Report of the Director of Public Health and Head of Policy and Performance.

A report by the Director of Public Health and Head of Policy and Performance served to update the Committee on the current performance of the Council against the delivery of the Corporate Plan (as at 31 March 2014).  The report translated the priorities set out in the Corporate Plan into a coherent and measurable set of performance outcome measures and targets. Members were requested to consider the details of the report and highlight any issues.

The Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources informed the Committee that the Council’s Corporate Plan outlined its business planning processes that ensured its vision, priorities and resource allocation were based on sound evidence and an understanding of the communities’ needs.  The Council’s ‘gold thread’ approach would ensure that all its activities were suitably aligned to the achievement of its stated priorities and outcomes.

As part of the development of the Corporate Plan, a set of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time related) outcome measures had been developed.  The Council’s Senior Management Team had determined the outcome indicators contained within the report and signed off the following parameters which underpinned its on-going performance management:

·  2013/14 Plan

·  2013/14 Plan trajectory

·  2013/14 Performance tolerance levels (determine RAG [Red, Amber, Green] status

·  Head of Service responsible for delivery of target

The Committee noted that monthly Corporate Plan Performance Reports were produced and made available to support corporate challenge via:

·  Monthly DMTs

·  Monthly Portfolio Lead briefings

·  Quarterly Audit, Risk, Governance and Performance meetings

·  Quarterly Policy and Performance Committees

Attached to the Director’s report at Appendix 1 was the Corporate Plan Performance Report that set out performance against 29 outcome measures.  Of these there were five measures where the outcome metric was under design or due to report at the end of the year.  A commentary was provided against these.

The Committee also noted that of the 24 measures that were RAG rated, 19 were rated green, one was rated amber and four were rated red.  The four measures rated red had action plans (appended to the report as Appendix 2, 3, 4 and 5) which referred to:

·  Permanent admissions of older people (aged 65 and over) to residential and nursing care homes, per 100,000 population

·  Apprenticeships supported (Wirral Apprentice Programme)

·  % Adult care packages supported by direct debit

·  Smoking quitters (4 weeks)

The Chair informed that in order to obtain a better understanding of the four areas that were under performing, Officers under whose remits they fell had been invited to the meeting to explain the circumstances behind them.  Unfortunately, it was noted that no one was able to attend in respect of permanent admissions of older people to residential and nursing care homes

The Work Related Learning Co-ordinator was in attendance at the meeting to report on the Wirral Apprentice Programme and informed that the authorisation notice from Knowsley MBC, who administered Liverpool City Region grant, required as match funding, had been received late.  The 14 places that had not been filled last year had been rolled over into this year’s round of Wirral Apprentices.  No problems were envisaged this year as there had been a massive take up already.

The Head of Business Processes was in attendance at the meeting to report on the percentage of adult care packages supported by direct debit.  He informed that previously direct debit had not been available but that the system was now in place and people were being encouraged to pay their bills by this method.  There had been a slow and gradual improvement of take up of this method of payment.  Members noted that when the Head of Business Processes’ staff were able to access the Department of Adult Social Services’ system he would be able to look at direct debit being used for domiciliary care payments as well.

The Head of Public Health was in attendance at the meeting to report on Smoking quitters.  She reported that it was a disappointing result from the Stop Smoking Service.  There had been a drop in the number of people accessing the Service and this was being put down to the use of E-cigarettes.  It was a real challenge and she was looking at ‘smoke free areas’ in an attempt to de-normalise smoking but she was not in a position to introduce them yet.

The Head of Public Health also informed that the Community Trust would be able to provide a fuller picture but her Service was now working with dedicated smokers.

It was noted that e cigarettes could be useful in reducing smoking but they were not covered by smoking regulations.  It was also noted that a lot of young people smoked.  The Head of Public Health reported that she was working with young people on smoking, drugs and alcohol.  Young people had risk taking behaviour as part of growing up.

A Member requested a break down on No. 19 – Agency/Consultancy Costs.  The Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources informed that a ‘corporate eye’ was being kept on this and the break down requested would be provided on a quarterly basis.

RESOLVED:

That the information contained in the report be used to inform the Committee’s future Work Programme.