Issue - meetings

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

The Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Citizen Focus & Engagement and Resources, Commissioning & Governance Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee. These provide a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programmes and other key projects in the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September) and up to the end of October where possible. These include forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

(i)        Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports;  

(ii)      Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2020/21;

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

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

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

Officer contacts:

Resources, Commissioning & Governance: Peter Owston on 0161 474 5397 or email: peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk

Citizen Focus & Engagement: Alan Lawson on 0161 474 5397 or email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk

Financial Resources & Monitoring (both Portfolios); Stephen Pate on 0161 218 1086 or email: stephen.pate@stockpoprt.gov.uk

The Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Citizen Focus & Engagement and Resources, Commissioning & Governance Portfolios for consideration by the Committee. The report provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programmes and other key projects in the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September) and up to the end of October where possible. The report also included forecast performance and financial data (where this was available) for the portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

The Cabinet Members for Resources, Commissioning and Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) and Citizen Focus and Engagement (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Citizen Focus and Engagement

·         A Member enquired about the membership of the Accessibility Steering Group which had been set up by the Council to help create useable and accessible digital services. The work of the group was fed into the VCSE Forum which was in regular contact with access groups.

·         New measures relating to the registration of births and deaths had been introduced for the first time, and Covid-19 had presented significant challenges across the country with registering these within nationally prescribed timescales. More information was requested about the changes to birth registrations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·         A Member enquired whether contact centre calls that received a call back were counted as answered calls.

·         A Member felt that, although the performance for Stage 1 complaints was on the right track, the target for Stage 2 complaints should be higher, and that agreed extensions to the timescale for a response should still be recorded as a complaint that had not been responded to on time.

Resources, Commissioning and Governance

·         A request was made for the performance dashboards to be shared on screen next time the Committee was discussing the performance reports.

·         The new performance measure RCG3.2 with regard to the percentage of children allocated their first choice school places for primary schools and secondary schools was welcomed.

·         A Member highlighted the comment in the Portfolio Summary that referred to how the Council used its buildings and estate in the future to tailor solutions to meet the needs and ensure the wellbeing of staff. This included staff who continued to need to work in the Civic Complex during the Covid-19 pandemic.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.