The Committee was provided with a report that gave an update against the Performance Management Framework, as introduced within the council’s Corporate Plan, for Quarter Four 2023-24 (January to March 2024).

Appendix 1 to the report provided Members of the Performance and Administration Cabinet Committee with an overview of the council’s performance against the Corporate Plan for Quarter Four 2023-24, covering the period January to March 2024.

The Interim Assistant Director (Corporate Services), the Head of Information Governance (& DPO) and the Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Shared Service guided Members through appendix one and highlighted key points from their respective service areas.

The Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Shared Service added that there was an error in the report concerning the Counter Fraud Team cashable savings: the actual cashable savings figure was approximately £188,310 in the form of additional council tax, housing benefit overpayments and temporary accommodation costs identified during the year.

The Director (Corporate Services) directed Members to ‘PI 54 – % of Corporate Improvement Programme savings target delivered’ which was a new performance indicator introduced under the new corporate plan. The PI was intended to assist the Committee with monitoring the delivery of one of the five key workstreams, under the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), to balance the budget. The Corporate Improvement Team (CIT) had brought forward new areas for review; at the last Cabinet meeting a decision was considered with regards to reviewing the Sports & Leisure area. The indicator at 4.6% for Q4 was reflective of the delivery of one of the outcomes from the CIT review of Community Safety taken as a ‘minded-to’ decision by the Cabinet made last year. Members were informed that there would be a report submitted at the next Cabinet meeting seeking to provide information on the changes to the council’s financial position over the last four years, actions taken so far to respond to this alongside further information to Members on how the required £3.7 million savings to the council’s budget would be delivered under the wider plans set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

In response to a Members question, concerning how blocking a right to buy prevented losses of £96,000, the Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Shared Service explained that the £96K was the discount the person would have received if the house was sold under right to buy. The person in question was blocked from buying the house as it was linked to one of two houses recovered; the person was in breach of their tenancy by not living in the house. In reality, the savings probably far exceed the £96K as it would cost the Council more to replace the property being sold but the discount figure is used for illustrative purposes.

In response to a Members question, concerning why no comparison national data was available for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, the Interim Assistant Director (Corporate Services) explained that the CTRS was a local scheme whereas housing benefit was a national scheme administered by the DWP.