Agenda and minutes

None.

None.

Agreed as an accurate record.

It was agreed that all items of business were considered in public.

Members were reminded at their meeting on 22 April 2009 it had been agreed that future performance information reports should include final performance information and trend data for 2008/09 along with key performance indicators for 2009/10. Both reports considered by Members included this information.

Deputy Chief Executive’s Office 

The quarterly performance information report provided a review of the actions taken to meet the Council Plan targets, the Local Area Agreement targets and National and Key Performance Indicators.

Reference was made to a Group plan target of working with Hillingdon Primary Care Trust to appoint a Joint Director of Public Health which was showing slippage. This was because it had proved difficult to recruit to the post because of the level of medical expertise required. This was a national problem not unique to Hillingdon.

The Chairman asked for an update report on Human Resources to be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee.

Finance & Resources

Reference was made to the new national indicators which had been developed to reflect the government’s national priorities. In relation to NI 14 Avoidable Contact, Members were informed that this was a measurement of the proportion of times that officers are contacted by customers that could have been avoided by previously providing better information, providing service on time rather than late and so on. The first measurement was carried out in March 2009, with a result of 30% avoidable contact for the specified range of services across the whole Council. The target was to cut this in half over the next three years.

Discussion took place on this target and Members were assured that the well trained contact centre staff were well equipped to provide the right information to customers on their initial contact. Communication covered telephone contact, letters and emails. Details on how this related to vexatious complainants would be sent to Members.

BV9 and 10 – Proportion of Council Tax and Business Rates collected; Members noted the excellent outturn figures which were very close to the target, despite the present economic situation.

Performance on Member Enquiries and Customer Complaints had recovered in the last few months after dropping well below the target of 95% in the middle of 2008-09 due to a change of staff in the Business Support Unit and poor management controls. Members were informed that officers had to respond to customer complaints within 10 days. Further details on these statistics would be sent to Members for their information.

Considerable management input had resulted in an improvement in levels of sickness absence and this was now 2.5% below the target. Reference was made to some staff in certain areas of the Civic Centre suffering with eye problems caused by humidity issues. Recent improvements to the air conditioning system, costing £120,000, would rectify this problem.

Members were informed that two teams within Finance & Resources (ICT Operational Delivery and Finance – Education and Children’s Service) had achieved all their Team Bonus Targets and their efforts would be considered by the judging panel. A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Members were presented with details of the Committee’s work programme for 2009/10, together with a draft scoping report on a review into the impact of a pandemic in Hillingdon and the effect on Council services, businesses and residents.

Discussion took place on the wide remit of the review and Members agreed that the review should just focus on Council services and residents.

Members were informed that a good starting point was the London Regional Resilience Flu Pandemic Response Plan which provided details of the London wide individual and multi-agency resilience and response plans for a potential flu pandemic. In addition Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) was involved in the planning process for responding to the effects of a pandemic and their input into the review would be useful.

The key stakeholders for the review would be the Council’s Civil Protection Manager, the Head of Information and Communications Technology, the Bereavement Manager, Head of HR, Education and Children’s Services. In addition Members asked that the Head of Democratic Services be invited to the next meeting to provide details of constitutional issues which may arise in the event of a pandemic particularly in relation to the decision-making process.

Members would need to be aware of the business continuity plans the Council had in place should a major pandemic occur and the steps which would be taken to safeguard staff and the public.

Multi-agency planning would be of paramount importance and the review would include engagement with the Health Protection Agency and the PCT to ensure joined up working.

A major part of the review would be the impact on education, particularly in relation to schools, where evidence suggested that children would have no residual immunity to influenza and the virus was likely to spread rapidly. The resultant impact would be closure of schools which would not only affect children, but also impact on services and businesses dependent on working parents.

In undertaking the review, Members asked that contact be made with other local authorities, not only in this country, but in other parts of the world to learn from their experiences.

 Resolved –

1.      That the scoping report be amended to reflect the Committee’s views.

2.      That the proposed timeframe & milestones contained in the scoping report be amended to reflect the Committee’s views.

3.      That the first witness session for the next meeting of the Committee involve the Council’s Civil Protection Manager, the Head of Information and Communications Technology, the Bereavement Manager, Head of HR, and an appropriate officer from Education and Children’s Services.     

Noted.