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 3 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The scorecard report portrays the current end of Quarter 3 position against the Council’s well-being objectives.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as the most positive end of Quarter 3 corporate scorecard since the scorecard was introduced as a performance management tool with 91% of all Performance Indicators performing above or within a 5% tolerance of their targets. With regard to Performance Management indicators specifically, 97% of those are above or within 5% of target with only one indicator showing as Red on the scorecard. Some notable areas of achievement are highlighted at paragraph 4.3 of the report with strong performances also recorded in Adults’ Services, Children and Families’ Services and Homelessness Services as outlined in section 4.5 of the report. All waste management indicators and planning services indicators are showing as Green against their targets. Some areas of underperformance are noted relating to the number of FOI requests responded to within timescale, customer complaints management, the time taken to deliver Disabled Facilities Grants and the time taken to re-let units of accommodation. Performance in relation to attendance management is also slightly off-target with long term sickness absence being the main factor.  Financial pressures are still being experienced and the demand for services remains an ongoing risk. The areas identified as underperforming are being monitored by the Senior Leadership Team and mitigating/ remedial steps as described in the report are being implemented to improve the performance in those areas.

The Committee acknowledged the positive performance and progress and thanked everyone that had contributed to the Q3 outcomes. In scrutinising the report the following matters were discussed –

·      The mitigation measures in place to avoid a further decline in the performance of those indicators currently showing as Green on the scorecard but where the trend is downward.

·      Whether complaints management is being use positively and the lessons learnt from complaints used to improve process and practice.

·      The position with regard to amending the current scorecard to ensure it aligns with the Council Plan for 2023-28 and the timetable for implementing the new scorecard.

Officers and Portfolio Members responded to the points raised as follows –

·      Advised with regard to those PIs where the trend is downwards that in relation to PI 10 (Percentage of NERS clients whose health has improved as a result of the exercise programme) a new database is being implemented that records data differently which accounts for the decline in the direction of travel. However, a change in the way this information is collected may mean that this PI will not be included on the new scorecard for the 2024/25 financial year. Although waste management indicators are Green against their targets, the performance of Indicator 32 (Percentage of waste reused, recycled, or composted) is down on that of the previous quarter and is explained by the fact that recycling rates tend to be lower over the Christmas and the winter period. The Waste Management Service is currently working with Welsh Government on improving recycling rates. The Director of Social Services advised that achieving Green status for Social Services PIs has involved much hard work in the context of significant demand and that he was not overly concerned by the trend downwards for PIs 15,18 and 23 because as they deal with people the demand can fluctuate from quarter to quarter and notwithstanding, the performance remains within a safe zone for those indicators.

·      That the Council is looking at ways of using Complaints and Compliments data to improve services with the current focus being on working with the IT Service to use the CRM system to log complaints, responses and how they are dealt with as well as identifying any emerging trends, patterns and themes and using that information to improve processes and practices as part of the Council’s commitment to continuous improvement.

·      That the Corporate Scorecard is under review in terms of content and the KPIs to be included in the new scorecard for the coming financial year as well as format with a view to more closely aligning the scorecard and therefore performance with the six strategic objectives in the Council Plan the intention being to present the new scorecard to the April 2024 Members’ briefing session. 

Having reviewed the Corporate Scorecard for Q3 2023/24 and having noted the responses of Portfolio Members and Officers to the issues raised it was resolved –

·                To note the Corporate Scorecard report for Q3 2023/24 including the areas which the Leadership Team is exploring and investigating to manage and secure further improvements into the future in relation to FOI requests responded to within timescale, Customer Complaints Management, the average number of days to deliver a DFG and the average number of calendar days to let lettable units of accommodation (excluding DTLs).

·                To recommend the scorecard report and mitigating measures outlined therein to the Executive.