Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive regarding the draft Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium for 2023 which set out the Council’s progress and performance over the past year.  The views of the Scrutiny Commission were sought on the report and compendium prior to its submission to the Cabinet and Full Council on 24 November and 6 December 2023 respectively.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 11’ is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussion, the following points arose:

(i)               Leicestershire’s economy had performed reasonably well compared to other areas.  However, feedback suggested that people’s perceptions about the economy were more negative and less optimistic.  It was noted that such feedback was obtained through telephone polling undertaken over a 12 month rolling period (around 100 randomly selected residents were contacted each month) and took account of over 1,600 comments received.  This provided an overall picture of people’s views on a number of issues during the period that could be compared to previous years. Whilst it was noted that the data was triangulated against other sources, some Members suggested that undertaking polls in this way was no longer beneficial and that such data should be used with caution.  As many residents, particularly younger people, no longer had telephone land lines a Member further questioned whether those contacted, despite random sampling, could be regarded as truly representative.

(ii)              The delivery of affordable housing was a responsibility of district councils.  However, the report highlighted that as a County, Leicestershire was one of the best in terms of delivery.  A Member suggested this was not the case across all districts and some areas delivered more than others in line with allocated targets. 

(iii)            It was noted that the percentage figures regarding physically activity in adults had been omitted from page 80 of the report.  The Chief Executive undertook to confirm this information after the meeting.  It was noted that more detail regarding outcomes and performance of public health activities would be included in the annual report of the Director of Public Health to be presented to full Council later in the year.

(iv)            Whilst average A level results were below the counties average in 2022, it was suggested that this was not unexpected given such children’s education had been severely disrupted by the Covid 19 pandemic.  A Member suggested that this should be reflected in the commentary, as those children had still done very well despite difficult circumstances.

(v)             A Member challenged the red rating of Adult Social Care (expenditure per head of population) and suggested that despite spending less than other authorities the Council still managed to deliver better outcomes for its residents in respect of those services. 

(vi)            Members noted that whilst Leicestershire was an efficient Council that continued to deliver good outcomes across many areas despite it being the lowest funded Council in the country, it was now at a tipping point, whereby outcomes might begin to reduce if fair funding was not addressed by the Government. 

(vii)          Members noted the larger proportion of indicators that had deteriorated this year and whilst this was, in part, still due to the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic, other factors were also having an effect, including the Council’s low funded position which was changing the level of service it could continue to provide.

(viii)         A Member commented that the Council could no longer deliver some services provided by other, better funded authorities.  However, the core services it did provide it did so very well and it was an exemplar in some areas which should be recognised.  It was suggested that future reports might need to reflect how well the Council performed in respect of the services it was able to fund, whilst recognising that there were some services it could no longer deliver and to demonstrate separately the impact this had on residents. 

(ix)            Members noted that the Council’s Strategic Plan would shortly be subject to review and it would be necessary for the Council to consider what as a local authority it could realistically deliver going forward, and how this might affect the pledges, ambitions and timescales set out in the current iteration of the Plan.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the draft Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium for 2023 which set out the Council’s progress and performance over the past year be noted;

(b)  That the comments now made be reported to the Cabinet for consideration at its meeting on 24^th November 2023.