Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Our Plan and Your Part In It: SBC's Corporate Performance and Improvement Report 2019/20

Consider report by Executive Director, Corporate Improvement & Economy (copy attached).

Minutes:

8.1       With reference to paragraph 7 of the Minute of 11 February 2020, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director, Corporate Improvement & Economy, presenting a high level summary of Scottish Borders Council’s  2019/20 performance information with more detail contained within Appendices 1a, 1b, 2a and 3 attached to the report.  The Executive Director explained that this report would ordinarily have been produced for the June 2020 Executive Committee but had been delayed until September 2020 due to COVID-19 impacts.  He handed over to the Senior Business Services Officer, Alasdair Collison, to highlight the main points of the report which included reporting on the progress of change and improvement projects across Scottish Borders Council (SBC) under the Fit for 2024 programme.  During 2019/20, SBC had continued to press ahead with a range of important initiatives and innovation, including:

 

(a)          The progression of a number of key capital projects including the completion of Jedburgh Grammar Campus.  Works progressed on other key projects including the Great Tapestry of Scotland and preparation work for the Hawick Flood Protection scheme;

 

(b)       Progressing the implementation of the Inspire Learning programme, with every secondary school teacher and student receiving an iPad, enabling SBC to have a dedicated platform to allow for consistent managed remote learning opportunities for all secondary teachers and students;

 

(c)       Continued engagement around the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and to take forward the Borders Innovation Park project as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. SBC had taken a lead role in the establishment of the Covid-19 Team South of Scotland Leadership Group. The aim of the Group was to secure and stabilise the economy of the South of Scotland in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences, in order to provide a foundation for the future work of the South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership;

 

8.2       The information contained within the report and the appendices were also available on the SBC website and could be accessed at www.scotborders.gov.uk/performance.  The appendices reflected a quarterly reporting format structured around the four corporate themes.  Mr Collison referred to the summary of successes and challenges which were listed in the report. In terms of successes, he drew attention in particular to the Waste and Recycling figures for 2019 which showed an improved performance following the introduction of the residual waste approach which commenced in July 2019.  Household recycling improved in 2019 to 47.61% from 38.80% in 2018.  Recycling at Community Recycling Centres increased to 63.56% in 2019 from 57.95% in 2018.  Household waste landfilled reduced to 28.67% in 2019 from 60.84% in 2018. In terms of challenges, Mr Collison referred to the percentage of Freedom of Information requests completed on time, which had improved in 2019/20 to 88% from 85.8% the previous year but this remained below the target. The report went on to give a summary of activity and impact of the Community Action Team (CAT) which was provided in Appendix 3 to the report.

8.3       Members welcomed the comprehensive report and the ease of interpretation of performance against indicators within the infographics.  They commented on the overall improving picture across the services and noted that the information would be available for public viewing on the Council’s website.  In particular they were pleased to note the improved recycling rates and asked for the signs at recycling centres to be updated as soon as possible to convey to the public the improving level.  In response to a question about landfill tax, officers agreed to check and report back to Members about how much tax was saved by household waste not going to landfill. 

 

DECISION

NOTED:-

 

(a)       the progress update relating to Change and Improvement Projects, referenced in Section 5 and detailed further in Appendix 1 to the report; 

 

(b)       the changes to performance indicators outlined in Section 6 of the report; and

 

(c)     the performance summarised in Sections 7 and 8 of the report and detailed within Appendices 1, 2a and 3 and the action that was being taken within services to improve or maintain performance.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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