Agenda item

This report presents Council performance for the year 2009/10. In particular it includes performance against indicators and actions agreed in the Council Plan 2009-12.

Discussion:

The Assistant Director Communications, Performance and Partnerships presented a report detailing the Council performance for the year 2009/10 against the measures of success and actions agreed in the Council Plan 2009-12.

Colour copies of Appendix 2 of the report and an updated section of the report relating to the council priority –‘older and vulnerable people maintaining their independence’ were circulated at the meeting.

Members noted that the Medway Park refurbishment had been completed on time and within budget and asked that the same profile was given for all projects in the future.

Members identified a range of issues where they considered that more in depth investigation was needed within areas beyond the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny remit and referred the issues to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees asking them to consider the referral and report back to this committee.

Members asked that the reports to other committees covered the causes of the underperformance, the success of current responses and an understanding of what it would take to improve performance.

In relation to its own remit Members asked for an in-depth report on:

• The cluster of issues on NI 156 (Number of households living in temporary accommodation), H5 (Average time for non-urgent repairs) and H8 (Average time taken to re-let council dwellings).

Members asked how the Council could better coordinate road works even though they may not be within the Council’s control on a case-by-case basis.

Members were concerned about the extent of missing data in the older and vulnerable people tables. Officers responded that they were pursuing Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust in relation to where the data was their responsibility, and also clarified that some data had a ‘lag time’ eg 4 week smoking quit figures would by definition take longer to collate, but officers were mapping dates for receipt of partner Local Area Agreement (LAA) data to ensure information to Members was as timely as possible. Other data gaps related to validation of year end social care figures, which was the council’s responsibility.  These checks were very near completion and would be reported verbally to the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Decision:

The Committee considered the performance for 2009/10 reviewing outcomes achieved against targets and asked for the following in depth reports:

(1)       In relation to its own remit Members asked for an in-depth report on:

• The cluster of issues on NI 156 (Number of households living in temporary accommodation), H5 (Average time for non-urgent repairs) and H8 (Average time taken to re-let council dwellings).

(2)       The Committee referred to Children and Adults Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

• The cluster of indicators on the theme of the support the Council gives to vulnerable children, NI67 (Percentage of child protection cases which were reviewed within required timescales), NI60 (Percentage of initial assessments for children’s social care carried out within 7 working days of referral), NI 65 (Percentage of children becoming the subject of Child Protection Plan for a second or subsequent time. Members were seeking more detailed understanding of the implications for the ongoing and sustained safety of those children including indicators NI101, NI148, NI99 (Looked after children (LAC) attainment, LAC in employment, training and education, educational attainment of children with special educational needs).

(3)       The Committee referred to Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

• Concerns about the effectiveness of Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) as an active partner with the council and with other parties where collaboration is needed.

(3)       The Committee referred to Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

• Activity on domestic abuse beyond NI32 (work to prevent abuse in highest risk cases). Members questioned what the council’s role could be in relation to domestic abuse and in particular Members wanted to understand how domestic abuse was associated with other issues relating to temporary accommodation and ultimately looked after children attainment.