Agenda item

Report by the Director of Finance and Support Services.

The Chairman of the Performance & Finance Scrutiny Committee will be invited to speak for up to three minutes to provide the views of the Committee on the Quarter 1 Performance and Resources Report.

Each of the main minority group leaders will be invited to speak for up to three minutes each on the Quarter 1 Performance and Resources Report.

The Cabinet will then discuss the reports and the proposals prior to taking any decision.

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved to:

1.   Note the information contained in the Q1 Performance and Resources Report in Annexe A,

2.   Agree the proposed changes to the Key Performance Indicator measures, detailed in Annexe C.

The call-in deadline is 23 September 2021.

16.1   Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Finance and Support Services. The report was introduced by Becky Shaw, Chief Executive who outlined this was the first time performance and the budget had been reported in an integrated way, with a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the Council plan, all underpinned by the climate change agenda.

16.2   Cllr Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property and Katharine Eberhart, Director of Finance and Support Services advised the budget was still affected by the pandemic and there is uncertainty in terms of demand, inflation, council tax collection forecasts and national insurance. Further detail is awaited from government. The overspend of £3.775m is being addressed and the bulk of this has come from the Children and Young People and Learning and Skills portfolios.

16.3   Cllr Pieter Montyn, Chairman of Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee advised that the committee scrutinised the Q1 Performance and Resources report at its most recent meeting and raised a number of largely presentational points for clarity. The Committee requested each Scrutiny Committee review the specific performance issues relating to the priority of keeping people safe from vulnerable situations. Comments were also made regarding the delivery of savings, workforce and future working arrangements and the healthy life expectancy KPIs for men and women.

16.4   Cllr Kirsty Lord, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group felt that the KPIs on healthy life expectancy, which were different for men and women, should be reconsidered in light of the council’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy. She highlighted the work required to keep residents safe and the worsening targets in adults’ services and hoped to see a reversal of this. Cllr Lord welcomed the KPI on the percentage attainment gap of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils but was disappointed there are no actions to reduce this gap.

16.5   Regarding the healthy life expectancy KPIs, Cllr Bob Lanzer, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing outlined that the data was from the latest Office for National Statistics 2017-2019 figures and there is evidence the pandemic could reduce life expectancies further. The council works hard to reduce inequalities in the health system, however some drivers cannot be controlled and targets need to be realistic.

16.6   Cabinet Members gave updates on their respective portfolios in relation to the Quarter 1 Performance and Resources Report including the following:

Ø  Cllr Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities advised libraries had reopened and Worthing Library had been refurbished. He advised the Fire and Rescue Service action plan continued to deliver improvements. There is a small projected overspend due to higher than expected demand on the Fire and Rescue Service during the pandemic.

Ø  Cllr Joy Dennis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport advised there had been reduced services owing to the pandemic and most savings were on track to be delivered. The lack of Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers could become an issue for contractors and this is being watched closely. The Ash Dieback contract is out for procurement and a backlog of repairs is being addressed.

Ø  Cllr Amanda Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health advised the service is projecting a balanced budget however the demand for care is rising to pre-COVID-19 levels and work is in progress to develop KPIs where targets were falling.

Ø  Cllr Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills advised pressures are increasing due to the number of children with Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) and the subsequent impact on home to school transport. Results for GCSEs and A Levels had shown a good increase and testing and return to school had gone well.

Ø  Cllr Bob Lanzer, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing commented on work with NHS partners on the vaccination programme and work to encourage a greater take-up of the Flu vaccine.

Ø  Cllr Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People outlined the key areas where overspend is occurring and highlighted the work ongoing to mitigate this, such as the reopening of in-house children homes, of which 3 had been Ofsted rated outstanding, fostering initiatives and management oversight.

Ø  Cllr Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change advised that, through working from home, emissions had been reduced by 12%. Savings had been made in the reduction of waste tonnage and underspend of corporate utility and that solar farms were providing additional income. The shortage of HGV drivers is increasing the cost of transporting waste and fuel prices are increasing.

Ø  Cllr Steve Waight, Cabinet Member for Support Services and Economic Development advised a complex piece of work to move from one business management operating system to another is underway, as is the insourcing and re-procurement of IT services.

Ø  The Leader outlined the investment in local economy through the Experience West Sussex and Crawley Growth Programme initiatives. Broadband connectivity and research innovation were key drivers in helping the economy to re-establish.

16.7   Cllr Hunt summarised the Quarter 1 discussion and highlighted again the key challenges ahead and work ongoing to reduce pressures. Scrutiny Committees are invited to continue to help Cabinet look at performance and to help reduce demand. The Leader added that the pandemic had redirected the Council’s priorities and that some costs may become business as usual.

16.8   Resolved – that Cabinet:

1.           Notes the information contained in the Q1 Performance and Resources Report in Annexe A

2.           Agrees the proposed changes to the Key Performance Indicator measures detailed in Annexe C.