Report	Agenda Item

Report to:	Performance and Review Scrutiny Forum

Date of Meeting:	8 August 2023

Report by:	Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources)

Council Plan Connect 2022/2027: Quarter 4 Progress Report 2022/2023

1.	Purpose of report

The purpose of the report is to:-

provide the Council Plan Connect Quarter 4 Progress Report 2022-23, for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

2.	Recommendations

2.1	The Forum is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):

(1)	that the Connect Quarter 4 Progress Report 2022-23 summarised at paragraph 4.5. and can be viewed CMIS>Meeting Calendar Agenda Item 3 Q4 Appendix 1;

(2)	that the key achievements, as detailed in paragraph 4.6. of this report be noted;

(3)	that the additional scrutiny of measures that have changed status between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4 as summarised at paragraph 4.7. and detailed at Appendix 1 of this report, be noted; and

(4)	that the Strategic subset of LGBF Results, as detailed at paragraph 5.1 and CMIS>Meeting Calendar Agenda Item 3 Q4 Appendix 3, be noted

3.	Background

3.1.	The Council Plan Connect covering the period 2022-27 was approved by South Lanarkshire Council at its meeting on 15 June 2022. The plan sets out the council’s vision, values, priorities and outcomes for the five-year period.

3.2.	As part of the performance reporting arrangements introduced in 2007, it was agreed that progress reports on the Council Plan would be provided at the mid-year point (Quarter 2) and at the end of the financial year (Quarter 4).

3.3.	As the forum is aware, from March 2020 onwards at times the council was forced to suspend or reduce a number of services that could not be continued in full due to the Covid pandemic. The council was also obliged to redirect resources so that it could deliver vital new services and supports for individuals, communities and businesses. Despite the return of services through the council’s Recovery Plan there is a Covid legacy in terms of a residual impact on some services and a significant build-up of demand, as a result of which there remains an inevitable impact on performance in some areas.

4.	Quarter 4 progress 2022-23

4.1	The Council Plan offers flexibility, both at the Resource level and from one year to the next, in the choice of actions and measures required to deliver the council’s priorities. Alongside this flexibility, however, comes the requirement to ensure that the golden thread from Council Plan to Resource Plan remains unbroken.

4.2.	The reporting framework for the Council Plan identifies key measures within Resource Plans which are taken and combined in a Connect report to provide a balanced picture of council performance against Connect outcomes.

4.3.	A total of 234 measures have been identified from the 2022-23 Resource Plans. Of those, 66 (28%) have been nominated as key strategic measures for reporting progress against Connect.

Progress to date against all measures is contained in the Connect Quarter 4 Performance Report 2022-23, and can be viewed at CMIS>Meeting Calendar Agenda Item 3 Q4 Appendix 1. This report has been produced from the council’s performance management reporting system IMPROVe, and uses a traffic light format with the following definitions to give a status report on each measure:

Status	Definition
Blue	Project complete
Green	The timescale or target has been met as per expectations
Amber	There has been minor slippage against timescale or minor shortfall against target
Red	There has been major slippage against timescale or major shortfall against target
Report later	The information is not yet available to allow us to say whether the target has been reached or not. This will be reported when available
Contextual	Included for ‘information only’, to set performance information in context

4.5.	To ensure adequate scrutiny of performance across all Resources, individual Resource committees receive details of all ‘red’ measures relating to that Resource including management actions, where applicable. In addition, the forum may consider those measures across all Resource Plans reporting a ‘red’ and/or ‘amber’ status.

The overall summary of Connect progress to date is as follows and performance should be considered in the context of the impact of responding to Covid 19:

Status	Statistical measures	Project measures	Total measures	%
Blue	N/A	8	8	12%
Green	23	22	45	68%
Amber	4	4	8	12%
Red	2	0	2	3%
Report later/Contextual	3	0	3	5%
Totals	32	34	66	100 %

(Data correct as at 20 July 2023)

4.6.	Progress for 2022-23 on each of the six Connect Outcomes and the related achievements has been summarised in the following tables:

4.6.1.

Connect outcome	Communities and environment
Number of measures	Blue 2	Green 8	Amber 0	Red 2	Report Later 1	Total 13
Achievements	The Roads, Transportation and Fleet Service were successful in winning the award for ‘Most Effective in Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement’ at the Scottish Transport Awards which were held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow on 29 September 2022.

The roads service completed the implementation of 20mph “zones” at approximately 90 schools and 20mph cordons in six town centres (Carluke, Lanark, Bothwell, Strathaven, Larkhall and Uddingston).

A comprehensive five-year Litter Strategy for South Lanarkshire was approved by the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee in August 2022. The strategy outlines how the council, its partners, and the wider community can tackle the issues.

