In September 2008 an independent assessment of Waltham Forest Council, by the Audit Commission, rated the Council as a four star authority.

The Audit Commission's Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), which judges how well councils in England and Wales are delivering services, rated the Council as demonstrating an overall four star performance.

Four stars is the highest rating possible and is evidence of the work the Council has done to improve services for local people. Waltham Forest is the only council to make a leap from zero star (in 2002) to four stars.

Summary of Corporate Assessment Report

As part of the CPA, the Audit Commission undertook a Corporate Assessment which focused on our ambitions for the future, how we prioritise what we do, our capacity, our performance management arrangements and our track record in delivering outcomes for local people.  

In summary the Audit Commission’s report concluded:

“Waltham Forest Council is performing well. With its partners the Council has developed a clear and challenging vision for the borough based on a robust analysis of local needs and concerns. The ambitions for the community set out in the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) and the Local Area Agreement (LAA) reflect the major challenges facing the borough, the diversity of the community and national priorities. The overall ambition to create sustainable communities is supported by clear plans for the principal regeneration areas in Walthamstow town centre and Blackhorse Lane. Partnership working is well established in crime reduction and community safety, but less so in housing. Awareness of ambitions among all stakeholders is good and the Council has developed strong and visible leadership for the community which is supporting the achievement of priorities.”

The following recommendations were made for future improvements:

  • Focus now needs to be on delivering the broader ambitions in the new Sustainable Community Strategy
  • The Council needs to set out the specific outcomes it is trying to achieve across all its plans and strategies, including those with its partners
  • Ensure that, working with local strategic partners and sub-regional and regional partners, the Council maximises opportunities to close the skills gap, tackle worklessness and improve access to both employment and housing. To achieve this it needs to strengthen its arrangements to deliver regeneration across the borough through partnership working
  • The Council needs to develop a joint strategic approach to meeting the needs of all people aged 50 and over with key local partners
  • The Council needs to develop its strategic workforce planning approach with partners to ensure that local public services have appropriately skilled and experienced staff in place to meet their ambitions for the local community

The Council with its partners is working to respond to all of these recommendations to ensure we continue to deliver improved outcomes for local people.  

» More on full Audit Commission report

» More on service scores 2005-2007

» More on service scores 2003-2004