Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Alam

Commissioner:         Ney (in advisory role)

Recommendations:

1. That the overall position and direction of travel in relation to performance be noted.

2. That consideration be given to measures which have not progressed in accordance with the target set and the actions required to improve performance, including future performance clinics

3. That the performance reporting timetable for 2017/18 be noted.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed how the Council Plan for the period 2017-2020 and was approved by Elected Members at the Council meeting on 12^th July, 2017.  The plan represented the core document that underpinned the Council’s overall vision, setting out headline priorities, indicators and measures that would demonstrate its delivery. Alongside it sat the Council’s Performance Management Framework which explained to all Council staff how robust performance monitoring and management arrangements are required to ensure effective implementation. 

To ensure that the delivery of actions and their impact was assessed, formal quarterly performance reports were required to the public Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision-Making meeting, with an opportunity for pre-Scrutiny consideration in line with new governance arrangements.  This report was the third report in the 2017/18 reporting cycle covering Quarter 3 1^st October, to 31^st December, 2017. 

The Performance Report and Performance Dashboard/Scorecard (Appendices A and B) provided an analysis of the Council’s current performance against fourteen key delivery outcomes and seventy-two measures.  This report was based on the current position of available data, along with an overview of progress on key projects and activities which also contributed towards the delivery of the Council Plan.   

At the end of this third quarter (October to December, 2017) 21 measures had either met or had exceeded the target set in the Council Plan.  This represented 40.4% of the total number of indicators where data was available or where targets have been set. The direction of travel was positive for thirty-four (55.7%) of the indicators measured in this quarter. The Priority area with the highest proportion of targets met was Priority 5 (A modern, efficient Council).

Cabinet Members provided an update in accordance with current performance for service areas:-

Councillor Beck, Cabinet Member for Housing, reported on the number of homes delivered during the year which, by the end of Quarter 3, had amounted to 337 within an annual ambitious target of 650.  Work remained ongoing to improve this indicator, but the Council were reliant on contributions from the private sector.  It was hoped once the Local Plan was formally adopted the delivery of new housing numbers would improve in coming years.

In terms of selective licensing it was anticipated by the end of Quarter 4 the compliance of landlords target would be achieved.

Councillor Roche, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, confirmed the direction of travel for Adult Social Care and Safeguarding was positive, along with the Direct Payments review.  Progress was being made with the aspirational Public Health targets.

Councillor Hoddinott, Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety, confirmed the measures on tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB), hate crime, and domestic abuse, have been impacted on this quarter due to changes in the system used by South Yorkshire Police to gather statistics which were used by the Council to measure progress.

Performance in relation to all four requirements for Licensing had improved and was now at 100% for three elements with the fourth for drivers with the BTEC qualification at 94.4%.

Councillor Watson, Deputy Leader, reported on the priority measures for Children and Young People’s Services and the increase in numbers of children who were subjects of Child Protection Plans and Looked After.  This was not just a Rotherham issue, but across the country.

There were a number of Looked After Children who had had three or more placements in a year and further work was taking place looking at the reasons for these disrupted placements.

The suite of indicators were moving in the right direction due to action being taken by services.

Councillor Yasseen, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working and Cultural Services, reported on visitor numbers, which had overall decreased in Quarter 3, which was reflective of the winter period. The Civic Theatre, however, saw the pantomime season help it achieve its highest return so far this year which was credit to the team involved.

In Quarter 3 the number of engagements had risen again, by 7,454.

Customer satisfaction remained high in Libraries and in the Customer Service Centres with a reported satisfaction rate of 99.76%. Satisfaction at Heritage sites had increased by 5.1% since Quarter 2.

Councillor Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, confirmed Quarter 3 had again seen the Planning Service achieve 100% in determination in all three categories of application.

Footfall had decreased in the Town Centre and support was being provided to market traders and retailers following the introduction of a task and finish group, chaired by the Cabinet Member.

Progress towards delivering the Town Centre Masterplan had been maintained.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the overall position and direction of travel in relation to performance be noted.

(2)  That consideration be given to measures which have not progressed in accordance with the target set and the actions required to improve performance, including future performance clinics

(3)  That the performance reporting timetable for 2017/18 be noted.