Agenda item

Amendments:

a)    S106 Place Development Management (Schedule 2)

b)    Performance Report for Q4 2021/2022

-       Libraries

-       Minerals and Waste Planning

-       AMPHS

At the Chair’s invitation, the Assistant Director of Growth and Regeneration introduced the report and explained that Schedule 2 of the Inter Authority Agreements (IAA) related to the Section 106 Development Management function, which the former County Council delivered, covering services such as education, libraries, the fire and rescue service and highways and excludes other Section 106 contributions managed by district and borough councils such as leisure and so on. In relation to the former County Section 106 functions, these services were in a hosted arrangement by North Northamptonshire Council. The IAA Schedule 2 followed the standard format and the Shared Services Joint Committee resolved at a previous meeting that the service would be disaggregated by September 2022. The Assistant Director of Growth and Regeneration shared that the service agreement had a short lifespan from now until September and concluded his report.

Members asked for assurance that the disaggregation would take place as promised. The Assistant Director of Growth and Regeneration confirmed that they were on track working to the target of September 2022.

The Chair then invited the Assistant Chief Executive to present the Performance Report for Q4 2021/2022. The Assistant Chief Executive summarised the report and explained that there was an error in the purpose section of the report, and this would be rectified in the minutes outside of the meeting.

The Chair asked the Assistant Director of Growth and Regeneration to outline the minerals and waste plan. He highlighted page 67 of the report, which detailed 3 KPIs and reported that the amber rag rating for MWP3 outturn performance was due to archaeology consultations being submitted outside of the timeframe. He explained that there was one archaeologist currently working across the county. Overall, the current performance for 2021/2022 was above target. 

Next the Chair invited the Principal Social Worker for Adults presented the Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMPHs) performance report as detailed on page 61 of the report. The Principal Social Worker for Adults explained there are four performance indicators in the IAA, and the KPI relating to the provision of resource had been recorded as amber in the second and fourth quarters of 2021/22. She continued that the indicator tasked the area with providing data each day, but this had not happened on a couple of occasions due to staff leave and occasions of sickness. The Principal Social Worker for Adults confirmed that within the social care teams it had been agreed there would be a greater contribution to the rota. In terms of the AMPH3 which had a red indicator, she explained that this was in relation to staff being trained and authorised per year, to ensure that staffing continued to remain in place. Over the last year, 5 workers had completed the course and four AMPHs were expected to be authorised, however due to sickness and Covid-19, this did not happen. The Principal Social Worker for Adults assured that there would be regular meetings with the Team Manager and colleagues in WNC and a process would be in place to ensure that colleagues are authorised quicker.

Members discussed the report and referred to the commentary that stated that 2 authorisations were due to take place by the end of April and a further one in May and then one in June/July. Members asked the Principal Social Worker for Adults for an update on these authorisations. The Principal Social Worker for Adults explained that 2 of the workers were off work due to sickness so their planned authorisations did not take place. Due to Covid-19, two of the workers were on leave. The other individual was being supported by the Council to improve their confidence to get them to a position where they could be authorised to undertake the work. The Principal Social Worker for Adults assured the committee that the social care team were working intensely with colleagues and although they forecasted that the five authorisations would take place, unfortunately they had not happened.

Members expressed their concern that they found the report less than satisfactory. They strong felt that AMPHs was a pressing issue across Northamptonshire, in addition to the stresses of the current climate with the cost of living being increased. Members endorsed the action point that resourcing and staff training to be completed as soon as possible to ensure staffing remained in place to offer appropriate shift cover on a weekly basis.

The Chair invited the final presenter, the Library Services Manager to present his report on the performance outturn for the Libraries Support Services. The Library Services Manager explained there was one amber indicator in quarter four which related to the percentage of book stock deliveries completed against the planned schedule. He stated that there were 2 delivery drivers that were responsible for delivering stock across the county, but during one of the scheduled deliveries in quarter 4 one of the drivers were absent on long term sickness. Therefore, the deliveries had to be rescheduled and the book deliveries were delayed for two weeks.

RESOLVED: That the Shared Services Joint Committee:

(1)  Noted the quarter 4 performance report as shown in Appendix A.