To consider the latest performance management framework and reporting methodology and emerging issues that the performance measures identify [as considered by Cabinet on 19 February 2014].

The Committee may wish to identify any topics to consider in greater detail or refer to the appropriate Scrutiny Committee for inclusion in the Work Programme. 

      Report attached, marked 7.

            The Portfolio Holder and Deputy Portfolio Holder responsible for performance, Councillors T Barker and D Turner respectively, presented the Quarter 3 Performance report that had been considered by Cabinet on 19 February 2014.  They drew attention to the emerging issues identified by the measures that could be considered in further detail by this, or any of the other, Scrutiny Committees.

            The Portfolio Holder drew the Committee’s particular attention to the performance information relating to the Council’s four priorities, namely:

·         Keeping children safe

·         High quality education

·         Looking after vulnerable people

·         Economic growth

Members generally agreed that the information portrayed within the ‘dashboards’ was clearly presented and easy to understand and recognised that other information lay behind the dashboards.  A Member commented that scrutiny should focus its attention on areas of underperformance and he highlighted concerns relating to Keeping Children Safe [specifically Table 3 and Table 10] and High Quality Education in particular the percentage of pupils in Key Stage 2 attaining level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The Portfolio Holder stressed the key role of scrutiny was to look at the performance information presented, find out what was happening and the reasons.

The Committee Chairman commented that the performance information was an indication of performance in Shropshire in which the authority may not necessarily have any direct influence.  Other members considered that the responsibility in areas such as levels of achievement in reading and writing lay with the relevant School Governors with the Council intervening as a result of a poor Ofsted report etc.  The increasing number of academies across the county was also noted.

A Member suggested that the performance information should be presented to the appropriate Scrutiny Committee by the relevant Director and Portfolio Holder and that each Committee could then identify any issues that may merit further scrutiny intervention.  The Committee Chairman stated that the individual Scrutiny Committees should highlight areas of both good performance and any areas of concern and report back to the Performance Management Scrutiny Committee.

Referring to the recent Rapid Action Groups [RAGs], the Performance Manager explained that information gleaned from the Member and Officer RAG feedback sessions would be evaluated and if the RAGs process was to continue it would be reported to the Political Structures Monitoring Group [PSMG] and any necessary changes made to the Constitution.  In the meantime, pending formalisation of the RAG process, a Task and Finish model could be used in the short term. 

The Committee Chairman added that a review of the RAG process had always been intended and that no further RAG work should be undertaken until the review had been completed and any Constitutional issues resolved.  He stressed that the existing RAGs should be invited to report to the appropriate Scrutiny Committees in order to maintain the enthusiasm that had been generated.  The Scrutiny Chairs were supportive of this approach and agreed to put the necessary arrangements in hand.

The Portfolio Holder requested that the performance reporting should continue and it was agreed that the Quarter 4 performance information would be presented to the Committee at the appropriate time.  The Committee Chairman added that the Performance Management RAG should continue its work in refining the presentation of this performance data for Quarter 4.

RESOLVED:

i)   That the new style of performance reporting be commended as providing greater insight and clarity to the information available;

ii)  That the recent RAGs be invited to attend a future meeting of the appropriate Scrutiny Committee and that areas of high/poor performance be reported back to the Performance Management Committee;

iii)  That the Performance RAG continue its work to refine the performance reporting mechanism to influence the forthcoming performance reporting of Quarter 4 data.