The council has made progress in improving environmental services, particularly recycling, road safety and planning and also on longer term plans to regenerate key development sites, improve residents' access to public services and to redesign social care for older people.

Overall performance management systems have also seen significant improvements and planned changes to the local strategic partnership arrangements are encouraging. However, the council needs to re-assess its medium term financial strategy and to recognise and address potential capacity constraints.

The council needs to ensure that it can continue to deliver its key investment priorities and identified improvement plans and at the same time maintain sufficient capacity to ensure that national standards for front line services are achieved. Based on Medway Council's current plans, the council is well placed to continue to improve the way it works and the services it provides to local people.

In December 2003, Medway Council received a measurement of 3 out of 4 for the way it is run.

How do Medway Council’s main services perform?

The Commission assessed core service performance in the service areas shown below. Each service is scored on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest. Education and social care are given more importance in reaching the overall service score than other areas.

Overall service performance 3 out of 4