Local authority assessments by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI)

The Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) started awarding star ratings to council social services departments in May 2002, based on assessments during the 2001/02 financial year. Ratings were initially constructed by the SSI and then transferred to the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

The ratings ran in parallel with other local authority rating schemes, such as the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF), which was run by the Audit Commission, and the Comprehensive Area Assessment, which was a broader, multi-agency assessment of local public services. These local authority assessments would eventually be abolished in 2010.