ANNEX 1(b)
RECOMMENDATIONS
To rise to the challenge of continuous improvement, councils need inspection reports that offer practical pointers for improvement. 
The council should:
•	ensure that services are customer focused by:
•	developing clear aims and objectives for cultural provision supported by challenging targets;
•	regularly involving stakeholders in service development and planning; 
•	developing consistent service standards; and
•	using customer and local needs information to improve service development.
•		increase use of cultural provision and encourage take-up by all sections of the community by coordinating:
•	information, publicity material and marketing;
•	the approach to diversity and equality; and
•	service delivery to identified target groups.
•	improve the experience for customers by:
•	further developing the use of ICT to improve remote access to services and collections; and
•	taking a consistent approach to providing customer facilities.
•	improve service effectiveness and efficiency by:
•	developing close links and improve joint working across the Learning and Culture Directorate to ensure effective approaches to lifelong learning and widening cultural experiences;
•	promoting better cross-service working and communication;
•	exploring further opportunities for sharing premises and staff resources;
•	developing mechanisms for supporting strategic arts development;
•	improving performance management and service planning at service level;
•	developing local performance indicators linked to outcomes and measuring impacts;
•	sharing good practice across the council and with stakeholders; and
•	applying lessons from identified good practice.
We would like to thank the staff of Oxfordshire County Council who made us welcome and who met our requests efficiently and courteously. We would also like to thank the council for taking part in and contributing to this pilot inspection.