Comprehensive Area Assessment

Guide to CAA

The Comprehensive Area Assessment measures progress towards and prospects for achieving agreed local targets. It is a single assessment process, undertaken jointly by the Audit Commission and its partner inspectorates. It replaces the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

CAA offers an independent assessment of how well people are served by their public services. It considers the prospects for people's quality of life in the local area and is intended to ensure the £200 billion a year spent providing local public services is used effectively.


Who is responsible for CAA?

CAA brings together the work of six inspectorates, formerly conducted separately:

  1. the Audit Commission
  2. the Care Quality Commission (replaces the Commission for Social Care Inspection, Healthcare Commission and Mental Health Act Commission)
  3. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
  4. HM Inspectorate of Prisons
  5. HM Inspectorate of Probation
  6. the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)

CAA is being reported through a new website, called oneplace, launched by the Audit Commission on 9 December 2009.


CAA and TSO

CAA measures progress in tackling local challenges in which many TSOs are major stakeholders. It is designed to ensure local services address local needs and local people and communities are involved in the design and delivery of services.

The local third sector can engage with CAA in a variety of ways. They can:

  • ensure they are familiar with their LAA and Sustainable Community Strategy and the role the local third sector should play in defining local needs and delivering services
  • consider how well local priorities express community needs and aspirations
  • review progress towards the development of an environment for a thriving third sector
  • check the practice of their local authority against the principles set out in the local Compact
  • find out how their local third sector is involved in CAA and consider how it can contribute
  • share information about the opportunities offered to the sector by CAA and how to engage with the process
  • provide a channel through which local people, especially those most marginalised and excluded, can make their voices heard.

Resources:

Further information is available on the following websites: