Meeting documents

Considered report previously circulated, which provided Members with key performance management data up to the end of Quarter Two 2018-19, to assist in monitoring the Council’s performance.

There were three red measures reported in Quarter Two:-

          -          6.2.5 – Freedom of Information requests responded to within 20 working days;

          -          6.2.4 – Customer complaints responded to within 20 working days; and

          -          HC4.12 – Number of households that had made a homeless application and percent accepted where we had a duty.

During the discussion, the following points were made:-

·         Members queried whether West Somerset Council had the same performance targets.

Yes they did.

·         Members highlighted that there were many green indicators which was a testimony to the staff and their hard work during a time of uncertainty.

·         Concern was raised on HC4.12 and the homeless figures reported and it was suggested that officers from those areas should have been present to answer any questions raised at the meeting.

The Chairman agreed and supported their concern.  He also thought it that the Portfolio Holder for Housing should have been present.

·         Members requested a briefing on Homelessness.

·         Members queried how many Freedom of Information requests were not answered and whether there were any particular departments that caused delays in the response times.

The Corporate Strategy and Performance Officer confirmed that the Revenues and Benefits departments were very good at submitting their responses in the required time period, but there wasn’t any particular team that was slow in submitting their responses.  The Council did not receive many requests that involved too much work which meant that they would be refused.  There was currently an Information Management Project being undertaken which involved the new General Data Protection Regulations and data retention schemes.

·         Members had submitted some questions, which included concerns on the homeless figures, to Full Council on 11 December 2018 and had not received an answer due to the time constraint at the meeting.

The Governance and Democracy Specialist had received the answers and would distribute to all Councillors.

·         Members queried how many customer complaints were outstanding.

The types of complaints that were received varied, during Quarter Two, 44 had been received and 29 of those had been answered.

·         Members queried the figures on homeless applications and whether they were people from outside the area or were they local applicants.

The Corporate Strategy and Performance Officer was not able to give the details at the meeting.

·         Members believed that the applicants were unintentionally homeless and there was an expectation that they had a connection to the TDBC area.

·         Members congratulated the Licensing Department on their hard work which had improved their performance results.

·         Members queried whether there were procedures in place to monitor staff sickness, especially for those that had been off for a certain period of time.

Yes there was a return to work procedure that managers followed and occupational health would also be involved with certain cases.

Resolved that the Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Council’s performance and highlighted any areas of particular concern.