Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/063

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452/Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Corporate Director Customers & Organisational Development and Director of Finance (CA6).

This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council's (OCC's) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities at 30 June 2020. A summary of overall performance and description of change is contained within the report.

The report contains two annexes:

·         Annex A shows our current performance against targets and summarises progress towards overall outcomes set out in our Corporate Plan.

·         Annex B sets out the Leadership Risk Register which has been developed as part of the Council’s work to strengthen risk and opportunities management.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the contents of the report.

Recommendations agreed

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman of the Performance Scrutiny Committee, drew attention to the written response from the scrutiny committee which was included in the Addenda.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat introduced the report.  She noted that a financial annex was not provided on this occasion because the financial forecast will be given under the Revised Budget item.  It will be included in following business management reports.  Cabinet was updated on the finances on a regular basis during the Covid-19 crisis.

The Leadership Risk Register includes some new KPIs since April and there is distortion in some data due to the influence of Covid.  Some services have had to be suspended such as the libraries and the Safe and Well visits to people’s homes.

Councillors and staff continue to work from home and Councillor Heathcoat thanked officers for their resilience and flexibility during the crisis.

She added that the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has continued to exceed its targets.  During the lockdown the number of road traffic incidents had actually increased as people drove with less care.  She moved the recommendations.

Councillor Yvonne Constance complimented officers on the work done on the bids for the Active Travel Funds on which they had to operate to very short deadlines.  She responded to criticism that operational teams had been diverted to the Active Travel work.  The Council did not have the budget to increase resources and she asked councillors to be patient and to appreciate the significant achievement by officers in completing these bids.

The consultation on city centre bus gates received 7,200 responses and that has had to be given out to an agency to analyse.

Councillor Ian Corkin addressed a RAG rating that had moved from green to amber for Enhanced Digital Connectivity (Indicator 27, Agenda Page 20).  This was due to the impact of Covid on some of the partner companies.  The situation is being monitored.  An announcement of extra funding is expected soon in relation to the Business in Rural Oxfordshire programme.  He expressed confidence that the amber rating is temporary.

Councillor Steve Harrod noted a reduction in the number of Child Protection Plans of 25% over the last two years thanks to appropriate early intervention and he congratulated officers on that achievement.

RESOLVED: to note the contents of this report.