Issue - meetings

Report by Executive Directors Dr Carlton Brand, Alistair Cunningham OBE and Terence Herbert.

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of the Council, presented a report which provided an update on the progress against the stated aims in the Council’s Business Plan, including measures from the corporate performance framework as well as the latest version of the Council’s strategic risk register, covering the period from January to March 2019.

Cllr Ian Thorn, Chair of the Financial Planning Task Group, indicated that the Task Group at their meeting on 22 July 2019 welcomed the report, and he was happy to move onto the current and newly combined financial and performance report to be considered later on in the Cabinet agenda.

In response to a question from Cllr Clare Cape about the reducing percentage of pupil’s attainment levels at schools in Wiltshire, (previously considered y Cabinet at its meeting on 26 March 2019), whether improvements had been realised and the reason why they were not included in the current Q4 report. The Leader explained that the performance indicators were included in the quarterly report on a rotational basis, although an update on this issue would be forwarded to Cllr Cape.  Cllr Church confirmed that the issue was one of concern and she was continuing to hold discussions with headteachers to seek a reverse in the trend.

In response to additional questions from Cllr Gordon King about the drop off in attainment levels, the Leader confirmed that a report would be requested on the reasons for the reduced attainment levels to a future Cabinet meeting.

Resolved: To note the updates and outturns:

1.    Against the measures and activities ascribed against the Council’s priorities.

2.    To the strategic risk register.

Reason for Decision:

The current corporate performance framework compiles measures used to

monitor progress in service areas against planned objectives that relate to the

goals laid out in Wiltshire Council’s current Business Plan 2017-27.

The strategic risk register captures and monitors significant risks facing the

Council: in relation to significant in-service risks facing individual areas and in

managing its business across the authority generally.