Agenda item

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

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report by the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard which portrayed the Council’s performance against the strategic objectives outlined in the Council Plan at the end of the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.

Councillor Carwyn Jones gave an overview of the scorecard report highlighting the inclusion of quarterly trend information and comparison with Q2 2023/24 performance. While the majority (85%) of the indicators with targets monitored during the quarter performed well against their targets (Green or Yellow RAG), six indicators in relation to Education, Housing, Economy, Climate Change and Whole Council Health (the percentage of FOI requests responded to within timescale) are shown to be underperforming. A detailed analysis of these indicators is provided in the report along with mitigations and they are being monitored and investigated by the Leadership Team to secure improvements into the future. Councillor Carwyn Jones also referred to examples of good performance in the quarter in areas relating to business support, social care and wellbeing, school attendance, the timely determination of planning applications, empty properties brought back into use and ongoing electrification of the Council’s fleet vehicles.

In scrutinising the scorecard report, the Committee’s members discussed the following matters –

• The reasons for the 9% decline in performance on Quarter 1.
• Given that six indicators currently have RAG status of Red or Amber against their targets, whether assurances can be given that the Authority will see a sustained improvement in performance by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.
• The risk that failure to meet recycling targets might incur a Welsh Government penalty
• The extent to which the financial position at the end of the second quarter (a projected year end overspend) creates a risk for the Council going forward into 2025/26.
• Clarification of Social Care and Wellbeing indicators (07) and (08) was sought in relation to children re-registered on the Child Protection Register within 12 months of previous removal from the register and the percentage of referrals of children that are re-referrals within 12 months. A request was made to include numerical as well as percentage information to provide context and aid understanding.
• The decline in performance in quarter 2 with regard to the timely turnaround of properties (Housing indicator 02). A question was asked about the availability of a follow up action plan to the scrutiny review of performance against this indicator.
• The extent to which capacity and recruitment are barriers to improvement and how those can be facilitated to help the Council meet its business needs.
• The arrangements for monitoring school suspensions and exclusions and the support provided for children who have been suspended or excluded from school.
• The decline in the percentage of Welsh language responses to official consultations.
• The number of businesses receiving support as part of the ARFOR programme.

Officers responded to the matters raised above with the following advice and guidance –

• That the decline in performance is due to six indicators having underperformed in quarter 2 compared to two indicators in quarter 1. The report details the context, circumstances and reasons for the missed targets and sets out current and planned actions to ensure improvements going into the next quarter and beyond.

The Chief Executive advised that the committee can be assured that the target setting progress is rigorous and that the targets set are considered and challenging and are designed to generate positive progress over time. Directors and service mangers have reviewed the indicators to ensure they are relevant and appropriate and are sufficiently challenging to incentivise staff and services to go beyond their comfort zone and aim for new levels of performance. The scorecard reflects the position at the end of the second quarter which means there is scope for improvement in the second half of the year.

• That with regard to two of the six underperforming indicators – Climate Change indicator (02) the percentage of domestic waste reused recycled or composted, and Whole Council Health indicator (12) the percentage of FOI requests responded to within timescale, it is envisaged that improving the performance to Green against target will take until the end of the financial year. A kerbside intervention team has been established to reduce general waste and increase recycling by working with local communities to educate residents and a programme board will consider whether any further mitigations can be put in place. In respect of FOIs, while the Council remains committed to increasing the response rate the need to make savings and reduced capacity within services mean that the 90% target remains a difficult one.
• That it is unlikely the Council will reach the 70% recycling target for 2025 set by Welsh Government. The Corporate Planning Programme and Performance Manager advised that it was his understanding that rather than imposing a penalty forthwith, Welsh Government is willing to work with councils who miss the target but are able to demonstrate that they have in place a specific plan to achieve it.
• That any overspend on the 2024/25 revenue budget will have implications for the Council moving forward into 2025/26. The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer advised that it has been the Council’s strategy to utilise reserves in the short term to achieve a balanced budget. An overspend at the end of the current financial year would have to be met from the Council’s reserves thereby reducing the scope for utilising the reserves to meet any funding shortfall in 2025/26.Additionally, any overspend by services in 2024/25 as a result of increased demand will have to be reflected in an increased budget allocation for those services in 2025/26. Although the Council’s financial position is more robust than that of many other councils, it is not without risks and a change in circumstances and/or conditions over the coming winter months could lead to extra costs for the Council.
• That Social Care and Wellbeing indicator (08) refers to families who have had a referral to Social Services and have been re-referred for additional or different support after the original intervention has been closed. The Director of Social Services confirmed that indicator (08) is not linked to the Child Protection Register.
• That the Housing Service is aiming to respond to the scrutiny review of the performance with regard to the time taken to re-let units of accommodation (excluding DTLs) by the end of the calendar year and to report back at the next meeting. The Head of Housing Services clarified that the new Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) 2023 rules came into effect in November 2023 and the service took the opportunity to undertake property upgrades at the time but was hampered by a lack of available contractors, especially painters which led to delays and resulted in an increase in the number of days that properties are unavailable to let. The Head of Housing Services confirmed new contractor framework arrangements that will help clear the backlog and lead to an improvement in performance against the indicator by Quarter four 2024/25.

