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 4 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The scorecard report portrays the 2023/24 end of year 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 best performing Q4 scorecard report since the scorecard was introduced as a performance management tool with 92% of the performance indicators performing above or within a 5% tolerance of their targets for the year. He referred to specific instances of notable performances including within Adults’ Services, Children and Families’ Services and Homelessness Service where the performance had met or exceeded the targets for the year. Other examples of good performance were to be found in relation to the percentage of pupils assessed in Welsh at the end of the Foundation Phase (100%), the number pf properties brought back into use (71 against a target of 50) and the NERS programme where 81% of the clients attending the programme felt that it had benefited their health. Planning and Waste Management indicators had also achieved their targets. The report highlights some remaining challenges with regard to FOI processing and responses, the percentage of Year 11 leavers who are classed as NEET and the average number of days taken to deliver a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) where targets had not been met. These areas will be monitored by the Leadership Team to ensure improvements into the future.

The Committee thanked Officers and staff for their contribution towards a positive end of year scorecard report and Members noted the examples of standout performances during the year. In scrutinising the report the following were points of discussion by the Committee –

·      The underperformance of Indicator 3 (NEET) which at 4% was below target and represented a decline on the performance of the previous two years. Questions were asked about the context to the indicator, the reasons for the missed target as well as the mitigation measures in place to halt the decline and improve the performance in this area.

·      The arrangements for bringing positive influence to bear on those indicators where the current performance is on target but where the trend is downwards.

·      The performance of indicator 09 (the percentage of FOI requests responded to within timescale) which at 80% was 10% off target. Suggestions were made regarding possible approaches to be taken to improve performance by way of focusing on proactive disclosure, clarity and accessibility, communication and feedback and handling basic requests efficiently, and two publications were cited as sources of information/case studies which could be looked at to improve the way FOI requests are addressed and to clear the backlog.

·      The continued underperformance of indicator 28 (delivery of DFGs) and whether performance is being impacted by the unavailability of contractors and budget constraints. Questions were also asked about engagement and communication with business organisations and the publicity given to opportunities for being included on the list of contractors for adaptations work and whether the process is open to smaller as well as large contractors.

·      The excellent performance of waste management indicators 31- 34 was noted and that   97.5% of the streets surveyed were clean of any waste, and fly tipping incidents continued to be cleared within a day. Appreciation of the work of the street cleaning and waste collection/recycling services was expressed with a request that the Committee’s thanks be conveyed to the relevant staff. Reference was also made in the context of waste management to the poor condition of many recycling boxes and wheelie bins with some being damaged with jagged edges which could lead to accident or injury and a suggestion was made about renewing waste receptacles for Anglesey households.

·      The increase with regard to the rate of older people (aged 65 or over) whom the Authority supports in care homes per 1,000 population aged 65 or over at 31 March (indicator 18) and the consequent pressure on the service. Questions were asked about the arrangements in place to manage the pressures from the perspective of staff and budgets.

·      The increased demand and pressures on some service areas above others and how these are considered as part of the Council’s performance management arrangements.

·      The forecasted underspend of £1.740m on the 2023/24 budget and the extent to which this underspend will assist the Council in the 2024/25 financial year.

Officers responded to the points raised as follows –

·      That the NEETs indicator was published by Careers Wales after taking a snapshot of school leavers who were NEET as of 31 October 2023 and were Year 11 leavers in July 2023. Of the 645 Year 11 leavers, 26 were identified as NEET with 10 of those young people on a Careers Wales course and 16 presenting as not ready for education because of personal and/or medical reasons. The Authority has a strong understanding of the number of Year 11 leavers not in education, training or employment and a robust system to monitor all NEET young people aged 16-18. The work of the Engagement and Progression Co-ordinator and her team of outreach advisors has had a positive influence on the figures and is encouraging. The focus is on early identification of young people who are NEET ahead of Careers Wales’s snapshot publication coupled with timely intervention which is supported by early intervention panels to whose attention young people who are NEET are brought.

·      That seasonal factors can influence performance reporting on a quarterly basis e.g. indicator 32 (the percentage of waste reused, recycled, or composted) where the Q4 performance is Green but the trend is down on Q3 which covers the winter months and is traditionally a better performing period for waste recycling because of the nature of the waste generated during this period especially at Christmas. The corporate scorecard contents and format are being reviewed for 2024/25 which might result in trends being measured against annual targets rather than quarterly via the downward/upward arrow to provide a clearer picture of the direction of travel.

The Committee requested that it be provided with the performance statistics against annual targets to enable it to better compare year on year trends.

