A report by the Interim Chief Executive set out the performance of the Council’s corporate plan towards delivering the vision of building a more equal and prosperous Wirral.  The report provided Members with an overview of performance, financial and risk monitoring for quarter two 2010/11. The format for reporting performance issues and financial information was currently under review and future reports would reflect any changes to the current format.

The Cabinet was advised that the recent announcement regarding changes to the national performance framework and the replacement of the national indicator set would provide more flexibility locally. This included the revocation with immediate effect, October 2010, of all designations of local improvement targets within our Local Area Agreements (LAA).  There would no longer be a requirement to report LAA performance to central government and full control of all current local area agreements had been handed to local areas.  Performance Reward Grants against the LAAs for 2008/11 would not be made.  The replacement of the National Indicator Set with a single comprehensive list of data required to be reported by local government to central government.  It was anticipated that the single list would be in place from April 2011. Future performance reports would also reflect these changes.

The Cabinet received a joint presentation from the Interim Director of Corporate Services and the Director of Finance on the Quarter Two Performance and Financial Review which included key achievements, what worked well, key risks and key performance issues in respect of the Council’s Corporate objectives.  The Interim Director of Corporate Services presented this information, along with an overall performance summary and the Director of Finance presented the Financial Headlines, a position statement at 30 September on the 2010/11 Revenue Budget and key areas in respect of the 2010/11 Capital Programme.

Councillor Green was concerned that the Council must help children and young people to achieve their full potential and requested assurance that what the Cabinet was being told was happening was correct and that large case loads were not creating risks.

The Interim Director of Children’s Services informed that there were issues associated with the signing off of some low priority cases in respect of looked-after children.  Councillor Green requested a further report on the scale of the issue and plans being put in place to rectify the situation.

The Interim Director of Children’s Services also informed that he was still advertising for and recruiting Social Workers.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the report be noted; and

(2)  a further report as detailed above be considered at the next meeting of the Cabinet scheduled for Thursday, 25 November 2010.