Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Interim Chief Executive.

The Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Reform and Governance Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Scrutiny Committee. The report provides a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects since the final update report, with a focus on the fourth quarter of the year (January to March). It includes out-turn performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Report is based on the 2016/17 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA). This was considered by the Committee on 28 June 2016 and approved by the Cabinet on 19 July 2016. A final draft of the 2017/18 Portfolio Agreement is presented for consideration elsewhere on this agenda, and will be submitted for approval by the Cabinet on 13 June.

Recommendation

Scrutiny Committee is asked to

a)         Consider the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;  

b)        Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2016/17;

c)         Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

d)        Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report;

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

Officer contacts: Peter Owston, Policy, Strategy and Performance Manager peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk (474 3274) Susan Wood, Head of Management Accounting susan.wood@stockport.go.uk (218 1032)

The Interim Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) regarding setting out the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Reform and Governance Portfolio. The report provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects since the final update report, with a focus on the fourth quarter of the year (January to March). It included out-turn performance and financial data (where this was available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Report was based on the 2016/17 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA). This was considered by the Scrutiny Committee on 28 June 2016 and approved by the Cabinet on 19 July 2016. A final draft of the 2017/18 Portfolio Agreement was presented for consideration elsewhere on this agenda, and would be submitted for approval to the Cabinet on 13 June.

The Executive Councillor for Reform & Governance (Councillor David Sedgwick) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         Quarter 4 has had seen strong performance in collection of Council Tax and Business Rates

·         The performance levels for the Contact Centre continue to be maintained

·         Customer complaints have reduced for the third year in a row.

·         The provisional figure for sickness absence was an average of 10.3 days lost per employee, which is a reduction of 0.5 days from last year’s figure.

·         The total number of highways claims had continued to decline in the main due to the Highways Investment Programme.

·         The Scrutiny Committee noted that the HR function and Health, Safety and Wellbeing would be supporting a number of schools, colleges and other customers during 2017/18 but asked why schools were opting out of these services.

·         Clarification was sought as to when the percentage of invoices paid for local businesses within 10 days was calculated from e.g. the date of receipt by the relevant department.

·         It was noted that there had been a net surplus of £2.949m generated from the central Stockport land and property investments.

·         It was suggested that the DigiFest and a series of roadshows in priority areas held during February 2017 be repeated later in the year.

·         It was noted that performance on processing benefit applications had shown a marked improvement, and that there had been an improvement in the recruitment and retention of high quality staff.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) In relation to Traded Services, the Scrutiny Committee be provided with details of why schools were opting out of services such as HR function and Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

(3) Clarification be provided to members of the Scrutiny Committee as to the measure regarding the percentage of invoices paid for local businesses within 10 days and whether this was from when the invoice was received by the relevant department.

(4) In relation to the net surplus of £2.949m generated from the central Stockport land and property investments, the Scrutiny Committee be provided with a breakdown of from where this surplus had been generated.

(5) That a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in relation to the ‘proactive’ approach being adopted in respect of the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

(6) That a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee is relation to the resilience measures in places against potential cyber-attack on the Council’s IT systems.