Agenda item

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Borough Treasurer.

The Third Quarter Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports for the Citizen Focus & Engagement and Resources, Commissioning & Governance Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee. These focus on highlights and exceptions in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programmes and other key projects since the Mid-Year Reports. They include the latest forecast performance and financial data for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

These reports are based on the 2019/20 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements, which were considered by the Committee on 9 July and approved by Cabinet on 23 July 2019.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         Consider the Third Quarter Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports;  

·         Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2019/20;

·         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 contact:

Resources, Commissioning & Governance - Peter Owston, Strategy and Performance Manager peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk  (474 3274)

Citizen Focus & Engagement - Alan Lawson, Strategy and Performance Manager alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk (474 5397)

Stephen Pate, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance

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

The Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Third Quarter Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports for the ‘Citizen Focus & Engagement’ and ‘Resources, Commissioning & Governance’ Portfolios.  The report focussed on highlights and exceptions in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programmes and other key projects since the Mid-Year Report and included the latest forecast performance and financial data for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

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

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

Resources, Commissioning and Governance

·         It was noted that this Scrutiny Committee had previously expressed its view that it would not support the Council’s participation in any future voter identification trials, however the government was continuing in its pursuit of this approach which may have implications for Stockport in the future.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the reduction in performance in the Council Tax collection rates which was as a result of staff being recruited to posts elsewhere in Greater Manchester.  It was stated that there was a continuous recruitment exercise to ensure that the team remained appropriately staffed, and work was taking place to incentivise staff retention through the provision of formal professional training.

·         With regard to the OPE6 Rail Project funding, it was suggested that consideration should be given to investigating the introduction of a new railway chord at Gatley that would provide for a direct line between Stockport and Manchester Airport.  It was stated that such a link would also provide a diversionary route between Manchester and the airport, and would ease pressures caused by conflicting movements at the approach to Manchester Piccadilly caused by trains using the existing corridor.

·         In response to a question about the roll-out of web-based portfolio dashboards, it was stated that the intention was to have this in place for the Quarter 4 reporting cycle, and that drop-in sessions would be provided in advance of the next cycle of scrutiny committees for councillors to test the new system.

·         It was stated that there was a significant investment package for the Council’s leisure centres as it was making preparations for the end of the current leases and the requirement to tender for new operators and that this programme was being directed and influenced by the results of condition surveys.

·         It was suggested that consideration should be given to the submission of an item to a future meeting of the relevant scrutiny committee in relation to the progress towards place-based integration working in Stockport.

·         In response to a question, it was confirmed that the Council would accept a single one-off payment of Council Tax, however this would benefit from any additional discount.

Citizen Focus & Engagement

·         It was noted that the target for the number of community organisations recruited to the DigiKnow network was showing as ‘red’, however it was stated that this was due to the target being revised from 30 to 45 which reflected the fact that the Council’s partner (the Good Things Foundation) had proposed that each of Stockport’s 16 libraries should be counted individually as each was a member of the Online Centres Network in their own right.

·         The increase in the number of participants in the autism friendly sessions at Cheadle and Bredbury Libraries was welcomed and it was suggested that consideration should be given to running the sessions at other libraries in the borough.

·         It was noted that the Council’s artificially intelligent chat bot ‘Ami’ had now been rolled out to almost all services across the Council’s website.  However, further clarity was requested in relation to how service-users needed to complete their journey with Ami rather than ending the conversation with matters only part-resolved.  It was suggested that a metric on the number of completed journeys should be included in future reports as a means of monitoring this.

·         In response to a statement made in relation to targets being achievable, it was queried whether that meant the Council considered that it was acceptable that one in five calls to the Contact Centre were not answered.

·         It was stated that residents in Bramhall when calling the Contact Centre were being directed to use the Council’s website to update their contact details, however as Bramhall Library was currently closed for refurbishment, for a number of elderly residents without access to their own computer equipment were finding it difficult to complete this task.

·         It was noted that the conversion rate of prospective foster carers had increased, and it was queried whether this was as a result of an improvement in the quality of prospective candidates and whether this was partially attributable to the work being undertaken to make improvements to the online recruitment resources.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.