Agenda item

That the Council’s current performance and mitigating actions as measured by the key performance indicators within the corporate management information report and scorecard be noted.

The Cabinet considered the latest Corporate Performance Report which detailed the current position on a range of key performance indictors (KPIs) and the mitigating actions being taken to improve performance.  The report was to October 2023 and it would be updated and provided to Cabinet on a quarterly basis.

The report showed that performance overall was variable with 16% of the KPIs performing either at or better than target; 19% marginally worse than target; and 35% below the red KPI threshold.  The remaining 30% of indicators were monitored for trends.  Compared to the previous month performance had improved for 42% of the 43 KPIs, remained the same for 14% and declined for 44%.

The Cabinet noted several areas where performance had improved including reduced processing times for housing benefit claims; an improvement in call centre wait times; increase in the number of adults aged between 40-74 offered a health check; and continued high performance in relation to planning application decisions being made within the required timescales.  There had also been an improvement in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans issued within 20 weeks, which was a priority in the SEND improvement plan.

Lead Members asked a number of questions about areas where performance had deteriorated or was below target and asked how underperformance was being managed.  It was responded that each indicator had an ‘owner’ and Executive Directors were responsible for addressing underperformance on any indicators they were assigned.  The Chief Executive highlighted that performance reporting should be viewed in the context of a Council that was downsizing and needing to ‘live within its means’, therefore tough decisions would be required on priorities about where the Council wanted to particularly perform well.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Cabinet agreed the importance of continuing to transparently report progress on the performance indictors and to use the information to work with their Executive Directors to improve performance.  The report was noted.

Resolved –  That the Council’s current performance and mitigating actions as measured by the key performance indicators within the corporate management information report and scorecard be noted.