PAPER A

 

RECORD OF DECISION

 

The following decisions were taken on 22 NOVEMBER 2005 by the CABINET

 

These decisions do not take effect until 2 DECEMBER 2005

 

Members of the Cabinet who were present :

 

Cllrs Patrick Joyce (Deputy Leader) Barry Abraham, Dawn Cousins, Tim Hunter-Henderson, Ian Ward, Jilly Wood

 

Confirmed as a true record of decisions taken : ……………………………………..............

 

                                                                                    Leader of the Council

 

Agenda item

Public Question Time

Decision reference

39/05

Question

No questions were asked.

 

Agenda item

Second Quarterly Performance Management Report (2005-06)

Decision reference

40/05

Decision taken

a)     That the Cabinet Members commit to developing with Strategic Directors and Heads of Service, in year solutions to under performing indicators for monitoring through future quarterly performance reports

b)     That for this quarter no issues are referred to the Scrutiny Committee or Policy Commissions

c)      That in future the QPMR be used along with other reporting mechanisms as part of the gate keeping mechanisms for in year reviews of the “Aim High” Change Management Plan

d)     That the service areas identified for improvement, commit to implementing the Action Plan as attached to this decision as Appendix 1.

Reason

To enable effective performance measurement and management.

Additional reasons

None.

Options considered and rejected

None.

Interests

None declared.

Additional advice received

None.

 

Agenda item

Second Quarterly Performance Management Report (2005-06) - Financial Exception Report for Period to 31 October 2005

Decision reference

41/05

Decision taken

a)        General - Management action to be taken wherever possible to contain predicted overspends/under-recovery of income in the current financial year within existing service cash limits

b)        Homelessness - Consider budget as a significant element of the medium term financial strategy

c)        Bereavement Income - Await outcome of Policy Commission VFM study into operation of the crematorium

d)        Land Charges Income - Assistant Chief Executive to consider options for future years if the decline in the housing market continues

e)        Cultural Services Income - Associate Director to deliver service improvement plan and budget proposal for 2006/7 to avoid repeat of shortfall

f)          Highway Maintenance - Head of Service to deliver service plan and budget proposal for 2006/7, maximising use of both revenue and capital resources, to ensure budget requirements can be contained within available resources

g)        Car Parking Income - Cabinet and Head of Service to consider all options when recommending approval of the Car Parking Order for 2006/7

h)        Undercliff Drive/Ryde Interchange - Refer to  Audit Committee to receive a report assessing the risk associated with capital programmes spending significant sums in advance of funding being secured

i)          Education Programmes – Director of Children’s Services to take action to ensure that delays in the capital programme are corrected as projects are completed. As part of this process, schools will be encouraged to undertake major condition and maintenance work to help clear the underspend held in their devolved capital budgets

Reason

To ensure good financial management in order to deliver service improvement and support the Council’s objectives.

Additional reasons

None.

Options considered and rejected

 

Interests

Cllr R Mazillius declared a personal interest as his son was a Director of a firm that provides services to the Council.

Additional advice received

None.

 

Agenda item

Consideration of the Current Forward Plan

Decision reference

42/05

Decision taken

Cllr Wood advised Members that the item on South Street Development would be slipped from December 2005 to February 2006.

Cllr Joyce advised Members that the item on Special Needs Education had been slipped from December 2005 to February 2006

Interests

None Declared.

Additional advice received

None.

 

Agenda item

Delegated Decisions

Decision reference

43/05

Questions

No questions were asked.

Interests

None declared.

 

Agenda item

Members Question Time

Decision reference

44/05

Questions

Cllr J Effemey asked a written question relating to road surfacing (MQ)

Cllr R Mazillius asked a question relating to public play areas

 


 

APPENDIX 1

 

Under performing KPI’s singled out for improvement

KPI Description

Action to be taken to improve indicator and update on current performance as at 11/11/2005

Timescale for Improvement

4. The number of looked after children placed on the mainland excluding placed for adoptions and with family/friends

The original figure of 29 supplied for the quarter was wrong and has been amended to 19. This means that the indicator would have been within target and not singled out for exception reporting.

The original comment supporting the performance of the indicator was not correct and has been replaced with

the following improvement actions:

 

  Increase numbers of foster carers recruited and retained

  Develop training programmes to increase skills of in house foster carers

·  Therapeutic foster care programme

·  Prepare business case for residential option

·  Develop Intensive Support Service

·  Develop inclusion policies in schools

·  Children’s trust developments to ensure early identification and prevention strategies with vulnerable children

·  Pooled budget arrangements

 

No longer applicable as on target

5. Number of fire and rescue call outs to false alarms

Apparatus

Further increase in Q2 puts us well above the outcome in 2004/5.  Discussions are taking place with the hospital and the prison (the two worst offenders in reduction to unwanted fire signals (UWFS).

The Hospital Apparatus alarms – 20 in Q1, 24 in Q2 together account for 21% of UWFS in Q1 and Q2.  Written agreements to be in place by March 2006 with the hospital and prison to use hospital/prison staff to challenge all calls of fire signals at each institution to see if the alarms can be challenged at source and therefore any unnecessary calls reduced.    Target to reduce the number of UWFS from each institution by 25% - 50% by 31 March 2006.