The new Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy was approved by the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee in June 2022. The strategy was prepared following extensive public engagement and builds on the successes of the previous strategy.

The Climate Emergency Community Grants scheme has been a success with 32 community groups having successfully applied for funding during 2022-23. A mid-term report on the progress and impact of the fund was presented to the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee in November 2022.

Over 500 primary aged children attended the Conference of Schools (COS 1) event in October 2022. Schools took a pledge to change their behaviour in working towards more sustainable practice and promoting this in the wider community.

During 2022, 1.84% of household waste was sent to landfill, which is significantly below (better than) the target of 10%. At the same time, however, the amount of household waste that was recycled has declined slightly and is lower than our target of 50%.

On 13/7/22, Justice Services participated in an Adult Support and Protection World Café Event with a variety of care homes. This included a presentation on Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) procedures as they relate to care homes, with a particular focus on Environmental Risk Assessments to enhance knowledge of care home workers to risk assess service users, subject to MAPPA, who require residential care. It also involved a Q and A with care home staff.

In pursuit of developing bespoke locality planning, two partnerships have been established in Cambuslang/Rutherglen and Clydesdale, chairpersons are in place and have joined the Community Planning Partnership Board.

4.6.2.

Connect outcome	Education and learning
Number of measures	Blue 1	Green 3	Amber 1	Red 0	Report Later 0	Total 5
Achievements	Scottish Education Awards 2022: The Making a Difference (Primary) Award was won by Netherburn Primary School. The award is for a primary school, or other establishment, (for example, special school or all-through school), that can demonstrate its effectiveness in transforming the life chances of the children and young people which it serves.

Scotland’s Enterprising Schools Awards 2002: The Most Enterprising School Awards was won by Strathaven Academy. Awarded in response to the great work being done across the entire school to celebrate enterprise and ensure that enterprise is becoming embedded into the curriculum as standard.

Developing Literacy: 770 people attended two family orientated events at Lanark Loch and Overtoun Park, Rutherglen to mark this year’s International Literacy Day – Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces. The adult literacy team provided a range of literacy-based learning activities to help support adults and children’s learning.

591 learners enrolled in English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) classes during 2022-2023. 330 of these learners have reported improved English skills as a result of their attendance at these classes with others making steady progress.

Progress continues in terms of closing the equity gap and improving learner outcomes. Engagement activities show 27,972 young people and 9,689 parents/carers voted as part of the participatory budgeting process and are now active participants in helping to determine how monies are spent to support priorities in school improvement plans.

4.6.3.

Connect outcome	Health and wellbeing
Number of measures	Blue 0	Green 12	Amber 0	Red 0	Report Later 1	Total 13
Achievements	The annual progress report which summarises all the actions taken in terms of air quality has been submitted to Scottish Government and positive responses have been received from Scottish Government and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Air Quality Action Plan measures are ongoing including Eco Stars, Walkcycle4air, Love to Ride South Lanarkshire, engine idling campaign works, vehicle emission testing. Beat the Street East Kilbride was delivered successfully with 11,803 (15.7%) of local population participating. 151,688 miles were travelled sustainably with an 11% reduction in adult motorised vehicle use reported.

Service users from Canderavon Intermediate Care (IC) were transferred to the intermediate care unit within the new innovative Blantyre LIFE in March 2023. The move went very well for service users and staff, and we are now working towards full capacity, alongside key partners, to ensure enhanced service delivery is available within the facility.

Care Facilities Modernisation Programme: At our new care campus in Blantyre, the 20-technology enabled properties are now fully occupied – In fact, our first residents having been in occupancy for one year.

New governance arrangements between South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture were approved at the full Council meeting on 15 June 2022.

A highly successful conference on Nurturing mental health: the power of positive relationships was held in September and provided schools with a range of supports and resources designed to help young people’s mental health.

4.6.4.

Connect outcome	Children and young people
Number of measures	Blue 0	Green 5	Amber 0	Red 0	Report Later 0	Total 5
Achievements	Corporate Parenting: A dedicated young person’s service has been established for young people in conflict with the law who are aged 12-18 years. This service promotes age-appropriate responses and child-centred responses for children who may pose a risk of harm to others. A pan-Lanarkshire pilot aimed at reducing the criminalisation of young people in accordance with The Promise commenced in November 2022. This approach aims to retain young people in the children’s hearing system and prevent them from having to appear in court.

The Youth Family and Community Learning Service won the highly prestigious Scottish Education Community Learning and Development Award for the Mobilize Music Project. The award recognises and celebrates the integral contribution of Community Learning and Development (CLD) to improving the educational outcomes and life chances of our children and young people.

General Teaching Council in Scotland - Excellence in Professional Learning Award for Schools and Learning Communities - Larkhall Academy and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School achieved the General Teaching for Scotland, Excellence in Professional Learning Award and Quality Mark status. This award celebrates and recognises schools and learning communities that support and lead professional learning which has a significant and sustained impact on teachers, classroom practice and learners.

