| (a) That the following comments be forwarded to Cabinet:
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| Comments on covering report:
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| Paragraphs 4.2 and 4.3. it was felt that not all aspects of the council's existing core values were covered and that the principle of changing the council's core values needed to be given full discussion at the Council meeting.
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| Paragraph 4.10 it was felt that there was a shortfall in the transition period from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the services for adults.
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| General recommendation
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| During discussion of the report Members recommended that in future the Performance Plan should be developed by submitting the service specific sections to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees for their comments.
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| Section 1 - Delivering in Partnership
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| | (a) | It was felt that there was still a long way to go to get all communities working together.
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| | (b) | Members felt that there should be greater linkage between all the council's strategic documents.
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| Section 2 - Putting our customers at the centre of everything we do - how do we do that?
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| It was felt that this section did not clearly evidence where the authority is and the direction Medway Council wants to take.
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| Listening to customers
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| Further statistics needed about where Medway Council is achieving lower levels of satisfaction and what needs to be done to achieve each of the levels.
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| Complaints
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| Further statistics needed on complaints.
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| Giving value for money
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| Budget summary
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| The first line should read …`The provisional unaudited accounts should show an underspend of £59,000….'
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| How council services are funded
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| The pie chart should be clarified to make clear the sources of funding, the fees and charges should be split to show which are centrally funded and locally generated. It should also be mentioned where the council has no discretion on expenditure.
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| Priorities for capital spending
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| In the table on major capital projects the section on `other education capital' should be split up to show sources of funding.
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| Effective procurement
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| Officers should explore more effective ways to enable small businesses locally to compete in procurement with no financial detriment to the council.
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| A clean and green environment -
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| Improving the street scene
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| | (a) | The paragraph commencing `The level of reported graffiti…' should be expanded to include clear targets and evidence put in as to where the authority is at present and where the authority would like to be.
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| | (b) | In the middle of that paragraph to remove the words (eg BT) and complete the end of the paragraph where there is missing text.
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| | (c) | In the final paragraph to give examples of successful enforcement activities.
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| Waste and recycling
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| The second paragraph should be amended with a more specific figure to replace `…over 62 families'
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| Impact of climate changes and reducing carbon emissions
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| This paragraph needs to be expanded to explain what the council is going to do and to clarify the examples given.
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| Greenspaces
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| | (a) | The second paragraph should explain what Green Flag status means.
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| | (b) | The fourth paragraph was not felt to be helpful as it needs to include outcomes and what residents should expect.
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| Protecting greenspaces from development
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| | (a) | The initial paragraph should explain what other greenspaces are to be protected and should quantify what the council is seeking to achieve, possibly by reference to the relevant section of the Local Development Framework.
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| | (b) | In relation to the second bullet point this should quantify what `reducing carbon emissions' will mean, what target the council is working to and timescale and the difference between what is being achieved now compared to what the council hopes to achieve.
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| Safer Communities
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| Reducing the fear of crime
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| | (a) | It was noted that the screens were not yet located at the Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre.
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| | (b) | It should be specified how many alleygates were planned for the future.
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| Drugs
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| The first paragraph should be amended to clarify that the council would help more people through drug treatment and aftercare to find housing and employment.
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| Road casualties
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| The first paragraph should clarify that the figure for adults killed or seriously injured had remained the same over the course of the last year.
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| Children and young people having the best start in life
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| How do we do that?
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| The targets should include aims for the council to improve services for respite care for children with disabilities and their families through better partnership working.
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| Our 3 key targets are:
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| The paragraph should quantify what the council is seeking to achieve.
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| Older and vulnerable people maintaining their independence
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| Direct payments
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| The final sentence should also add in the number of direct payments in relation to percentage of clients.
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| Progress on development of joint older peoples services
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| In the first paragraph, third line a comma should be inserted after the word `running'.
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| LIFT Scheme
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| As this paragraph related to the achievements of the Primary Care Trust it was questioned whether this was a relevant paragraph and if it should be removed.
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| Progress on Shaws Wood and Woodlands
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| | (a) | The second paragraph referred to three centres of excellence when only two were mentioned. It was agreed that Churchlands should be added in.
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| | (b) | Members requested that the term `Care Court' be removed and a more appropriate term used.
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| Our 3 key targets are
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| Members felt that these targets needed to be quantified.
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| People travelling easily and safely in Medway
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| How do we do that?
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| It was felt that rail travel should be added to the list.
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| Key targets
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| It was felt that this should be in a separate section and the targets more explicit and the second bullet point quantified. Also more detail needed about how the key targets match with the 64 projects mentioned in the section condition of roads and pavements.
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| Everyone benefitting from the area's regeneration
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| Medway Park and the redevelopment of the Black Lion
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| Members felt this paragraph should be more explicit and clarify whether the project was in addition to Deangate or providing an alternative. They also questioned whether the target referred to in the final sentence was realistic.
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| Improving private sector housing
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| | (a) | Additional information should be added about work being done on HMOs (Housing in Multiple Occupation) and the registration procedure.
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| | (b) | Further information requested on how the council is monitoring the improvements in properties to decent homes standard.
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| Social regeneration - involving the community in improving the local area
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| This section should include goals relating to engaging with the broad community rather than just faith groups.
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| Section 3 Improving our services
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| Corporate assessment and joint area review
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| | (a) | The term LSP should be explained in this section and in the final sentence at the bottom of the page a comma should be inserted after the word `LSP's'.
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| | (b) | That the Assistant Director, Communications and Improvement be requested to let Councillor Juby know whether the suggestion that the new centre at the Black Lion would be completed by the end of 2009 was a realistic one.
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