Agenda item

Report of Assistant Director – Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To give the committee an update on how well the council is performing in delivering its Q2 priorities for 2023/24.

Recommendations

Officers recommend the committee:

1.1     Reviews the Council’s Quarter 2 performance for 2023 and agrees any recommendations for Executive consideration.

Resolved

(1)        That having given due consideration, the Council’s Quarter 2 2023-24 performance be noted and no recommendations be submitted for Executive consideration.  

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director, Customer Focus, that detailed the quarter two performance for 2023/2024.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Assistant Director Customer Focus gave an overview of the processes for setting and changing the key performance indicators during the financial year.

The Committee was advised that all 26 performance indicators had been achieved or were within tolerance and most of the milestones had been met. It was anticipated that the milestones that had not been achieved by quarter two should be met by the end of the financial year.

Members of the Committee had submitted questions in advance of the meeting which duly responded to.

In response to a question on indicator BP1.2.01, an increase in the number of homeless households, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing Wellbeing advised that unfortunately this was not just a local issue but part of a wider national trend. The Committee was advised that the aim was to relocate families that were housed in temporary accommodation in to self-contained housing options as soon as possible. The intention was to then move these households in to a permanent home within the prescribed three month target. However, the shortage of affordable housing with the Cherwell area presented a significant challenge to achieving this objective. The Head of Housing outlined the actions being taken to alleviate the lack of supply of affordable housing in relation to demand for such properties. An update on the number of properties becoming available was also provided to the Committee.

The Assistant Director of Finance, responded to the question regarding indicator BP1.2.07, as to whether the targets for housing benefit and council tax event changes should be more challenging, explaining that the goals set by the Council were already much higher than those set nationally by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Committee was also advised that forthcoming changes regarding Universal Credits may potentially impact on the current claim processing timescales and, as such, the existing performance indicators would  be sufficiently challenging.

In response to the question regarding six-week mental health activity programmes for 14 to 16 years olds with behavioural difficulties, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing, advised that the course was not designed to be a clinical intervention and that the students were able to refer themselves with the aim of improving their mental health. The current measurement of success was comparing the outcome of surveys undertaken at both the beginning and end of the six-week period. The Committee was advised that additional performance measures were being considered.

The Chairman raised a question regarding the process of deciding the performance indicators and associated target measures that the Council had implemented for the current year. The Assistant Director, Customer Focus explained that the Executive agreed the measures at the start of the fiscal year and as had been outlined, there were mechanisms in place for revising the measures if necessary. 

In response to a question regarding indicator BP1.2.08, the percentage of Major Planning Applications determined within the National Indicator, the Head of Development Management advised that metric was set at national level and that the Council had repeatedly exceeded the target in recent years.

In response to a question on indicator BP1.2.13, Net Additional Housing Completions, the Assistant Director of Planning and Development explained that the targets had a 20% margin built in to allow for market fluctuations. The Committee was advised that the quarter two target was within the margin but the year-to-date figure was a red indicator.

Councillor Okeke In response to a request for clarification on the format of the EDI Quarter 2 update, particularly regarding how the in-progress status was shown on the report, the Assistant Director, Customer Focus explained that these were milestone actions and as such were under constant review. They were due to be discussed at the next EDI working group meeting.

Resolved

(1)        That having given due consideration, the Council’s Quarter 2 2023-24 performance be noted and no recommendations be submitted for Executive consideration.