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Agenda item
Quarter One Performance and Financial Monitoring Report
Minutes:
The Senior Corporate and Democratic Services Officer presented a report to advise members of performance against the 2015/16 targets and performance indicators in the corporate plan during quarter 1. The report also provided a summary of financial information. As agreed at the Annual Joint Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in June, the format of the item had been reviewed as the council trialled new methods of reporting performance monitoring information. The Senior Corporate and Democratic Services Officer sought feedback from members on the new format of the performance monitoring report.
The Director of Corporate Services and Governance gave an overview of performance in quarter 1, as well as other significant areas of work that had been undertaken in addition to the targets set out in the corporate plan. She noted that staff sickness and vacant posts had affected a number of council departments during this quarter. Moreover, the recruitment market remained very competitive and this had impacted on the council’s ability to fill some of the vacancies. These challenges had been shared by a number of other authorities in the south east and the People, Customer and Business Support team were exploring options to address staff shortages in the longer term.
Staff in the Electoral Services Team had also delivered additional by-elections in July, alongside planning for the annual canvass period which would run throughout the autumn.
The council was also inspected by the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner, which confirmed that the organisation was complying with its duties in respect of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 1996.
The Director of Corporate Services and Governance also updated members on activities undertaken as part of the transformation programme during this quarter. A number of key staff from Estates, Accommodation and Transformation and People, Customer and Business Support had been involved in preparing the Town Hall lease, ahead of the relocation of the council’s democratic and civic functions to Aquila House. Staff based in Aquila House had also completed successful relocations to the refurbished office space on the fourth and fifth floor of the building.
The committee welcomed the continued high occupancy rate of the council’s industrial units. The Assistant Director Financial Services and Revenues advised that negotiations were ongoing with a potential new tenant for a vacant unit at the Castleham Business Centre East. Members also considered efforts by the council’s partner organisations to let newly developed office space around the town. The Assistant Director for Financial Services and Revenues explained that he attend SeaChange Sussex board meetings with the relevant Lead Member for Regeneration, Communities and Culture and they had recently received an update on plans to attract businesses to take up the vacant units. The Leader of the Council advised that the industrial units and Queensway South were now fully let.
The Assistant Director Financial Services and Revenues updated members of the benefits customer first and efficiency service review, which was being undertaken by Shelter on behalf of the council. He explained that the review had proved more complex than first anticipated, and this had led to slippage in the original timescale. A second review meeting had been scheduled, although it was unlikely that the project would be completed by the end of September as originally planned.
Members were advised that collection rates for Council Tax were on track, compared to previous years. The Assistant Director for Financial Services and Revenues explained that the non-domestic rate relief scheme had now been implemented, and this would result in improved collection rates in quarter 2.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that:-
1) The committees comments on quarter 1 performance be addressed by the relevant Lead Member(s) with appropriate action and report back;
2) Members reflect and feedback on the new ways of reporting performance information being tested and set out in this report, and;
3) Staff in the Corporate Services and Governance Directorate be thanked for their hard work and achievements in this quarter
The reason for this decision was:
To assist the council enhance performance management arrangements in the context of broader organisational transformation.
Supporting documents:
- Covering Report (10 09 15), item 6. PDF 109 KB
- Appendix A - Performance information, item 6. PDF 119 KB
- Appendix B - Transformation Programme, item 6. PDF 154 KB
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