Agenda item

Purpose of Report

To provide the Executive with a summary of the operational performance position for quarter three of the financial year 2017/18.

Decision

That the report be noted and that relevant Portfolio Holders be requested to ensure that management has a local focus on those highlighted areas showing deteriorating performance.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

It was reported that there had been some exceptional performance results during quarter three, which were summarised as follows:

·         the number of users logged into the self-service system ‘MyInfo’ this quarter had increased to 6,409 from 5,256 last year;

·         the in-year collection rate for Lincoln council tax was just above its target of 79.76% at 79.77%;

·         the in-year collection rate for Lincoln business rates was above its target of 84.82% at 86.43%;

·         the number of outstanding customer changes in the revenues team was at its lowest ever level of just 80;

·         the average time to process new housing benefit claims was above target at 23.73 days;

·         the average time to process housing benefit change of circumstances was above target at 7.93 days;

·         the percentage of quality checks made where benefit entitlement was correct had remained above the target of 90%, at 91%;

·         the number of service requests for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour had reduced from 612, from 895 in quarter three last year;

·         the satisfaction of how Anti-Social Behaviour complaints were handled had improved to 89% and was above target;

·         the percentage of premises compliant with food health and safety inspections had risen since quarter two and was above its target of 97% at 98.1%;

·         the number of live planning applications still incomplete had decreased from 120 in quarter two, to just 97 at the end of quarter three;

·         the percentage of both major and non-major planning applications determined within government targets had increased again and were both significantly above their respective targets;

·         current tenant arrears stood at 2.22%, a drop from 2.59% last quarter and now within target;

·         the percentage of reactive repairs completed within target time had increased to 96.98%, higher than the target of 95%.

Some areas where services had not performed as well as expected during the quarter were noted as follows:

·         the number of face to face enquiries in customer services had increased by 1,411 to 10,388 compared to the last quarter;

·         the average time for food health and safety inspections to achieving compliance had deteriorated from 9.9 days in quarter two to 13.25 days this quarter;

·         the percentage of food health and safety official controls that should have been completed was just below its lower target of 85%, at 84.50%;

·         the number of homelessness applications progressed within the housing team increased from 164 at quarter three last year to 183 at quarter three this year.

Specific reference was made to the overall year to date sickness data which, as at the end of December 2017, was 9.84 days per full time equivalent, excluding apprentices. This was 1.57 days more per full time equivalent compared to the same point last year. The Chief Executive reported that, despite this having an impact on the organisation, work was taking place to deliver a whole programme of positive interventions in relation to health and wellbeing to assist the authority and its employees.

Members noted the following other achievements during quarter three of the 2017/18 financial year:

·         Lincoln’s new multi-story car park had won its first accolade – the prestigious Park Mark Award for safe car parking, putting it in the top 25% of the safest car parks in the United Kingdom;

·         at the last meeting of the Carholme Community Forum, representatives from a range of local groups and organisations heard reports of a significant reduction in night time noise in the West End of Lincoln. Night time noise, both within individual houses and on the streets as revellers walked into the city centre or returned home, had been the major concern of local people for a number of years. The City of Lincoln Council had been key in initially bringing together the right partners to address this issue and had in the past run campaigns such as the ‘Shush’ campaign and more lately ‘Proud to be Lincoln’;

·         recent changes to the Council’s Animal Policy had led to the City of Lincoln Council being awarded a Bronze in the Animal Activity Licensing Footprint run by the RSPCA.

Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of the Council, made reference to the excellent performance of the Shared Revenues and Benefits Service. He reported that the Chair of the Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee at its meeting on 20 February 2018 had agreed to email all members of staff in the Shared Service to commend their efforts on behalf of the Committee.

Councillor Pete West, Portfolio Holder for Housing, made reference to the excellent work that had taken place to improve the performance associated with tenant arrears, stating that the very ambitious target set at the beginning of the year should be met by the end of the year.