Agenda item

Development of New Performance Framework to support the vision for 2019 to 2023

Minutes:

Committee considered a report which gave Scrutiny the opportunity to help develop a new performance framework to support the Council’s ambition statement for 2019 – 2023.

 

Committee suggested that the following additions, highlighted in bold, be added to the Aims and Values;

 

Aims

 

We will focus on:

·         Our Customers by providing excellent services.

·         Our Economy by driving growth, promoting the District and being business friendly - Include a reference to tourism.

·         Our Environment by protecting the quality of life for residents and businesses and meeting environmental challenges - Include a reference to biodiversity e.g. wildlife, habitat.

Values

 

We:

·         Will show respect, honesty and openness in everything we do – add in transparency.

·         Will challenge ourselves and change for the better.

·         Are proud, comparing and compassionate and passionate about what we do

·         Will continue to work with partners to provide quality services

 

Priorities - Customers:

 

·         Prepare a Customer Satisfaction Survey for members of the public attending Planning Committee for implementation by May 2020

 

In response to a Member’s question, theHead of Partnership and Transformation felt that in relation to this priority, the Council should hear people’s views.

 

·         Achieve an overall annual satisfaction rate of 80% or above for leisure, recreation and cultural activities and services

 

In response to a Member’s question, the Head of Partnership and Transformation advised that 80% was industry standard for this priority.

 

·         Improve the overall performance and usability of the website by achieving a maximum score of 4 on ‘Better Connect website report’ by Dec 2022

 

Member’s agreed that the Council’s website was not user friendly.  A Member also raised concern regarding the tone of letters sent to customers in relation to the payment kiosk in the Contact Centre which had failed during December 2019 - a number of customers who had made payments for rent and council tax had received late payment letters and this had upset some elderly customers.  The Scrutiny & Elections Officer noted that Scrutiny should be able to contribute to the revision of letters sent out to customers when this was being looked at in the future.

 

·         Ensure that at least 50% of transactions are made through digital channels by December 2024

 

In response to a Member’s question, the Head of Partnership and Transformation advised that customers had always been encouraged to direct their enquiries to departments through the Contact Centres and the number of these enquiries had been monitored.  However, other departments such as Revenues and Benefits, Environmental Health and Leisure also received enquiries directly from customers and this had been estimated to be around 10%.

 

A Member raised concern at the lack of confidentiality in the contact centres for customers speaking to a customer service advisor.  The Head of Partnership and Transformation replied that signs were posted in all 4 contact centres advising customers that they could request a meeting room if they wished to speak in confidence.

 

·         Provide an electronic Single Person Discount form for Council Tax by XX (date to be provided)

 

A Member queried if the Council would make more use of social media going forward as this could also be used to promote the 25% single occupier discount form for Council Tax.  The Head of Partnership and Transformation replied that currently the Council only used Twitter and Instagram.  In relation to Facebook, this would need consideration as the Council wouldn’t be able to respond to customer queries straight away.

 

·         Prevent homelessness for more than 50% of people who are facing homelessness each year

 

In response to a Member’s query, the Scrutiny & Elections Officer noted that this target had not previously been on alert at any time andwas also operating above targetas the outturn at Quarter 3 (April - December 2019) was 65%.  The Chair felt that the target should be increased.

 

·         Reduce average relet times for standard voids (Council properties) to 20 calendar days by March 2021 and maintain thereafter

 

Members had previously raised concern regarding this target as it had not been met for a long time.

 

A Member queried why an outgoing tenant’s decor was removed from a void property if it was fit for purpose for a new tenant who was happy with it as leaving the décor in these circumstances would reduce the relet time of a property.  The Member noted that this was also the case with outgoing tenants’ greenhouses, sheds and conservatories which were left behind.  The Scrutiny & Elections Officer agreed to make enquiries regarding this and would also feedback to the Customer Service and Transformation Scrutiny Committee who were currently undertaking a review of Re-letting of Council properties.

 

Priorities - Economy

 

Members were advised that the Customer Service and Transformation Scrutiny Committee had previously identified that ‘education and skills’ should be added under this priority.

