Issue - meetings

Cabinet Members: Leader & Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2009/133

Contact: Alexandra Bailey, Corporate Performance and Review Manager (01865 816384)

Report by: County Council Management Team

The report shows the council's performance in the four key areas of: customer, projects, finance, and people. Progress against targets is shown by directorate, including a summary of what is going well, what needs to develop, and what requires attention. This is the performance report for Quarter 2, 2009/2010.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note this report.

Cabinet considered a report showing the council's performance for Quarter 2, 2009/10 in the four key areas of: customer, projects, finance, and people. Progress against targets was shown by directorate, including a summary of what was going well, what needed to develop, and what required attention.

Councillor Fooks expressed disappointment that some of the same issues appeared in each report such as the restructuring of the Children’s, Young People & Families Directorate. She expressed concern over a number of areas including educational attainment, the speed of assessments with regard to safeguarding children and the completion levels for staff appraisals.

Councillor Robertson replied that it was important to have ongoing information on achievement in schools and that there was a review on performance being undertaken by officers with a report to come back to Cabinet. Councillor Waine added that although the increase in GCSE results had been disappointing this year it followed four years of increases. The re-organisation of the Raising Achievement Team had been brought forward to October 2008 and the finishing touches had taken place as recently as September 2009.  

On appraisals Councillor Robertson was personally aware that the completion figures were higher that that recorded and that there seemed to be some problem with the managers not completing the reporting form.

Councillor Waine responded in respect of the restructuring that it was always known that it would be an ongoing process taking two years.

Councillor Chapman referred to a recent independent inspection that had found the work of the Safeguarding Board to be excellent. Twelve new posts had been created in children’s social care. Awareness of potential problems had been heightened by the baby p and other cases leading to far more referrals. She refuted any claims that Looked After Children reviews were failing. She was glad of Councillor Fook’s interest and would be happy to go through the figures outside the meeting.

RESOLVED:           to note the report.