Document Community Services 2024/25 Service Area Plan and Service KPIs

The Committee’s approval was sought for the Community Services Area Plan for 2024/25 and relevant key performance indicators.

In accordance with the corporate business planning process, Officers provided detail with regard to the objectives proposed for the 2024/25 Community Services Service Area Plan.

Members noted a summary of the process and the considerations given in writing the service area plan for the forthcoming year.

Officers advised that owing to the Council’s financial position no budgetary growth had been requested for 2024/25.  Instead, the objectives and direction of Community Services was to maximise existing budgets and resources, and create efficiencies where possible. 

Officers asserted however, that the Council’s challenges had not impaired the ambition of the team, who through the Service Area Plan, showed their commitment and aspiration to making improvements and enhancements in communities and to the lives of individual residents.

The Committee noted that on average, Service Area Plans in other business centres had approximately 25 objectives for the year.  However, the Community Servies Plan had 54 objectives, including those carried forward from the current municipal year.

It was agreed that the number not only reflected the ambition, but also the breadth of services under the Community Services umbrella.  However, Officers were keen to stress that it might not be possible to complete all 54 objectives in the year ahead, when considering day to day activity and service need, resources available and further priorities coming forward throughout the year.  Where there were further objectives or work strands, consideration would have to be given to the impact of this on the service area plan as drafted.

Members noted that in the event that any of the objectives required investment of funding to achieve them, this would have to be provided from within service budgets, if possible, given the no growth position adopted by the Council.

Officers advised that the plan was in essence a two-tier approach; split into primary and secondary objectives, with the primary objectives being the minimum expectation for the year ahead, of which there were 22.  The primary objectives could be considered the “must do” objectives for the year ahead, against which departmental and individual performance would be monitored. 

Officers intended that in progress report to future meetings, the primary objectives would be reported on, as well as any secondary objectives where work had commenced. 

The proposed service KPIs that would be reported to Community Services Committee in 2024/25 were also outlined in some detail.  These largely mirrored those used for 2023/24, and targets/baselines would be set following the completion of Quarter 4. 

Members commended the plan and were confident the business centre could rise to the challenge accordingly.

Resolved that:

i)             the 2024/25 Service Area Plan for Community Services, be approved; and

ii)            the 2024/25 Service Area Key Performance Indicators, be approved