·      That last year 854 FOI requests were reported to the Governance and Audit Committee with just shy of 5,000 questions within those requests. Whilst there has been a gradual increase in the number of requests since the legislation was introduced, for 2023/24 the increase in the number of FOI requests to 1,002 and in the number of questions to 6,300 is significant. Some services are the subject of many more FOI requests than others because they have an impact on people’s lives and these need to be targeted which approach the Governance and Audit Committee has endorsed. Mitigating actions being taken include the upscaling of the Corporate Information and Complaints Officer post which is currently being advertised with interim arrangements in place to collect the relevant data in the meantime, along with the development of the CRM. Whilst the focus of the CRM project currently is the complaints process, when resources allow work will begin on FOIs the aim being to create a dashboard available to each Information Manager i.e. Directors and Heads of Service, so that they will be able to access on a daily basis a scorecard which will show requests, timescales, progress, and late responses. The dashboard will be agreed by the Leadership Team who will be in possession of all the data and can identify any pinch points. Capacity has been considered as the work of collating information and drafting responses currently falls to officers within the services and is in addition to their day-to-day duties. Proactive disclosure of information is something the Council has been undertaking with services on the recommendation of the Governance and Audit Committee and involves analysing requests, identifying common themes, and assessing whether data that meets those information needs can be published routinely. Whilst proactive disclosure does not stop FOI submissions, it may help in reducing the number of requests by directing people to information that is accessible by other means.   

·      That a shortage of contractors has been one of the main factors in the underperformance of indicator 28 (timely delivery of DFGs) be that the undertaking of smaller repair jobs or major adaptations work. The Housing Service has reviewed the procurement framework and has engaged with local contractors leading to an expansion of the list of contractors the service works with from 7 to 14 for minor works and from 8 to 14 for major works which it is hoped will help expedite the delivery of DFG funded work and improve performance. Early indications for the first quarter of 2024/25 are that the number of days taken to deliver DFGs has reduced from that recorded at Q4 2023/24. The Corporate Planning Programme and Performance Manager advised with regard to the approach to engagement with businesses and contractors that that is a matter which the Housing Service would be able to report upon separately.

·      That the Council is currently engaged with WRAP Cymru with regard to analysing the waste and recycling approach and performance with a view to making further improvements which will set the direction for the Council’s future plans. Whilst the point made about the hazards of damaged waste/recycling containers is noted, current budgetary constraints mean that providing every household with new containers is not possible. The Council is however committed to repairing/replacing broken waste and recycling containers upon request in line with the waste collection policy. The Council’s waste collection and street cleaning service is undertaken under contract by Biffa and the Committee’s thanks should be directed to its staff.

·      That Care Inspectorate Wales sets standards for staffing ratios in care homes to ensure that there is enough staff to meet the needs of a care home’s residents. The data shows that the number of people entering and leaving residential care has increased significantly since the pandemic with more people entering care but for shorter periods than has previously been the case which impacts the performance figure. Appropriate staffing levels are in place to respond to those needs.

·      That with regard to managing the demand and resource pressures on services, consideration in being given to taking a more integrated approach to budgets and efficiencies which takes account of demographic changes and the socio-economic conditions on the Island including local variations. Levels of demand are routinely considered in discussions about performance with Heads of Service as maintaining performance can sometimes be challenging due to the demand factor. Illustrating changes in demand and trends in its documentation is something the Council has recognised it needs to do more clearly and is an element that will be incorporated in the new 2024/25 scorecard which will aim to show how demand levels change and how that in turn influences both short-term performance and long-term trends in key areas such as homelessness, adults’ care, and education. 

·      That the projected underspend of £1.740m on the 2023/24 budget means that the Council’s general balances will increase by that amount. The Director of Function (Resources) /Section 151 provided an overview of the Council’s current general balances position which having taken account of movements in and out of the balances stands at approximately £11m which is available to the Council to mitigate risks. The Section 151 Officer advised that the Council’s balances which it is recommended be maintained at 5% of the net revenue budget, will provide the Council with more scope/options when setting the 2025/26 budget which is expected to be challenging and could be used to balance the budget if necessary. Whilst it is recognised that drawing on general balances to address a budget gap is not a long-term solution to a funding shortfall, the balances help strengthen the Council’s financial position and its ability to deal with funding challenges in the short-term.

Having reviewed the Corporate Scorecard for Q4 2023/24 and having noted the responses of Officers to the points of discussion raised it was resolved –

·      To note the Corporate Scorecard report for Q4 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, the percentage of Year 11 leavers who are NEET and the average number of days taken to deliver a DFG.

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

Additional actions –

·                The Committee to be provided with the performance statistics against annual targets to enable it to compare year on year trends.

·                To ask the Chief Executive on behalf of the Committee to write to the Chief Executive and Area Manager of Biffa to convey the Committee’s appreciation and thanks for the work carried out on Anglesey by Biffa’s street cleaning and waste collection staff.