This report provides performance information for the Governance division of the Chief Executive Office for the period 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011. Where figures are unavailable for the full period information to the last full month is provided.
Sickness Absence
For the period 1 July 2011 to 30 November 2011 (the latest date when figures are available), the Governance division recorded 3.51% absence compared to the Council average of 3.99 %. This represented a slight increase on the average for the comparative period for the previous year where the Service performance was 3.26%. Performance information for the period is shown below.
Number of complaints made to SPSO
The Governance division is responsible for recording complaints made to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) for all Council Services. During the period 1 July to 31 December 2011 there were 6 complaints made to the SPSO (3 Development Services, 1 Education, 1 Corporate and Neighbourhood Services and 1 Finance). Of the 6 referred, 5 were not investigated and 1 was investigated but was not substantiated.
Number of Health and Safety incidents/accidents
There was 1 Health and Safety incident reported during the reporting period. This was when one of the caretakers felt pain in his shoulder/neck area while moving tables in the Committee Suite. The caretaker was advised to consider undertaking a Manual Handling refresher course. This was completed on 3 October 2011.
Performance: Legal Services
% of Council House Sales offers issued within two months of application
The paralegal team within Legal Services, with support from solicitors as necessary, deals with Council house sales on behalf of Corporate and Neighbourhood Services. The relevant legislation aims for all offers to be issued within 2 months of application being made. Over the course of the reporting period, 100% of offers were issued within two months, compared with 91% for the same period in 2010/11. A comparison is shown below.
% of Council House Sales settled within 26 weeks
The relevant legislation aims for all sales to be settled within 26 weeks of application. While this is rarely achieved in practice for a variety of reasons, we have achieved 91.8% during the reporting period, with sales taking an average of 19 weeks to reach settlement. For the comparative period July to December 2010, 96% of transactions were settled within 26 weeks at an average of 18.5 weeks. The causes of this slight shortfall were two sales where there were issues with the title plans and reaching agreement on them with the purchasers and another sale where the purchaser delayed completion of the transaction.
Supporting Conflict Resolution Services to Tackle Anti-social Behaviour
Legal Services continues to work closely with the FIRST team to tackle anti-social behaviour. During the reporting period there were 3 interim and 2 full ASBOs granted, compared with 1 interim and 1 full ASBO in the same period in 2010/11. The performance indicators and associated targets are detailed below:-
|
The performance
measure we use
|
Target
|
Performance
Jul to Dec
2010
|
Performance
Jul to Dec
2011
|
|
Acknowledfement of new instructions within 1 day
|
85%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Initial assessment/
request for further information to be provided within 3 days of receipt
|
85%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Lodge in court within 4 days of final instructions/
information
|
85%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Council Tax and Business Rate Recovery
Performance information is collected in relation to some court actions for Council Tax and Business Rate Recovery. These are measured against a target of the action being raised within 3 working days. During the reporting period the number of instructions received of this type was relatively limited and, accordingly, these figures have not been reported. It can however, be confirmed that the performance target was met in each case. This should be seen in the context of a much larger number of actions being raised in related areas of debt collection including 78 actions for recovery of heritable property and 206 actions for recovery of sundry debts. In addition to debt recovery work, actions were also taken across a range of other functions including proceedings under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act, the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act and the Children (Scotland) Act.
Commercial Leasing
Legal Services prepare leasing documentation on behalf of Development Services in respect of the Council’s portfolio of commercial premises. The aim of this performance measure is to ensure that an efficient service is provided in support of the Council’s objective of promoting economic activity within the area. This measure calculates the percentage of offers issued within 14 days of receipt of full instructions from Development Services (target 85%) in respect of first lets. The number of instructions for first lettings received from Community Services during the relevant period was 27 (in 2010/11 the number was 28) with 24 offers being issued within 14 days of full instructions. This represents 89% of offers being issued within the timescale. The percentage achieved in the same period in 2010/11 was also 89%. A comparison is shown below.
Performance: Democratic Services
% of Council and Board agendas issued within statutory timescales
67 agendas for meetings of the Council, its Committees, other meetings (e.g. Education Appointments etc) and Boards were issued during the reporting period which included the Council recess during July. The majority of agendas were issued within statutory timescales and in accordance with Standing Orders. However, the agenda for the meeting of Leisure, Tourism and Community Committee on 13 September was issued a day late.
