Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Profession – HR and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard for Quarter 2 2024/25 was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The scorecard portrayed the Council’s performance against the strategic objectives outlined in the Council Plan at the end of the second quarter of 2024/25.

The report was presented by the Chair, Councillor Gary Pritchard who highlighted that the majority (85%) of the performance indicators with targets monitored during the quarter had performed well against targets and had a Green or Yellow RAG status. He referred to the six indicators which are currently Red or Amber against targets, these were in relation to areas under Education, Housing, Economy, Climate Change and Whole Council Health. Details of the mitigating actions aimed at improving the performance of each of the six indicators were provided in the report. Also included in the report were examples of noteworthy performance in the quarter with regard to business support activity, social care and wellbeing for which all indicators were Green against targets, school attendance in both primary and secondary sectors, the number of empty properties brought back into use through empty homes interventions and the ongoing electrification of the Council’s fleet vehicles.

Councillor Douglas Fowlie, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee provided Scrutiny’s feedback on the Quarter 2 2024/25 scorecard report which was considered by the committee at its 19 November 2024 meeting. Among the issues raised in discussion were the reasons for the decline in performance from Quarter 1 and the prospects for sustained improvement by the end of the financial year with members having sought assurances in this regard. The extent to which the Council’s financial position and projected overspend at the end of Quarter 2 poses a risk going forwards had been discussed as had the continued underperformance of Housing indicator (03) (the average number of calendar days to let lettable units of accommodation excluding DTLs) which had been the subject of a scrutiny review. Members enquired about recruitment challenges being a barrier to improvement and raised questions also about managing school exclusions and suspensions including the support provided to pupils who have been excluded. Having been advised by officers on these matters, the committee had resolved to recommend the scorecard report and mitigating measures as outlined to the Executive and had agreed on supplementary actions.

The Executive acknowledged that Housing Indicator (03) has been Red against target for some time but noted that the unavailability of contractors, specifically painters, is a factor in missing the target and noted also that scrutiny’s detailed examination of the indicator and target had concluded that the Council has made every effort to improve the performance and that the performance against this indicator is better than that of many other authorities in this respect. This being so, it was suggested that it might be timely to review the target to establish whether it achieves the right balance between being ambitious and being realistic.

The Chief Executive advised that Housing Indicator (03) continue to be monitored saying that the Council needs to be ambitious in this matter given the homelessness and housing waiting list figures and the Council’s commitment to providing as many people as possible with a place to call home, and that it will do its best to improve the performance and depending on progress, will revisit the matter in due course.

While the performance of the Social Care and Wellbeing indicators was recognised and commended, Councillor Alun Roberts, Portfolio Member for Adult Services and Community Safety cautioned that the upcoming winter months could prove challenging and that he hoped the high level of performance would be maintained notwithstanding.

The Executive also noted with regard to Education Indicator (07) - the number of children undertaking swimming lessons throughout the year - that with rising transport costs it is becoming a challenge for those primary schools located at a distance from the leisure centres to meet the target and that the performance of 1,807 against a target of 1,900 is creditable in the circumstances. 

It was resolved to accept the scorecard monitoring report for Quarter 2 2024/25 and to note the areas which the Leadership Team is exploring and investigating to manage and secure further improvements into the future. These were areas in relation to Education, Housing, Economy, Climate Change and Whole Council Health.