To provide an update for the Cabinet and the Scrutiny Committee on:

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1 16. INFORMATION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CABINET (a) PROGRESS NOTE ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COUNCIL S COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURES Purpose To provide an update for the and the Scrutiny Committee on: 1. the work in progress to improve the Council s handling procedure. 2. the number of and resolved for the periods April to June 2014 (Q1) and July to September 2014 (Q2). Appendices A and B relate to this item. Improvements In January 2014 the approved 13 measures to improve the effectiveness of the Council s handling procedure. All but one of these have been either completed or initiated. The remaining measure was a proposal to implement a comprehensive computer system to collect and analyse the relevant data. However, in order to address this issue more immediately and avoid the cost of a centralised system, a pragmatic but effective approach has been adopted that enables the data presented later in this report to be produced. Work is in hand to enhance this process and to enable the analysis of trends and the identification of recurring. It is therefore proposed to continue with this approach and not to proceed with the development of a centralised computer system. Complaints and resolved The data for Q1 and Q2 are attached as Appendices A and B which show that the majority of are recorded against Environmental. One of the main reasons for this is that some service requests are currently registered as, thereby artificially inflating the numbers. Work is in hand to refine the process in order to capture more accurately the number of genuine. In summary, the results are as follows: Group Manager ( ) On behalf of the Member for Finance and Date range % within 10 working days Q1- April to June % Q2- July to September % The lower performance in Q2 was as a consequence of a reduction in staffing resource in the grounds maintenance section of Environmental during the busy summer period, due to a vacant managerial position. This post has now been filled and, along with an improved pre-emptive performance management arrangement whereby that reach eight days are flagged, this has resulted in significant improvements for the month of September (99%). Contact Officer: Mr C Head (ext 5806) List of Background Papers: None 1

2 QUARTER 1 APRIL TO JUNE 2014 COMPLAINTS DATA APPENDIX A Service of Apr-14 May-14 Jun-14 of of Environmental Insurance Computer Customer Housing Benefits Central Control Revenues & Exchequer Property Projects Legal Environmental Health Field Force Kingdom Security Community BLMSO Community Safety Parking Town Centres Communications Member Personnel & Payroll Planning and Building Control Total % within in 10 days 98% % within in 10 days 99% % within in 10 days 97% Q1 Totals Total 1243 responded to % 98%

3 QUARTER 2 JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2014 COMPLAINTS DATA APPENDIX B Service of Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 of of Environmental Insurance Computer Customer Housing Benefits Central Control Revenues & Exchequer Property Projects Legal Environmental Health Field Force Kingdom Security Community BLMSO Community Safety Parking Town Centres Communications Member Personnel & Payroll Planning and Building Control Total % within in 10 days 95% % within in 10 days 91% % within in 10 days 98% Q2 Totals Total 1134 responded to 1077 % 95% 3

4 (b) CORPORATE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Q2 2014/15 Policy Manager Purpose To report on the performance of Council services for July September Appendix C relates to this item. Performance below target During Quarter 2, performance against the following performance indicators did not reach the level required to meet the target for 2014/15: 4 Speed of processing new benefit claims (days) 5 Average time for processing change of circumstances in benefits claims (days) 7d Total usage of sports pitches 8a of missed waste and recycling collections (domestic waste) 8b of missed waste and recycling collections (recycling) 8c of missed waste and recycling collections (green waste) 12b Street and environmental cleanliness - levels of detritus 12d Street and environmental cleanliness - levels of weeds 21 Percentage of staff leaving 22b Telephone response performance - Benefits 22d Telephone response performance Laura Trott Leisure Centre 23 Percentage of receiving a response within 10 working days The details of performance against all the PIs, and a commentary, are provided at Appendix C. Represents performance which is above target for 2014/15. Represents mixed performance. Represents performance which is below target for 2014/15. This is the second quarterly report on the revised set of corporate performance indicators. This report will also be considered by the Scrutiny Committee on 9 December Contact officers: Mr T Ellis (Ext 5646) Ms J Ingham (Ext 5572 List of Background Papers None 4

5 (c) DECISIONS MADE IN CONSULTATION WITH CABINET MEMBERS Head of Support The table below lists all decisions taken by officers in concurrence with Members, since last reported to the. Title Description/Comments Member concurring Date signed 18 Fairways-Broxbourne Food Bank Olympic Educational Pledge Charge security for loan to Badger BC Investments Limited Affordable Housing funding for 45 Leaforis Road buyback Write off of Service Charge debts at Fawkon Walk Chamberlayne Court Business Start Up support Rent Free Period Vision4 Growth Room 25 Bishops College A lease granted to the Food Bank on the terms detailed in the report. Agreement to continue the Olympic Educational Pledge, which offers discounted use of leisure facilities to young people. Approval of the legal charge to secure the Council s loans to the wholly owned company Badger BC Investments Ltd To approve funding for B3 Living to purchase 45 Leaforis Rd, Cheshunt, using 25,000 of the recently approved clawback funds in return for the Council receiving nomination rights to the property. Agreement that the Council offers residential leaseholders at Chamberlayne Court a rebate on incurred service charges, and that the Group Manager for negotiates the precise details with the leaseholders. Support provided in the form of an extended rent/service charge free period until March 2015 Leader of the Council Chairman of the Grants Panel Leisure and Culture Finance and 3/9/ /10/2014 Leader of the Council 21/10/2014 Housing and Community Finance and Leader of the Council Finance and Leader of the Council Finance and 4/11/ /11/ /11/2014 (d) SCHEDULE OF CONTRACTS LET Head of Support Contracts over 25,000 in value awarded since last reported to the. (i) Internal Audit 6/8/2014 To provide Internal Audit services in 2014/15. PwC 41, TIAA Ltd 26, Mazars Did not tender The contract was awarded to TIAA Ltd. (ii) Broxbourne Enterprise Centre 11/8/

