Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendations.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the Quarter 1 Improvement Plan monitoring reports for the period April to June 2014. 

The Chief Executive explained that the report contained details on:

·         The levels of progress and confidence in the achievement of the high level activities which sought to deliver the impacts of the Improvement Plan;

·         The performance against improvement plan measures and the predicted level of performance for year end; and

·         The current (net) risk levels and targeted risk levels for the risks identified in the Improvement Plan and the arrangements to control them.

There were 22 sub-priority reports which had been completed by each lead accountable officer, all of which were summarised within the report.  Overall progress against the high level activities was:

·         Good progress (green) in 42 (53%)

·         Satisfactory progress (amber) in 38 (48%)

·         Limited progress (red) in 0 (0%)

Full details of the measures within sub-priorities showing a red or amber status were detailed in the report.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment commented on the risks identified in the sub-priority for the number of calendar days taken to deliver a Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) for children and young people.  He said it needed to be taken in context as the figures related to one particularly complex case where the needs of the child changed several times throughout the course of the grant works.  He added that Flintshire was the second most improved authority overall on the delivery of DFGs for children and adults which was the result of a combination of interventions. 

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance commented on the risk identified in the sub-priority for Financial Strategy.  He added that each of the 22 local authority Leaders in Wales had co-signed a letter to Central Government the previous week which illustrated the significance of the impending budget cuts to Welsh local authorities.  In addition, a meeting had been arranged for the Finance leads in Wales on the details of the collective response that would be submitted to Welsh Government (WG) when the settlement was received in October.  Information from that meeting would be shared with Cabinet Members.

            RESOLVED:

(a)          That the action taken to manage delivery of the Improvement Priority

impacts be noted; and

(b)          That the following be noted:

·         The levels of progress and confidence in the achievement of key activities which seek to deliver the impacts of the Improvement Plan

·         The performance against improvement plan measures and the predicted level of performance for year end; and

·         The current (net) risk levels and targeted risk levels for the risks identified in the Improvement Plan and the arrangements to control them