Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Amanda Scarce
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Apologies for absence Minutes: An apology for absence was received from Councillor Ms. H. Jones. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
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Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the Performance Management Board held on 21st September 2009 were submitted.
RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record subject to minute numbers 34/09 (g) and 39/09 being included on the Work Programme for the next meeting. |
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Performance Report (August 2009) Additional documents:
Minutes: The Board considered a report on the Council’s performance at 31st August 2009.
Members were informed that, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, the Customer Service Centre average speed of answer (seconds) actual had been slower than the target due to an upgrade of equipment. An improvement would be seen once the initial teething problems had been resolved.
With regards to the summary as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, it was requested that more detailed information be provided at future meetings on the missing target percentage. A breakdown of the current figure of 11% would have been more informative.
It was questioned why the number of missed household waste collections had been over target since April 2009. Mr. J. Godwin, Deputy Head of Street Scene and Community advised that this was due to the introduction of green bins and the confusion this had caused. He referred Members to Appendix 3 of the report which showed the situation was steadily improving and should be back on target by the end of the financial year. Members were concerned that the introduction of the new recycling and garden waste system in March 2010 would affect the target. Mr. Godwin confirmed that this would not be the case as the system had been revised accordingly.
It was noted that the CCTV incidents targets had not been met and therefore red. Mr. Godwin responded and provided Members with an explanation and assured Members that the targets would improve.
During discussion it was noted that the Assistant Chief Executive had advised that the sickness level continued to improve and that negotiations were underway between unions and officers in respect of the pilot scheme discussed at the meeting on 21st September 2009.
RESOLVED: (a) that it be noted that 61% of performance indicators are stable or improving; (b) that it be noted that 59% of performance indicators which had a target are meeting their target at the month end and 89% were projected to meet their target at the year end; (c) that the particular areas of improvement as set out in section 3.6 of the report be noted; and (d) that the areas of concern as set out in section 3.6 of the report be noted. |
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Improvement Plan Exception Report (August 2009) Minutes: The Board considered the Improvement Plan Exception report for August 2009.
The Assistant Chief Executive had requested that in his absence the Executive Director (Services) inform Members on the following points with regards to Appendix 1 of the report (page 47):
§ Area Action Plan 1.1.1 Engage specialist organisation to complete unified vision - a meeting in respect of this had taken place last week. § Redevelopment of the Market Hall site 1.3.3 Undertaken actions recommended in report - this had been agreed and will be moved forward. § Community engagement 1.4.5 Establish Leisure Centre study Group - the revised date for this item was October and had been actioned. § Medium Term Financial Plan and Statutory accounts 5.2.8 Deliver Use of resources action plan in relation to new framework - Ms. J Pickering, Head of Financial Services was waiting the detailed report from the Audit Commission (expected in November 2009) to enable the Council to prepare a plan to meet their recommendations and to make improvements to future judgements.
RESOLVED: (a) that the revisions to the Improvement Plan Exception report together with the corrective action being taken be noted; (b) that it be noted that for the 71 actions highlighted for August within the plan 84.5% of the Improvement Plan was on target (green) , 8.5% was one month behind (amber) and no actions were over one month behind (red). 7% of actions had been reprogrammed or suspended with approval. |
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Community Safety Partnership - Partnership Plan 2009-2011 Additional documents:
Minutes: Members were asked to consider and comment on the Strategic Assessment 2008 and the Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Partnership Plan 2009/2011. The reports highlighted the information used to identify areas of current and future concern within the CSP tasking process.
Mr. Godwin provided Members with background information on the structure and role of Community Safety Partnerships prior to recent legislation changes. Local authorities had a legal responsibility to establish Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and submit annual and 3 year plans to Government Office West Midlands to be reviewed and approved, which was a very bureaucratic and centrally controlled process.
Changes had also taken place on how CSP would be performance measured, moving away from Best Value Performance indicators which had been a “weighing and measuring” tool that was very much statistical based. Local Area Agreements had moved away from measuring numbers and had moved towards perceptions and how people feel about the area in which they lived. The government had decided this was a bureaucratic system which was no longer appropriate and had devolved the power back to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs).
The recent legislative changes had resulted in the production of the Strategic Assessment, which involved reviewing the area where you live; identifying the key issues that impact on that area and what the issues are by using local knowledge to understand these issues. Within Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest, Redditch and the Southern county CDRP that function was undertaken by the County Council.
The partnership plan would cover a 3 year period and had been produced and adopted by Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, West Mercia Police, Hereford & Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service and West Mercia Probation Trust. The plan would be refreshed every year and a new Strategic Assessment issued.
Mr. Godwin responded to questions from Members regarding available funding. Funding was available for 2010-2011 and bids had been put in for the highest areas of need, Charford, Sidemoor and Catshill. The skill of the CDRP analyst was to identify the area where individual issues lay and the response input required. Each area had different, but equally important needs. Catshill did not feature in certain areas of need but had a significant number of Not in Education Employment or Training (NEETs) that did not appear to such an extent in Charford or Sidemoor, so therefore needed a very different approach.
During the discussion it was suggested that both reports would provide very valuable evidence in the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Boards and should be included in their work programme.
Reference was made to the lack of diversionary activities available to young people and that youth related anti social behaviour (ASB) and alcohol related ASB (youth related) were highlighted as priorities. It was noted by Members that this was an issue that would be looked at by Overview and Scrutiny, as would the Council’s licensing policy.
Reference was also made to under age drinking ... view the full minutes text for item 46. |
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Additional documents: Minutes: The Chairman advised Members that they were asked to consider the Bromsgrove Profile report and make recommendations if appropriate for action to be taken where necessary.
Concern was expressed over the 16-18 year olds NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) figure of 10.9%. This was felt to be high and as the information was from May 2008 was likely to have risen further due to the current economic climate. Members were concerned that the increase in NEETs could also have an effect on anti social behaviour in particular areas. A query was also raised about services that were available to, and employment prospects of, young people with disabilities. Members discussed these issues and felt that meeting the need of children and young people as described in the Bromsgrove Profile “To ensure all children and young people have the opportunity to participate in positive activities” which covered National Indicators and Local Indicators warranted further investigation. It was felt that services could be available at both local and county level, which Members were unaware of.
Concern was also expressed over the percentages of people over 65 years of age without central heating. Members noted that these figures were taken from the 2001 Census and were therefore outdated; nevertheless they were a cause for concern. Members were informed that the Older Peoples’ Task Group had received a great deal of information on the benefits and services available and it was investigating lack of awareness.
Councillor Colella advised that the areas discussed had in fact been picked up and included within the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme Planning Workshop which had taken place on 6th October 2009. Other topics within the report had also been included within the work programme. He felt that the Bromsgrove Profile was an important document to enable all the topics on the Work Programme to be taken forward. He explained that these topics would be discussed at meetings of the appropriate Board and, if necessary the relevant task group set up.
RECOMMENDED that the Bromsgrove Profile be used as a primary document for the research of relevant topics on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme. |
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Minutes: Members were informed by the Chairman that the Assistant Chief Executive would give a short presentation to the next meeting on the Community Strategy Annual Report 2008/09 and Community Strategy 2010/2013.
The Chairman also confirmed that the visit to Selby District Council would be on 5th November 2009 and Tunbridge Wells on 12th November 2009.
RESOLVED that the work programme be approved subject to the inclusion of an update on how the Council and its partners are responding to the recession, particularly in relation to unemployment issues to the November meeting of the Board. |
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To consider any other business, details of which have been notified to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services prior to the commencement of the meeting and which the Chairman, by reason of special circumstances, considers to be of so urgent a nature that it cannot wait until the next meeting |