Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Corporate Transformation and Human Resources.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Transformation and Human Resources in relation to the above.

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate reported that the Annual Performance Plan looks back on the Council’s performance for 2017/18 together with the Council’s progress against the Authority’s Wellbeing Objectives.  The Portfolio Holder outlined the Council’s achievements during 2017/18 as noted in the report.  He further referred to the Performance Indicators for 2017/18 and services are improving even though the Council faced having to make savings of £2.5m within the budget.  The National Indicators, known as Performance Accountability Measures (PAM) are published and compare every local authority against the same indicators.  In 2017/18, 50% of the indicators for this Authority had improved, 36% declined in performance and 14% of the indicators are new.  He noted that each year the PAM indicators are reviewed and new performance indicators are introduced to monitor performance on a national basis. 

The Committee considered the Officer’s report and the information presented and made the following points :-

·      Clarification was sought as to the how the 2017/18 performance indicators have an effect on work programmes for the next few years and whether priority needs to be given to some services which have been highlighted as risks.  The Chief Executive responded that the Performance Report gives an indication as to how the Council is performing at a given time.  He said that the most important matter is that the Council continues to improves services provided;

·      Reference was made that the Island have suffered pockets of deprivation with high levels of young people unemployed and also young people leaving the Island to find work.  Questions were raised as to how many people have been able to take advantage of employment opportunities following recent developments on the Island i.e. Llangefni Link Road, Bluestone project, Msparc in Gaerwen etc., and whether this has improved the Island economy.  The Head of Profession Human Resources & Transformation responded that if people are in employment they are able to contribute to the local economy and be able to improve their quality of life.  The figures as regards to young people who have been successful in gaining employment with new organisations will need to be sought by another department and will be forwarded to members in due course.  The Leader of the Council said that the objectives within the Performance Plan have been set by the Council and she referred to the Menai Science Park which is the only facility in Wales that offers such a facility and it is premature at the moment to evaluate the effect of such a facility has on the economy of the Island;

·      Clarification was sought as to whether the 36% of the PAM which have declined in performance are more of a concern than others.  The Chief Executive responded that every performance indicator is important and that reasons why performance against indicators have declined needs to be investigated;

·      Concerns expressed that one of the performance indicators shows that a high level of school levers are not in training nor in continued education.  Reference was made that employment opportunities is expected due to the economic developments on the Island in the near future and these opportunities needs to be sourced for local young people.  The Leader of the Council responded that the TRAC & OPUC Group has been established to support individuals who are considered to be furthest from the labour market with multiple, complex barriers to employment, specifically long-term unemployed and/or economically inactive who are not in education or training.  She noted that Communities Forward are also working closely with these young people to source training and employment.  She stressed that as this Authority is smaller compared to other local authorities, one person within this category can increase the % within the performance indicators as regards to young people leaving employment without entering into continued education/training;

·      Clarification was sought that reference is made within the report that part of the revenue raised through the additional 25% premium on empty homes and holiday homes is used to develop social housing; it was expressed that part of the premium was to be available to support first time buyers.  The Leader of the Council responded that part of the revenue raised is used to support first time buyers (which has been awarded in full to young people on the Island) and the premium is not used to build social housing.  She noted that it is the HRA funding that will be used to build social housing on the Island.  It was further noted that part of the funding from the additional premium on empty/holiday homes is used as grant funding towards helping people to put central heating and roofs on homes; this is an innovative grant funding scheme.  The Head of Profession Human Resources & Transformation stated that the above comments will be included within the Performance Report before submitting to the Executive and full Council in due course.

It was RESOLVED to recommend to the Executive :-

·      That the final version of the 2017/18 Performance Report should be published by the statutory date at the end of October and that Officers complete this in consultation with the Portfolio Holder – Corporate so that it can be published as part of the full Council’s agenda at its meeting to be held on 22 October, 2018;

·      That Section 3.2 of the Councils Constitution be amended to include approving decisions for the Council’s Wellbeing Statement and Objectives in accordance with the 2016 Future Generations Act as a function that the Full Council must fulfil.

·      To authorise the Head of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer to make the necessary changes to the matters that have been assigned as functions that must be approved by the full Council in the Councils Constitution together with any changes which must be made as a result to reflect this.

ACTION : As noted above.