It was suggested by a member of the committee that tracking the Council’s progress in implementing the new WHQS 2023 rules be incorporated as an addition/appendix to the corporate scorecard especially as the Council was the second authority in Wales to achieve the first set of standards. The Chief Executive advised that consideration needs to be given to where within the Council’s governance arrangements it would be most appropriate to report on performance against the WHQS 2023 given that it is a programme for the long-term and given also the pressures on the scrutiny work programme.

• That recruitment remains a challenge. While the Council has invested in a new system to facilitate the job application process and has adopted work life balance initiatives such as flexible and hybrid working arrangements, the Council’s commitment to bilingualism as well as the salary levels it is able to offer may limit the applicant pool. The Council has also a focus on workforce planning and on strategies to make the Council more attractive to potential employees. Financial constraints means that consideration has to be given to reducing and restructuring the workforce in some areas which is especially challenging in statutory service areas where the demand is growing. Senior Leaders are however keeping the matter under constant review and are ensuring that managers are proactive in their approach to filling posts and ensure also that the right talent is in the right roles. While the challenges vary from service to service, staff recruitment and retention have been identified as a strategic risk on the strategic risk register.
• That the number of school exclusions are monitored on a weekly basis and are discussed with schools and education officers. While there has been a widespread rise in suspensions and exclusions, the data for Anglesey shows a decrease in the numbers this year compared to the previous year. Inclusion and behaviour issues remain a challenge and are a priority for the service which will be reporting on the relevant data to the Education Scrutiny Panel and the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee. The Director of Education, Skills and Young People confirmed that most suspensions are for a temporary period and in those circumstances the LEA is duty bound to provide work for the pupils for the duration of the suspension. In cases of permanent exclusion where a pupil has been excluded from two schools, an alternative curriculum and education support package are provided which are tailored to the individual’s abilities and needs.
• That respondents to the Council’s consultations can do so in the language of their choice be that Welsh or English and it can be difficult to analyse the reasons for the choice. The decline in the percentage of Welsh language responses to official consultations may be a matter of fluctuating numbers within the quarter; the Council strives to ensure consultation language is as clear as possible to enable people to respond in the Welsh language if they so wish.
• That the ARFOR programme distributes business grants to Welsh businesses and the data reflects the number of grants processed in the quarter. A request for information regarding the ARFOR programme and grants allocated was made.

Having reviewed the Corporate Scorecard for Q2 2024/25 and having noted the responses of Officers to the matters raised it was resolved –

• To note the Corporate Scorecard report for Q2 2024 including the areas which the Leadership Team is exploring and investigating to manage and secure further improvements into the future as outlined in the report

• To recommend the scorecard report and mitigating measures as outlined to the Executive.

Additional actions –

·         Officers to consider where within the Council’s governance arrangements it would be most appropriate to report on the Council’s progress in implementing the WHQS 2023.

·         That numerical as well as percentage information to be provided with regard to Social Care and Wellbeing indicators (07) and (08)

·         That the committee be provided with information about businesses in receipt of grant support under the ARFOR programme.