Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement.

Further to Minute No 33, 6^th October 2008 and Minute No 62, 5^th January 2009, the Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement submitted a report regarding the Quarter 3 performance indicators (PI) in respect of Central and Corporate Functions.  The report charted progress against targets across a raft of individual PI’s in this area, and highlighted areas of under-performance and actions being taken to remedy matters.

Alan Gay, Director of Resources, Helena Phillips and Peter Hutchinson, Resources Directorate, and Paddy Clarke, Chief Customer Services Officer, were present at the meeting and responded to Members’ queries and comments.  In brief summary, the main points of discussion were:-

• Council Call Centre – customer satisfaction – Councillor Bentley related the extremely frustrating experience she had encountered last Friday whilst acting as a ‘mystery shopper’ seeking assistance with a noise nuisance complaint, which she had already reported to the Chief Customer Services Officer.  Other Members related similar experiences of members of the public having to contact them to get matters addressed after suffering similar frustration trying to get through to the service they required and then the delay in actually getting the problem solved.

Paddy Clarke indicated that he understood this frustration, and had investigated the specific problem referred to him by Councillor Bentley.  The 0845 numbers were being phased out, and transferred to service specific so-called ‘silver’ numbers, and this should improve customer services;

• Councillor Atha related problems he and a constituent had experienced in trying to solve a noise nuisance complaint.  To date, it had taken over 12 months, and the problem was still not resolved, in spite of the ALMO being aware, and this level of service was unacceptable;
• Concerns were expressed relating to PI’s NI 66 – looked-after-children cases which were reviewed within the timescale, LSP-HW2bi – number of children look after and rate per 10,000 and NI 132 – timeliness of adult social care assessments.  It was explained that although the Board had been provided with a summary of all the PI’s, for completeness, it was only the Central and Corporate suite of indicators set out on agenda pages 44-48 that fell within the remit of this particular Board.  However, the PI’s referred to would be subject to scrutiny by the relevant Boards;
• BP-09 - % of complaints to the Council that receive a substantive response within 15 working days or less – Members requested to be supplied with further, more detailed information, as soon as possible, regarding below target Departments and the reasons for under performance, including the apparent difficulties experienced with the Siebel recording system;
• Concern was expressed regarding the high number of blue indicators on the overall summary chart, indicating that currently the Council was unable to measure its performance in these areas.  This did seem surprising, especially in regard to something like NI 152 – the number of working age people  on out of work benefits;
• Comment was also made in respect of BP 31 – the number of major projects independently assessed by the Project Assurance Unit.  It was explained that ‘O’ was the end of year target i.e. no major projects at risk of failing, and it was fully expected that the target would be met this year – hence the green traffic light indicator.

RESOLVED – That subject to the above comments and requests for further information, the report be received and noted.