Agenda item

Council Plan Performance Monitoring 2015/16 - Quarter 4 Report

To consider the latest report on the performance of key services and corporate projects.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report and supporting Appendix, set out on pages 15 to 54, which provided performance management information in relation to the Council’s activities and services.

 

Julie Holland, Service Manager, Business Improvement, introduced the report and stated that the majority of performance indicators were currently on track and were rated Green. A number of indicators were currently rated Amber or Red as follows:

 

Amber Indicators

 

·         % Children who are currently subject to a Child Protection Plan (CPP) who are subject to a CPP for a second or subsequent time within 24 months;

·         % Looked After Children living within 20 miles of their home;

·         Number of WBC Councillors and Social Care staff who are known to be “Dementia Friendly”;

·         Cumulative % of the eligible population aged 40-70 who received an NHS health check;

·         HIV diagnosed prevalence per 1,000 people aged 15-59;

·         Berkshire West Joint Commissioning Forum

·         % Secondary Schools with a current Ofsted rating of “Good” or better;

·         Kgs of residual household waste per household per annum;

·         % household waste reused, recycled or composted;

·         Capital Budget monitoring forecast position;

 

Red Indicators

 

·         % care proceedings completed in 2015/16 within 26 weeks of application;

·         Reduce the education gap at Key Stage 2 level 4 between disadvantaged and other pupils for Reading, Writing and Maths;

·         Number of affordable dwellings completed.

 

Julie Holland gave a further update on two indicators:

 

·         Fosters – construction of the replacement building had started in April 2016;

·         % of service users satisfied with Environmental regulatory services – quarter 4 performance was reported at 82% (Green).

 

Julie Holland also reported that service departments were in the process of reviewing indicators and targets to ensure that Officers and Members were receiving key information to enable them to carry out their respective roles effectively. Members felt that greater clarity on the tolerance range for Red, Amber and Green indicator status and the timeframe for each indicator (monthly, six-monthly or annual) would also assist Members.

 

The Committee considered each section of the report in turn. Members raised the following comments and questions in relation to specific indicators.

 

Community

 

Agenda page 18 - % Care Proceedings completed in 2015/16 within 26 weeks of application – Members queried the value of the indicator which was influenced by the actions of partner organisations which were outside the Council’s control.

 

Agenda page 19 - % Looked After Children living within 20 miles of their home – Members requested further information on the actions being taken to achieve the indicator target.

 

Agenda page 31 – Reducing the education gap at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 – Members asked for further information on the impact of the new Ofsted regime and the implications for the Council if the education gap did not narrow.

 

Agenda page 32/33 - % of schools with a current Ofsted rating of “good” or better – Members requested an update on the implications for local schools of the Government’s recent policy changes on the forced academisation of schools.

 

Place

 

Agenda page 37 – Kgs of residual household waste per household per annum – Members requested further information on the factors underpinning the reduction in wood recycling.

 

Agenda page 38 - % of household waste reused, recycled and composted – Members requested further information on the options under consideration to increase recycling rates, the operation of the permit scheme at the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and the anecdotal evidence that plastics were being separated at the Bracknell HWRC.

 

The Committee considered the format of the performance report and felt that the use of colours to illustrate the Red, Amber or Green status of indicators would assist Members’ deliberations.

 

RESOLVED That:

 

1)      the Council Plan Performance Monitoring Report – Quarter 4 (2015/16) be noted;

 

2)      additional information relating to the issues raised by Members on specific performance indicators be circulated outside of the meeting;

 

3)      future performance reports include coloured bars to illustrate the Red, Amber or Green status of performance indicators;

 

4)      a further report be submitted to the Committee on the process for identifying key indicators and the way in which performance targets were set.

 

5)      the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee be asked to consider the issues highlighted in relation to reducing the education gap at Key Stages 2 and 4 and to report back to the Management Committee.

Supporting documents: