan should give details of the structure in which Isle of Wight provides its service, and of its partners for the provision of services. Membership of forums, both internal to the authority and externally to improve trading standards service provision should be provided as well as information about participation in local business partnerships.

The Service has provided some information about its authority’s services and structure from which it is possible to see how the Trading Standards Service fits into the organisation and in part the relevant decision making processes.

This Service has identified a wide range of partners bearing in mind the area that it serves and the assessment team identified more than were listed when reading plans to address the national priorities. The partnerships contribute to the exchange of information and assist local business as well as providing services.

The Service makes use of its partnerships with local business, for example through membership of Isle of Wight Enterprise Agency, to establish relations with local business.

RECOMMENDATION

To extend the effectiveness of its partnership working the Service should consider:

extending its partnership working to engage with the police to help meet its objectives for addressing issues related to crime and disorder

Access to the Trading Standards Service

Full information was given about access to the service.

In addition to the widely accepted means of access, for example for personal callers or by telephone, the Service provides some additional access methods, for example by consumercomplaints.org. There is a wide range of provision for those with special needs.

Assessing community expectations, needs and feedback

The plan should provide details of how the needs and expectations of all customers are sought and assessed. To meet the NPF standards this must be both proactive, based on consultation and user surveys, and reactive using current intelligence. Customer awareness of the services provided must also be assessed as well as the demand for any specialist services, details of which were given in the Core Responsibilities form.

In its plan the Service provided information to show that consumer needs and expectations had been assessed. The assessment had been both reactive and reactive using various methods. Non users had not been surveyed as part of this assessment. The assessment was well structured and explained. There was a summary of the needs identified as a result of the assessment.

RECOMMENDATION

This Service may find it helpful to improve its assessment of consumer needs by:

regularly surveying both users and non-users of the service to establish their specific needs as well as their satisfaction with the service provided.

In its plan the Service provided information to show that business needs and expectations had been assessed. The assessment had been both reactive and proactive using various methods. Non users had not been surveyed as part of this assessment. The assessment was well structured and explained. There was a summary of the needs identified as a result of the assessment.

RECOMMENDATION

This Service may find it helpful to improve its assessment of business needs by:

extending its analysis to include surveys of non-users

The authority had also assessed local awareness of Trading Standards work by consumers and business. The NPF standard requires awareness surveys to be considered as an assessment method. This Service had completed an awareness survey of consumers and has also used a recent citizen’s panel questionnaire. Comparisons had not been made with other agencies or other trading standards services. This Service had not completed an awareness survey of local business but had used a user survey and an assessment of participants in business start up training. Comparisons had not been made with other agencies or trading standards services.

The results of the awareness assessments made were set out with reasons attributed. Assessments were not made in the last financial year.

RECOMMENDATION

This service may find it helpful to improve its assessment of awareness by:

regularly surveying both consumers and businesses

comparing the results with other agencies and trading standards

setting improvement targets and developing a strategy to meet those targets

Specialist Services

The Service gave full information about its estimation of demand for the specialist services identified on its Core Responsibilities form.

PART TWO: NATIONAL AND LOCAL PRIORITIES

Isle of Wight is required to explain how its assessment of demand and need is used to determine its objectives and work plans and to show how these are linked. As a minimum work plans must cover all the national priorities; any local priorities can be added. In setting out its provisions to meet each of the four national priorities Isle of Wight must record the measures it intends to follow to address the standards introduced in the NPF. For the purpose of this Service Delivery Plan only brief details are required of the actions planned to bring programmes into effect.

In making its assessment of the extent to which the plans may meet the requirements of the national standards and local needs and expectations, the assessment team has considered the extent to which the plans can be regarded as well made. As well as looking at the extent to which a Service has applied more than one method where appropriate, in its planning to meet a standard, the assessment team has been guided by the following in its consideration of the plans:

· there must be more than just a simple repetition of the standard within the NPF. For example, ‘we will inform consumers to enable them to deal with difficult areas of trading activity’ (standard 12.b) is not regarded as adequate.

· well made plans should distinguish between new (in this planning year) and continuing activity.

· well made plans should be clearly set out without the need to guess at intentions or fill in gaps on the basis of past experience of trading standards work.

Informed and confident consumers

The plan should set out the provisions Isle of Wight is making for educating, informing, advising and creating confident consumers and there are nine standards to be addressed.

Isle of Wight in its plan:

· Set out provisions in its SDP to create confident consumers.

· Did not always appear to take account of the needs and expectations of local consumers as assessed earlier in the plan.

· From the information available appeared to address all of the nine standards in whole or in part. Four of these standards, 12a, d, e, and h, appeared to be addressed by well made plans.

RECOMMENDATION

On the basis of the information available the assessment team have identified further specific issues for improvement in the Isle of Wight plans to meet this national priority. The Isle of Wight may find it helpful to take further steps to;

Improve accessibility of the service and to identify gaps in provision other than consumer advice

Encourage wider consumer participation in the consultation process

Informed and successful businesses

The plan should set out the provisions Isle of Wight is making to create informed successful businesses through education, information and advice, and in reflection of its own assessment of business needs and expectations. There are nine standards to be addressed.

