Agenda item

That the Improvement Plan 2013/14 be adopted.

The Chief Executive introduced the report to seek adoption of the Improvement Plan 2013/14, which was a statutory requirement.  He explained that the timing of the report had allowed the new Cabinet to work on the new set of priorities and also took into account regulator feedback to improve the visual impact of the document.  Whilst comments made by the Wales Audit Office (WAO) and Estyn had been complimentary, the need to streamline priorities and link with financial planning had been identified and progressed, with support from the Cabinet.

A presentation was delivered on the choosing of in-year priorities, format of the plan, benefits of the new approach, following the plan and next steps.  The Chief Executive stressed the importance of presenting the plan as a set of priorities with input by Overview & Scrutiny Members on the format and influencing the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).  In general, feedback to date had been positive and it was hoped that Overview & Scrutiny Members in particular were clear on the performance framework.

The Policy & Performance Manager explained the different approach taken to simplify and improve the presentation of the report, which would be web-based, allowing easier navigation to cope with changes and adapting priorities.  The previous structure of priorities had been retained but streamlined into eight priorities with supporting sub-priorities to focus on impacts and achievements.

The Leader of the Council spoke of the difficult task of improving the presentation of the plan which dealt with real issues affecting communities.  He welcomed the support from officers on the streamlining of priorities, which was Cabinet led, and had built upon those set by the previous administration.  He highlighted the priority on Housing with the Council’s commitment to achieve the Wales Quality Housing Standard (WQHS) and the need for joint working by the voluntary and public sector on the sub-priority for Apprenticeships and Training.  He stated that the plan should be reactive to challenges faced by the Council and welcomed a particular focus over the coming year on delivering affordable housing which could lead to the building of additional Council houses.  Whilst it was acknowledged that difficult times lay ahead, linked to the MTFP, the Leader was confident that the streamlining of priorities set had been based on what was deliverable in-year within the current economic climate.

Councillor M.J. Peers congratulated officers on the improved format and echoed the Leader’s comments on Apprenticeships.  He commented on the financial model for the priority on Affordable Housing and asked if champions would be allocated to drive forward each priority.  On the judging of performance mentioned in the plan, he suggested that Overview & Scrutiny be involved in the measuring of performance against outcomes and that it might be helpful to include information on areas of responsibility for each priority.

The Leader of the Council hoped that all Council Members would play a part in championing although it was predominantly a Cabinet responsibility to deliver on each priority area.  He said that rigorous challenge from Overview & Scrutiny on progress would be expected.

The Chief Executive said that the revised priorities were a continuation of those previously set and agreed that there was a collective responsibility for all.  It was intended for the web-based plan to include supporting information and to be re-published to reflect any significant changes.  The plan would be revised annually with a reporting mechanism to Overview & Scrutiny and Cabinet.

In welcoming the improved format, Councillor R.J.T. Guest said that priorities were self-evident but felt that the explanation on the handshake symbol in the plan was unclear.  He said that the previous administration had faced criticism on setting too many priorities and was unsure if re-categorising some of these as sub-priorities could be viewed as a ‘wish list’ rather than becoming priorities next year.

The Chief Executive explained that the previous set of priorities had been split into primary and secondary.  A sensible balanced approach had been agreed with the WAO to separate those of greater impact which would be dealt with in-year from others which were important but remained ‘business as usual’ with lesser corporate attention in-year.

Councillor R.B. Jones commented on the reduction in the number of County priority themes from five to four.  He felt that a continual update of the plan was not required and should only be triggered by Overview & Scrutiny or Cabinet input, and that any scrutinising should be guided by the amount of cost involved.

The Chief Executive explained that the third County priority combined two previous themes which had overlapped.  He acknowledged that there could be greater transparency on costs but that work on the MTFP would be published alongside the Improvement Plan to clarify 2014/15 budget planning.  He reiterated that priorities were a continuation of those previously set, some with no requirement for newly identified resources, and spoke about the impact on priorities of new Measures to be introduced by Welsh Government.  He also confirmed that regular in-year reporting would take place and that the document would be amended periodically to ensure that it was current.

RESOLVED:

That the Improvement Plan 2013/14 be adopted.