Agenda item

To monitor Quarter 3 performance results against the 2017/18 business plans.

7.1       Damian Highwood (Evaluation & Performance Manager) and Mo Rahman (Planning & Performance Manager) presented a report which set out how Westminster was performing against the City for All priorities and Business Plans at the end of the third quarter of the 2018/19 financial year (October –December 2018). The report set out performance achievements and opportunities; and provided explanations and commentary for outstanding and poor performance, together with details of any remedial action that was being taken.  The report also featured analysis of the findings from the 2018 City Survey.

7.2       The Committee discussed the report and commented on the KPI’s that had either missed the ideal target at Quarter 3 or had only met the minimum standard.  The Committee also commented on the City for All top achievements for Excellent Local Services and commended the report for setting out the action that was being taken in mitigation. It was noted that the School Budget Deficit remained an ongoing risk.

7.3       Committee Members noted that although the percentage of people who thought they were in good health had risen over the past year from 84% to 87%, the percentage of households who used sports and leisure facilities had fallen significantly from 30% to 17%. The Evaluation & Performance Manager confirmed that the sports centre results had been derived from the City Survey, which had asked specifically about the use of Westminster’s centres and not included private gyms. The Evaluation & Performance Manager reported that actual user number of Westminster’s facilities had also been slightly higher, although the improvement had not been captured the Survey.  The Survey had been a long document with generic questions which could be misinterpreted and did not provide a complete picture of the profile of sports centres with casual users such as commuters being left out of the statistics. Usage had also been clearly linked with age group and not gender or ethnicity; and people above a certain age were not using Westminster’s sports and leisure centres. The City Survey had also indicated that the longer residents had lived in Westminster, the greater their level of satisfaction.

7.4       The Committee expressed concerned over the rise in knife crime and reduction in police resources, and noted that the Basic Command Unit merger would be considered at the next meeting. The performance of the City Council’s Housing Service following the transition would be also be reviewed later in the year.  Members highlighted the need to engage CityWest Homes residents, and noted that work on a communications strategy for Westminster housing residents was ongoing

7.5       The Committee discussed the performance of the Westminster Employment Service, which had supported over 700 residents into work by the, with over 250 of those having been long-term unemployed. Members considered that the effectiveness of the service and calculations for costs per job placement needed to be measured against long-term employment which extended over two years, rather than the period of 6 months given in the report.

7.6       Committee Members commented on the risks of delivering the capital investment programme for Oxford Street on time and to budget, and sought clarification of the return that would be received from the project. It was noted that the strategy included seeking funding from the public sector, and the Executive Director of Finance Resources confirmed that the project was not intended as an investment for financial return, but a material and economic improvement of Oxford Street.

7.7       The Committee was that 39 sites had been approved for the City for All 20 mph zone and noted that plans for a wider rollout in other areas were currently subject to consultation. Members also discussed the fragility of the market in Adult Social Care and Public Health, which were off-track and not sustainable; and noted the increase in Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Westminster.

7.8       Other issues discussed included the relocation of the Housing Solution Service to Bruckner Street; the City for All Green Agenda; the number of rough sleepers who were part of organised crime begging gangs being unknown; and risks associated with parking.

ACTIONS:

1.         That the review of the Housing Service following the transition of CityWest Homes, which is to be submitted to the Committee later in the year, captures issues around Anti-Social Behaviour. (Action for Ian Clark and Susan Barber – Performance Managers)

2.         That more detail be provided in the drop in City Survey results for the proportion of households who use sports and leisure facilities. (Action for Twila Grower - CMC Business & Performance Manager)

3.         That the Westminster Employment Service provide details of the issues that prevent long-term tracking of residents that had been supported into work. (Action for Ian Clarke – Performance Manager)

4.         That clarity be provided on the plans for the wider roll-out of the City for All 20 mph zone to 39 new sites. (Action for Twila Grower - CMC Business & Performance Manager)

5.         That more detail be provided on the current challenges in the market for Adult Social Care and Public Health, including where the main risks are.  (Action for Gary Hamilton – Head of Programme Management, Adult Social Care)

6.         That a profile be provided of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Westminster, including details of where they were from; whether there was any evidence that there was some form of trafficking involved; and what the City Council was doing to seek financial support. (Action for John O’Sullivan – Head of Business Intelligence & Strategy, Children’s Operations)

7.         That detail be given of which Wards will be receiving the 3,000 trees that are to be planted by 2020. (Action for Ian Clarke – Performance Manager)

8.         That a briefing be provided on whether the Parking deficit is structural or cyclical. (Action for Twila Grower – CMC Business & Performance Manager)

9.         That further detail be given on the media platforms targeted by the Media Monitor dashboard to track both proactive and reactive stories. (Action for Damian Highwood – Evaluation & Performance).