A review of the relevant Dorset Council performance dashboard to inform the Scrutiny Committee’s Forward Plan and identify items for deep dives.
Minutes:
Members reviewed the Performance
Dashboard.
The link to the dashboard is shown
below and members were advised that on the home page of the tool there was a button/box
called ‘2020/21 Dashboard’, this would provide access to performance
from the last financial year and would open in a new window:-
People & Health Scrutiny Performance
This information was also
accessible for members of the public.
Areas of discussion/questions
The monthly updates on the RAG
table were looked at.
Number of adults with learning
disabilities in paid employment, was below target, was
the target set too high? The Interim Executive Director for People, Adults
advised that over the past 18 months it had been difficult to progress
employment for residents with a learning disability. A new contract was due to go out to tender in
respect of this and it was important to have a stretching target in this area.
Following a discussion it was agreed that an update would be provided for
members at a later date when retendering the contract. Officers suggested that a deep dive on
progress would be helpful but stressed the need for in a few months time in order for the contract to settle in.
Following a question about whether
the new contract was for volunteering plus paid employment or just employment,
the Interim Executive Director for People, Adults advised that the message was
that the directorate was ambitious for Dorset residents. The focus was on paid employment, but
volunteering was also important. It was
important to build up community resilience.
Independent housing was still below
number.
Hospital discharges and bed
occupancy. The Chairman advised that at the next meeting of
the Committee on 1 November 2021 there would be a report on the Adult Care
Market which would include a hospital discharge element and where and how this
impacted services.
Freedom of information requests answered on time were
flagging as off-target for the Children’s Directorate. Members were advised that in some areas
response was much slower than would have been done in pre-covid
times. Work both corporately and within the directorate was needed in this
area. The consistency of approach was also highlighted. It would be helpful for
members to look at this in future months to see how it was progressing. The Chairman
undertook to speak with the Chairman of the Place and Resources Scrutiny
Committee to discuss a potential joint piece of work between both scrutiny
committees.
Housing –
reference was made to the duty of homelessness of residents and the likelihood
of any increases? Officers had been expecting an increase but it was not as
high as expected. There was concern regarding availability and affordability of
private lettings. Officers were finding a rise in family evictions, possibly as
a result of the pandemic. Currently there were 16 families in B&B, 6 were
there as a result of a family eviction. More preventive face to face work was
being carried out. There had been a shift from looking for rough sleeper
accommodation to searching for family accommodation. In respect of the number
of pregnant women in B&B accommodation who had been there for more than 6
weeks was 16.
Delivering of affordable housing the target of 300 was on track to be met but it was recognised there was still more to be done. Following a discussion it was agreed that a deep dive into this area would be helpful. The chairman undertook to liaise with the Corporate Director for Housing and Community Safety outside of the meeting.