Isle of Wight in its plan:

· Set out provisions in its SDP to create informed successful businesses.

· Did not appear to take account of the needs and expectations of local business as assessed earlier in the plan.

· From the information available appeared to address all of the nine standards in whole or in part. Five of these standards, 13a to e inclusive, appeared to be addressed by well made plans.

· Isle of Wight is to be congratulated on its overall approach to meeting this standard and in particular for its plans to inform local businesses through talks to the Isle of Wight Enterprise Council

RECOMMENDATION

Identify gaps in service provision and reach non-users

Measure the use and effectiveness of education advice and information services to business

A fair and safe trading environment

The plan should set out the provisions Isle of Wight is making to secure a fair and safe trading environment for the protection of all consumers and to foster an environment in which genuine traders can flourish and that drives out rogue traders. There are eight standards to be addressed.

Isle of Wight in its plan:

· Set out provisions in its SDP to secure a fair and safe trading environment.

· Did not appear to take account of the needs and expectations of local consumers and business as assessed earlier in the plan.

· From the information available appeared to address all of the eight standards in whole or in part. Five of these standards, 14a, b, d, f, and h, appeared to be addressed by well made plans.

Isle of Wight is to be congratulated on its plans to address priorities through feedback from other agencies but some examples would have been helpful to the assessment team.

RECOMMENDATION

consider additional steps to take target traders or business sectors known to give rise to high levels of problems, both through their own plans and those of the regional group

An efficient, effective and improving trading standards service

The fourth national priority is that the plan should set out the provisions Isle of Wight is making to improve its service, to develop and modernise its service so as to ensure it can be effective and efficient in meeting the requirements of its service delivery plan. There should be plans for continuous improvement and to develop all aspects of the service - from its delivery to internal procedures - to reflect current recognised good practice. There are eleven specific standards to be met.

Isle of Wight:

· Set out provisions in its SDP to improve its service and so ensure it is able to meet the needs of the SDP efficiently and effectively.

· Did not take account of local feedback as assessed earlier in the plan.

· From the information available appeared to address all of the eleven standards in whole or in part. Five of these standards, 15e, f, g, i, and k, appeared to be addressed by well made plans.

There are plans for communication and to raise the profile of the service and the plan with staff, council members and service users.

In developing its staff the Service has plans to ensure staff know for which parts of the plan they are responsible but it is not clear how their performance against the plan will be measured. There are well made plans to ensure the training and development of staff.

In relation to service issues there are well made plans for the use of IT and modern technology, responding to emergencies and formal reporting procedures:

Prioritising This Service gave some information about how it plans to prioritise its resources.

RECOMMENDATION

On the basis of the information available, the assessment team has identified further specific areas for improvement in Isle of Wight’s plans to meet the national priority of an efficient, effective and improving service. Isle of Wight may find it helpful to take positive action to:

show how it plans to use the information from complaints against the service to improve service delivery and how it plans to evaluate and improve joined up working

PART THREE: REVIEW, ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT

The third part of the SDP covers the provision that Isle of Wight is making to review its work against the plan and the standards. In particular Isle of Wight should show how it plans to measure quality and outcomes by monitoring, reviewing, comparing and challenging what it has done. There are seven standards for which provisions should be made.

In its SDP Isle of Wight:

· has set out plans to meet all of the seven standards in whole or in part.

· has well made plans to monitor progress against the plan and to review the policies and procedures in the plan.

· has well made plans for the use of external accreditation and some plans to compare outcomes.

· User surveys and consultation with stakeholders to assess satisfaction and effectiveness are planned.

· There are some plans to monitor the quality and consistency of advice and performance.

The Service has set out very clearly the areas it has identified for improvement. There is significant variation from last year's SDP.

RECOMMENDATION

The Service may find it helpful to improve its review processes by:

detailing how the service compares with other trading standards services, setting improvement targets and developing a strategy to achieve that improvement. It may also wish to consider other methods of improving the quality of the range services it provides, such as mystery shopping.

CONCLUSIONS:

How well has Isle of Wight met the planning requirements of the National Performance Framework?

The overall score for completion of the planning process Parts One to Three shows that Isle of Wight lies above the upper quartile. 38 other authorities were in the same score band. The median was 106 and the overall range was 43 to 159.

Is Isle of Wight a modernising and improving authority?

The assessment team has considered those aspects of the SDP that relate specifically to the modernisation agenda set by central government and has looked for indications of continuous improvement and review, in addition to what is required in the review stage at Stage 16 of the SDP. The development of partnership working including the evaluation of joined up and regional working; consideration of E-governance and E-commerce issues; and the adoption of good practice have been seen as particularly important. Best Value principles and the application of consultation, comparison and challenge have also been assessed.

Isle of Wight is one of 43 authorities with a modernisation and improvement score between the median and the upper quartile. The median was 11 and the overall range was 0 to 27.

This is a comprehensive plan and the service has identified further areas for improvement in its ambitious plans for consultation and monitoring. The assessment team hopes therefore that the staff vacancies referred to are filled so that the service has sufficient resources to fulfil this plan.

Mary Wilson-Jones

Director of Assessment on behalf of the IPF assessment team