Issue - meetings

To consider and comment on the Q4 2021/22 Performance Report.

The Committee considered a report, set out at Agenda pages 17 to 56, which gave details of performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) for the fourth quarter of 2021/22 (January to March) and a summary of overall performance in 2021/22.

Graham Ebers (Deputy Chief Executive & Director, Resources and Assets), Steve Moore (Director, Place & Growth), Sally Watkins (Assistant Director, Digital & Change), Emily Higson (Head of Insight, Strategy & Inclusion) and Will Roper (Customer Insight Analyst & Performance Manager) attended the meeting to present the report and answer Member questions.

The report stated that performance in Quarter 4 had been consistent against the previous quarter, showing consistent performance in the face of significant challenges to delivery from rising costs, increased staff sickness relating to the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and the response to the crisis in Ukraine.

Annual performance for 2021/22 indicated that 67% of KPIs (27) had reached the annual target (Green). Seven KPIs narrowly missed the target (Amber) whilst six KPIs were reported as missing the target (Red). The following KPIs were rated as Red for the year 2021/22:

AS1 – Social work assessments allocated to commence within seven days of the requests (counted at the point of allocation).

AS7 – Proportion of people receiving long-term care who were subject to a review in the last 12 months.

CS2 – Percentage of initial Child Protection Conferences within 15 working days of the decision to hold them.

PG2 – Percentage of households for whom homelessness had been prevented.

PG3 – Percentage of households who have secured accommodation, available to them, for the next six months.

RA3 – Usage of Wokingham Borough leisure centres.

Appended to the report was an overview of progress made in each of the Council’s departments together with a detailed breakdown of performance against each of the KPIs. Also appended to the report was a breakdown of the KPIs reported to the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Corporate Parenting Board.

During the ensuing discussion Members raised the following points:

The report indicated that, for Quarter 4, four of the seven Red KPIs related to Adult Social Care. It was confirmed that the service was performing to a high standard and was using “stretching” targets to drive improvement. The stretch targets were, by their nature, harder to achieve and performance should be seen in this light.

It was suggested that the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) consider the suite of KPIs relating to Health and Social Care, in discussion with the Executive Member and Director, in order to determine if the current KPIs were driving service improvement. It was also suggested that HOSC consider issues relating to the increased complexity of cases and the impact on risk and service delivery.

Jim Frewin suggested that Members consider suggestions for new and/or amended KPIs at a future meeting. In the meantime, Jim would hold discussions with officers about ways to improve the reporting of the KPIs.

In relation to specific KPIs:

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