Lead Member – Councillor Robert Macey, Portfolio Holder for Culture & Digital

Lead Officer – Sam Williams

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.     Reviewed and considered performance dashboard information alongside this exception report.

2.     Noted progress to date in achieving the outcomes of The Shropshire Plan (TSP) and comment as appropriate.

3.     Considered that the KPIs currently agreed remain the same for 2024/2025.

4.     Agreed to individual Portfolio Holders reviewing the targets for the agreed KPIs with the relevant Executive Director.

The Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital introduced the report which was the first report for 2024/25 and sets out the key issue to manage this year; delivering acceptable performance while remaining within our available financial envelope. Members were advised that the new Performance Management Framework (PMF) has been reviewed and strengthened to align with all our strategic objectives to enable the council to become an evidence-led performance managed council.

Members noted that the Q1 report is not fully complete with all the agreed performance indicators due to the time taken to implement the new approach, obtain data and the focus on getting it right. Those outstanding were noted in the report. It was also noted that some of the performance indicators are baseline figures from which targets will be established and then performance monitored against this.

In response to a query regarding the rate of EHCPs being issued, Members were advised that there had been a 154% increase in demand for EHCPs in 2023 and 2024, with 250 requests for EHCPs and 212 plans issued in quarter one. The plan which had been put in place was working, and communication with families was being improved.

The Executive Director for Health, Well-being, and Prevention explained that excess mortality and serious mental illness were system-wide targets that were monitored closely. Actions included improving health checks for people with serious medical illness and mental health outcomes. A detailed piece of work was being done through scrutiny on this area.

In response to a query regarding the progress in developing KPIs for climate change, the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital responded that the lead officer is currently working on this and progress should be made soon.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.     Reviewed and considered performance dashboard information alongside this exception report.

2.     Noted progress to date in achieving the outcomes of The Shropshire Plan (TSP) and comment as appropriate.

3.     Considered that the KPIs currently agreed remain the same for 2024/2025.

4.     Agreed to individual Portfolio Holders reviewing the targets for the agreed KPIs with the relevant Executive Director.

To scrutinise Performance at Quarter 1 and identify issues that may require further investigation by an overview and scrutiny committee, report to follow

The Executive Director for Resources introduced the report which covered performance data up to the end of June. Members noted that significant work had been done over the past 18 months to ensure a comprehensive set of indicators reflecting the Shropshire Plan. Members were advised that it was expected to be more difficult for the organisation to provide sustained improvement in a number of the indicators due to the financial priority for the Council.

A request was received to inform the Planning Stakeholder Group as to whether the targets relating to decarbonisation and climate action strategy had been established.

Members queried the excess mortality rates, particularly concerning mental illness, and whether the increase was related to suicides. The Performance and Research Analyst advised that the targets were newly reported as part of the Public Health framework and that further information would be circulated to members after the meeting.

Members congratulated the Council on improvements in children's care, particularly in issuing educational healthcare plans and assessing children's needs. However, disappointment was expressed regarding changes in the method of tracking certain indicators and Members inquired about the timeline for seeing consistent information. The Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital acknowledged the difficulty in tracking changes due to shifting measures and emphasized the importance of improving the accuracy of figures. Members were invited to specify any indicators for which they wanted to know timelines.

Further information was requested on adult services demand management and the progress of related workstreams. It was noted that the demand management work was ongoing and would be key to informing future demand management. The response to the June scrutiny meeting questions was circulated earlier in the meeting, addressing most of the raised issues.

Concern was raised regarding the compliance rate for FOI requests and the Council's position among the top 20 councils for FOI-related complaints. It was clarified that the Council was identified among the top 20 councils for FOI-related complaints, not for response rates. The organisation was focusing on financial priorities, and while the compliance rate might not reach 100%, efforts were being made to ensure no FOI requests extended beyond an unreasonable time.

RECOMMENDED:

That the Committee congratulate the team on the development of performance indicators and that the Chair meets with officers and the Portfolio Holder in November, with an update being brought to the next meeting.