% of Council and Joint Board agendas published on the Council’s web-site within one day of the issue of the statutory notice
This item measures the time taken for Council (and Joint Board) agendas to be published on the Council’s web-site following the issue of the notice calling the meeting. The majority of Council agendas (Council, P&R, and Scrutiny Committees) and Joint Board agendas issued during that period were published to the website within 1 day of issuing the calling notice. However in August 1 agenda was published late, in September 2 were late (1 day) and in October 1 was late (1 day). Since then additional staff members have been trained to publish agendas in order to ensure that all are published within the target of 1 day.
A review in 2010 of printing costs associated with the printing of agendas led to distribution lists for agendas being reduced. Previously members had received agendas for all Council and Committee meetings. With members’ consent the distribution lists were reduced with a number of members opting to receive agenda calling notices only. A review of the number/copies issued to Services and external organisations/individuals resulted in a further reduction. It is anticipated that this reduction in the number of copies issued per agenda will reduce the print costs incurred by the service. However any impact will be mitigated to an extent on the size of each agenda (number of pages) and the number of meetings held each year, both of which are factors which are largely outwith the control of the service.
Children’s Panel
Complaints
There were no formal complaints received against members of the Children’s Panel during the reporting period.
Resignations
There have been 17 resignations received from membership of the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Children’s Panels compared with 21 in the same comparative period of 2010. Resignations are received from Children’s Panel Members for a variety of reasons including changes to employment, personal circumstances and time/work commitments.
Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011
The Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 received Royal Assent in January 2011. It anticipated that the Act will be brought into force later in 2012. The Act sets out provisions relating to the establishment of Area Support Teams (ASTs) which will replace existing Children’s Panel Advisory Committees (CPACs) and work is ongoing in relation to the transitional arrangements for this process.
Recruitment
Due to the delays in the implementation of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, Children’s Panel recruitment scheduled to be held in September 2011 will now be held in early 2012. It is anticipated that 35 new panel members will be recruited to supplement the existing panel membership over the three local authority areas.
Children’s Panel Re-appointment
Of the 42 panel members due for re-appointment, 35 attended re-appointment interview held on 1, 9, 17 November 2011 within Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils respectively. 9 Panel Members have subsequently indicated that they do not intend to seek re-appointment and will therefore retire from the hearing system following the end of their current term of appointment.
Performace: Business and Members' Services
Members’ training – attendance and evaluation
This reporting period produced 4 training session for Members. The table below summarises attendance at this session and notes the Member evaluations given (where available).
|
Training
|
Member
attendance
|
Evaluation
|
|
Planning Training
|
2
|
Of the 2 evaluations received 1 member rated the training a 3 and the other rated it a 5 (evaluation range of 1 being low and 5 being high)
|
|
Central Scotland Joint Fire & Rescue Board (Budget Planning Training)
|
5
|
Of the 4 evaluations received 2 Members rated the training a 5 and 2 rated it a 6 (evaluation range of 1 being low and 6 being high)
|
|
Improvement Service Masterclass – Consultation and engaging with local communities
|
1
|
No evaluation available – event co-ordinated by the Improvement Service
|
|
Central Scotland Valuation Joint Board (Budgetary Control Training)
|
4
|
Evaluation forms were not issued at this training event
|
Civic Reception – Satisfaction Survey
There were three civic receptions organised by Business & Members’ Services during the period 1 July to 31 December 2011. The civic receptions held during this period were for Bo’ness Amateur Operatic Society, Falkirk School of Gymnastics and The Tryst Theatre. Feedback is requested from the organisation for which the event is being held on a range of issues including assistance provided by officers, quality of catering, accommodation and hospitality. Service is rated as poor, fair, good or excellent. Feedback was received from Bo’ness Amateur Operatic Society and Falkirk School of Gymnastics with both organisations rating each category as excellent. Evaluation forms were not issued to The Tryst Theatre.
In addition, the Service also organised the following events;
-
Dennis Canavan Awards Ceremony held on 30 August 2011
-
Civic Presentation Ceremony held on 6 September 2011 to recognise various schools in the Falkirk area winning national sporting events
-
Falkirk Festival of Remembrance held on 12 November 2011
-
Receptions following the switch on of Christmas lights at Bo’ness, Grangemouth and Stenhousemuir
The evaluation forms were not considered appropriate for use at these events due to their format.
