Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillors Mel Allcott, Aled Evans, Peter Griffiths, Natalie McVey and Craig Warhurst.

None.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by e-mail indicating the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case Tuesday 12 July 2022).  Enquiries can be made through the telephone number/e-mail listed in this agenda and on the website.

None.

Previously circulated

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 23 May 2022 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

(Indicative timing: 10.05am – 10.15am)

It was agreed to add an Item on Redditch Library to the Work Programme for September 2022.  Two Items scheduled for September, Community Engagement and West Mercia Energy Joint Committee Business Plan, would be rescheduled.

(Indicative timing: 10.15am – 11.00am)

The Chairman explained that Councillor Emma Marshall was an executive Member of Redditch Borough Council.  If the discussion referred to Redditch Library, Cllr Marshall had been advised to declare an interest and not take part in the discussion at that point.

Members had received a comprehensive Agenda Report and data relating to the Libraries Strategy and Transformation programme.  The Panel was invited to ask questions, with the following main points being raised:

·         As of 31 May 2022, library visits had recovered to 58% of pre-pandemic levels and book issues to 77%.  Organised library based events and activities had recovered to around 50% with attendance at a similar rate.  Figures were broadly comparable with national trends and further surveys were planned for the remainder of 2022/23 to shape recovery plans

·         Engagement with Schools was vital to libraries and the Service had started to see an increase in school visits.  It was noted that there was a 5% increase in Primary aged active library users

·         The annual Summer Reading Challenge, a free reading for pleasure programme for children aged 4 to 11, had begun 9 July and Councillors were encouraged to promote the Challenge and celebratory events across their individual networks

·         Members agreed that libraries were an important community hub and were pleased to hear of examples of wider activity undertaken

·         Libraries Unlocked, Worcestershire’s new open library model, had been launched in Droitwich and Stourport libraries on 6 June 2022 resulting in an increase of 85% in opening hours.  During the first 2 weeks of operation, 731 customers had signed up and it was hoped that a programme of community and partner activities would develop across both sites.  It was agreed to share early user data with the Panel, however, over 1,000 visitors had already accessed the 2 libraries and agencies were actively approaching the Council to discuss service delivery.  Officers were very encouraged with the launch however the challenge would be to keep up the momentum and build on the success, especially the target to enrol 20% new library members

·         There had been a 100% increase in electronic issues (e-issues) and Senior Leaders were exploring why visitor numbers were not recovering as strongly, in order that the most appropriate targeted promotion could take place

·         Challenges in recruitment and long term sickness had been experienced across the Service, however, the picture was improving

·         Corporate communications and promotion to residents who were at risk of being digitally excluded was under consideration

·         The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Communities had only recently taken on the portfolio, however, had already visited several of the 21 Worcestershire libraries, including Stourport.  He was very encouraged with the Libraries Unlocked programme and would be keen to review the data in six months.  There was an ambition for libraries not just to be about books, but also meeting rooms and venues for activities and he was supportive of this as an efficient way of meeting community need.  The Panel was in agreement, however noted the hard targets  ...  view the full minutes text for item 374.

(Indicative timing: 11.00am – 11.40am)

The Chairman reported that the Panel was only interested in looking at performance which was below 100% and requested that future reports only report performance which was of public interest.  In addition, that actual numbers be provided alongside percentages to further understand the demands of each service.

Communities Performance and Budget Monitoring

A Member queried the deterioration in Countryside Standards Achieved to be informed that it would depend on usage, but Officers were not overly concerned.  Health and safety checks undertaken were anticipated to show an improvement in time for the next reporting period.  Further information would be provided outside of the meeting.

In response to a query on Marriage/Civil Partnership notice appointments, the Panel learned that Officers were trained to notice unusual activity and any potential illegal activity.  There was a low prevalence in Worcestershire, however, assurance was provided that checks and balances were in place.

The Assistant Director explained that the variance reported at year end, circa £0.7m underspend, was broadly as a result of utilising covid grants to offset loss of income within various elements within the remit of Communities.  A relatively small number of grants had been carried forward into 2022/23.  All grants were allocated for specific purposes and had to be used appropriately.

Corporate Performance and Budget Monitoring

Attention was drawn to the 71.5% response rate to a Staff survey, indicating an engaged workforce. 

A Member highlighted that traffic across social media channels was performing well above target each quarter and queried whether the target should be more challenging.  In response, the Strategic Director agreed to look at the target set and stated that he was keen to be pro-active.

Concern was raised that Council performance was not being routinely reported on the Council’s website.  The most recently published Balanced Scorecard was March 2020 and although regular reporting, such as the reports to Overview and Scrutiny Panels, were available, was there a lack of transparency.  The Strategic Director explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had paused the requirement to produce the Balanced Scorecard on the website, however, as the Council’s Corporate Plan had recently been agreed, it was anticipated that the new Scorecard would focus on the 5 areas of performance.  The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Corporate Services and Communication explained that he was keen to establish what data was available and how best to communicate it in a meaningful way to residents, potentially in real time.  The Panel was supportive of this approach and the CMR encouraged all Councillors to share information through their own networks

In response to a query about performance in Local Area Network (LAN) availability, which had been reported as slightly below target for the last two quarters, the Strategic Director reported that performance above 99% was still very good and he was satisfied that there was no cause for concern.

Staff sickness rates at the end of 2021/22 had averaged 7.95 days per person (full time equivalent) compared to 6 days in the previous year.  The Panel heard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 375.

(Indicative timing: 11.40am – 12.15pm)

The Strategic Director introduced the Item by explaining that all local authorities required a case management system and in 2018, the Council’s existing system was in need of replacement.  Consideration was given to the Council’s requirements and a new system was procured.  Liquidlogic, a provider of software for local authority social care, was more resilient, as it was a cloud based product, and over time different elements could be added, such as financial modules.  Overall, the process of migrating from the old system to Liquidlogic went well and improvements were now being made.  Initially, adult services data and financial management migrated in November 2019, followed by children’s services data in March 2020.

The Agenda Report also highlighted the additional benefits of Liquidlogic and the ambition for the future, especially the integration of health records, resulting in a seamless approach across health and social care.

A Member asked about current integration with the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) to be informed that Staff had access to Liquidlogic but do not record on to it, however it was beneficial that there was a single overview of the child.

When asked about accessibility and ease of use, it was reported that professionals found the system to be smart, intuitive, with simple language and a single log on, and as it was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week it was very efficient.  Officers who handled telephone calls from residents also reported a positive experience.

A Member asked Officers whether Liquidlogic was robust or whether there were any known gaps, to be informed that it was beneficial to be able to have one system which tracked an individual through time rather than the need to input data at each transition.

The Panel was assured that the Council took account of privacy and data protection and many measures were in place to protect all Council systems.  Governance was in place locally and central Government guidance in relation to cyber-attacks was followed.  The Council had retention and destruction schedules alongside protocols for data sharing.  When asked what the process was in case of a cyber-attack, Officers would instigate the agreed cyber incident procedure, including, if appropriate, engaging with the Local Resilience Forum.  In addition, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was an important resource to ensure business continuity.