Agenda item

Report of the Interim Chief Executive attached.

The Panel considered a report of the Interim Chief Executive which outlined the Council’s performance against the delivery of the Corporate Plan projects and objectives during Period 2 (July-September 2020).

Overall, performance of the projects was good, with 8 out of 14 projects marked as on-track. The remaining projects were either still being developed or scoped before commencement.

The report presented a position statement on the Corporate Strategy adopted in September 2020 and members queried how other performance indicators, such as resident satisfaction, council tax collection rates and missed bins, would be monitored. Assurances were provided that this information was still being monitored and would be incorporated into individual directorate performance reports to be presented to future Panel meetings.

Members acknowledged the wide-ranging and ambitious nature of the Council’s priorities but offered a contrast with the projects within the ‘Exemplary Council’ priority, which were felt to be narrow in focus.

In response to this and a query regarding how the link between projects and priorities could be strengthened, members were informed that all projects were scoped to ensure clarity and a more streamlined approach. It was suggested, however, that the project mandates could be supplied to members to provide further detail and the Panel welcomed this.

A period of positive change for the Council was noted and members queried other methods of transformation besides Shared Services with Chorley Council, which was highlighted in the report. In response, members were informed that every directorate would undertake a review of their service; significant work on digital inclusion was being performed, with a new website set to launch; and organisational development was underway with staff.

Members expressed their interest in work on organisational development and requested that this be looked at in more detail at a future meeting.

Clarification was sought on the ‘One Front Door’ model and it was explained that this would incorporate a range of services, such as Citizen’s Advice, to improve accessibility for residents and those presenting themselves to the council for support. Some aspects of the model were already in operation and it was anticipated that the full model would be rolled out by the end of November 2020.

The work of the South Ribble Together Hub and the Holiday Hunger Scheme was queried with members seeking further information on any financial implications for the Council.

In response, members were informed that the Holiday Hunger Scheme was introduced in summer 2019 and currently provides food for children during all school holidays. Assistance is also now offered to all self-identifying low-income families, with approximately 2000 families helped during the October 2020 half term.

A budget of approximately £90,000 had been allocated to the project for a three-year period and some government funding was included in this. However, the Leader of the Council acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic meant that a significant amount of this budget had been used. 

Members also queried the timeline for the delivery of mental health support for young people, given how COVID-19 had exacerbated mental health issues for many people. Assurances were provided that a review of the recommendations made by the MH2K project would be developed by April 2021 with support launched in September 2021. 

Some interim support work had been undertaken at Runshaw College in addition to the production of helpful videos. Members were assured that there were other support mechanisms in place for young people struggling with their mental health and that the project was a key priority.

Members also welcomed the availability of support for those aged up to 24 years and the interim measures in place but requested that the timescales for delivery of the project be reviewed.

The Council’s role in tackling the percentage of 16- and 17-year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) was questioned. In response, members were advised of Council-supported opportunities through the Apprentice Factory; partnerships with schools and local businesses to provide opportunities for young people; requirements within the procurement process for contractors to employ local apprentices; and the Community Wealth Building Action Plan initiative.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That

1.    the Panel thanks the Leader, Chief Executive and Shared Services Lead – Partnerships and Transformation for presenting such a detailed report and answering questions;

2.    the Panel looks forward to the directorate performance indicators being presented to future meetings;

3.    the Panel welcomes the offer of the corporate strategy project mandates being provided to panel members;

4.    the Panel asks that that a future meeting takes a ‘deep dive’ into the organisational development strategy; and

5.    the timeframes involved in the project to deliver a mental health programme for young people be reviewed.