Performance: Customer and Development Services
Registration of Births, Deaths & Marriages
The following table details the number of life events undertaken during the reporting period with comparison figures for the previous year:
|
Event
|
July - Dec
2010
|
July-Dec
2011
|
|
Civil Marriage
|
223
|
207
|
|
Civil Partnership
|
2
|
3
|
|
Baby Naming
|
1
|
2
|
|
Renewal of
Marriage Vows
|
2
|
1
|
Citizenship
During the reporting period we conducted 5 group citizenship ceremonies welcoming 25 adults and 3 children to British citizenship compared with 3 group ceremonies welcoming 29 adults and 6 children to citizenship during the comparative period of the previous year.
For information, a breakdown of the country of birth of those involved in citizenship ceremonies during the reporting period is provided below:-
|
Country of birth
|
Number
|
|
Argentina
|
1
|
|
Bangladesh
|
1
|
|
China
|
1
|
|
India
|
8
|
|
Nigeria
|
1
|
|
Pakistan
|
5
|
|
Seychells
|
1
|
|
South Africa
|
2
|
|
Turkey
|
1
|
|
USA
|
3
|
|
Zambia
|
3
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
1
|
|
Total
|
28
|
Falkirk PrintWorks
Customer Comment Cards were issued with all jobs produced in this period. The results were –
|
Comment
|
Very
good
|
Good
|
Average
|
Poor
|
Very
Poor
|
Total
|
|
Quality of work
|
233
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
247
|
|
Speed of service
|
222
|
21
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
246
|
|
Flexibility
|
207
|
26
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
233
|
|
Cost
|
170
|
27
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
203
|
|
Helpfulness
|
218
|
16
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
235
|
|
Friendliness
|
218
|
15
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
235
|
*250 cards in total were returned but not all parts of the card were completed. 3 clients requested a column stating Excellent.
Records Management
Corporate Records Management
Since April 2008 we have been recording performance information relating to the Council’s Corporate Records Management service. A full breakdown of the performance during the reporting period is provided at Appendix 1|.
Freedom of Information
The Governance Division take a lead role in relation to FOI and provide significant advice, support and guidance to all Services of the Council. The FOI Liaison Officers Working Group, chaired by a member of staff from the Governance Division, meets quarterly affording the opportunity for cross service information sharing. In particular the Group discusses requests received and is provided with updates in terms of decisions and guidance issued by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The FOI Manual and associated letters and forms produced by the Division are currently being updated to take account of changes in FOI and to include guidance in relation to Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations (EIRs).
Performance information relating to Freedom of Information requests for the period April to December 2011 is provided at Appendix 2| and indicates the total number of information requests received. These are broken down into requests relating to Governance and those that relate to other Services but received centrally.
Performance: Licensing (Civic and Liquor)
As previously reported, the Licensing Section became part of Law and Administration Services (now Chief Executive Office (Governance)) in July 2010. Performance information was not previously reported. Work is currently being carried out to develop meaningful performance indicators to report to this Forum. In the interim, statistical information for Civic Licensing is shown below.
Civic
During the period 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011 a total of 726 applications for the following licences, permits and notifications of intention to march were all processed and determined within statutory timescales. Of this 674 applications and 24 march notifications were determined under delegated powers and 28 were determined by the civic licensing committee of which 2 were refused.
|
|
New
|
Renewal
|
Temporary
|
Total
|
|
Civil Marriages
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
|
House in Multiple Occupancy
|
1
|
5
|
|
6
|
|
Late Hours Caterring
|
4
|
15
|
|
19
|
|
Miscellaneous Permission
|
10
|
|
|
10
|
|
Public Charitable Collection
|
|
|
36
|
36
|
|
Public Entertainment
|
2
|
|
|
2
|
|
Raised Structure
|
2
|
|
|
2
|
|
Second Hand Dealer
|
5
|
11
|
|
16
|
|
Skin piercing and Tattooing
|
1
|
5
|
|
6
|
|
Street Trader (Mobile)
|
3
|
8
|
1
|
12
|
|
Street Trader (Static)
|
2
|
3
|
8
|
13
|
|
Theatre
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Window Cleaner
|
1
|
10
|
|
11
|
|
Private Hire Drive
|
26
|
30
|
|
56
|
|
Private Hire Car Operator
|
6
|
13
|
|
19
|
|
Taxi Driver
|
19
|
240
|
|
259
|
|
Taxi Operator
|
11
|
219
|
|
230
|
|
|
|
Notification of Intention to parade
|
24
|