Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive.

The report provides the 2022/23 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements (PPRA), which was considered by the Committee on 6 September 2022 and approved by Cabinet on 28 September 2022 and provides a summary of progress against portfolio priorities, performance indicators and budgets during the first half of 2022/23, with a specific focus on the second quarter (July to September 2022).

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

·       Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report.

·       Review the progress to date (and forecasts) relating to delivering key targets and budgets for 2022/23.

·       Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues.

·       Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report.

·       Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contacts:

Alan Lawson, Strategy and Performance Manager

alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk  (07890 563587)

Stephen Pate, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance

stephen.pate@stockport.gov.uk  (0161 218 1086)

The Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing details relating to the 2022/23 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements (PPRA), which was considered by the Committee on 6 September 2022 and approved by Cabinet on 28 September 2022 and provides a summary of progress against portfolio priorities, performance indicators and budgets during the first half of 2022/23, with a specific focus on the second quarter (July to September 2022).

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources (Councillor Malcolm Allan) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·       Members enquired about the increased levels of sickness in the measuring performance section of the report. In response, it was stated that this concern was already being looked at by Human Resources (HR), but if the covid elements were removed then the numbers would be lower.

·       It was noted that the Capital Finance update and outlook were a concern and given the pending Government announcement how would it impact Stockport Council. In response, it was noted that the Council were currently working through the Capital Programme and information would be submitted to the Committee at a future meeting.

·       Clarification was sought regarding ‘long covid’ and if it was a recognised reason for sickness levels. In response, it was suggested that ‘long covid’ was now recognised as a disability and should be treated as a disability. HR were looking into this and being as sympathetic as possible, but it was a complicated process.

·       It was suggested that more details relating to the absence data be shared with the Committee to understand the differences between short-term and long-term sickness absence levels and how it was managed.

·       Clarification was sought regarding the insight into mental health absences and being able to understand the employees point of view. In response, it was noted that it was currently being looked at by HR and would feed back to the Committee at a future meeting.

·       Members expressed that every household needed to utilise the pension credit take up that the 3,500 households would soon qualify for and it needed to be communicated.

·       Warm Space programme would be a good opportunity to share literature with attendees about pension credit take up and inform residents that it is an entitlement.

·       Clarification was sought regarding the performance target relating to the ‘percentage of invoices paid to local suppliers in 10 days’. In response, it was stated that the challenge has been to match information (purchase order numbers, delivery fees and invoice numbers),  at the various levels of the process, but the process was being looked into to resolve the issues.

·       It was commented that the Capital Finance Update and Outlook looked really well for this year 2022/23, however, for next year 2023/24 there were things on hold or delays due to cost inflation, re-finance or increased costs.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted

(2) That the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive be asked to report back to the Committee on the following matters:-

·       How the Government’s announcement relating to Capital Finance would impact the Council’s Capital Programme.

·       Detailed insight into mental health absences at the Council and understanding the employees point of view and how it was being managed.