Item: 5

Education, Leisure and Housing Committee: 10 November 2021

Performance Monitoring

Report by Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing.

1. Purpose of Report

To advise on the performance of Education, Leisure and Housing for the reporting period 1 April to 30 September 2021.

2. Recommendations

The Committee is invited to scrutinise:

2.1.

The performance of Education, Leisure and Housing Service for the reporting period 1 April to 30 September 2021, as set out in sections 3 to 5 and Annexes 1 and 2 of this report.

It is recommended:

2.2.

That the actions, outlined at section 3.2 below of this report, that have been progressed to completion, be removed from the Education, Leisure and Housing Service Plan.

3. Service Plan Performance Monitoring

3.1.

The action plan, attached as Annex 1 to this report, provides the detail of the agreed service priorities, as expressed in the Education, Leisure and Housing Service Plan, and contains SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) targets for the life of the Service Plan. The action plan also provides the mechanism through which the time-limited aspects of the Service Plan will be progressed to completion.

3.2.

Set out below are those Service Plan actions assessed as Blue within Annex 1, namely those which have been progressed to completion and are now being recommended for removal from the Service Plan:

• 02 – Early Learning and Childcare – 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare are now being offered in all settings.

4. Service Performance Indicators

Service Performance Indicators provide the mechanism through which the performance aspects of the services provided year on year are monitored. The monitoring report is attached as Annex 2.

5. Service Complaints and Compliments

5.1.

Table 1 below sets out numbers of complaints and compliments made to Education, Leisure and Housing in the six-month period 1 April 30 September 2021, and for the two preceding six-month monitoring periods.

Table 1.

5.2.

When considering the raw data within Table 1 above, it should be noted that the Council has adopted a policy of encouraging staff to record all complaints against the Council through the Complaints Handling Procedure. This includes complaints that are quickly and satisfactorily resolved by the frontline service, thereby enabling the Council to identify any trends that would help to improve the service. As a result of this policy, the number of complaints captured by the procedure may increase and that does not necessarily reflect an increase in the number of people contacting the service to express dissatisfaction with the Council.

5.3.

There is no discernible relationship in terms of the types of complaints received over this 6 month monitoring period.

6. Corporate Governance

This report relates to the Council complying with its performance management policies and procedures and therefore does not directly support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the Council Plan and the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan. That said, Service Plans are developed taking cognisance of the Council’s policies as outlined in the Council Plan.

7. Financial Implications

There are not anticipated to be any significant financial implications arising as a result of the recommendations to this report.

8. Legal Aspects

The Council’s performance management systems help the Council to meet its statutory obligation to secure Best Value.

9. Contact Officers

James Wylie, Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, extension 2477, email james.wylie@orkney.gov.uk.

Peter Diamond, Head of Education, extension 2436, email peter.diamond@orkney.gov.uk.

Frances Troup, Head of Community Learning, Leisure and Housing, extension 2177, email frances.troup@orkney.gov.uk.

10. Annexes

Annex 1 - Summary of the performance of Education, Leisure and Housing against the targets within its Service Plan.

Annex 2 – Summary of the performance of Education, Leisure and Housing against its Performance Indicator targets.

Annex 1

Education, Leisure and Housing – Service Plan Actions for Six Months Ending 30 September 2021

E,L&H Service Plan Actions - 01 - Planning and Improvement.

IMAGE: The service plan table records the Planning and Improvement action, its logic-model description, intended outcome, GREEN BRAG status, start date of 1 October 2019, target date of 31 March 2022, lead officer Steven Burnett, and the comment about COVID-19 and the management restructure limiting progress.

E,L&H Service Plan Actions - 02 - Early Learning and Childcare.

E,L&H Service Plan Actions - 03 - National Improvement Framework.

IMAGE: The service plan tables record the Early Learning and Childcare action, which is BLUE and complete because 1140 hours are offered in all settings, and the National Improvement Framework action, which is GREEN and concerns raising the bar and closing the gap.

E,L&H Service Plan Actions - 04 - Support for Learners.

IMAGE: The service plan table records the Support for Learners action, its focus on reviewing support for learning and the Resource School Model, its GREEN status, and the intended outcome of improving outcomes for the most vulnerable learners.

E,L&H Service Plan Actions - 05 - Social Rented Housing.

IMAGE: The service plan table records the Social Rented Housing action, its business-planning and scenario-planning description, GREEN status, target date of 31 December 2023, lead officer Frances Troup, and the comment that the Business Plan is in its later stages of development.

Annex 2

Education, Leisure and Housing – Service Performance Indicators for Six Months Ending 30 September 2021

Performance Indicator: CCG 01 – Sickness absence

The average number of working days per employee lost through sickness absence, expressed as a percentage of the number of working days available.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN.

