BOROUGH OF KETTERING

MONITORING AND AUDIT COMMITTEE

Meeting held: 7th July, 2004.

Present:	Councillors Anderson, Beale, Burton, Coe, Harrison, King, Pote, Tebbutt and Wiley. 

04.MA.1	ELECTION OF CHAIR

RESOLVED	that Councillor Coe be elected Chair of this Committee for this  meeting only.

04.MA.2	APOLOGIES  AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hales, J. Henson and Jones. Councillors King, Anderson and Wiley were their respective substitutes.

04.MA.3	MINUTES

RESOLVED	that the minutes of the meeting held on 20th April 2004, be approved and signed by the Chair.

04.MA.4	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

		None.

04.MA.5	APPOINTMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE TO KLV LIAISON GROUP

RESOLVED	that Councillor Pote be appointed as a member of the KLV Liaison Group.

04.MA.6	SATISFACTION SURVEYS(A1)

Members received two presentations in respect of Satisfaction Surveys. The first of the presentations concentrated on the areas of Planning, Housing (Tenants) and Benefits, and the second was in respect of General Best Value Performance Indicator User Satisfaction.

With regard to Planning, the survey showed that the substantial majority of planning applicants were satisfied with the service provided. However, it was noted that there needed to be an improvement in respect of the level of satisfaction with regard to keeping people informed about the progress of their applications. This would be incorporated into Performance Improvement Plans.

The Survey in respect of Housing (Tenants) showed that a high number of people were satisfied with the overall service. It identified that the top three causes of dissatisfaction were litter/rubbish, vandalism and dogs. More information was being sought in respect of these issues to enable them to be properly addressed.

With regard to the survey on benefits, it was noted that not all figures were available as yet. However, those submitted indicated that their was a high degree of satisfaction with the service currently. It was noted that no survey had been undertaken in respect of the value for money that Council Tax payers perceived they got from the Council, although it was acknowledged that it is often difficult to obtain an accurate assessment of this due to misunderstandings with the roles and functions of the different bodies.

The General Best Value Performance Indicator Survey covered the areas of general satisfaction with the Council, the extent to which it kept people informed, complaints handling, waste/recycling services, cultural and recreational activities/venues and provided a summary of indicators. It was noted that the Council’s performance as an organisation compared with national figures, showed satisfaction to be around the third and fourth quartile level generally, but that on specific services, satisfaction was in the top or second quartiles. It was noted that there was a marked difference between people’s view of services and their view of the organisation as a whole. The Audit Commission’s national data analysis showed there was a high degree of correlation between satisfaction levels and the degree to which people felt well informed.

Finally, members noted that there had been a general decline (since 2000/01 when the surveys were last done) in public satisfaction with local authorities and that Kettering’s decline at 9% overall satisfaction had been less than the national average of 12%.

04.MA.7	AUDIT AND INSPECTION PLAN 2004/05(A2)
	
	Members received the Audit Commission’s Audit and Inspection Plan for Kettering Borough for 2004/05. The plan outlined the Commission’s themes of assurance, improvement and assessment, and set out the audit work it planned to undertake at Kettering Borough in 2004/05, reflecting the results of the risk-based approach to audit planning.

	Members noted that the Audit fee had been reduced due to the Councils ‘Good’ result in its Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

RESOLVED	that the Audit and Inspection plan for 2004/05 be noted.

04.MA.8	MONITORING AND AUDIT WORK PROGRAMME 2004/05 (A3)

	Members were requested to consider the Committee’s Work Programme for 2004/05, and were supplied with a copy of the existing Work Programme, a list of potential items for scrutiny contained within the Council’s Corporate Priorities and service delivery/organisational issues to be considered. Additionally members noted that they received prior to each meeting a booklet that summarised overall performance on service delivery, plus monitoring reports on certain services that were corporate improvement priorities.

	It was also noted that a report would need to be considered monitoring the performance of voluntary agencies against the terms of their grant.

	Having considered the information submitted, it was 

RESOLVED	that the Committee’s Work Programme for 2004/05 comprises the following items :-

New Scrutinies

Decent Homes Standard
Grounds Maintenance
Communications and PR
Project Management

Special Reports

Affordable Housing in Rural Areas
Monitoring of Performance against terms of grant-aid - Voluntary Sector organisations

Monitoring Reports

Benefits Performance
Housing Arrears
Development Control

Performance Information Booklet

e-government updates to be added to current information contained in booklet
Sickness Absence monitoring

04.MA.9	PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT DATA (A4)	
		
Members had received the Key Performance Information Booklet for June 2004. 

Members noted that their previous comments with regard to identifying corporate priorities in connection with the summary of Key Performance Indicators had been taken on board.

Members received information in respect of the following points raised at the meeting :-

•	Surveillance re fly-tipping
•	Crematorium income
•	Payment of Invoices
•	Average time to process new benefit claims
•	Planning issues raised in the local press

04.MA.10	PERFORMANCE IN DEVELOPMENT CONTROL  (A5)

A report was submitted that updated members in respect of performance in the Development Control Service Unit, which for the first quarter of 2004/05 had resulted in meeting the BVPI09 targets. The report presented information with regard to work undertaken in the Unit since the last report, and in particular, focussed on measures to improve the determination of major or potentially controversial applications.

Further updated information was presented in respect of the number of applications received, the speed of determining applications and the level of planning delivery grant received.

Members noted that the performance of the Unit’s recently established Contact Centre was improving. Members were also appraised of progress with reviewing the Scheme of Delegation and its impact on members and Town/Parish Councils in particular. Further guidance would be developed in due course for consultees. 

Members noted that work was being undertaken with regard to engaging with key consultees such as the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency to improve response times and to deal with issues affecting all parties generally.

It was hoped that the Council’s new website could be used to improve information to the public in respect of planning matters.

			RESOLVED		that the report be noted.

04.MA.11	HOUSING ARREARS (A6)

A report was submitted that provided members with key performance information on current and former tenants rent arrears, and advised on remedial action taken.

Members noted that work was being undertaken on an apparent seasonal trend that had arisen in respect of arrears in the under £300 range. Members noted the introduction of a pilot Life Skills Training Programme for tenants, and requested that consideration be given to further publicity for this initiative, and also the introduction of a condition that tenants who default seriously with regard to arrears should attend such a course.

Members noted the Crystal Mark award for the new conditions of tenancy document.

			RESOLVED		that the report be noted.

04.MA.12	BENEFITS PERFORMANCE (A7)

A report was submitted that updated members in respect of  performance  within the Income and Debt Management Unit	 to the end of May 2004. Members received updated figures for the period up to the end of June 2004 that indicated that collection rates were meeting targets.

Members noted the information supplied with regard to the writing-off of debt within the context of the number and amount of these, in comparison to the total number of Council Tax payers and the total debit for the Borough. Members were informed that there was a regular chronological review of cases.

It was noted that in respect of performance with regard to Benefits, the Unit was still in the upper quartile nationally. With regard to staffing, there were currently two agency workers employed an a temporary basis to assist with the implementation of the Document Management System, and to provide cover for staff involved in its introduction.

Members were informed of a recent successful prosecution in respect of benefit fraud in conjunction with the Department of Work and Pensions. It was noted that other prosecutions were pending.

Members were also appraised of recent progress in respect of improvements to the IT provision for the Unit, and were informed that the provision  of ‘mobile’ IT equipment was being considered for outreach work.

		RESOLVED		that the report be noted.

(The meeting started at 7.00pm and ended at 8:50pm)

Signed________________________________________________
Chair

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