Decision details

RESOLVED:

That:

1. The Annual Performance Report for 2024/25 be noted, as attached in Appendix 1;

2. The report be presented to Select Committees in November with comments invited, and if received, those comments to be presented to full Council in November alongside the Annual Performance Report for information.

Reasons for decisions

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation presented the Annual Performance Report for 2024/25, noting that the Council was beginning to realise the benefits of its investment in digital technology. This investment had generated a powerful set of data to measure, monitor and analyse performance across a wide range of services, with Cabinet Members having access to up-to-date information through user-friendly dashboards.

The Cabinet Member advised that the report provided a clear and comprehensive overview of the Council’s performance over the past year, reflecting its continued commitment to putting residents first despite rising demand, financial pressures and evolving community needs. It highlighted progress in areas such as digital transformation, housing provision, safeguarding, adult social care and environmental sustainability, supported by a performance management framework that enabled evidence-based decision-making.

The Cabinet Member drew attention to several achievements, including the delivery of over 400 new homes, major regeneration projects at Hayes Town Centre and Grange Road, and strong performance in youth justice early intervention. Highways maintenance continued to outperform London averages, over 3,000 housing repairs were completed, and adult social care was rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, placing Hillingdon among the best performing councils nationally. Library engagement led London and in the Cabinet Member’s own portfolio, £10.9 million was recovered by the Council’s counter-fraud team, and 43% of Council transactions in the last quarter were placed with borough-based businesses, supporting the local economy. The Cabinet Member thanked colleagues and officers for their efforts in delivering high-performing services and driving innovation.

The Leader of the Council welcomed the report as a valuable reminder of the breadth of services provided and the achievements of Council staff. The Leader supported the recommendation for the report to go to full Council to demonstrate transparency and service standards. The Leader requested that future reports include more information on value for money, comparing costs with other authorities, and expressed confidence that this would be addressed by the Chief Executive as the report progressed forward.

Cabinet agreed to note the report, invited commentary from the select committees and referred the report to the full Council for wider review.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None, as it was good business practice to report performance to decision-makers.