Agenda item

The Panel had requested an update on performance and financial information for services relating to Commercial and Change, and Community Services.

Performance Monitoring

The Chairman referred to the presentation of the performance data provided and requested that the future reports were less confusing.  In response, the CMR for Corporate Services and Communication suggested that the Panel may wish to consider reviewing its performance data in Power-Bi.  It was therefore agreed that as a trial, this would be arranged for the next Panel meeting.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and the following main points were raised:

·         A Member queried why sickness rates were red and deteriorating.  In response the Assistant Director for Human Resources advised that the main reason was related to sickness absence due to Covid. During the Covid-19 pandemic (March 2020 – April 2022) Covid had been reported as authorised absence rather than sickness absence (and was therefore excluded from the data). Since April 2022, Covid related sickness was being reported as sickness absence and therefore included in the data provided. In addition, the rates of long term sickness had increased some of which was related to a small number of staff being ill for a long time or the impact of access to treatment resulting from Covid. Nationally, Worcestershire compared well to other authorities.

·         With regard to museum visits, it was confirmed that the number of visits  was increasing. Despite the impact of the pandemic, which had seen less face-to-face visits and more remote engagement, in person visits had increased. 

·         The Council was looking at maximise the use of vacant space in libraries by co-sharing spaces and meeting rooms. The Assistant Director for Communities acknowledged this was a challenge and was working closely with Property Services.

In-year Budget Monitoring

By way of introduction, the Deputy Chief Finance Officer made the following main points:

Commercial and Change (CoaCh)

·         The P4 forecast position for CoaCh was a broadly break even position

·         The most significant variances from the budget were:

Ø  A forecast £600k overspend in Legal and Democratic Services due to a significant increase in childcare cases which required pre-proceedings and court support. The overspend was planned to be offset in year by the use of the COVID grant reserve

Ø  £200k forecast inflationary pressures within Property Services which had been offset by a decrease in forecast costs expected within the reactive maintenance budget

Ø  CoaCh had contributed £430k towards the £5.1m target for corporate savings.

Communities

As at P4, the year end forecast for Communities was a broadly break even position after delivery of £25k towards the corporate savings target. This included the following managed risks, which had been managed by vacancy control and increased income in Registration Services:

·         An increase in the vacant space within county libraires, which was resulting in a reduction of income,

·         An increase in utility costs; and

·         An increase in the Hive PFI RPI rate higher than initially budgeted.

Chief Executive Unit (CEU)

The CEU was also reporting to deliver in line with its cash limit after identifying c£150k of savings within Human Resources and c£185k within Finance to contribute to the corporate savings target.