Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting by Video Conference and Live Streamed

Contact: Tom Scott (Governance Officer) 

Note: The video of the meeting can be watched below. 

Media

Items
No. Item

CUS1-20/21

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Allan Bailey, Anne Clarke and Tricia Clough.

 

CUS2-20/21

Urgent Items of Business

Minutes:

There were no urgent items of business to consider.

 

CUS3-20/21

Declarations of interest

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

 

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

 

Minutes:

Members were requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

 

There were no declarations of interest made.

 

CUS4-20/21

Minutes - 16th March 2020 pdf icon PDF 206 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Andrew Joesbury noted that his name appeared under Apologies in the Minutes, however, he had been in attendance at the meeting.

 

Moved by Councillor Rose Bowler and seconded by Councillor Rita Turner

RESOLVED that subject to the above amendment, the Minutes of a Customer Service and Transformation Scrutiny Committee held on 16th March 2020 be approved as a correct record.

 

CUS5-20/21

List of Key Decisions and Items to be Considered in private pdf icon PDF 35 KB

(Members should contact the officer whose name appears on the List of

Key Decisions for any further information.  NB: If Members wish to discuss an exempt report under this item, the meeting will need to move into exempt business and exclude the public in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and Local Government Act 1972, Part 1, Schedule 12a for that part of the meeting only).

 

Minutes:

Committee was advised that due to the upcoming August recess, the next List of Key Decisions and items to be considered in private document would be published in September.

 

Moved by Councillor Rose Bowler and seconded by Councillor Rita Turner

RESOLVED that the List of Key Decisions and items to be considered in private document be noted.

 

 

Councillor Jayne Bryson joined the meeting at this point.

 

CUS6-20/21

Corporate Ambitions Performance Update - April to June 2020 (Q1 - 2020/21) pdf icon PDF 286 KB

Report to follow.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Committee considered a report in relation to the Quarter 1 outturns (April to June 2020) for the Council’s Ambition Performance Framework 2020-2024 targets and relevant supporting service indicators.

 

Ten targets supported Our Customers – Providing excellent and accessible services’aim as of 30th June 2020.  Six targets were on track and four targets had been affected by Covid19.

 

The following Targets were on Track;

 

CUS.01 - Measure customer satisfaction in all front facing service areas at least every two years on a rolling programme

 

This was a new target to audit front line services. 

 

Contact Centres and Leisure Centres had arrangements in place to formally measure customer satisfaction every 2 years.  A quick and easy system was being developed for capturing customer feedback, e.g., comment cards.  Every 2 years Streetscene used the Citizen Panel to measure satisfaction with its suite of front line services.  The next step was to undertake an audit to establish gaps in customer satisfaction measurement and use the information to inform a rolling programme.

 

CUS.02 - Improve the overall performance and usability of the website by achieving a maximum score of 4 on 'Better Connect website report' by Dec 2022

 

A new website was being developed and would be launched in September 2020. 

 

CUS.04 - Work with partners to deliver the Sustainable Communities Strategy and publish an evaluation report annually

 

During 2019, thematic action groups worked on defining their new priorities and actions for the refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy 2020-2023.  It was agreed that the document would align with the Council's Plan, therefore annual reviews would no longer be required.  A draft had been designed and sent to all partners for consultation during October/November 2019.  Feedback was received and amendments made with a final draft approved by Bolsover Partnership Executive Board in February 2020 and approved by Council in March 2020.  The Sustainable Community Strategy 2020 - 2023 refresh document was launched electronically at the Bolsover Partnership AGM in April 2020.

 

 

CUS.05 - Monitor performance against the corporate equality objectives and publish information annually

 

A review of performance against corporate equality objectives for 2019/20 had commenced and would be published by September 2020.

 

Due to Covid 19 restrictions, scheduled equality panel meetings had not taken place and were suspended until further notice.  It had not been possible to schedule Zoom panel meetings since various panel members did not have internet access.

 

An Equality Impact Assessment was finalised for Video Conferencing and provided our Economic Development Team with advice and guidance on Equal Opportunities and Equality Monitoring.

 

CUS.06 - Prevent homelessness for more than 50% of people who are facing homelessness each year

 

There had been 36 approaches from people facing homelessness. 18 cases had been prevented from becoming homeless (this included 4 cases still open and receiving support - 50% in total).  These figures included 11 single people accommodated under the Government’s 'Everyone In' requirement to ensure there was no one without accommodation during Covid 19.

 

CUS.08 - Maintain high levels of tenant satisfaction  ...  view the full minutes text for item CUS6-20/21

CUS7-20/21

Update on Voids Service - Target CUS.07

Minutes:

Committee considered a verbal update from the Assistant Director of Development and the Property Services Manager in relation to Performance Target CUS.07 - Reduce average relet times for standard voids (Council properties) to 20 calendar days by March 2021 and maintain thereafter.

 

The Assistant Director of Development reported that at the start of the Covid19 lockdown in March, Housing Services had focused on carrying out housing repairs.  In April, the entire housing workforce worked on void properties and all were completed.

 

In May, when moving house again was allowed by the Government, the Choice Based Lettings service restarted with tenancy agreements being signed when contact centres re-opened in June.  Sheltered accommodation would start again in August.

The Assistant Director of Development felt that the Housing department had managed the service well - around 76 properties were allocated and 100 void properties completed.  Responsive repairs were also brought up to date. 

 

The Property Services Manager acknowledged that void properties were a concern for Members and he was aware that Committee were in the process of carrying out a review.

 

The Property Services Manager would soon be taking up the position of Head of Property Services and Housing Repairs and voids would come under his remit.  Data reporting on voids was currently being looked at and he would also engage with Members on their findings and recommendations from the review.  However, Members could contact him at any time with any concerns they may have. 

 

Members welcomed the update and commented that information on voids by ward would be helpful to them as this was something they had previously received a few years ago.

 

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer noted that there was scope to expand the information produced on voids and encouraged Members to speak to the Property Services Manager outside of the meeting.  The Review on voids was in the process of being finalised and included points raised regarding Members receiving information and also how other local authorities monitored their void properties.

 

Moved and seconded

RESOLVED that the update be noted.

 

 

CUS8-20/21

Work Programme 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Committee considered their Work Programme for 2020/21.

 

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer reported that she had received some ideas from Members regarding topics for review including the impact of the lockdown on services and how the Council was recovering etc.

 

Members agreed to include an update on the development of the new website for the September meeting to coincide with the deadline for completion.

 

Some reviews which took place in 2018/19 were still be monitored; Review of Standards Committee – update to be provided in October and Review of Environmental Health and Licensing - update to be provided in November.

 

Moved by Councillor Rose Bowler and seconded by Councillor Ray Heffer

RESOLVED that the Work Programme 2020/21 be noted.