Minutes:
The Commission
considered a joint report of the Chief Executive and Director of Corporate
Resources concerning issues on both the revenue budget and key performance
indicators at the end of the third quarter where performance was below target.
A copy of the report, marked ‘B’, is filed with these minutes.
The Commission was
advised as follows:
(i) the underspends now reported did not include the financial
arrangements with the Primary Care Trust.
This would increase the underspend
to approximately £10 million. The
possible use of LAA grant to fund eligible mainstream
expenditure so as to avoid loss of resources due to limits on carry forward of LAA grant, would also increase the underspend;
(ii) the approach to and reporting of performance management data
would be further developed in response to the new national performance regime
and Comprehensive Area Assessment. These
changes would also seek to ensure that assessment of performance included data
on user satisfaction of the service provided.
(iii) that for a further period of one year the current LAA reward targets would be be
included in LAA2 and reported accordingly.
With regard to LAA2 discussions were on-going on the issue of reward
targets though initial indications were the reward levels would be lower and
applied to the whole of the LAA rather than specific
indicators.
The Chairman
advised the Commission that as a result of a request from Mr Hart CC an officer
from the Adult Social Care and Health Service was in attendance to answer
questions on the under performance in increasing benefit take-up amongst older
people. In response to questions on this
issue the Commission was advised as follows:
(i) The partners involved included the
Department of Works and Pensions, District Councils, Age Concern and the
Citizen Advice Bureaux.
(ii) Part
of the under performance was due to issues around target setting as the target
figure did not include drop off rates, particularly in relation to Attendance
Allowance.
(iii) The
Operations Group responsible for this area of activity was due to meet to agree
a detailed action plan which would include amongst other things:-
·
looking
at best practice elsewhere to learn lessons
·
project
management and operational capacity
·
new
promotional techniques to increase awareness of benefit entitlement
·
closer
working with the NHS particularly GPs and District
Nurses on raising awareness
·
targeting of
resources to particular communities or deprived areas.
(iv) Leicestershire
Together and the Cabinet had agreed to invest an additional £100,000 to help
achieve this target as part of a review of all reward targets.
The Chairman then
invited
·
Work with
partners to ensure that overall crime levels are reduced in high crime areas. |
Scrutiny
Commission |
·
Action
Plan to increase benefit take-up by Older People |
Adult Social Care
and Health |
·
Support
to |
Community
Services |
·
Progress
on Implementation of Action Plan on improving public satisfaction with the
Council. |
Scrutiny
Commission |
·
Operation
of the new Customer Service Centre and lessons learnt for future roll out. |
Environment |
·
Parish
Councils – Unopposed Seats |
Community
Engagement |
·
Equality
Issues:- Measuring levels of disability and problems
of self declaration. |
Mr Lewis CC |
·
Progress
on |
Mr Shepherd CC |
RESOLVED
a) That
the progress being made in relation to the targets be noted.
b) That
the report and appropriate briefing notes be drawn to the attention of the Chairmen
and Spokesmen of Scrutiny Committees inviting them to raise any further issues
with the relevant Chief Officers.
Supporting documents: