Agenda item
Performance and Finance Review, Quarter 3, 2012-13
The report provides details of the council’s performance and financial situation for quarter three of 2012-13.
Minutes:
Phil Newby (Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement) presented the report and advised that performance overall had improved over the course of the quarter. He informed members that some performance indicators had no specific targets and the way in which performance would be reported in future was being revised and a new format and set of figures would be presented the next time this item was put before the committee. It was noted that overall performance in Adult Social Services continued to improve, whilst school places and foster care remained an issue for Children and Families, along with budget pressures in respect of children’s social care.
During members’ discussion, concern was expressed about some performance indicators relating to mental health and adult social services remaining red and further explanation was sought as to what the problems were. In addition, details of overspends to the adult social care transformation project were requested. Another member commented on data quality issues with regard to adult social care and that those on direct payments, who were amongst the most vulnerable members of the community, were also being affected by the changes to services. A member sought reasons with regard to the overspend in waste collection and what was being undertaken to address this. He commented that there were instances of waste to being deposited to the side of bins and he asked if any action was being taken in to address this. With regard to the change in recycling target, he also queried whether the previous target was unrealistic. Another member referred to the forecast £50k overspend in the Children and Families budget and in noting that this would be compensated by two other service areas, he sought a breakdown of what these underspend were and asked what action would be taken by this service area to prevent this from happening in the future. Views were sought as to how effective the children’s social care transformation project had been and further details were asked with regard to the £2m overspend in Special Educational Needs (SEN).
In reply, Phil Newby advised that a new One Council project was due to commence in respect of mental health services which would suggest taking a fresh approach and look at how the service could be provided in a different and more effective manner. Members heard that most of the problems stemmed from the current provider. Turning to adult social care, Phil Newby stated that data quality issues arose from the way information was reported on Framework I and was further complicated by the various ways different Government agencies demanded how they wanted the information presented. With regard to the children’s social care transformation project, Phil Newby advised that it had been successful to the extent of prevention of children ending up under direct council care as opposed to fostering and adoption placements. However, the next phase would look at more long term, preventative measures and address root causes. Phil Newby advised that Mick Bowden would be able to provide information in respect of the underspends of the two service areas compensating for the Children and Families overspend and what measures Children and Families were putting place to prevent such overspends in future. A One Council project was tackling issues in relation to SEN and costs were now coming down, including transport costs and capacity building was underway. He advised that further information on the SEN overspend and project could be provided, although this was a more relevant work area for the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Michael Read advised that the waste and recycling overspend was mainly attributable to higher than anticipated tonnages for residual waste to landfill and in addition, the previous recycling target rate had fallen short. Members heard that a 1% shortfall of the recycling rate represented an extra £100k costs to the council and a 1% increase in landfill waste an additional £100k. Other reasons for the shortfall in recycling were due to the fact that the anticipated take up of recycling food waste had not happened and a possible tailing off of enforcement by the contractor. The improving waste management project was looking to focus on addressing these issues with a new work programme with the help of the Waste Enforcement Team, including monitoring of Twyford tip. Michael Read advised that consideration was being given to introducing time banding of waste collections in some streets in town centres as it was felt that this would deter trade waste. Working with landlords and letting agents was also being undertaken in respect of houses in multiple occupation concerning domestic waste, with consideration being given to taking action against landlords where there was a continuing failure to recycle or deposit waste correctly. Michael Read also advised that the Waste Monitoring Team was to accompany the contractor on some waste collection and recycling rounds to monitor how waste was dealt with and then compare the performance on rounds when the contractor was not accompanied.
RESOLVED:-
that the report on Performance and Finance Review, quarter 3, 2012-13, be noted.
Supporting documents: