Agenda item

(Leader of the Council) In accordance with the Committee’s work programme for 2018/19, the Leader of the Council will present a mid-year report on the achievement of the authority’s corporate priorities.

(Interim Transformation Manager) To consider the attached report.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor C. Whitbread presented a mid-year report on the achievement of the authority’s corporate priorities and plans for the next five years.

He advised that following the prudent financial planning over the last decade, the Council had effectively managed to resource and maximised assets, enabling it to be in a stronger financial position. The Cabinet had set an ambitious savings target to achieve £2.5m over the next three years, in order to protect front line services, keep Council Tax low and cease the reliance on government grants by the end of 2023. In order to achieve this, the Council had determined three over arching aims that included the People Strategy, the Accommodation Strategy and the ICT Strategy. The Cabinet remained committed to the re-development of the condor building, as set out in the Local Plan and the use of smarter and flexible working. The new common operating model had been implemented, which focused on the customer and a drive of efficiencies that brought together business functions across the Council.

Furthermore, the Local Plan was back on track following the Judicial Review and had been submitted with the examination in public expected in March/April 2019. Regarding economic development, the shopping park was trading well and the council was now in the position to take forward the St John’s road site, Epping, to potentially develop a new leisure centre. In addition to this, the Leisure Management Contract had delivered £12m of investment, including the new leisure centre and swimming pool in Waltham Abbey and the Council House Building Programme had started to provide good quality homes, to local people. Furthermore, the community policing funded by the Council had made an impact on the fear of crime and was working well with Park Guard.

The Financial Issues paper and budget process had begun, with positive bids being brought forward through the Invest to Save scheme and all members were welcomed to engage in the budget process, especially the joint meeting of Finance Performance Management Cabinet Committee 24 January 2019.

After the Leaders report, the Interim Transformation Manager, G. Nicholas advised that the Corporate Plan 2018-2023 was the authority’s key strategic planning document and laid out the journey the council would take to transform the organisation to be ‘Ready for the Future’. The plan linked the key external drivers influencing council services, with a set of corporate aims and objectives, grouped under three corporate ambitions.

A Corporate Specification for each year (previously called the Key Action Plan) detailed how the Corporate Plan was being delivered through operational objectives, with these in turn linked to annual service business plans. The success of the Corporate Plan was assessed through the achievement of a set of benefits, each measured through one or more performance indicator, focussed on what the Council achieved for the customers. Management Board, Cabinet and the select committees had overview and scrutiny roles, to drive improvement in performance and ensure corrective action was taken where necessary.

The Interim Transformation Manager highlighted the performance indicators that had not achieved their quarterly targets and the reasons for this, as follows;

·                     M2.1 – Number of safeguarding concerns – The target had now been met in quarter 2.

·                     M2.2 - Number of days to process benefits claims – The target had not been met in quarter 2, although processes were being adapted to make the required improvements and there had been a number of long term sickness absences.

·                     M3.1 - Number of community Champions and volunteers – The target had now been met in quarter 2.

·                     M4.3 - Number of new residential properties built or acquired by the Council – It remained static because of delays in the service provisions, design issues and performance problems with the employee agent, which were all being monitored.

·                     M10.2 - Annual Council tax collection – The target had been marginally missed and again in quarter 2.

Councillor N. Bedford enquired what a ‘Tuck in pledge’ was, in relation to M1.2 - Number of ‘take-away’ restaurants signed up to ‘Tuck in pledge’. The Acting Chief Executive, D. Macnab advised that it was a health improvement initiative by Essex County Council to encourage healthy eating in conjunction with owners and operators in fast food premises in the district.

Councillor S. Neville asked what the processes and plans were, that had been put in place to prevent M2.2 - Number of days to process benefits claims, from missing the target again. The Acting Chief Executive, advised that process mapping had taken place across the authority with over 2500 process identified, with the intention to reduce and prevent duplications. The performance indictor M2.2 had been effected by long term sickness absence, which the Council had policies in place to reduce, although there were other issues such as ongoing challenges to retain staff due to the close proximity of the other London boroughs. Councillor S. Neville followed up by asking whether the Council was aware of good practise in other local authorities. The Acting Chief Executive advised the Council was part of a Benefits Managers Network and ‘Shared Services’ had been investigated. This was continually kept under review.

Councillor D. Dorrell asked for clarification on M2.1 - Number of safeguarding concerns. The Acting Chief Executive advised that the measure reflected the number of safe guarding concerns that had been raised and acted upon, rather than measuring the number reported.

Councillor A. Patel asked whether it was possible for the quarterly reports to include anticipated progress for the select committees when they reviewed a project which had been discussed at the last Resources Select Committee. The Interim Transformation Manager advised that the system could not provide anticipated progress, although target dates could be included. The Acting Chief Executive advised that suggestions put forward by the Resources Select Committee would be considered by Leadership Team.

Councillor A. Lion asked about M1.4 - Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless people appearing as a success, although it had not started, therefore should it be classified in a different way. The Interim Transformation Manager advised that it has been corrected and any future measures would have a question mark rather than a green status.

Councillor A Patel asked how M3.5 - Fear of Crime was measured. The Interim Transformation Manager advised that it was a yearly measure that had been provided as an annual survey by Essex Police. It had details at a district and ward level and he would report back on the level of details that could be provided.

Councillor D Wixley asked for clarification on the operational objective 4.2.2 - Develop accommodation for homeless people and whether it included rough sleepers. The Acting Chief Executive advised that it was an indicator of people who found themselves homeless. The council was aware of rough sleepers in the District and the housing staff had previously made offers of accommodation, which had been declined, although this indicator was for general homelessness.

Councillor A Patel advised that a number of the targets were annual and he wondered how the select committees could influence these throughout the year. The Acting Chief Executive advised unfortunately most of the annual indicators relied on third party data, which provided annual trends. Although, as some of the indicators were new, the data could be reviewed. 

            RESOLVED:

            That the committee noted the outturn position for Quarter 1 2018/19, in relation to the achievement of the Corporate Plan for 2018-2023.