Agenda item

Consider report by Director – People, Performance & Change. (Copy attached).

2.1       With reference to paragraph 9 of the Minute of the meeting held on 16 November 2021, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Director – People, Performance and Change which presented a high level summary of Scottish Borders Council’s Quarter 3 2021/22 performance information with additional detail contained within Appendix 1-4 of the report.  A summary of the Community Action Teams’ activity was provided in Appendix 5 to the report.  The report also included highlights on the progress of change and improvement projects across Scottish Borders Council (SBC), under the Fit for 2024 programme, and monitored progress of the Recovery Plan.  SBC approved a revised Corporate Plan in February 2018, with four corporate themes.  In order to monitor progress against the four themes, performance and context information would be presented quarterly to the Executive Committee, with an annual summary in June each year.  During Quarter 3 2021/22, SBC had continued to press ahead with a range of important initiatives and innovations, including the utilisation of technology to automate and streamline processes; the launch of a Digital Skills programme aimed at improving the overall digital skills of the workforce; the engagement with Area Partnerships to extend place making opportunities to all Border communities and localities; and engagement with SBC Employees.  The information contained within the report was to be made available on the SBC website.

2.2       The Director - People, Performance and Change, Mrs Clair Hepburn, presented the report, drawing attention to the highlights and ongoing challenges contained therein and responding to questions. In response to a question from the Chairman regarding the monitoring of SBC’s newly agreed Council Plan, the Director confirmed that the reporting and monitoring of the transformation programme and performance targets would be realigned to reflect the new Plan.  There remained other areas that the Council was required by statute to continue reporting on, and that would be unaffected by the planned realignment. In response to a question regarding a potential increase in the number of foster carers, the Director Social Work and Practice clarified that SBC had a higher proportion of kinship carers than many other Council Areas, and that the recruitment for paid foster carers remained a challenge.  The high percentage of children looked after in the community rather than residential placements continued to be a positive.  Regarding high levels of staff absences in the Education department, the Director – People, Performance and Change, acknowledged that burnout, stress and high levels of pressure were having an impact.  Covid and self-isolation requirements had also impacted on front line staff absences.  In response to a question regarding the digital asset management system, the Director explained that the system was used to log and record all of the assets in a single department, to allow for more effective management and deployment of equipment.  Regarding the potential extension of the opening hours at the newly reopened customer Contact Centres, the Director explained that the operating parameters of the Centres were under review, and that due to higher rates of telephone and online contacts in-person usage of the facilities had not returned to pre-Covid levels.  In the context of communication with home working based staff on the topics of workload management and stress, the Director outlined that the usual mechanisms for reporting issues remained active and that there was an additional planned assessment to ascertain employee morale and sentiment.  In response to a question, the Director explained that the 24 digital champions referred to in the report was based on the “champion” model previously used, whereby employees could contact one of the designated champions – a non IT based employee and someone they were potentially familiar with - for advice on a problem, rather than contacting a more formal help desk.  It was expected that this model would help reduce barriers to staff seeking help with the use of technology.  Regarding the impact of Covid on areas designated as red in the RAG matrix, the Director acknowledged Covid pressures had impacted on those areas. In response to a question regarding low levels of capital receipts, the Director, Infrastructure and Environment undertook to investigate the marketing of properties and provide a response to Members.

DECISION

NOTED:-

(a)     the progress update relating to Change and Improvement Projects referenced at section 4 and detailed further in Appendix 1 of the report;

(b)     the changes to performance indicators outlined in Section 5 of the report; and

(c)     the performance summarised in Sections 6 and 7, and Approves the Quarterly Reports set out at Appendices 1-4 of the report and the action that is being taken within services to improve or maintain performance.