Agenda item

Purpose of Report

To provide the Executive with an opportunity to consider the operational performance position for quarter two of the financial year 2018/19.

Decision

That the Executive:

(1)       Notes the content of the report.

(2)       Requests that relevant Portfolio Holders ensure that management have a focus on those highlighted areas showing deteriorating performance.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

A summary of the key headlines from operational measures in terms of areas performing well were noted below:

·         the number of users logged into the self-service system had increased again to 7,298 from 6,059 in quarter two last year;

·         the total number of users of the Council’s health and recreation facilities had increased by 38,487 since quarter two last year;

·         the standard of service provided by Birchwood Leisure Centre had improved back up to 87.7%;

·         the percentage of non-major and major planning applications determined within the government targets were above their targets at 95.05% and 98.04% respectively;

·         the cumulative number of affordable homes delivered had increased by 20 since quarter two last year, now reporting at 41, and was only slightly below its lower target of 45;

·         the rent collected as a proportion of rent owed had surpassed its target of 3.50% with a figure of 2.95%;

·         the percentage of reactive repairs completed within target time was above the target of 97.50% with a figure of 99.36%;

·         the number of face to face enquiries in customer services had decreased to 4,873 from 12,123 in quarter two last year;

·         the number of telephone enquiries answered had decreased again to 27,342 from 34,327 in quarter two last year;

·         the total number of CCTV incidents handled by operators had increased by 877 since quarter one, now reporting at 4,068.

Those areas where performance could be improved were noted as follows:

·         the average time taken to answer a call in customer services had increased by 36 seconds compared to quarter two last year at 96 seconds which was below the lower target of 50 seconds;

·         the level of outstanding customer changes in the Revenues Team had increased to 749 in quarter two this year, from 624 in quarter two last year;

·         the average days to process new housing benefit claims was below the target of 24 days at 28.16 days;

·         the number of housing benefit or council tax support customers awaiting assessment had increased from 810 in quarter two last year to 1,491 in quarter two this year;

·         the percentage of benefit quality checks made where the entitlement was correct had decreased from 87.50% in quarter one to 84% in quarter two and was below the target of 91.50%;

·         the percentage of food health and safety controls that should have been completed had decreased by 8.4% since quarter one, now reporting at 81.60% and was below its target of 97%;

·         the number of homelessness applications progressed within the housing team had increased from quarter two last year by 241, now reporting at 368.

It was noted that, following the introduction of full Universal Credit from March 2018, there had been a lengthening of time taken in almost all aspects of housing benefit work.

The following headlines from corporate measures were noted:

·         the overall sickness data as at the end of September was 1.93 days per full time equivalent, excluding apprentices. This was 0.97 days less compared to quarter one and brought the cumulative total of sick days to 4.83 days which was 1.51 days less than last year and was the lowest quarter two average in the last six years;

·         the cumulative average time across all directorates to respond to formal complaints was 8.7 days, which was an increase of 1.7 days from quarter two in 2017/18;

·         the total number of full time equivalent employees, excluding apprentices, at the end of quarter one was 553.26. During quarter two there was also an average of 16.43 apprentices;

·         84% of all staff appraisals were completed by quarter two in the year 2018/19.

Other achievements during the quarter were noted as follows:

·         the Council’s joint revenues and benefits service had been awarded the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation Award for Excellence in Partnership Working 2018;

·         172 new properties were being delivered by the Council, with partners, over the next six months to meet the demand for much needed affordable housing in the city;

·         two of the Council’s officers had been nominated for the Lincolnshire Public Service Apprentice of the Year Awards taking place on 30 November 2018;

·         the Council had been shortlisted for three awards in the national Local Government Chronicle Awards for 2019 in the entrepreneurial council category, rising stars category and for a partnership award along with North Kesteven, West Lindsey and East Lindsey;

·         the Council had launched its Social Responsibility Charter to showcase star employers in Lincoln who went above and beyond to support their employees and the local community.

Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of the Council, was pleased to see that sickness absence performance was improving and praised officers’ efforts that had been put into wellbeing programmes across the authority.