The range of work-based learning options have increased within the GradU8 and Foundation Apprenticeship programmes for South Lanarkshire pupils in their senior phase of education. Partnership working with South Lanarkshire College, New College Lanarkshire and Glasgow Kelvin College has been very successful to effectively deliver a locality based model for these programmes.

The uptake and delivery of nursery places for eligible two-year-olds within South Lanarkshire Council continues to rise and be above the National Standard. We have been able to allocate a place to all eligible families seeking a nursery place.

We provided financial support to 696 homeless households through the Tenancy Sustainment Fund (TSF) in 2022-23.

4.6.5.

Connect outcome	Housing and land
Number of measures	Blue 1	Green 9	Amber 3	Red 0	Report Later 1	Total 14
Achievements	In June 2022 work with residents of the council’s Gypsy/Traveller sites was recognised at a national level with the award of the Municipal Journal’s “Innovation in Building Diversity and Inclusion Award”

We ensured that those with the highest housing need are prioritised with 58.1% of lets to Urgent Housing (UH) need households.

92% of tenancies sustained for more than a year exceeding our target of 88%

95% of response repairs were completed right first time, exceeding our target of 90%.

We continued to increase the supply of affordable housing with the delivery of 176 new build units and an additional 57 properties have been acquired through market purchase.

Very positive outcomes against key regulatory tenant satisfaction indicators: Tenant satisfaction overall – 91.9% Keeping Tenants Informed – 96.1% Tenants satisfied with opportunity to participate – 97.3% Quality of Home – 90.6% Management of Neighbourhood – 89.5% Value for Money – 94.8% (Survey carried out on a 3 yearly basis)

The Local Housing Strategy 2022-27 was approved by Executive Committee on 30th November 2022. The first Annual Review will be presented to Executive Committee in June 2024.

4.6.6.

Connect outcome	Our economy
Number of measures	Blue 2	Green 8	Amber 1	Red 0	Report Later 0	Total 11
Achievements	The first face-to-face ‘Lanarkshire Women in Business’ event was held in June 2022, with more than 70 local businesses attending the event at the Strathaven Hotel. A follow up event was held at the Excelsior Stadium in August 2022. Lanarkshire Women In Business events are targeted to aspiring and existing business women as well as those working in business seeking personal and professional development.

The Blantyre Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan was approved at Community and Enterprise Resources Committee on 4 October 2022.

The Economic Strategy (2022-27) and the new South Lanarkshire Tourism Strategy were approved at Community and Enterprise Resources Committee in December 2022.

520 new South Lanarkshire business starts were supported by Business Gateway during 2022-23, exceeding the target of 500.

We support a range of Modern Apprentices in Care, Digital/IT, Construction and Business Administration, to help bring in a new talent pipeline of recruits to support the council’s workforce planning requirements.

Following the launch of the Warm Welcome Grant Initiative Scheme the council worked to enable voluntary and third sector organisations to provide a network of warm spaces across the council area to assist individuals during the cost of living and fuel prices crisis. 35 applications were processed and payments made totalling £32,545

4.6.7.	In addition to working towards the six Connect Outcomes, the council will continually aim to improve and ensure effective and efficient use of resources, and that business will be conducted with integrity and transparency and will operate to the highest standards. In order to monitor and report progress against these values, Resource Outcomes have also been identified, under the heading Delivering the Plan and achieving Best Value. Progress on this and the related achievements have been summarised in the following table:-

Delivering the Plan and achieving Best Value
Number of measures	Blue 2	Green 0	Amber 3	Red 0	Report Later 0	Total 5
Achievements	The council's Revenue Budget Strategy for 2023-24 was approved by Council on 22 February 2023. The Council Tax level for 2023-24 was declared on the same date, in line with Statutory deadlines.

The new Council Plan 2022-27 and the new Community Plan 2022-32 were completed and approved by the full Council on 15 June 2022.

Against an extremely challenging set of socio-economic circumstances, positive performance, against previous year, was achieved in relation to: the percentage of rent collected increased from 98.28% to 99.1% the percentage of Gross rent arrears (current and former) reduced from 8.91% to 8.66%

Licensing and Registration services implemented a remote birth registration service, providing customers with the option of registering a birth either in person or over the phone as well as a Short Term Lets Licensing Scheme and online application process.

The use of 'real-time' messaging within the council has been implemented within the Benefits and Council Tax Call Centre and is being rolled out to the Non Domestic Rates (NDR) and Customer Service Centre (CSC) teams. This enables call handlers to issue links to online forms/web content to callers to promote customer self-service for enquiries, such as applying for benefits/discounts and registering for myaccount.

