The CPA is flawed

It is outrageous and unacceptable that Brighton & Hove council should lose ground in the comprehensive performance assessment ratings on the basis of its performance on best value performance indicator 183 ("Brighton & Hove slams 'flawed' CPA", 19 December 2003, page 8).

The indicator measures time spent in B&Bs and hostels by families in respect of whom the council has discharged a homelessness duty in the current year.

Periods in B&Bs or hostels occur at the beginning of a family's homelessness, with the majority of time spent in good-quality, self-contained family homes, provided through housing association leasing schemes and other partnership working. It follows, then, that the periods in emergency accommodation measured by this indicator reflect performance at a range of different times spread over the last decade. An average figure drawn from this data will provide no meaningful or useful information about performance in the present day, and has no link to current achievements in meeting the March target for reducing B&B use.

To use such non-specific historical data to measure a council's current performance and, indeed, to actually downgrade it as a result of past failings, does nothing to instil confidence in the process. It also gives the lie to the notion of joined-up performance management through the best value performance indicator and CPA systems.

This indicator must be removed from the housing score for the CPA (and from the set of indicators generally) and replaced with a realistic measure of current performance linked to the new legislative provisions.