Agenda item

The Corporate Performance Report provides an analysis of the Council’s

performance for the first quarter of 2023-24. The report, set out at Annexe 1,

is being presented to each of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees for

comment and any recommendations they may wish to make to the Executive.

Jenny Sturgess and Heads of Service to highlight areas relating to this committees remit.

Jenny Sturgess introduced the Q1 Corporate Performance Report (2023-24) to the Committee.

Cllr Hyman registered to speak and was allocated 4 minutes to make his statements. Cllr Hyman sought an update on the exploration of gas at Loxely Well and inquired about whether this information was still considered exempt. He also raised concerns regarding a legal challenge in relation to the Waverley Lane Quantum Fields development and requested information on the progress made.

The Chair inquired about the staff turnover and absence data within the report.

In response to these concerns, Robin Taylor, Executive Head of Organisational Development, explained that the HR team was closely collaborating with the heads of service to address challenges in staff development and retention, particularly in the planning department. The Chair mentioned that it was a challenging situation, especially with recruitment and retention of planners. Regarding the Loxely Well and Waverley Lane update, it was decided that this would be provided as a written comment after the meeting.

The Chair raised a query regarding the financial outcomes on page 71 of the report, specifically about the favorable finance outcome of £373,000. It was explained that a substantial portion of this was attributed to additional treasury management income, which resulted from higher interest rates, with a projected outcome of 3.23% for the year.

A question was raised about the Holloway Sports Association lease mentioned on page 13 of the report. Jenny Stugess assured that a separate response would be provided.

Further concerns were brought up about the substantial number of complaints mentioned in the report, particularly related to CC1B levels. It was noted that these levels were still high, and the outturn was not as expected. The committee inquired about the projected status at the end of the next quarter.

Jenny Sturgess confirmed that a written response would be provided to address these concerns.

Cllr Austin raised questions about the gas safety certificates data and the increase in the number of empty homes, along with concerns about privacy in the CCTV senior living scheme. Specifically, she inquired whether there had been a consultation on these matters.

Andrew Smith, Executive Head of Housing, explained that they had self-referred to the Regulator for Social Housing when they discovered that the gas certificates were out of date. A task force was established to address this issue, which partly stemmed from the transition of the gas contractor. A new system was implemented to ensure that certificates remained up-to-date, and they received confirmation from the RSH that they were not found in breach as a social landlord.

Cllr Macleod raised questions about penalty arrangements for underperforming contractors. Andre Smith stated that he would need to investigate this further and provide an answer at a later time.

The topic of staff turnover rates was brought up, specifically in reference to section 9.2 of the report. The committee sought information on long-term sickness, contractual terms for long-term sick staff, and the occupational health measures in place to facilitate their return to work.

Robin Taylor, Executive Head of Organisational Development, explained that while there wasn't a specific target for staff turnover rates, they were being closely monitored, especially in comparison to the broader Surrey region. The organization aimed to maintain a manageable turnover rate, and there were contractual terms in place. Measures included an occupational health provider, a well-being program, and a staff sickness service, which provided health and welfare advice when staff reported sickness. These details were intended to be discussed in the working group referenced at the beginning of the meeting.

Cllr Weldon raised a question regarding the absence of housing delivery in Haslemere. Louisa clarified that there were indeed housing delivery plans in place for Haslemere, but they were not yet publicly disclosed. She offered to follow up offline with additional details.

Cllr Nicholson made an inquiry about the cost of living grants, specifically related to the number of grants distributed and the percentage of savings achieved. Candice Keet, Senior Accountant, indicated that there had been several cost of living payments, with major ones being the energy rebate and housing support fund. The exact figures were to be provided separately.

The Chair extended congratulations to the Treasury team for the expected annual interest receipts, which were highlighted on page 23.

Robin Taylor, Executive Head of Organisational Development, confirmed that they were continuing their efforts to recruit a permanent S151 Officer, with an advertisement due to be reissued.

The committee acknowledged concerns about staff sickness and retention KPIs. It was also mentioned that five sections in housing were underperforming, considerably responsive repairs and voids.

Andrew Smith, Executive Head of Housing, indicated that complaints data had increased, particularly regarding responsive repairs and damp and mold. It was recommended that the committee attend the Landlord Services Advisory Board meeting on the 28th of October 2023, where the responsive repairs contractor (Ian Williams) and the housing operations manager would provide a presentation on performance improvements. The contractor had acknowledged their underperformance and implemented various measures for improvement. It was suggested that the data for emergency repairs would likely look better in the next quarter. The difficulties in recruiting operatives and underperformance were attributed to sector-wide issues.

The Chair used his discretion to allow Cllr Hyman to ask further questions. Jerry raised questions about the Joint Collaboration Review Group (JCRG) and its setup, as well as inquired about privacy concerns regarding the CCTV senior living scheme.

Cllr Macleod advised that updates on the JCRG would be provided at the Standards and General Purposes Committee meeting on 2nd October 2023. Regarding privacy concerns, Andrew Smith confirmed that there had been a consultation, and it was determined that tenants were in favor of the CCTV senior living scheme..