Sickness absence has decreased slightly since the previous reporting period and is still well within target. Service managers will, within the context of the Council's sickness management policy, continue to address sickness absence levels.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The sickness-absence trend chart shows half-year actuals of 2.97% for H1 2019/20, 3.28% for H2 2019/20, 1.74% for H1 2020/21, 3.14% for H2 2020/21, and 2.79% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 4% throughout.

Performance Indicator: CCG 02 – Sickness absence

Of the staff who had frequent and/or long-term sickness absence (they activated the sickness absence triggers), the proportion of these where there was management intervention.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED.

The Education, Leisure and Housing Directorate Management Team continue to work with Human Resources and Managers within their own Teams to ensure that more active intervention takes place in future. Managers are in the process of participating in training to implement a new HR programme for sickness management which we hope will improve this intervention.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The management-intervention trend chart shows actuals of 57.29% for H1 2019/20, no displayed value for H2 2019/20, no displayed value for H1 2020/21, 36.76% for H2 2020/21, and 13.16% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 03 – Staff accidents

The number of staff accidents within the service, per 30 staff per year.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN.

There were 13 accidents within the Service over the last 12-month period. 8 of these accidents were as a result of slips, trips or falls in the workplace.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The staff-accidents trend chart shows actuals of 0.27 for H1 2019/20, 0.24 for H2 2019/20, 0.33 for H1 2020/21, 0.21 for H2 2020/21, and 0.31 for H1 2021/22. The target line is 1.

Performance Indicator: CCG 04 – Budget control

The number of significant variances (priority actions) generated at subjective group level, as a proportion of cost centres held.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN.

There has been a decrease since the last reporting period. Budget holders continue to demonstrate effective budget management within Education, Leisure and Housing.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The budget-control trend chart shows actuals of 14% for H1 2019/20, no displayed value for H2 2019/20, 9% for H1 2020/21, 15% for H2 2020/21, and 10% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 15%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 05 – Recruitment and retention

The number of advertised service staff vacancies still vacant after six months from the time of advert, as a proportion of total staff vacancies.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN.

There were a total of 266 vacancies advertised, none of which were still vacant after 6 months.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The recruitment-and-retention trend chart shows actuals of 0% for H1 2019/20, 0.36% for H2 2019/20, 2.76% for H1 2020/21, 0.49% for H2 2020/21, and 0% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 2%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 06 – Recruitment and retention

The number of permanent service staff who leave the employment of Orkney Islands Council – but not through retirement or redundancy – as a proportion of all permanent service staff.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN.

Of 754 permanent staff employed in the Service, 14 left employment with Orkney Islands Council. Staff retention in Education, Leisure and Housing continues to remain high.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The permanent-staff-leavers trend chart shows actuals of 2.82% for H1 2019/20, 2.15% for H2 2019/20, 1.2% for H1 2020/21, 1.47% for H2 2020/21, and 1.86% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 5%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 07 – ERD

The number of staff who receive (at least) an annual face-to-face performance review and development meeting, as a proportion of the total number of staff within the service.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED.

The focus of all Education, Leisure and Housing Services throughout the lockdown period was to provide service delivery to the Orkney community. Senior staff met with staff at least once a week to provide pastoral support and management guidance. ERD was not a principal focus, staff wellbeing was. Managers across the ELH Directorate have in this reporting period re-engaged with the ERD process whilst still fully immersed with COVID-19 mitigation management and have done an outstanding job to achieve this percentage level.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The ERD trend chart shows actuals of 88.7% for H1 2019/20, no displayed value for H2 2019/20, 69.8% for H1 2020/21, 70.6% for H2 2020/21, and 88.2% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 08 – Invoice payment

The number of invoices that were submitted accurately, and paid within 30 days of invoice date, as a proportion of the total number of invoices paid.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: AMBER.

There is an improvement in this indicator from 77.61% in September 2020 to 81.37% in September 2021. It is likely that the gradual improvement in performance of this indicator is related to implementation of the Purchase to Pay system within the service.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The invoice-payment trend chart shows actuals of 74.5% for H1 2019/20, 74.3% for H2 2019/20, 77.61% for H1 2020/21, 82.69% for H2 2020/21, and 81.37% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.

Performance Indicator: CCG 09 – Mandatory training

The number of staff who have completed all mandatory training courses, as a percentage of the total number of staff in the service.

Comment

BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED.

Of 1223 staff in the service, 535 are completely up to date with their mandatory training. Managers in Education, Leisure and Housing aim to improve the completion rates of mandatory courses through regular communication to staff. This area needs significant improvement.

Trend Chart

IMAGE: The mandatory-training trend chart shows actuals of 37.01% for H2 2020/21 and 43.74% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.