Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor J Moriarty.

To approve the minutes from the Corporate Performance Panel held on 10 September 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2018 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, subject to Councillors P Kunes and C Manning being added to the list of attendees.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on any item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposed to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before the meeting commences.  Any Member attending the meeting under Standing Order 34 will only be permitted to speak on those items which have been previously notified to the Chairman.

There were no Members present under Standing Order 34.

There was no Chairman’s Correspondence.

At the Cabinet meeting held on 2 October 2018 the following response was made to the Corporate Performance Panel meeting held on 10 September 2018, on the following item:

Council Tax Discounts 2018/2019 and 2019/2020

Panel Response:  “RESOLVED:  That Cabinet be advised that the Panel recommend to Cabinet:

1)    The Panel supports the proposal to the remove the one month 100% discount for empty and unfurnished properties from 1 April 2019.

2)    The Panel supports the maximum increases to the long term empty property premises starting from 1 April 2019.

3)    The Panel supports the introduction of the Care Leavers’ discount on the criteria listed above.

Cabinet Response:  “The Cabinet fully supported the comments from the Corporate Performance Panel regarding the disregarding of care leavers moving into properties.”

The Panel noted the response from Special Cabinet on 18 September 2018 regarding the Accelerated Construction Programme and Cabinet on 2 October 2018 on Council Tax Discounts 2018/2019 and 2019/20

RESOLVED:  That under Section 100(4)(40) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Chief Operating Officer, Alive Management and a representative from Ameresco presented an update report and responded to comments and questions from the Panel.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey thanked the Chief Operating Officer, Alive Management and representative from Ameresco for attending and providing the Panel with an update.

In response to comments from the Panel on Cabinet considering other beneficial efficiency measures proposed which were not within the 10 year pay-back period, the Leader advised that Cabinet would consider all proposals both within and outside of the 10 year pay-back period.

Councillor Tilbrook abstained against the following resolution.

RESOLVED:  The Panel added additional recommendations 5) and 6) set out below.

1)         The Panel recommended that Cabinet approve progressing all schemes to Investment Grade Proposal at the tendered price of £20,500.  The capital programme to be amended accordingly and funded from the Major Projects Reserve. 

2) The Panel supported that Cabinet increase the capital programme by £1,337,104 to progress schemes outlined in Appendix A, High Level Appraisal, and funded by borrowing.

3) The Panel supported that Cabinet agree to delegate authority to Executive Director for Commercial Services and Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Council Leader to authorise go ahead for the identified schemes assuming that they remain at or offer improved payback terms than those identified in Appendix A, High Level Appraisal.

4) Enabling works may be required to allow installation of some Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs), these will be identified at the IGP stage.  Cabinet will be asked for delegated authority to be given to the Executive Director for Commercial Services and Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Council Leader to authorise this work where cost effective and to report this expenditure through monthly monitoring report.

5) The Panel recommended that Cabinet consider looking at proposals submitted by Ameresco but not identified as being within the 10 year payback period criteria.

6) The Panel to receive an update report in 6 months’ time.

RETURNED TO OPEN SESSION

The Policy, Performance and Personnel Manager presented the report which contained information on the corporate performance monitoring undertaken during Q1 2018/19.

Members were reminded that performance indicators for 2018/19 had been agreed by Portfolio Holders and Executive Directors as the key performance measures for the year which covered all Directorates.  The monitoring report highlighted specific performance issues, where indicators had not met agreed targets they were drawn out into an Action Report, which provided additional detail on what actions were being taken to correct performance that had a variance to target.

The Q1 2018/19 monitoring report showed that 52% of targets had been met, and performance had improved against target for 18 indicators.

The Panel was informed that key points from the corporate performance monitoring report – Q1 2018/19, details of which were set out at section 2 of the report.

The Policy, Performance and Personnel Manager explained that the Panel should review the attached analysis of achievement of the agreed performance indicators for the year.  The Action Report should then be reviewed to ensure areas which had not met target were appropriately addressed.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey and Councillor Tilbrook commented that it was pleasing to note that both the short term and long term sickness figures had improved in 2017/2018.

