PAPER C

 

FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT COMMITTEE – 20 SEPTEMBER 2004

 

QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORT – QUARTER 1 2004-05

 

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR FIRE, EMERGENCY PLANNING AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

 

 

REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

 

This Quarterly Performance Management Report is for the period 1st April to 30th June 2004 and is for the Fire, Emergency Planning and Consumer Protection portfolio. This first report for 2004-05 was presented to the Council’s Executive on the 25th August 2004.

 

 

ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE

 

  1. To receive the Quarterly Performance Management Report insofar as it relates to the Fire, Emergency Planning and Consumer Protection Portfolio Holder’s responsibilities.

 

  1. Determine whether further information is required from the Portfolio Holder, those responsible for the service areas under scrutiny and/or from other sources on the areas of performance detailing scope of concern, background and proposals to improve as set out in paragraph 6.

 

  1. To determine whether to add or amend the work programme of the Select Committee in light of the Quarterly Performance Management Report and any additional information received.

 

  1. To determine if any further report is required from the Portfolio Holder relating to the User Satisfaction Survey results as detailed in Appendices 2 and 2a.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

1.                  This Report for quarter 1 summarises performance for the responsibilities under the Portfolio Holder Fire, Emergency Planning and Consumer Protection for the quarter ended 30th June 2004.  The report format has been revised and now includes a risk assessment for the new and existing Areas to Watch highlighted in the report; and a revised basket of key performance indicators, with quarterly target profiles.

 

2.         The results of the Best Value Performance Indicator User Satisfaction Survey 2003 is attached as Appendix 2 to this report.  In 2000/01, the Government specified a number of Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) that required local authorities to survey local people. It was agreed that these user satisfaction surveys, to inform the production of the indicator information, be conducted on a three yearly cycle. On that basis, the second survey took place in autumn 2003. The performance data is factual and reports the outturn for 2003/2004 performance indicators as per the ODPM’s requirements and is considered central to the authority’s performance management arrangements.

 

3.                  Following a contract tendering process an independent market research company, Questions Answered, undertook to consult on behalf of the Council to ensure complete objectivity of results. This took the form of a postal survey, which took place


in the autumn of 2003, and involved randomly selecting 3,300 residents to be surveyed.  The result of this was an overall return of 1,192 responses.

 

4.         Feedback from the previous Fire, Emergency Planning and Consumer Protection Select Committee when the Quarterly Performance Management Report for quarter 4 was presented have been undertaken and a revised basket of performance indicators has been developed in consultation with the Heads of Service.

 

5.         Significant progress has been made throughout the year on targets and activities within the Portfolio Holder’s responsibilities including:

·         Investors in People accreditation for Consumer Protection Service

·         Safer Communities Team including the Drug Action Team has been established

·         Performance Indicator 1 (page-5) Domestic burglaries this quarter per 1,000 households has shown improved performance and the quarterly target has been met

·         Fire and Rescue Performance Indicators 2-4 (page-5) have all achieved their quarterly targets

·         Both Local Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets 8 and 9 (page-7) have achieved their quarterly targets

 

6.         However, there are concerns on the following:

            Areas to Watch:

·     The retention of Fire Control Staff during the transitional period (page-4).  This has been risk scored as 16, the highest risk attainable

·         Fire Service pay and conditions agreement (page-4).  This has been risk scored 12

·         Industrial action resulting from national negotiations on pay and conditions (page-4) has also been risk scored 12

 

Performance Indicators:

·         Two of the four indicators relating to Consumer Protection (page-6) Indicator 5a score against a checklist of enforcement best practice for Environmental Health is 30% below the annual target and the Number of Trading Standards Inspections this quarter undertaken in the quarter was below the target by 35 inspections

 

User Satisfaction Survey Results (2003)

·        The overall satisfaction with the Fire Service has shown a fall from 82% in 2000-01 to 67% in 2003-04, which is a surprising statistic when the report also says that no-one was dissatisfied with the service and that only 3% of the people surveyed had actually used the service

 

RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

 

Best Value Performance Plan 2003-04

Annual Action Statement 2004-05

Quarterly Performance Management Report quarter 1 2004-05

 

CONSULTATION PROCESS

 

Heads of Service and their staff have supplied the information within the Quarterly Performance Management Report, with Directors being fully consulted on the content.

 

External consultation has not been necessary for this report, with the exception of the User Satisfaction Survey, as it is concerned with internal financial and management arrangements.

 

FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS

 

The report itself does not have any financial implications. However, if Members make decisions regarding services identified in this report, these may have financial implications.

 

It is a requirement of the Local Government Act 1999 to deliver best value in service delivery of which an effective performance management system is a significant part.

 

APPENDICES ATTACHED

 

Appendix 1 Quarterly Performance Management Report 1 2004-05

Appendix 2 and 2a BVPI User Satisfaction Survey (2003)

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

 

Annual Action Statement 2003/04

Comprehensive Performance Assessment Action Plan

Quarterly Performance Management Reports 1 2004-05 and 1, 2, 3 and 4 2003-04

 

 

Contact Point : Heidi Marshall, Principal Policy Officer, 823250 [email protected]

 

 

 

 

CLLR DAVID KNOWLES

Portfolio Holder for Fire, Emergency Planning and Consumer Protection