Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2013/141

Contact: Alexandra Bailey, Research & Major Programmes Manager Tel: (01865) 816384

Report by Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer (CA12).

This report provides details of performance for quarter one for the Cabinet to consider. The report is required so that Cabinet can monitor the performance of the Council in key service areas and be assured that progress is being made to improve areas where performance is below the expected level.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note and discuss the performance reported in the dashboards and to make any comments necessary for performance improvements to be made.

Cabinet received a report (CA12) which provided details of performance for quarter one. The report was required so that Cabinet could monitor the performance of the Council in key service areas and be assured that progress was being made to improve areas where performance was below the expected level.

Councillor Brighouse, Opposition Leader welcomed the transparency of the new performance indicators. However, she expressed the need to consider how best to go forward with other agencies to improve delayed transfer of care and reduce the massive overspend in this area; the need to look at short term assessment beds which had led to an increase in permanent care home placements; the need for a further look at the policy of letting people into hospital in the first place and the need to work with GP’s to get it right.

In relation to Children, Education & Families she expressed concern around the referral process where 36.7% of all referrals resulted in no further action at the point of referral and 83.8% of all referrals resulting in no further action when the initial assessment was carried out.  She expressed the need to ensure know whether some of these cases were re-referred and therefore close the gap.

She further expressed concerns regarding the efficiency reserves and unachievable savings and cuts, questioning whether there were enough in the reserves to cover it and whether the associated risks had been calculated.

Councillor Hudspeth, Leader of the Council thanked Councillor Brighouse for her input into the way performance was being reported.  He agreed with the need to work with GP’s and National Health services .  He reported that 70% of referrals were received from schools and that 75% of those referrals ended in no further action.  However, he stressed the importance of schools to keep on referring.

In relation to the efficiency reserves, the Leader commented that it was a fine balancing act and stressed the importance of money not being left in the efficiency funds.

Councillor Chapman confirmed that work was being carried out around re-referrals.

RESOLVED:  to note and discuss the performance reported in the dashboards and to make any comments necessary for performance improvements to be made.