 

·         Work with partners to deliver an average of 20 units of affordable homes each year

A Member queried how the Council could ensure that good quality builders were used to deliver this priority.  The Head of Partnership and Transformation advised that the Council could only carry out enforcement up to building regulations standards.

 

·         Through the Bolsover Business Growth Fund (BGF) support at least 18 businesses to grow by October 2021

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer would query the end date of 2021 for this and also the number of businesses. 

 

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer also advised the meeting that Customer Service and Transformation Scrutiny Committee had felt there were some gaps in this part of the framework and had identified the following;

 

·         No mention of B@Home (Bolsover Homes) or Dragonfly and how this would be taken forward, however, this may be presented to Members differently,

·         Current Growth Strategy – not mentioned, will it be refreshed, do we still need it, or will this document be all encompassing and it will be enough to do the Housing Strategy, or is it a gap?

·         Investment Strategy – not mentioned - how do we become more commercial?

·         A few of the targets are SMART i.e., an end date but not a lot of detail of how these will be measured, e.g., local skills base should be more detailed – lower level/higher level?

·         Local labour clauses – do we want a minimum number secured? Does there need to be another level to show we’ve made progress?

 

The Head of Partnership and Transformation advised Committee that once the basis for each Key Performance Indicator was agreed; who owned them, how they would be measured and ensuring they were SMART would be confirmed to Members.

 

·         Through the Derbyshire Business Rates Retention Pilot grant scheme improve 40 shops fronts in Shirebrook town centre by 2023

 

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised the meeting that this Shop Front refurbishment linked in with the Building Resilience Programme which was why this item was specific to Shirebrook.

 

Priorities - Environment

 

A Member felt that tree planting, green infrastructure, hedgerows etc and reducing single use plastic all needed to be included in the high level strap line priorities.

 

It was noted that ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’ and ‘enforcement’ should be included in the priorities.

 

·         Achieve a combined recycling and composting rate of 50% by March 2023

Members were advised that 50% was statutory for this Performance Indicator.

 

·         Remove 95% of non-hazardous Fly Tipping within 5 working days of being reported

 

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer felt this indicator was a better measurement of how the removal of flytipping was measured. 

 

·         Place 2 recycling promotions with In Touch annually

 

A Member felt that the Council’s In Touch magazine should include a recycling promotion in each edition and not just 2 editions each year.  The Head of Partnership and Transformation replied that the Council would have a Carbon Reduction Target for an Environment Specific Communication Strategy and that recycling could be promoted more through that.  He also added that the Council needed to lead the community on recycling.  A Member noted that many people were still unsure of what they could or could not be put into their recycling bins and she suggested that an information sheet also be included in the In Touch magazine alongside the recycling promotions.

 

·         Reduce the District Council's carbon emissions by  - 100 tonnes CO2 in 20/21 -  125 tonnes CO2 in 21/22 - 200 tonnes CO2 in 22/23 - 300 tonnes CO2 in 23/24

 

Members were informed that this target was not based on Government guidelines but based on the Council’s own trends in recent years and what was felt was achievable.

 

·         Co-ordinate and facilitate car parking patrols outside schools within the District, working with Derbyshire County Council, Police and Education partners by 31st June 2020

 

The Head of Partnership and Transformation advised Members that a pilot scheme regarding car parking outside schools was currently being carried out in the District by Derbyshire County Council and Environmental Health.

 

·         Increase the number of fixed penalty notices issued for litter and dog fouling offences by 20% per year.

 

A Member queried who could issue fixed penalty notices for dog fouling.  The Scrutiny & Elections Officer replied that the CAN Rangers and all Environmental Health Officers had powers to do this.

 

·         Measure % of all reports of fly-tipping referred for investigation to be responded to within 3 working days (set baseline in 19/20 for 20/21 onwards) and set a baseline for assessment against in 2020/21 and beyond

 

The Head of Partnership and Transformation advised Members that this target differed from the previous target regarding flytipping as it was about waste referred for investigation.

 

Members were advised that from 1st April 2020, the coloured status keys in Appendix 5 would be used when monitoring targets and indicators.  Service Indicator reports would also be presented to Members providing additional information in relation to the targets.

 

 

The Head of Partnership and Transformation and the Improvement Officer left the meeting.

 

 

Supporting documents: