Agenda item

– report ofthe Leader andCabinetMember forBusiness Strategy,Audit and Performance, MrPaulCarter andCorporateDirector forBusinessStrategyand Support,David Cockburn)

Cabinetreceived areportdetailingperformancein keyareas duringthe firstquarter of thefinancial year.

TheLeaderandCabinetMemberforBusinessStrategy, Audit &Transformation,Mr Paul Carter,introducedthereport for members,he commentedon theneedto managedemandled servicesand theimportanceofpreventative servicesin managing areductionin thoseareas.   HerequestedthatRichardFitzgerald, PerformanceManager BSS,spoketodrawattention toany areasofparticular relevanceor variation.Mr Fitzgeralddrew attentionto the followinginformation:

•        Thattherehad beena smallreductionin thenumberofLooked AfterChildren

•        Thatfora   numberofperformancetargets showingas amberperformance was  close  to  or  better  than  the  national  average  with  the  amber  rating reflectingchallenginglocaltargets whichhadbeen set.

•        Thatthe three‘reds’reportedwhereas atthelastQuarter.  Namely,Social workerposts filled,NHShealthchecksand Schoolsin category.

•        NHSHealth Checksshoweda positive direction oftravel.

•        14Indicatorshadimprovedwhile 14reportedlower thanat thelastquarter which wasa balancedposition.

TheLeadercommentedthat thecurrent levelsof schoolsin category andtemporary social workersemployedwere big issues,and assuredmembersthat the administrationcontinuedto worktowards positivesolutions tothese issues.

InresponsetothereporttheCabinetMemberfor EducationandHealthReform made the followingremarks:

•        That  the  direction  of  travel  for  education  remained  positive  and  that improvementshad been madein termsofattainmentforchildren inKent.

•        Ofsted inspectionresultsalso continuedto improve.

•        The Education Directoratewould continue tofocus onminimising the attainmentgap betweenchildren fromdifferentsocio-economicbackgrounds.

•        Thereis on-goingmonitoringofschoolsat riskof goinginto categoryand expectations werethatnumbersmoving intocategory wouldreduce inthe yearahead. Finallyhehighlighted formembers,figures includedwithinthe reportwhich illustratedthe rising numberofreception pupilsfor whomKCC had astatutoryresponsibility to ensure aschool place.  It was not, he reported, unexpected but explained the current programme of school expansionbeing undertaken.

TheLeaderaddedthatthesuccessoftheCapitalreceiptprogramme hadbeenand wouldcontinue tobecrucial in fundingcapital projectssuchas theexpansion programmeto whichMr Goughhad referred.

TheCabinetMember for EconomicDevelopment,Mr Dance,commentedon the reportedimprovement inthe numberofjobs created.   Forthe TIGERfund performancewas aheadof   targetforthe firstseven monthsandthe directionof travelremained positive.  TIGERwas apublic/private partnershipandhe crediteda large partofthe successto dateto thatinnovative partnershipworking.  Inthefuture theEscalateproject wouldinvest £5.5millionin WestKentandin additionprivate sector partnerswere beingsought to helpdeliverthe smaller MarshMillion fund.

TheCabinetMemberfor SpecialistChildren’s Services, MrsWhittlereportedin relation torecruitmentofpermanentsocial workers.   SheinformedMembersthat therehadbeena significantincrease inthe numberofpermanentsocialworkers with

48additionalnewly qualifiedsocialworkers recruitedin September,but thatthey would notbecomecaseholdersuntil therelevant professionaltraining hadbeen completed.

TheLeaderexpressed concernregarding theperformancetarget whichmeasured thenumberofplacementsthatChildrenin Careexperienced.  He suggestedthatin thefuturetheSocialCare andPublichealthCabinetCommitteemaywish to investigate thisdatafurther.

TheCabinetMemberforAdult SocialCare andPublicHealth, reportedagainst the ‘red’indicator onNHS HealthChecks.   Heexplained thatconcernshadbeen addressedwith theprovider andthe majorityof GP’sin Kentwerenow fullysigned uptothescheme.  Theservice wasimprovingand wouldcontinuetoimprove,but thatthe5 yeartrajectory ofthework meantthat reporting of successwould notbe immediate.

It was RESOLVED: