2007-2008 - Annual Audit and Inspection Letter - Lichfield DC v1.1

Annual Audit and Inspection Letter Lichfield District Council Audit 2007/08 March 2009 Contents Key messages 3 Purpose, responsibilities and scope 5 How is Lichfield District Council performing? 6 The audit of the accounts and value for money 12 Looking ahead 15 Closing remarks 16 Status of our reports The Statement of Responsibilities of Auditors and Audited Bodies issued by the Audit Commission explains the respective responsibilities of auditors and of the audited body. Reports prepared by appointed auditors are addressed to non-executive directors/members or officers. They are prepared for the sole use of the audited body. Auditors accept no responsibility to: • any director/member or officer in their individual capacity; or • any third party. Key messages Key messages Performance 1 The Council has made good progress in improving the delivery of services, supported by a robust, integrated performance management process. Sixty-five per cent of performance indicators (PIs) have improved over the last year, whilst costs are significantly lower than the majority of similar councils. However, the Council has fewer top performing PIs than most other Councils. Whilst there have been sustained improvements in some priority areas, certain PIs have deteriorated in others (for example housing, where average length of stay in hostel accommodation has increased). Over the last year, a refocusing of the housing options team has led to a ...