6 Basepoint 1,327, Wenta 1,225, The contact was awarded to Basepoint following a 40% price, 60% quality evaluation. Further information on this contract was presented to the last meeting of the. (iii) Capital Rolling Programme /09/2014 To provide highway and off-highway capital works. Miletree Construction 181, Wedge Contractors 89, Eurovia Infrastructure Ltd 127, R Butcher Surfacing Ltd 109, The contact was awarded to Wedge Contractors. (iv) JWSC upgrading of the artificial pitch lighting 17/10/2014 Upgrading of the main pitch floodlighting at the John Warner Sports Centre Musco Lighting 36, SSE Ltd 34, Midstream Did not tender Abacus Did not tender The contact was awarded to Musco Lighting, as the tender best met the required specification. (v) Biomass Boiler Installation 17/10/2014 To supply and install a biomass boiler and silo at The Laura Trott Leisure Centre. TSG 149, Ashwells Biomass 118, Rural Energy 178, Team Q 150, Treco Ltd 135, The contact was awarded to Ashwells Biomass. (vi) Insurance 14/10/2014 The Council invited quotations from Risk Management Partners/QBE, Zurich, Travelers, Allianz, Aspen, Ocaso, Chubb and Risk Management Partners/HSB on a range of insurance services. All tenders were subject to a 50% cost, 50% quality evaluation exercise. The following contracts were awarded on a three year long-term agreement basis, with the exception of the motor fleet policy, which has been effected for a period of one year with a further review option. 12

7 Policy Employers' Liability, Public Liability and Officials' Indemnity. Professional Negligence Fidelity Guarantee Material Damage for municipal premises including business interruption, money and specified 'all-risks. ICT: Computer Material Damage for residential and retail premises including business interruption. Personal Accident Engineering Inspection and Hired in Plant Motor Fleet Successful Tenderer Risk Management Partners / QBE Risk Management Partners / QBE Risk Management Partners / QBE Zurich Municipal Risk Management Partners / QBE Ocaso Zurich Municipal Allianz Allianz The total value of the contracts awarded was 379,471. At renewal in 2013 the total value of contracts was 395,009, representing a saving of 15,538. It is a condition of the insurance contracts that the individual tender values may not be disclosed for three years from the date of the contract award for reasons of commercial sensitivity. The details of each tenderer s quotation are therefore exempt from publication under Category 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)). Further information is available on request from the Council s Treasury, Insurance and Risk Manager. (e) PETITIONS RECEIVED BY THE COUNCIL Head of Support To report petitions submitted to the Council since last reported to the. Petition title Summary Date of Signatures receipt Objections to the expansion of Dairyglen Avenue Play Area Objections to the expansion of the play area due to the encouragement of anti-social behaviour, disruption to restricted on-road parking and harming the privacy and safety of the residential area. The Council s Green Spaces Manager the lead petitioner, providing further information on the scheme and addressing the concerns raised. 10/11/ Petitions and responses are logged in the Petitions Register, available in the Member Lounge. Contact Officer: Mr J Moore (Ext 5645) List of Background Papers: None 13

8 (f) VIREMENTS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FINANCIAL REGULATIONS Purpose Group Manager ( ) On behalf of the Member for Finance and To update members on the budget virements approved since 1 September Description Transfer from Transfer To Value Revenue Transfer from revenue contingency to fund the Community Care outplacement programme. 4,250 Additional salary costs within building control funded by additional income from building control notices for domestic extensions. Chief Executive (fees & charges) Chief Executive (employees) 1,962 Transfer of budget from salaries, due to staff vacancies, to fund overspends in marketing and research & strategy within. (employees) 48,000 Transfer of budgets from subscriptions to fund overspends in research and strategy. 5,000 Transfer of unused salary budget in property to fund additional hours in special projects. (employees) (employees) 15,000 Capital Transfer part of BLMSO equipment replacement budget for the purchase of additional equipment for the driving range at Cheshunt Park Golf Club. 6,100 Transfer from the capital contingency to fund the construction of a Holocaust Memorial in Hoddesdon. 7,500 Contact Officer: Mrs G Berry (Ext 5808) List of Background Papers: None 14