Background to performance surveys and indicators
The Place Survey replaces the Best Value General Satisfaction Survey last conducted in 2006. The survey focuses more on improving outcomes for local people and places – rather than on processes, institutions and inputs – because many issues that matter to people need to be tackled by several organisations working together.
Regular national surveys of residents across England have been carried out to evaluate the performance of councils and other public bodies since 2000. In Wealden, the council has learned from people's responses where to direct resources to improve our services and what issues people feel is most important to their quality of life.
General Satisfaction Surveys were conducted three times between 2000 and 2006, and contributed to national Best Value Performance Indicators. Information about performance across the county is available from the 'East Sussex in Figures' website.
The Best Value Performance Indicator system has been be replaced by new National Indicators.
There are 198 National Indicators developed by the full range of government departments. Twenty of the 198 indicators are measured by the Place Survey. Councils, and police, fire and rescue and health services monitor and report these at a local level to ensure that national priorities are addressed locally. Thirty-three of the National Indicators have been selected in East Sussex and improvement targets have been set for them. These 33 indicators form the basis of the East Sussex Local Area Agreement and will help deliver our Sustainable Community Strategy. Further information on the Sustainable Community Strategy and the Local Area Agreement is available on the Wealden Local Strategic Partnership website and East Sussex Strategic Partnership website.
Our Performance Management webpage holds reports on the Council's progress towards our National Indicator targets. It also holds the full Place Survey report, which includes results of resident's satisfaction with the local area and local services. It also gives the scores for a number of National Indicators which are measured in terms of people's perceptions through the Place Survey. The 2008 Place Survey provided the baseline in these cases.
