Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 10th July, 2006.

The Chair of the Wentworth South Area Assembly requested details regarding persons with a disability being able to obtain/renew the ‘blue badge’ car parking vouchers from the Council’s new Customer Service Centres, to be presented to the next meeting of the Area Assembly.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the minutes of the meeting held on 10th July, 2006, be approved as a correct record.

(2)  That the Executive Director, Corporate Services, arrange for the Wentworth South Area Assembly to receive the requested information re:  ‘blue badges’.

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director of Corporate Services detailing the quarter one position on the performance of corporate Best Value Performance Indicators and Local Performance Indicators monitored and reported on by the Corporate Services Programme Area.

Reference was made to the measurements of performance which had been categorised in accordance with Performance Plus.

Particular reference was made to:-

Status Green Star indicators:-

BVPI 12 – days/shifts lost to sickness:-  indicated that sickness was being managed more effectively.

BVPI 14 – early retirements (noting that in 05/06 the target was set against all England target, and that for 06/07 local authorities had been allowed to set their own targets)

BVPI 15 – Ill health retirements

BVPI 17a - % of BME employees:-  noting that the figures were based on the census and now need revision.  It was pointed out that the top quartile figures were overly ambitious when set against Rotherham’s economic background.

Status blue circle indicators:-

BVPI 11a - % of top 5% of earners that are women:-  noting that this had dropped and that managers in schools were now excluded.

BVPI 11c - % of top 5% of earners with disability:-  more work was needed on the PI..

BVPI 16a - % of employees with disability

Status red triangle indicators:-

BVPI 11b - % of top 5% earners from minority ethnic communities:-  more work was needed on this PI.

It was also reported that local performance indicators had been identified for all Services within the Programme Area and were doing well.

Attention was drawn to:-

• Lack of information for Legal and Democratic Services, which would be addressed in the 2^nd Quarter report.

• Recruitment and retention of young people/selection of local government as a career choice.

• Ageing work force.

Members referred to the success of the exhibitions produced by the Design Studio for the Rotherham Show.

Resolved:- (1)  That the performance of these key corporate Best Value Performance Indicators and Local Performance Indicators, as detailed in the report submitted, be noted.

(2)                       That the Executive Director, Corporate Services, report to the next meeting on sickness statistics by department.

(3)  That the staff in the Design Studio be congratulated on their recent work for Rotherham Show.

The Chief Executive, RBT, submitted a report on the progress and performance of RBT for the months of June and July, 2006, highlighting:-

Life span of the contract, its evolution and the need for a re-evaluation to better suit the needs of both the Council and RBT,

Our Future Groups 5 and  6 would work on this with a timescale for delivery of December 2006, and RBT was looking to support this process.

A presentation had been requested in relation to what BT has done with other private sector companies and other local authorities with a view to identifying “Best in Class” to visit and to identify innovation in ICT, workstyle and any other options.

The following issues, explained in detail within the report submitted, were highlighted:-

Re:  Customer Services/Public Access:-

-     opening of the Customer Service Centre at Swinton on 26th June, 2006.  There was a need to increase footfall and publicity and this would be the subject of a report to a future meeting.  Also an assessment of the programme to deliver 6 CSC’s needed to be reviewed.

-     implementation of Members Surgery Connect Service

-     launch of the e benefits project on 17th July, 2006

-     Service Level Agreements:- measures taken had now addressed the vacancy level

-     the Registration Service has been selected as a pilot site for the implementation of the national web based registration system

HR and Payroll:-

-           emphasis had been on payroll quality control.  However, it was noted that the % of contracts of employment issued within 15 working days had underperformed.

ICT:-

-           success of the handover of the Swinton CSC on time

-           completion of the desktop refresh

-           purchase by Barnsley MBC of Rotherham’s ‘home grown’ Emergency Planning Information Management System

-           allSLA’s had been met.  Discussions were being held to review and agree a new set by the end of October 2006.

Procurement:-

-           savings achieved were above target

-           issue in respect of construction savings target

-           BVPI 18 – supplier invoices paid within 30 days:-  this had reduced slightly

Revenues and Benefits:-

-           maintenance of 4* status

-           exception reporting on Service Level Agreements RB02/BV09, RB05/BV76(2), RB08/BV78(b) and RB12

-           the Service had been nominated for the VOCA Direct Debit Challenge

The report also included the Service overview for:-

§                     Progress against Corporate Initiatives

§                     Equalities – achievement of level 3 standard

§                     Investors in People – an action plan would be implemented to ensure

success in maintaining the award in 2007.

§                     Consultation/Complaints – 90.9% were responded to in the required timescale.  Reference was also made to the recruitment to the post of Central Corporate Complaints Officer.  It was also reported that the Ombudsman’s letter had now been received and would be reported to a future meeting.

Reference was also made to the service-credit arrangement within the contract. An amount of service charge had been agreed with RBT with further disputed amounts being discussed.  This was an issue which the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To consider the attached report of the Executive Director of Corporate Services

The Finance and Accountancy Manager submitted the second Budget Monitoring Report for Corporate Services for the 2006/07 financial year for the period April to July.

The following emerging pressures were identified and were being investigated:-

-                      cost of the May elections

-                      vacancy management not being achieved

-                      anticipated savings and income from printing

-                      reduction in in-house printing

-                      Welfare Rights funding

The report also indicated potential actions to address the above issues.  It was also noted that a performance clinic had been suggested.

Resolved:- That it be noted that:-

(1) there are emerging pressures within Corporate Services that are still being defined fully; and

(2) once fully defined, these pressures will be reported to Elected Members together with action plans for managing them.

To consider the minutes of the meeting of the Procurement Panel held on 17th July, 2006.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting of the Procurement Panel held on 17th July, 2006.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes be noted.

To consider the minutes of the meetings of the Communications and Marketing Group held on (a) 15th June, 2006, (b) 26th June, 2006, (c) 11th July, 2006 and (d) 18th July, 2006.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meetings of the Communications and Marketing Group, held on 15th June, 2006, 26th June, 2006, 11th July, 2006 and 18th July, 2006.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes be noted.

Members of the Council had asked questions about the following issues:-

-                      cost of purchasing RBT hardware

Resolved:-  That the Chief Executive of RBT (Connect) Ltd provide details in response to this question.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended (information relating to financial and business affairs)

Resolved:- That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended March 2006, (information relating to financial or business affairs).

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director of Corporate Services which stated that Doncaster MBC was upgrading its ICT network, and wished to engage RBT to undertake ICT technical consultancy work on the project. Authorisation was sought for this Council to enter into a Council-to-Council trading agreement with Doncaster MBC, to enable RBT to undertake the work through a contractual change request.

Updates were also given re:-

• RBT visit to Sandwell

• Approach received from South Tyneside

• Joint working with HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions:-  Rotherham had been put forward as a pilot and would lead one of the work streams.

Resolved:- That approval be granted for this Council to enter into a Council-to-Council trading agreement with Doncaster MBC, to provide ICT technical consultancy on a network upgrade project at Doncaster Council.

It was reported that the Council had been asked to be involved in a Proof of Concept Programme headed up by Sir David Varney at HM Revenue and Customs, to evaluate the opportunities for, and barriers to, achieving consistent identity management, process sharing and better customer service across HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and a representative sample of Local Authorities.  The outputs of the Programme were intended to help identify a cost effective strategy for shared service provision and the allocation of appropriate funding for the period covered by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Resolved:-  That the Council’s involvement in the Proof of Concept Programme, as part of the Varney Review into Customer Services, be noted.