Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard for Quarter 2 of the 2022/23 financial year was presented for the Committee’s consideration and comment.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Economic Development, Leisure and Tourism in presenting the report highlighted a number of positive stories with respect to Quarter 2 performance as detailed within the report. In saying that the performance monitoring Key Performance Indicators are aligned to the Council’s current three well-being objectives he confirmed that all indicators related to well-being Objective 1 where the Council is working to ensure that the people of Anglesey can thrive and realise their long-term potential, are performing at a green level against their targets. Likewise, the indicators for Objective 2 where the Council is supporting vulnerable adults and families to keep them safe, healthy and as independent as possible are also performing well against target with only one of the 16 indicators shown to be underperforming. However, although performance against targets is overall green or yellow decreasing trends are emerging against a number of performance related indicators especially in relation to Well-being Objective 2. It is recognised that particular attention will need to be given to those indicators and the associated processes and work streams as winter approaches especially given the cost of living challenges and increasing food and fuel poverty within communities. The performance of indicators which monitor well-being Objective 3 where the Council works in partnership with communities to ensure that they can cope effectively with change and developments whilst protecting the natural environment has also been good with 70% above target.

In reviewing the performance data for Quarter 2, the Committee raised the following matters with the Officers and Portfolio Members –

·                The downward trend against a number of performance related indicators especially with regard to well-being Objective 2. The Committee in seeking further clarification of the areas where the challenges were expected to be greatest and the steps being taken to address and/or mitigate those challenges, also noted the need to monitor the areas ragged Yellow to ensure no deterioration in performance takes place.

The Committee was assured by Officers that performance monitoring happens on a number of levels via the Strategic Leadership Team, Heads of Services and the Transformation Service, and that it takes many forms. The Council also takes account of what is happening in the wider context which is a part of its strategic planning. Whilst performance indicators and targets are set for the year, mitigating measures such as additional resources for example can be introduced where the need has been identified and where it would help improve performance.

As many of the Yellow rated areas were in Children and Families Services, the Director of Social Services advised that it was difficult to predict how the Service’s PIs would perform come the winter period given that referrals are on the up and are becoming increasingly complex in nature while the number of social workers to undertake the resulting assessments remains the same. Regular internal meetings are held to monitor pressures and the service response as well as the performance of service specific PIs and a flexible approach is taken to ensure service users’ needs are met. It is however envisaged that the coming months will be challenging.

·                Referring to PI 23 (the average length of time for all children who were on the CPR during the year and who were de-registered during the year) which was ragged Red, the Committee in accepting that the raw data does not always convey the whole picture especially in relation to complex areas such as child safeguarding and protection, queried whether alternative and fairer means of analysis are available.

The Director of Social Services advised that this indicator was introduced at time when the number of children on the CPR was higher and the children remained on the register for a significant length of time. While the situation is now much improved, the Service is giving attention to this indicator both in terms of improving performance and in terms of the way in which performance under the indicator is measured with a view to better reflecting the position and the factors influencing performance in this area. It is anticipated that performance against the indicator is likely to remain Red for the remainder of the year and that the indicator will be re-assessed for next year in order to arrive at a more meaningful evaluation of performance .

·                In response to a question regarding what needs to happen to bring the Corporate Scorecard into alignment with the new Council Plan, the Chief Executive advised that having been out to consultation once the new Council Plan has been adopted, a new Corporate Scorecard and suite of indicators will be developed to correspond with the Plan’s priorities and strategic aims; PI 23 will be part of that process and will be assessed to see whether it can be adapted for the new scorecard.

·                The financial situation was discussed both as regards the pressures on Social Care with Adults’ and Children’s Services forecast to overspend by £1.361m by the year end and as regards the wider impact on frontline services, and questions about mitigating measures were asked. The Committee was advised that although every Social Services budget line has been examined for economies and/ or efficiencies, the demand-led nature of the Service as well as statutory obligations mean that managing spending is a challenge. The Council will continue to work with partners and with the Health Board to seek to manage demand and will also continue to explore alternative more economical ways of service provision that still allow statutory responsibilities to be met. The issue will be scrutinised more closely by the Finance Scrutiny Panel at its meeting next month. With regard to the wider context, a report on the Quarter 2 Revenue Budget position is to be presented to the 29 November meeting of the Executive and while this shows a projected underspend at the end of the current financial year, a number of areas of concern will also be highlighted which may affect the Council’s financial position going forward. Seasonal factors may also impact on budget performance with winter traditionally seeing a rise in demand. The 2023/24 financial year is expected to be yet more challenging meaning that consideration will have to be given to the services that are being delivered and the way they are being delivered in order to reduce costs.

In further discussions, the Committee was informed that the Adults’ Services budget had increased by 20% over the past 3 years and the Children and Families’ Services budget by 19%. Councillor Alun Roberts, Portfolio Member for Adults’ Services also brought to the Committee’s attention Welsh Government’s requirement  that councils in Wales make care provision arrangements to enable the discharge from hospital of 1,000 patients which will cost Anglesey in the region of £400k with no indication that supporting funding will be provided by Welsh Government to cover the expenditure. A member of the Committee suggested that in light of the financial challenges the Council is facing, Welsh Government should be approached to provide additional resources to help meet the cost of this provision.

·                Whether capacity is an issue in terms of there being not enough posts or because of difficulties in recruiting to posts. The Committee was advised that the recruitment process means there are always posts in the system waiting to be filled in an organisation such as the Council although the flow of jobs from services has decreased with current circumstances and also the winter period leading to fewer people moving jobs. Given that capacity has not increased in line with demand, services have to look at doing things differently for example by making greater use of technology.

·                The application of the second homes premium was raised with a request being made that in circumstances  where local taxpayers are renovating an empty property and completion of the work is delayed or is going beyond the discretionary relief period because of the ongoing impact of the pandemic and shortage of materials etc., a facility in the form of a portal be provided at the same time that Council Tax bills are issued to allow people to explain and provide evidence of their situation to the Council so they are not subject to the empty homes premium. The Committee was advised that having been engaged with distributing business support grants, the Finance Service is now looking to progress and extend the use of the CRM system to interact with citizens which allows them to access and provide information online including  Council Tax exemptions;  the empty homes premium exemption form can be made part of that process.

Having considered the Quarter 2 2022/23 scorecard report, the points raised and the additional information provided by Officers and Portfolio Members verbally at the meeting, and having acknowledged the positive stories with regard to Quarter 2 performance, the Committee resolved to accept the report, and to recommend the report to the Executive along with the mitigation measure with regard to monitoring decreasing trends in relation to Well-being Objective 2 indicators.