Introduction

Leicestershire County Council is the largest local authority in the County and provides a wide range of services to local people either directly or through other organisations acting on its behalf. These services impact on every aspect of people’s lives in their communities. They involve the direct employment of around 18,500 people to deliver them and the expenditure of £650 million of public money. It is important that these large resources are used as effectively as possible and in the areas where they can provide the most benefit to local people.

This is the fourth annual Best Value Performance Plan produced by the Council setting out how it proposes to apply its resources to make improvements to its services. This Plan reports on the Council’s progress to date in meeting previous targets and commitments, and sets out how it intends to take them forward in the coming year. It highlights particular services that are priorities for further improvement. It also compares Leicestershire’s performance with that of other Councils on a wide range of Indicators.

We want to ensure that our services are responsive to local needs and combine quality with value for money. We will act with honesty and integrity in delivering these services. We will report on our achievements and also inform people when services need to be improved.

If we want to deliver high quality services it is essential that our employees are well trained and motivated. We will invest in training and support to ensure that all employees are able to play their part in delivering services. As part of this commitment we have set a target for all services to achieve Investors in People status by March 2005.

We aim to encourage and promote the highest standards of conduct and performance by our employees. Wherever possible we will involve employees in decision making and developing services in order to make use of their skills and knowledge for the benefit of the community.

The County Council is committed to applying the principles of Best Value in order to improve the services it provides, both directly and in partnership with others, to the people of Leicestershire. We have always carried out a considerable amount of consultation on our services and this has recently been further developed with the establishment of a Citizen’s Panel and consultation on the countywide Community Strategy. If, as a resident of Leicestershire, an employee of the Council or a partner in providing services to the local community, you have any comments on the past performance or proposals for future development set out in this Plan these should be addressed in the first instance to:

The Public Relations Unit, Leicestershire County Council, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RA. Telephone (0116) 2656274

Or by fax to (0116) 2656266 or by e-mail to pressoffice@leics.gov.uk