Digital and ICT services meet the needs of the council and its customers: Implemented a new home care workforce scheduling system. Upgraded Audio Visual systems installed within the Council Chambers, with live streaming available on the youtube channel Refreshed network equipment across the schools estate. Completed the migration of all desktop PCs from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Delivered the ICT requirements for the new Care Hub in Blantyre Public Sector Network (PSN) accreditation was awarded

4.7.	Scrutiny of change in measure status

A further analysis introduced to aid scrutiny of performance, is to highlight and explain all measures that have changed status from Quarter 2 to Quarter 4. On analysis of these, six measures show a decline in performance, details of which are included at Appendix 1. The remaining measures under scrutiny showed an improvement in status between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, for example, changed from Green or Report later to Blue (complete) and need no further action.

5.	Strategic subset of Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) Results

5.1.	As agreed at the Performance and Review Scrutiny Forum on 21 March 2023, this report includes CMIS>Meeting Calendar Agenda Item 3 Q4 Appendix 3, which focuses on a subset of LGBF indicators aligned to the outcomes in the Council Plan. This provides an opportunity to review benchmarking indicators which are of strategic importance to the council and gives insight into the council’s performance over time as well as comparison with national average.

5.2.	As well as featuring in this report, LGBF indicators continue to be reported annually in full to the Performance and Review Scrutiny Forum and included in the council’s public performance reporting arrangements, published on the council’s website.

6.	Employee implications

6.1.	The priorities noted within the Council Plan inform the Resource Plans and in turn the Performance Appraisal process for individual employees.

7.	Financial implications

7.1	Provision for meeting the Council Plan’s outcomes is reflected in both the Revenue and Capital budgets, and longer term, within the framework of the council’s approved Financial Strategy.

8.	Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications

8.1.	There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications arising from this report.

8.2.	The council acknowledges the serious and immediate threat of climate change and is committed to accelerating the pace of action in response to the climate emergency and in Scotland’s transition to a net-zero and climate resilient society and economy. All Resource Plans have recognised sustainable development and climate change as a key area of focus for 2023-24.

9.	Other implications

9.1.	A significant element of the delivery of the outcomes in the Community Plan 2022 to 2032 will come through the achievement of the actions contained within Connect.

10.	Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements

10.1.	Equality Impact Assessments will be undertaken in line with the various actions within Connect as appropriate.

10.2.	Many of the priorities, outcomes and actions detailed within the plan reflect ongoing work programmes implemented to address local and national priorities. Extensive consultation, therefore, has already taken place in relation to a significant proportion of the priorities, outcomes and actions outlined in the plan.

Paul Manning

Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources)

20 July 2023

Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes

The Council Plan 2022-27 reflects the overarching vision of South Lanarkshire Council and details its values, priorities and outcomes, including links to the Community Planning Partnership

Previous references

Performance and Review Scrutiny Forum 16 August 2022 - Connect Quarter 4 Progress Report 2021-22

List of Background Papers

Council Plan Connect 2022-27: approved by South Lanarkshire Council on 15 June 2022

Contact for Further Information

If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:-

Tom Little, Head of Communications and Strategy

Ext: 4904 (Phone: 01698 454904)

Email: tom.little@southlanarkshire.gov.uk

Performance: www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/performance

Appendix 1

Connect: Quarter 2 to Quarter 4 2022-23 - scrutiny of change in measure status

Measure	Q2 Status	Q4 Status	Q4 Comments
Performance has declined from Q2 to Q4
Percentage of our road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment	Report later	Red	This figure is derived from the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS) Road Condition Index (RCI) survey. The survey has now been completed and our overall RCI is 30.8% for 2021-23. This falls short of our target of 29.7% and is a depreciation of 1.1% in the overall condition of the road network. Individual road categories are generally also showing a concerning regression in condition, which is a product of cost of living versus budget.
Percentage gap between pupils from the least and most deprived areas entering positive destinations	Report later	Amber	The gap between pupils from the least and most deprived areas is slightly above the target set but is below the rate from the previous year. This remains a key focus for improvement in 2023-24
Number of unemployed people gaining sustainable employment	Green	Amber	584 people progressed to employment, against a target of 600
Factoring collection rate	Green	Amber	Despite increased revenue collection of £200k, Factoring collection fell £73k short of the annual target. This was largely attributable to a £55k increase in service charges and rechargeable repairs and the cost of living crisis with factoring bills viewed as a lesser priority debt by owners.
Complete procurement exercise to identify partner to meet SLC Digital Connectivity requirements	Green	Amber	Project delayed due to cost increases requiring further consideration of business justification. This will be picked up now new Head of IT Services in post.
Complete first phase of migration to Oracle Cloud Fusion system by February 2023	Green	Amber	The project was rescheduled and the go live date has shifted due to the delay.