Has local government been changing ? Yes, a lot.

What sort of changes ? Changes in structure and in functions. The Local Government Act of 2000 killed off the old committee system (at any rate for the larger authorities) , and in its place N E Lincs chose to have a cabinet and leader method of working. There have also been other changes in both functions and powers. The Council has overall become more important, not because of changes in powers or more financial independence, but rather because it has taken on wider responsibilities and a greater leadership role in the community.

How does the cabinet work ? There are presently eight councillors on the cabinet, each having a different "portfolio" or area of responsibility. The leader and cabinet members are elected by the full Council. They normally meet weekly, and make decisions about all council matters.

And what is Scrutiny ? Scrutiny arose out of the need to challenge and question what the Executive was doing. In N E Lincs there are five scrutiny panels covering different policy areas, and an overarching Overview Scrutiny Board. Their tasks can be summarised as:
1. to hold the cabinet and executive to account
2. to take a long look at policies which the cabinet and executive may be too busy to think about in depth
3. to check the administration of the council, deal with petitions and suggestions from the public, and keep an eye out for anything which the council ought to be doing but isn't.
The panels have two officers to help with their activities. Departmental officers and cabinet members can be called on to answer questions or justify a policy, but are not members or officers for the scrutiny panels.

What is best value ? It is the process which aims to ensure a continued improvement in council services. It is based on the four Cs i.e. Challenge, Compare, Consult, and Compete. Apart from inspections, the main way the efficiency of the council is measured is by the"performance indicators".

What are performance indicators ? They are a large array of targets spread throughout all departments. Each year the council sets its own targets, and at the year end it can compare them with actual results and also with the results achieved by other councils. There also have financial implications.

What is the Local Strategic Partnership, or LSP ? It brings together many organisations from the public, voluntary, and private sectors, who by working together can help to improve the quality of life throughout the authority.

What is Sure Start ? Sure Start was Labour's first programme designed to ensure the best start in life for all children. It was based on research which showed that the first few years of life are critical for a child's future. It is centred in areas of deprivation, and are becoming Child Centres.

What does the phrase "Every Child Matters" signify ? This was the theme (following the Victoria Columbié case) for reforms of children's services - putting the child at the centre. The five desired outcomes are: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic well-being.

What is Early Years ? "Early Years" is a phrase which covers a wide range of local authority responsibilities towards young children within an administrative division. North East Lincs has a well established information service for parents.

What are Children's Centres ? Now being set up. They are places where families can expect to find the services, help, and advice they need for their children; in the jargon a "one stop shop".

What are "extended schools"? They are schools which are open outside normal school hours, and which provide a number of support services, such as breakfast clubs, games, arts, and sports, as well as homework clubs.

Where does the Local Education Authority (LEA) fit in ? It is effectively abolished. Education is now the responsibility of the Director of Children's Services, which combines the old department of education with that part of Social Services that had been responsible for children.

What is Urban Regeneration ? It is a long term plan, drawn up with other interested bodies, to reshape and develop the buildings and infrastructure of an area.

What is a Local Area Agreement (LAA) ? An LAA is a three year agreement between the government, a local authority and and the Local Strategic Partnership. It aims to set out the priorities for a sustainable community. It is centred round policies for healthy communities and older people, for children and young people, and for stronger and safer communities, and economic improvement.It is also symbolic of an increased leadership role for local authorities.

What is Neighbourhood Renewal ? It is a government initiative to enable England's most deprived local authorities to improve the quality of life of citizens living in particularly deprived sectors. The government set up a Neighbourhood Renewal Fund of £1,875 billion. North East Lincs will receive £9.1 million over a three year period.

What are Super Output Areas ? Their acronyms are often used i.e. SOA1, SOA2, SOA3 , as they come in three sizes. The main one, SOA1, is a small geographical area with a population of approximately 1500. It is used for analytical and administrative purposes.

What is a Local Enterprise Growth Initiative or LEGI ? It is a government policy aimed at turning round the economy of a relatively deprived area in about five to ten years. The North East Lincs Council have made a successful bid for this financial support.

What is a Local Area Partnership ? In the case of North East Lincs it is a set of schools linked together, aiming mainly to give an efficient change-over for children from primary to secondary school.

What is a Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) ? It is a series of thorough inspections carried out by the Audit Commission. They look at the performance indicators and compare the results with the council's targets, make a corporate assessment, and include the results of the Joint Area Review (JAR). They then give an overall result, giving the council one of 0 to 5 stars, 5 being the best and 0 the worst.

What is the Joint Area Review (JAR) ? It is an important part of this year's assessment, and is the first major inspection of the new structures for Child Care.

What does "Direction of Travel" mean ? It is the Audit Commission's judgement of how well the management of the Council is improving.


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For more information the first port of call should be the North East Lincs Council website. Click here . There are also government websites for nearly all the headings mentioned here, and they are easily found via a search with e.g. google. See also on the Idea web here