Practice assessments - reporting and action

After the practice assessment visit, the authority normally receives a draft report and action plan template within four to six weeks.  The authority has a month to identify any factual inaccuracies contained within the report, make comments on the findings and recommendations and to submit their draft action plan.

The action plan should address all the recommendations in the report, and provide specific, measurable outcomes and deadlines.  The assessors consider whether the plan will deliver the required improvements, and may offer some comments.  Actions should normally be scheduled for completion within six months.

The report reflects the position at the time of the visit.  Authorities often make improvements quickly following a visit.  These may not be reflected in the report itself, but will appear as completed actions in the action plan.  The final report is signed off by the Commissioner before being sent to the Chief Executive of the authority.  It is published on this page one week later (see below).

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Review

Five months after the report is signed off, the assessors will write to the authority to remind them they must produce a six month progress report with evidence that the action plan commitments have been achieved.  This report may, for example, include statistics on response times, copies of sample letters or new procedures.

If the Commissioner is satisfied that the action plan has been achieved, the assessment is signed off.  If the authority has not achieved its action plan, the Commissioner may, for example, write to the Chief Executive to implement a "period of monitoring" during which assessors will need further evidence that progress is being made.  This process may last until the action plan has been achieved.  Alternatively, the Commissioner may move to more formal enforcement action, e.g. issue a Practice Recommendation, if he thinks this is appropriate.

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Practice Assessment Reports

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