Agenda and draft minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14^th June, 2010.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th June, 2010, be approved as a correct record.

(2)  That it be noted that the Health and Wellbeing 2010 Conference (Minute No. 8 refers), was not now to be attended.

(1) E Government Board

Cabinet Member and Advisor for Resources

(2)  Rotherham Information Governance Group

Councillor Wyatt

(3) Data Protection and Information Group

Councillor Hodgkiss

(4) Fair Trade Group

Councillor Wyatt (Chair); Councillor Jack

(5) Procurement Panel

Councillor Wyatt (Chair)

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development Services

Councillor Whelbourn, Chair, Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee

Consideration was given to representation in respect of the above and the need to nominate representatives.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Cabinet Member and Adviser for Resources attend meetings of the Council’s E Government Board.

(2)  That Cabinet Member for Resources attend meetings of the Corporate Information Governance Group.

(3)  That the Cabinet Member for Resources attend meetings of the Data Protection and Information Group.

(4)  That the Cabinet Member for Resources remain as Chair of the Fair Trade Group, and attend meetings, together with Councillor Jack.

(5)  That the Cabinet Member for Resources (Chair), Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation, and Councillor Whelbourn, Chair, Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee attend the meetings of the Procurement Panel.

The Performance and Improvement Manager presented a summary of the activities undertaken by the Registration Service during the period 1^st April, 2009-31^st March, 2010.

The report highlighted:-

-        3,047 registration of births – approximately 24% took place at Rotherham General Hospital

-        2,337 deaths – approximately 40% took place at Rotherham General Hospital

-        15 still birth registrations

-        5,258 certified copies of certificates produced (birth, death, marriage and civil partnership)

-        1,599 Notices of intention to marry together with 32 notices of intention to form a civil partnership

-        426 marriages and 11 civil partnerships  of which 272 took place in the Bailey House Ceremony Room

-        3 marriages by Registrar Generals Licence

-        6 naming ceremonies

-        394 Citizenship Ceremonies

-        1,143 applications for the Nationality Checking Service

-        In quarter 4, 87% of all citizens registering a birth and 71% of citizens registering a death accessed the Tell Us Once Service

-        New Legislation – Changes to the Service resulting from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act successfully implemented. 

-        Notice of Marriage module of the Registration ON line core system went live in November, 2009

-        New Governance status granted and had come into effect from 1^st June, 2010

There had been threats to staff from members of the public and issues around lone working.  Work had taken place with the Council’s Health and Safety Team to deliver personal safety training and panic alarms installed.  However, the Service was experiencing quite serious nuisance behaviour outside the Ceremony Room entrance.  There had been Police involvement following vandalism, disruption to marriage parties, graffiti and obscene behaviour.  Contact was to be made with the Safer Neighbourhood Team with regard to any help they may be able to provide.

It was noted that the Chief Executive had received a message of thanks from the Programme Director of Tell Us Once with regard to the recent National event held in Birmingham at which Rotherham had been represented.

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.

Mark Gannon, Transformation & Strategic Partnerships Manager, presented the submitted report which summarised RBT’s performance against contractual measures and key service delivery issues for May, 2010, across the areas of Customer Access, Human Resources and Payroll, ICT, Procurement and Revenue and Benefits.

Key points for this period included:-

Customer Access

-              All performance targets achieved

-              Aston Customer Service Centre opened on 21^st June, 2010

-              4 complaints received 1 of which was closed but not upheld, 1 closed as partially upheld, 1 closed as upheld and the final complaint still being investigated

-              All KPIs for the Registration Service achieved with the exception of ‘Deaths registered within 5 days’ (79.21% against a target of 95%).  It was understood that where input was required from the Coroner’s Office delays may occur which were outside the influence of the Service

Human Resources and Payroll

-              All performance targets achieved

-              Distribution of P11Ds, annual statements to employees setting out tax paid on mileage claims etc., completed ahead of the statutory deadline of 6^th July

-              Further improvements to the Local Government Pension Form 9 progressing well

-              Soulbury pay award details received but required further work before implementation

-              Launch of the next phase of the Talent Pool had taken place with invitations taken from current part-time employees to register for additional hours

-              Change request written and a project manager assigned with regard to the need to improve server capacity for PSe

-              Version 10 Yourself release due shortly

ICT

-              All performance targets achieved

-              Following agreement on the scope of measure CCS1 (Project Delivery), dependent measure ICTO6 (Complex Change Requests completed to agreed specification) would commence reporting

-              Instances of downtime with regard to ICTO2 (Availability of Business Critical Applications) were not being reflected in performance reporting due to RBT only measuring uptime at server level as opposed to user level.  A ‘performance workshop’ arranged to resolve these issues

-              With the exception of 2 floors in Civic Building, all town centre buildings now had VOIP telephony.  Currently 50% of all RMBC’s telephone extensions had now been converted to VOIP.  The old telephony switch would be decommissioned as part of the closure of the building and the remaining 50% moved to VOIP prior to the move to the new building

-              Crinoline House was now empty and the ICT decommissioned

-              Workshops held between RBT, Directorate IT Champions and ICT Client to discuss service delivery and customer satisfaction

Procurement

-              All performance targets achieved with the exception of PO6 (catalogue orders) which achieved 16.21% against a target of 19%.  This target had been affected by changes in officer ordering behaviour to address transaction volumes

-              Former BVP18 achieved 96.90% in May, 2010, an improvement on the same point in 2009. 

-              The number of transactions handled by the Procurement Service increased with 208,506 transactions during 2009/10 against baselined volumes of 177,000

Revenues and Benefits

-              Council Tax Collection Rate 19.331% at the end of May, 2010,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

- minutes of meetings held on 11^th March and 26^th April, 2010

Consideration was given and discussion took place on the minutes of the E-Government Board held on 11th March and 26^th April, 2010.

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

- minutes of meeting held on 2^nd June, 2010

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Website Strategy Group held on 2nd June, 2010.

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

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Chairman (or substitute) be authorised to attend a free conference held by the Audit Commission on IFRS to be held in Leeds on 21^st July, 2010.

(2)  That the Chairman (or substitute) be authorised to attend the “Green ICT” conference on 16^th September, 2010, to be held at the QEII Conference Centre, London.

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 2 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual).

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 2 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (information which is likely to reveal the identity of individual).

It was noted that a meeting of a Complaints Panel held been held on 14^th June,  2010, comprising Councillors G. A. Russell (in the Chair), Dodson and Fenoughty.  The Panel heard a complaint received from Mrs. W., on behalf of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H., regarding an incorrect awarding of Unoccupied Council Tax Discount and the resultant accrual of arrears.

The Panel had upheld the complaint.  The Service had acknowledged that the error had been made by themselves in 2005 and had not been discovered until December, 2009.  There had been a lack of checks/reviews on the account to ensure that any discount had been awarded correctly.

The Panel had recommended that the £1,950 arrears be waived as recovery of the sum would cause financial hardship.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Panel’s findings be noted.

(2)  That the outcome of the discussions between Legal Services and Revenues and Benefits be reported as soon as possible.

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which is likely to reveal the identity of individual)

Local Transparency and Publication of Spend over £500

Stuart Booth, Director of Central Finance, reported that publication of the above would commence in November, 2010, ahead of the January, 2011, deadline. 

Council Banking

Stuart, Booth, Director of Central Finance, reported that the Banking and Card Handling contracts which were due to expire at the end of March 2010 had been the subject to a tender process. Only 1 tender had been received for both contracts from the Co-operative Bank Plc. A letter of intent had been issued to the bank and the Council was in the process of finalising contractual terms and conditions.