Agenda item

To consider the Q3 Performance papers as reported to Cabinet on 14 February 2023.

Contributors:

Councillor John Chilver, Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing & Resources

Holly Pedrick, Head of Insight and Business Improvement

The Chairman invited the Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources, Councillor J Chilver, to introduce the report. In the Cabinet Member’s presentation, the following points were highlighted:

·       The report outlined the Q3 performance with national and regional benchmarking information. 67% of indicators were green and 22% were red. The proportion of green to red indicators had remained similar, though red indicators had slightly increased from 18 to 22.

·       The average web chat response time was 59 seconds, slightly below the target of 50 seconds. The service had been suspended in the last quarter due to resources needing to be redeployed. The service had restarted this quarter, with additional staff being trained to support it.

·       Two red indicators related to the average processing time for new housing benefit claims and housing benefit change claims. This was due to an 11-week system closure as a result of implementing a new countywide revenue and benefits system which was now in place. The service had brought in additional resources to clear the backlog and also improved automation to enable faster processing.

·       The average phone call waiting time had improved significantly and was now at 2 minutes and 42 seconds against a target of three minutes. 97% of phone calls were answered against a target of 90%. Customer satisfaction was maintained at 80%.

·       The investment portfolio continued to increase, currently being at 74% against a target of 64%.

·       The percentage of staff who feel happy, motivated and valued at work was 74%; an increase since the last reporting period.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       A Member noted that the unemployment measures did not distinguish between unemployment and economic inactivity. It was suggested that a more in-depth analysis could be carried out to compare figures with other authorities in a more meaningful way. The Cabinet Member noted the suggestion.

·       A number of links on the Council’s website were still being hosted on the former District pages. It was noted that the process of implementing a single planning system would take around two years. The content and material on the website had been brought up-to-date.

·       Housing benefits had been partially replaced by Universal Credit. In limited circumstances, people could be eligible for housing benefit rather than universal credit. Information on these criteria would be forwarded to the Committee for information. It was noted that processing times for housing benefit claims were still a useful KPI and was also monitored nationally.

ACTION: D Skinner

·       The residual waste per household indicator referred to waste that had not been recycled. The figure represented an average across households per quarter.

·       The number of planning appeals referred to valid appeals, meaning any appeal that met the criteria for appeals, not the number of lost appeals. This figure excluded enforcement appeals. It was suggested that the wording should be made clearer to avoid confusion.

·       A Member highlighted the importance of scrutinising performance across portfolios. The Cabinet Member noted the suggestion and advised that each portfolio holder spoke in depth about red indicators at Cabinet meetings.

·       It was noted that whilst revenue and capital variances were reported, financial performance was not. The Cabinet Member noted the suggestion.

·       A granular review of sickness rates was planned for the Finance and Resources Select Committee Meeting in April 2023.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member for the report.