To consider the Action Plan emerging from the CPA inspection of Cultural Services by the Audit Commission.

THAT the action plan be endorsed.

The Audit Commission inspectors were on site between 5th and 9th February, 2007 meeting a range of Members, officers and partners to make a judgement on the quality of cultural services provided by the local authority.  As well as interviews this judgement was based on a review of over 100 documents sent to the inspectors.  The judgement is divided into two parts – how good is the service and this can be out of poor, fair, good, or excellent the second part is concerned with what are the prospects for improvement and that can be out of poor, uncertain, promising or excellent.  The result for Herefordshire is “fair service that has promising prospects for improvement”.

The last cultural services inspection was in 2002 based on an evaluation of the library services which received a rating of a “fair service with uncertain prospects”.  The inspection for 2007 was based on “a harder test” and the full range of cultural services provided and funded by the local authority covering arts development, public art, arts centres and theatres, sports development, leisure centres, parks and open spaces, heritage and conservation, museums, historic buildings, archaeology, countryside access, public rights of way, libraries, archives and records, and tourism.

A set of “key lines of enquiry” was supplied by the Audit Commission which formed the basis of the inspection.  This specifically focused on outcomes for people, value for money, links to corporate and countywide plans, performance management, partnership and procurement.  For this inspection there was a particular focus on the contribution cultural services makes to economic vitality and services for older people.

A full copy of the inspectors report is available in the Members Room.

Recommendations submitted by the audit commission are not addressed and the consequences accepted by the local authority.