Agenda item

– report of the Leader and Cabinet Member for Business Strategy, Audit and Performance, Mr Paul Carter and Corporate Director for Business Strategy and Support, David Cockburn)

(1)     Cabinet receiveda reportdetailingperformance inkey areasduring thefirst quarter of the financial year.

(2)     TheLeaderand CabinetMemberforBusinessStrategy, Audit& Transformation,Mr Paul Carter,introducedthe reportfor membersand requestedthatRichard Fitzgerald,Performance ManagerBSS, spoke todraw attentionto anyareas of particular relevanceand anynew informationnow detailedin thedashboard.  He drew attentionto the followinginformation:

(i)     Thattherewas significantnew content asa resultofrequests fromboth Cabinet and CabinetCommittees.Thisincludedinformationon:

•     Customerexperience and feedbackinformation includingGov metric data(covering the websiteand ‘ContactKent’feedback)and also informationon feedbackfromchildrenincare.

•     The‘Troubled Families’programme

•     TheKentSupportand AssistanceService.

•     Publichealthindicatorswere nowalso includedfollowingthe transferof dutiesfromthe NHS.

(ii)   Currentlythere werethreered indicatorsreported.Thesewere:

•        SocialWorkervacancies– previouslydiscussed [seeminute20]

•        Health checks –therehad been an expectationofsomedisruption following the handoverfromthe NHSto thelocalauthority.Invites for healthchecks had been distributedand itwas expectedthat performance incompletionofHealthChecks wouldimprove inthe following quarter.

•        Schoolsincategory(specialmeasuresor noticeto improve)

(iii)          Activitydata showedthat therehadbeena downwardtrend inthenumberof phone callstoContactPoint and an upwardtrend inthenumberofvisits to the KCCwebsite – asign thatthe ambitionsofChannelShift Strategywere beginning tobe realised.

(3)     TheLeaderwelcomed the introductionofqualitativedata oncustomerexperience that he feltwas crucialto the efforts beingmade to create bettermoreefficient servicesthat would meet the needs of residents.

(4)     TheCabinetMemberforEducationand HealthReform, MrRoger Gough,spoketo the item.He reported thatalthoughgood progresshad been made insomeareas, particularly GCSEresultsand the increasednumberofschoolsratedas Goodor Outstandingby ofsted(70%), therewere problemsthat remained.‘Schoolsin category’ continuedtobe ratedas redand he assuredmembersthat actionswere being taken throughthe councilsschoolimprovementprogrammethat wouldhelpto addressthe issueandimprove performance.

(5)     He brieflyspoke ofhis desireto addressthe attainmentgap betweenaverage performance and the performanceofthose youngpeoplewho weremore vulnerable. Currentlyvulnerable youngpeopledid significantlylesswell than average.

(6)     Finally, he reported that progresshad been madeto reducethe timeit tookto issue an SEN statementandcurrently theperformance wassatisfactorywitha positive directionoftravel.

(7)     TheCabinetMemberforCommunityServices,Mr MikeHill welcomed the improvementsmade inthe ContactCentreover the last yearand the higherlevels of customersatisfactionreportedas a result.Healso reported thathe waspleased to seemore peoplenow accessingthe council’swebsite foraccess toservices and information.

(8)     TheCabinetMemberforAdult SocialCareand Public Health,Mr GrahamGibbens addressedthemeeting.He commented onthe newPublic Healthindicators now includedwithin thepaper.Two ofthese indicatorswere at greenbut one performed unsatisfactorilyand was currentlyrecorded asred.

(9)     Withreferenceto the red,CompletionofHealthCheck,indicatorMr Gibbensreported thatalthoughthe completionfigure haddroppedfroman acceptablelevel the previousquarter, completionhad generallybeen at good levelsin the East ofthe county withmuch lowerlevels inthe Westofthe county.Therehadbeen some disruptionwith the recenttransfer ofresponsibilityfrom theNHS to the council and newcontract managementarrangementswere nowin placeto ensurethat targets were delivered,but consistently,across the county. Theforecastwas thatthe completionrates wouldimprove inthenext quarter.

(10)   TheLeaderreportedthat the Healthand WellbeingBoardhadbeenconsidering the wayin whichmonitoringof performance wouldbe managedat itsmeetingsand that the variances betweenCCG’s inthe EastandWestofthe Countywouldbe very usefuldata.  Heconcurredthat the HealthCheckperformanceindicatorwould be improvednowthat thenecessaryfinancial commitmentshad beenmade by governmentto securedeliveryby GP’s.

(11)   TheCabinetMemberforEconomicDevelopment,Mr MarkDance reported on businessand growthactivityin the county.In particularhe reportedthat theRegional Growth Fund(ExpansionEast Kent) hadallocatedmoniesto variousschemesand businessesthat wouldcreate jobsand growthin the county.In conjunctionwith the NorthKentTIGERfundand the successfulbidfor Escalatemanybusinesseswere able to securethehelp thatwould traditionallyhave beenprovided bybanks but whichwas not currentlyforthcoming.