To receive presentations from both the Cabinet Members for Corporate & Customer Services and Human Resources and ICT, Education & Achievement.

The Committee received presentations from the Cabinet Member (Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources (CCSHR) and Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement (ICTEA).

A report commenting on performance in 2007/08 and challenges for 2008 in the various service areas was appended to the report.

The Cabinet Member (CCSHR) highlighted the change which staff could expect to experience in the coming months, referring to the relationship between the accommodation strategy, Herefordshire Connects programme, and flexible working. She said that the changes would deliver savings.  In the main it was hoped that these would be achieved through natural turnover.  However, if this were not possible, compulsory change would be necessary.  It was intended to support staff through these changes and help them to acquire new skills. 

She also highlighted the intention to focus on data quality and security, areas of which inspectors were regularly critical.  The improvements in ICT would be part of the solution to this problem.

The Cabinet Member (ICTEA) commented on the importance of taking decisions to invest in ICT promptly given the risk to the sustainability of a number of current systems.  He considered that considerable savings would be achieved as a result of the proposed investment.

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·         With reference to the trialling of e-consultation facilities the Cabinet Member (CCSHR) acknowledged the wish that this should complement standard consultation methods.

·         Referring to projects identified for 2008/09 in the Corporate ICT Strategy Programme, concern was expressed at the absence of costings.  Assurance was also desired that the projects would proceed and the projected benefits would be delivered. 

·         A question was asked about expectations in respect of the Council’s future overall Comprehensive Performance Assessment rating, it having dropped from 3* to 2* in the 2007 assessment.  The Corporate Policy and Research Manager reported that the current expectation was that the 2008 assessment, to be published in 2009 and which would be mainly  based on performance on 2007/08, would show the Council retaining its 2* rating.  The overall trend in performance was upwards, however. The score for housing was expected to be higher than in the 2007 assessment but getting a 3* overall rating would require improvements in the scores for use of resources, children’s services and adult social care.

·         In response to a question the Cabinet Member (CCSHR)confirmed that it was intended to seek to achieve the investor in people standard corporately.

·         Questioned about performance overall and the decline in the Council’s public satisfaction rating the Cabinet Member (CCSHR)said that there had been a decline nationally in satisfaction ratings.  Where people directly experienced services they rated them highly.  She suggested there was a role for Members in promoting what was good as well as challenging what was not good.

·         The reference in the Cabinet Member (CCSHR) report to the need to improve scrutiny and the role of frontline members was discussed.  It was noted that improvement would be achieved through the Committee’s own improvement plan and the corporate work being undertaken with the Leadership Centre.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Members.