RESOLVED:  The Panel:

1)            Reviewed the performance monitoring report.

2)            Agreed the actions outlined in the Action Report.

The Panel received the report which was produced on an annual basis for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 and set out the breakdown of MP enquiries, Corporate and Ombudsman complaints.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey explained that the Borough Council also received compliments and advised the Panel that from April to September 2018 a total of 58 compliments had been received.

RESOLVED:  The annual complaints report and number of compliments received be noted.

The Policy, Performance and Personnel Manager presented the report which provided the Panel with an overview of the Council’s key sickness absence related data for the 2017/18 year.

The report included headline data in relation to:

·         Overall sickness absence rates.

·         An analysis of the most commonly occurring absences.

·         A comparison with other Norfolk Authorities.

·         An overview of sickness absence costs.

·         An overview of identified trends.

Members were advised that the report had historically been produced and presented by the Safety and Welfare Adviser post holder.  Responsibility for employee welfare issues, including sickness absence, transferred to the Policy, Performance and Personnel Manager’s service with effect from June 2018.  The report was based on information compiled by the former Safety and Welfare Adviser prior to his departure from the Council’s employment and an earlier version of the report had been presented to the Joint Safety and Welfare Committee.

The Panel was informed that the report highlighted that overall sickness absence rates had decreased during the 2017/18 financial year with key data as follows:

·         The total number of FTE days sickness absence decreased by 14.5%.

·         The average days absence per FTE employee decreased by 14.2%.

·         The number of FTE days of short term absence decreased by 8%.

·         The number of FTE days of long term absence decreased by 21%.

·         The number of accidents rose by 130% (from 3 to 7) with an increase in the number of days lost due to accidents increasing by 250% (from 36 to 90).

It was reported that two of the three most common absence reasons remained as Stress/Anxiety/Depression and musculoskeletal.

It was highlighted that during 2017/18 there was a 4% increase in absence under the category “Viral Colds/Flu.”  This was due to the high levels of winter illness in the last 2 quarters of 2017/18 and therefore this figure was to be expected, and was reflected in the short term absence figures.

The Policy, Performance and Personnel Manager responded to questions relating to:

·         Short term and long term absences.

·         Number of absences in the Commercial Services, which included many front line operational posts including public open space (street cleansing), grounds maintenance, car parks, refuse and resort services.

·         Flu vaccination and future arrangements to encourage a greater number of employees to have the vaccination in future years.  It was also noted that a number of employees could have also had the vaccination at a GP surgery or elsewhere.

·         Stress and anxiety reported as the highest reason for sickness absence.  It was explained that a lot of research had been undertaken and it was often external factors outside the workplace which contributed to an employee’s stress levels.

·        Historical comparison of the number of accidents which would have been reported in the Annual Sickness report over recent years.  The Chairman, suggested that, in future, authors of reports be asked to add explanatory text to give context to any significant changes or outliers by reference to previous periods or years which would prove useful to members and the record.

To note the Panel’s Work Programme for 2018/2019.

The Panel noted the work programme.

The Chairman invited Members to forward any items for inclusion on the Panel Work Programme

Councillor Bird provided a verbal update on the Hunstanton Recreation Ground and Lawn Tennis Courts and following a discussion, it was agreed by the Panel that an interim report be given at the next meeting on 27 November 2018.

RESOLVED:  1) The Panel receive an update report on the Refit project in six months’ time.

2) The Panel receive an interim report on the Hunstanton Recreation Ground and Lawn Tennis Courts on 27 November 2018.

The Panel received and noted the Forward Decisions List.

The Chairman commented that it would be useful to have an additional column inserted on the Forward Decision List to indicate which Panel might consider items.  In response, the Leader explained that he welcomed the proactivity of the Panel which assisted Cabinet in the decision making process, but that it was up to each individual to identify any items on the Forward Decision List to be included in their own work programmes.

To note that the date of the next meeting of Corporate Performance Panel will be held on Tuesday 27 November 2018 at 6.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel will be held on Tuesday 27 November 2018 at 6.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.