Minutes for Cabinet Member - Performance and Governance meeting, Jan 20 2010, 9.00AM official page

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dowd and Maher.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declaration of interest was received:

Member

Minute No.

Interest

Action

Councillor Brodie-Browne

83 – Health and Social Care Performance Indicators Report Quarter 2 2009/10

Prejudicial

Left the room and took no part in the consideration of the item

The Cabinet Member welcomed Members and Officers to the Portfolio Monitoring and Review Day 2 Meeting for consideration of Quarter 2 six monthly performance reports 2009/10 for the Children, Schools and Families; Technical Services; Leisure and Tourism; Health and Social Care and Housing Market Renewal Portfolios.  He informed the meeting that he would vacate the Chair for agenda item 10 and Lord Fearn would take the Chair for that item.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management)

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) advising that the purpose of this meeting was to bring together Q1 and Q2 Performance reports for consideration by the Cabinet Member.  The bi-annual Performance Review Meetings enabled the Cabinet Member to consider the performance of the Authority across all departments and these had now become formalised in a two-session extended meeting of the Cabinet Member – Performance.

Elected Members and senior officers for the Council’s services had been  invited to come and discuss performance over the previous six months; with reference to highlighting achievements; identifying challenges and presenting solutions to problems and challenges for the consideration of the meeting. The Portfolio Performance Reports had already been considered by the service Portfolios Holders.

The report concluded that the Cabinet Member was asked to note the content of the reports, make recommendations prompted by the meeting’s business and, if appropriate, refer matters for further consideration by the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Chief Executive (Management) on Quarters 1 and Performance Reports be noted.

Report of the Strategic Director of Children, Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 106 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Children’s Services, held on 19 January 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director Children, Schools and Families regarding the six-month (mid-year) performance for 2009/10.

The Strategic Director Children, Schools and Families, together with Officers from that Department presented the report, with specific reference to achievements, challenges and risks and progress against key Departmental and Corporate objectives in relation to the following :

Positive Feedback from the CAA- Area Assessment.

Areas for Improvement from the CAA – Area Asssessment

Positive Feedback from the CAA – Organisational assessment

Ares for Improvement from the CAA – Organisational Assessment

Knowledge and Qualitative Information

Corporate or Cross Cutting Issues

The Strategic Director Children, Schools and Families outlined progress and spoke to the report, which referred to the comprehensive action plan prepared following the YOT Inspection and the possible risks arising from future regulatory Inspections of Fostering and Adoption Services; ICS progress; increasing demand in terms of cases and Resources, together with continuing capacity issues further highlighted by the unannounced inspection.

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Director to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The Strategic Director Children, Schools and Families answered questions raised by the Cabinet Member and Spokespersons.

RESOLVED:

That the Six-Monthly Performance Report for Children’s Services 2009/10 be noted

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services

Further to Minute No. 104 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Technical Services held on 16 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services updating on the performance of the Regeneration and Technical Services Department to Quarter 2  2009/10 and with particular regard to the Service Delivery Plan..

The report encompassed the full range of technical services as delivered by both the department and under the Sefton / Capita Symonds partnership; updated on services provided by the Transportation Section of Planning and Economic Regeneration, for which work undertaken by the Sefton / Capita Symonds Partnership was a major contributor to successful delivery.  The report made reference to the Performance Reports for the Corporate and Departmental Service Plans, as obtained from the SPRINT system, detailed in   appendix A.  The report further indicated the following service achievements, together with information relating to performance indicators, corporate and cross cutting issues, risk management and future issues, relating to the following areas:

• Regeneration Projects.

• Southport Eco Centre.

• Display Energy Certificates

• Road Safety

• SMBC/ Capita Symonds Partnership

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The Cabinet Member - Technical Services and the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services presented the report and answered questions raised by the Cabinet Member and Spokespersons.

RESOLVED:  

That the performance of the Regeneration and Technical Services Department against the targets set out in the Service Delivery Plan 2009/10 be noted.

Report of the Leisure Director

Further to Minute No. 69 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism held on 2 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Leisure Director on the progress in achieving the Department’s objectives for the period April to September 2009.

The Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism, together with the Leisure Director presented the report, with specific reference to achievements, challenges and risks; and progress against key Departmental and Corporate objectives.

The Report was structured to give an overview of performance; an update on Departmental Performance and an update on risks and challenges facing the Department, as outlined in Annex A with the indicators in the full SPRINT report at Annex B

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Officer to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The Cabinet Member and the Leisure Director presented the report and answered the questions from Members.

RESOLVED:

That the progress made by the Leisure Services Department up to Quarter 2 2009/10 towards achieving its Departmental and Corporate Objectives be noted.

Report of the Head of Tourism

Further to Minute No. 69 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism held on 2 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Head of Tourism on the progress in achieving the Department’s objectives for the period April to September 2009.

The Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism, together with the Head of Tourism presented the report, with specific reference to achievements, challenges and risks; and progress against key Departmental and Corporate objectives, as outlined in the report and the SPRINT Report at annexes A and B.  Particular reference was made to the success of the events such as the Airshow; successes in attracting funding for “Partners for Growth” and the new Business Tourism Plan.

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Head of Tourism to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism and the Head of Tourism presented the report and answered questions from the Cabinet Member and Spokespersons.

RESOLVED:

That the progress made by the Tourism Department towards achieving its Departmental and Corporate Objectives be noted.

RESOLVED:

That due to the Declaration of Interest of the Cabinet Member, Councillor Brodie - Browne, indicated in Minute 75 above, Councillor Lord Fearn, Substitute Cabinet Member – Performance and Governance, be appointed as Chair for the following item

Report of the Director of Health and Social Care

Lord Fearn to Chair this item

Further to Minute No. 50 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Health and Social Care held on 23 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director of Health and Social Care which gave an update of his Department’s performance activity for the second quarter 2009/10 in relation to achieving key objectives.

The Cabinet Member – Health and Social Care, together with Officers from the Department, highlighted progress and achievements; challenges and issues in relation to risks and control measures for dealing with risks; corporate and cost cutting measures of equalities; sickness rates and sustainability; and, in respect of performance indicators, the performance against key targets, as indicated in the SPRINT report that was attached.

The report indicated that within the Health and Social Care Directorate, performance information was produced on a regular basis and the senior management team regularly reviewed performance information to ensure that progress continues.

Attached to the report was the Directorate’s Service Plan monitoring report as at Quarter 2 2009/10.

Every year, each local authority with responsibility for Social Care Services for Adults was awarded by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - a judgement for their adult social care performance.  In contrast with previous years, there was no longer a star rating for adult social care. Instead, performance was  assessed in relation to the delivery of the seven outcomes as stated in ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ 2006 and performance was subsequently aggregated into an overall graded judgement. Sefton Council was awarded the overall grade of “Perfoming Well” for delivery of outcomes for 2008/09.

The Cabinet Member - Health and Social Care stated that it was a privilege to work with the professionals from that Department.

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Strategic Director of Social Care to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The Cabinet Member – Health and Social Care and the Director of Health and Social Care presented the report and answered questions from the Cabinet Member and Spokespersons.

RESOLVED: 

That the report of the Strategic Director of Health and Social Care on performance activity for the second quarter 2009/10 in relation to the key objectives referred to in the report be noted

Councillor Lord Fearn vacated the Chair and the Chair was re-taken by the Cabinet Member, Councillor Brodie-Browne.

Report of the Housing Market Renewal Director

Further to Minute No.84 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Regeneration held on 16 December 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Housing Market Renewal Director on the Department’s Service Delivery Plan 2009/10, half year Performance Progress.

The report highlighted the following activities:

Land Remediation

Property acquisitions and Demolitions

New Housing Construction

Other Notable Activities

Sickness Absence 

The Cabinet Member was interested in the implementation of the Council’s Policies and, in particular, how its policy on the reduction of its Carbon Footprint impacted upon service delivery.  He asked the Strategy Manager Housing Market Renewal  to explain how the department dealt with this issue.

The report was presented by the Strategy Manager, Housing Market Renewal and he answered questions from the Cabinet Member and Spokespersons.

 RESOLVED:

That the Report of the Housing Market Renewal Director on progress towards achieving the Department’s objectives and targets in 2009/10 be noted.