CPA

Comprehensive Performance Assessment

CPA is an independent assessment of local authorities, including fire authorities, carried out by the Audit Commission (AC).  These inspections provide an independent judgement of how well authorities are managed at a corporate level and how well they are delivering their services to the public.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority was assessed in April 2005 and rated as 'good' overall.  An improvement plan was developed to address those areas identified as in need of improvement.

In order to continuously measure improvement and performance in fire and rescue authorities, the AC has developed an annual Performance Framework Inspection Programme comprising three elements:

1. Direction of Travel Assessment

This considers the current level of service and assesses the ability of the authority to improve further.  Following the 2006 inspection, we were found to be 'improving well' and in the recent 2007 assessment we rated as 'improving adequately'.

The auditors acknowledged the good work that is ongoing across the organisation, in particular with targeted community safety - directing resources at those people who are most at risk from fire, improved performance management, collaborations with other fire and rescue services, improvement in access and the quality of services for people with disabilities, and effective partnership working, notably with stack fire reduction.

It was also noted that we had reduced the number of accidental fires in the home and the number of deliberate car fires, and increased the percentage of fires contained to the room of origin.

However, we were prevented from scoring an 'improving well' again as in 2006 as a number of our Performance Indicators showed increases, such as the number of commercial fires, the number of Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs), and the number of deaths and injuries from fires in the home. Improvements have been seen in these areas throughout 07/08.

2. Use of Resources Assessment

This considers how well the fire and rescue service manages and uses its financial resources.  It focuses on the importance of having sound and strategic financial management to ensure resources are available to support the Service priorities; improve service delivery and provide value for money.  Following the 2006 and most recent 2007 inspections, the Fire Authority was assessed as 'performing well' in this area.

3. Service Assessment

This comprises two elements, the operational assessment of service delivery and an analysis of Performance Indicators (PIs).  The operational assessment focuses on how well the fire and rescue service plans to respond to emergencies and prevent incidents.  The PIs measure the numbers of incidents or percentage of incidents in particular areas, and include things like the number of accidental fires in the home, the number of primary fires (dwelling and commercial fires), the number of deaths and injuries from accidental home fires and the number of automatic fire alarms attended. Following the 2006 inspection, the Fire Authority's overall rating for this assessment was 'performing well'. The Service Assessment was not reassessed in the 2007 CPA process and so our current rating for this category remains 'performing well'. The PIs were taken into account in the Direction of Travel assessment.

The aim of the inspection programme is to enable the Audit Commission to measure improvement within fire and rescue authorities and to do this in a proportionate way by considering all three assessments. This provides a clear indication of the improvements made since the original CPA inspection process in 2005.

For further information about the CPA process see the Audit Commission website (this link will open in a separate window).