Agenda item

Report of the Partnerships and Performance Section Head

This report provides the first quarter results of the key performance indicators.

The scrutiny committee received a report of the Partnerships and Performance Section Head setting out the results of the key performance indicators for in-house services for the first quarter of 2016/17.  The Partnerships and Performance Section Head highlighted the results for some of the indicators. 

Planning performance results

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head informed the scrutiny committee that during this year the Planning Department would be reviewing its performance indicators.  She asked councillors to let her know if there were any areas they would like included.

Councillor Rindl congratulated the service on their high performance and that they were consistently meeting or exceeding the target.  She asked whether it would be possible to change the targets, for example reducing the number of weeks to determine applications. 

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head explained that there were a number of issues that affected the service and it had not been clear if the number of applications would pick up after the recession.  There were times that officers struggled to meet the target for major applications.  She suggested that she could put the challenge to the Section Head and see if it was possible. 

The Committee and Scrutiny Officer commented that it was not clear how many applications had been received as this could have a marked effect on the results.  Also as these were national indicators it might not be possible to change them due to the reporting mechanisms.

Councillor Martins, who chaired Development Management Committee, said that he felt the targets were realistic.  For major applications there was often a great deal of interaction between officers, applicants, agents and other agencies outside the department and council.

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head suggested that the service could be asked for further information about the results, as reported in previous years.

Housing performance results

The scrutiny committee then discussed the indicators related to Housing.  Councillors raised the issue of people being placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough or asked to move out of accommodation for two days.  They were concerned about assessment criteria that enabled the council to locate people outside the borough when they had work commitments or their children were at school in the borough.

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head confirmed that there was a defined criteria and officers tried to keep people as local as possible.  It was suggested that the scrutiny committee may wish to know how many households were located outside the borough. 

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head reminded councillors that the council had a statutory duty to accommodate homeless people.  Once a household had been in bed and breakfast accommodation for six weeks they had to be moved to temporary accommodation.  The council had acquired temporary accommodation in Harrow, which was reasonably close to Watford.

Customer services performance results

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head explained that the service had struggled during the summer months due to the number of calls, many about voting in the referendum. 

There was concern about the length of time set as a target for ‘long waits’.  It was felt that a target of two minutes was too long.  The Partnerships and Performance Section Head advised that the council’s telephone system was dated and that a new solution would be sought. 

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head informed councillors that Leadership Team had not been happy with the performance results for complaints.  CS6 related to those complaints which had had no action within 10 days of receipt.  During the 10 days officers could acknowledge the complaint and explain it was being processed.  This would result in a positive move for the target.  She advised that she would report back that the scrutiny committee felt this result was unacceptable.

RESOLVED –

1.      that the performance of the identified in-house service indicators at the end of quarter 1 2016/17 (April to June) be noted.

2.      that the Partnerships and Performance Section Head asks the Development Management Section Head for further information on the performance results.

3.      that the actions requested be undertaken.