Fire Safety Officers will inspect 75% of all UWFS which will be targeted at premises in the top 20 generating unwanted signals.

Fire control centre operate a call challenge policy when dealing with Automatic Fire Alarms (AFA’s)’s in low risk premises which together with an inspection programme of the top 20 offending premises and a publicity campaign, will start to reduce the number of false alarms notified to the Service.

The Service already has a policy on Call Challenge and Reduced Attendance to low risk premises, which was introduced in May 2005. This policy of attending AFA’s will, in the first instance reduce the number of appliances mobilised to low risk premises with a further expansion of the policy to cover medium and high risk premises (subject to risk assessment) in 2006/7

To reduce AFA attendance at low risk premises by 10% by the end of quarter 4 and by a further 25% by the end of quarter 4 2006/7.

 

To reduce AFA attendance to medium/high risk premises, subject to consultation, by 10% by end of quarter 4 2005/6 and by a further 25% by end of quarter 4 2006/7

9. The number of Food Standards Inspections this quarter

Reported as exception last quarter

This is a new indicator for 2005/6 following transfer of responsibility from Trading Standards to Environmental Health.

 

  • Officers have been trained to simultaneously conduct food standards and food hygiene inspections.
  • Inspections are targeted according to risk.
  • Food Standards Agency changes to risk rating methodology have required in house ICT modifications.  Those modifications are on track for completion by 23 November 2005.
  • Predicted performance as at end of quarter 3 is 996 inspections.
  • Predicted performance as at year end is that target will be achieved.

 

996 inspections to have been completed by 31/12/05. 

 

Remainder of target to have been completed by 31/03/06. 

10. The number of Health & Safety Inspections this quarter

 

This is a new indicator for 2005/6.  Performance has been affected by higher than expected reactive demands from music events, and accident investigations etc.

 

  • Officers have been trained to simultaneously conduct health and safety inspections and inspections in other disciplines.
  • 303 inspections have been programmed for quarter 3 so as to clear this year’s back log.

Predicted performance as at year end is that target will be achieved

 

3. Standard of cleanliness in public toilets.  No more than 12 defaults issued to the contractor per quarter  (Local Indicator)

An action Plan has been put in place to address the current deficiencies in the service. The key milestones and actions include:

  • All open public conveniences to be cleansed to the contract standard
  • All closed toilets to be cleansed to the contract standard
  • Submission of Business Continuity Plan
  • Joint Inspections
  • Outstanding Minor Maintenance Items
  • Rectification Notices reduced to 10 per week maximum
  • Default notices reduced to no greater than 12 per Quarter

 

 

 

 

 

By end of November 2005

 

 

 

By end of January 2005

 

 

By end of January 2006

 

Immediate

Cleared within one week of issue

 

 

By January 2006

 

 

By the end of the 1st Quarter in 2006

13a. Planning - % of major planning applications determined within national standards (13 Weeks) 

(BVPI 109a/CPA)

 

The Council has been identified as a Standards Authority by the ODPM for 2006/07 in respect of major applications.  The standard will require that 60% of such applications are determined in 13 weeks.

 

Officers and the Chairman of DCSC will attend an ODPM/Planning Advisory Service workshop on this matter on 23/24 November 2005. 

 

The Head of Planning Services has put forward for the Island to work with Idea on piloting of Delivery Agreements on Large Applications.

 

Performance at 11/11/2005 (for Q3 2005/06) is 42%.

 

As from 21 November 2005 weekly meetings will be held to monitor and track the progress and delivery of all major applications.

 

As from 28 November 2005 detailed project management plans will be in place for all major applications (both less than and over 13 weeks old).

Applications under 13 weeks old at 11 November 2005 or new submission.

 

Q3                       2005/06                     50%

Q4                       2005/06                     50%

Q1                       2006/07                     55%

Q2                       2006/07                     60%

Q3                       2006/07                     65%

Q4                       2006/07                     70%

 

Overall total (including existing applications older than 13 weeks)

 

Q3                       2005/06                     35%

Q4                       2005/06                     40%

Q1                       2006/07                     40%

Q2                       2006/07                     50%

Q3                       2006/07                     55%

Q4                       2006/07                     60%

 

 

14a. Affordable Housing – the no of affordable housing units negotiated on qualifying sites identified in the UDP (Policy H14) this quarter   (Local Indicator)

The indicator needs to be read in conjunction with 14b – in some cases it is more practicable to achieve off-site payments rather than develop affordable houses on particular application sites.

 

Andrew Ashcroft and Margaret Howard have met to review the situation.  The out-turn of affordable housing in general, and via planning consents in particular will be discussed at a meeting of Registered Social Landlord Chief Executives and officers on 8 December 2005.

Q3                   2005/06                      25% Q4                        2005/06                      25%

 

These figures are difficult to predict with any accuracy.  They depend on which applications are determined in the relevant quarter (see comments on 13a) and the circumstances the relevant affordable housing provision will be off-site (see 14b).