To comment on the Cabinet report.

The Panel considered the latest performance management report due to be presented to Cabinet.

The Chairman informed that Cabinet had previously agreed that Lead Members whose indicators were off target for two consecutive quarters should attend scrutiny to explain what remedial actions were in place.  Due to this meeting being called at short notice the Lead Members would be invited to the Panels next meeting.

The Strategic Director for Corporate and Community Services introduced the report and explained that Cllr McWilliams had informed that overall, performance had improved compared to the previous quarter, with 68% of indicators on target. Where indicators were off-target, improvement plans, agreed with the Lead Member, were in place and published on the borough website.

The Panel were informed that the document was continually evolving  and further improvements to the layout and use of data were planned for the next quarter.

Cllr Dudley informed the Panel that it was important that Lead Members were aware of their responsibilities and thus was pleased top see that they would be held to account when performance was off target. 

Cllr Dr L Evans reported that she felt that the document was still trying to report on too many indicators reporting at different levels and she felt that there should be three or four high ranking areas reported.  The Panel were informed that local government was unique in the diverse areas that it covered and thus it would be difficult to asses performance in a few indicators.  The number of reported performance indicators had been reduced and further refinement would continue.

Cllr Dr L Evans mentioned that some of the targets can take a long period of time to achieve and thus it would be useful to have a dynamic to show how performance has improved over time.  The Panel were informed that this information was available and used to be in the IPMR but Members requested that the performance report be reduced and made more accessible.

Cllr Quick raised concern about the uptake of free school meals and asked if RBWM provided any support to schools to encourage uptake.  Cllr Dudley informed that a paper was due to come to Cabinet and that it was important to try and improve the attainment gap for pupils on free schools meals.

It was noted that schools where trying to reduce the stigma attached with having free school meals by having on line registration and payment of school meals so pupils were not aware whose meals were free.

Cllr Jones reported that as early year pupils all received free school meals that there was no incentive for parents to register for ‘free school meals’ and thus some schools were loosing funding. 

Cllr Bowden questioned why the apprenticeships figures in the performance report were not the same as in the apprenticeships report previously considered.  The Panel were informed that the performance report reported up to the end of quarter three and thus was behind the apprenticeships report that provided up tp date data.

Cllr Bowden also raised concern about the use of ‘deprived areas’ for some of the targets as this could give a wrong impression of certain areas.  The Panel were informed that the data related to indices of deprivation but the wording could be reviewed.  Cllr Dudley reported that we had to be mindful that although we live in a wealthy borough we had to be mindful of pockets of deprivation. 

Cllr Jones raised concern that smoking cessation targets were being missed yet the Financial Update report showed an underspend in this area and thus she would like to see further detail behind this indicator.  Cllr Dudley replied that there would be a recovery plan on the RBWM website and Cllr Carroll would come to scrutiny to discuss issues raised.

Cllr Quick reported that with regards to complaints there was only one upheld.  She felt it would have been useful to know how many complaints had been submitted to make this information meaningful.    Cllr Dr L Evans mentioned that page 9 showed the number of complaints.  She also raised concern that residents had mentioned to her that they had made contact with the borough but had not heard back. 

Cllr Jones reported that she had asked for a report to come to the next Panel meeting regarding complaints and who to contact especially as the delivering differently projects were in place. 

Resolved unanimously:  The Corporate Services O&S Panel considered the Cabinet report and fully endorsed the recommendations.   The Panel requested that the Lead Members should be Summoned as detailed in Table 6 (KPIs where performance was off target last quarter and is still off target in Q3 or measures that were on target in Q2 and have declined ) attend the next Corporate Services O&S Panel (to explain what actions are being taken to improve performance and meet targets).  Please see Cabinet resolution from 24 November 2016:

iv. Notes that if performance remains off target for two consecutive quarters, or the Corporate Services and/or relevant Overview and Scrutiny Panel decide the improvement actions have not been progressed, the relevant Lead Member(s) and officers should attend the next Corporate and/or relevant Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting for further review

The Panel requests that Cabinet review the use of ‘deprived areas’ within the report as this gives a negative impression of certain areas.  The Panel noted that Index of Multiple Deprivation was used.

With regards to ACH19 - Number of residents who quit smoking for at least four weeks in the three target cohorts (mental health, young people, pregnant women) concern was raised that this was reporting off target yet there was an underspend in this area.  The Panel requests clarification relating to the underspend and more detailed data regarding the target.