Agenda item

Councillor Andy Hull, Executive Member Finance, Performance and Community Safety was present for discussion of this item and made a presentation to the Committee theron.

During consideration of the report the following main points were made –

·         The Executive Member is responsible for  Finance, Resources, Democratic Services, Customer Services, Performance, Transformation and Community Safety

·         There was a balanced budget delivered for 2015/16 and the annual accounts were signed off with no qualification or issues

·         The 2016/17 budget was agreed delivering a further £24 million savings, as a result of Government cuts, meaning that the Council has now had to, in response,  reduce the budget by £174million since 2010

·         Developed the Council’s budget strategy through the medium term financial forecast

·         Revenues and Benefits – maintained Council and Business Tax collection rates, generating over £130m of revenue for the Council

·         Collected almost £1m since September 2015 in backdated debt, through target project. In addition, implemented Council Tax Support scheme

·         Continued to run one of the best performing Housing Benefit administration services in London

·         Continued to fund the Resident Support scheme, despite Government cuts to grants, to support the vulnerable in crisis or in need of additional support

·         Continued advice sector funding at the highest level in London

·         Continued to convene the Islington Debt coalition and retained Universal Support locally and maintained the cap on Council Tax support at 8.5%, despite the loss of Government support

·         Agreed a new Procurement Strategy and the Commissioning and the Procurement Board provide support and challenge all procurements to reduce costs and increase effectiveness

·         Training delivered on how to win Council business to local small and medium sized enterprises and the voluntary sector

·         Established a programme of work to generate £3m of additional income/savings through building rationalisation and increasing commercial lettings

·         Working with Housing and VCS colleagues to review the use of community centres to ensure optimal use

·         Restructured the property team and enhanced security at the Town Hall

·         Successful challenge to TfL’s plans to close Caledonian Road station for 8 months

·         Successful partnership with TfL to resist the application to judicially review the Archway Gyratory system

·         Assisted the Family Justice group in providing innovative ideas to help families and reduce the need for Care Proceedings

·         Dealing with in sourced litigated insurance work

·         Human Resources – new online recruitment system implemented, Voluntary Redundancy exercise implemented, successfully re-accredited by Timewise, Payroll Giving Quality Mark Award 2016 achieved, coaching capacity expanded, new Occupational Health provider procured, Inspiring Leadership programme for BME staff started to address under-representation at senior levels

·         Digital – New Council website launched in September 2016, making content and transactions easier to find. Digital Inclusion programme now underway and plans to use libraries as digital hubs

·         Introduced guest wi-fi in council buildings and improved remote working capabilities for council staff, established security arrangements to protect the Council’s networks, and progressed the shared ICT services with Camden and Haringey, with a new shared Head of IT

·         Democratic Services- implemented changes to increase public involvement in full Council meetings, supported the establishment of iCO, supported a busy scrutiny programme, and significant re-organisation across the department

·         Registrars – increased performance levels and all national performance targets exceeded, income target of £1.2 million achieved, over 75% of appointments booked online, marketing website achieved over 130,00 hits in the last 6 months, new income generation pilots introduced, and currently the Registrars Manager is shared with Hackney and the City of London, bringing in revenue to Islington

·         Elections – delivered GLA elections and EU referendum within 7 weeks of each other and the EU referendum hit historic highs with 19,265 applications to register to vote, and over 5,000 new postal voters added. Canvassing with tablets took place, one of the first in the UK, and there were also two Business Improvement District elections delivered,   together with a Youth Council election, HMP Pentonville Prison Council election and Barnsbury Ward by-election

·         Performance – reviewed and refreshed the Council’s corporate performance indicators, setting new challenging targets, which involved Scrutiny Chairs

·         Introduced new arrangements for performance reporting to scrutiny, each Committee will have responsibility for monitoring and challenging performance for those areas within its remit

·         Monthly performance Panel meetings, focusing on key priorities with Corporate Directors and Executive Members, and tracked progress against the wider Corporate Plan, publishing headlines on the website and posters across the Council

·         Risk – re-let the internal audit contract with six other London Councils delivering volume discounts, completed the internal audit plan for 2014/15 with high levels of implemented recommendations. Prepared and embarked on fully consulted, risk based plan for 2015/16. Revised corporate anti- fraud strategy and policies to maximise the benefits from corporate anti-fraud risks and rolled out revised corporate risk management framework. Achieved a reasonable assurance following an audit by the ICO and have implemented all the post audit recommendations and established a Data Protection sharepoint site for handling ‘subject access requests’ and improved FOI handling

·         Transformation – Income Generation – established the Commercial Board, new income generation opportunities, iCO established with several services now trading through it. Shared digital services with Camden and Haringey and asset optimisation e.g. accommodation review to vacate Northway House and the CCG coming into Laycock Street. Digitisation – more services being put on line and this has reduced call volumes and visits to Contact Islington by 10% and 7% respectively last year

·         Community Safety – Successful launch of the multi -agency Integrated Gangs Team based at Islington Police station. New Safer Islington Partnership launched and there has been a reduction in repeat callers for ASB to the Council. Significant decrease in burglary offences and there are increased numbers of prolific adult offenders now in Education, Training or Employment. There is also more effective handling of high risk Domestic Violence cases

·         Fairness – Continued leadership on the LLW and LBI the first accredited LLW local authority in UK. 100% of LBI staff and 98% of contractors receive at least LLW and 110 other Islington local employers have been persuaded to pay LLW, and the Council is to become a Living Wage Friendly Funder Promoted awareness of IDAHOT, Transgender Day and Bi- Visibility Day in support of the LGTB community. Launched Islington Council’s ‘Tough Choices’ anti-cuts communications campaign. Established and led Red Lines campaigns pan-London against cuts to youth funding and adult social care. Supported Fairness Commissions to tackle inequality, nationally and internationally

·         A Member made reference  to the Hate Crime week and the excellent staff who had attended and Councillor Hull stated that he would feed this comment back to the staff concerned

·         A Member referred to the recent appointment of a consultant, as a result of the re-organisation of the top structure of the Council, and that this should not have been necessary if the departure of certain Chief Officers had been dealt with in a different manner and this showed a lack of planning

·         In response to a question it was stated that the Council did try to support and develop a package of support for SME’s and the voluntary sector

·         Discussion took place as to the proposed business rate retention and that it would be useful if Members could be provided with a briefing note in this regard. It was stated that some businesses in Islington would be facing an increase of 43% in business rates as a result of the Government’s re-evaluation

·         Members expressed the view that, wherever possible, SME’s and the voluntary sector should be assisted in bidding for contracts as it is important to keep money in the local community. Members requested that information should be provided to Members as to how successful the Procurement Team have been is assisting SME’s and the voluntary sector in winning contracts

·         In response to a statement Councillor Hull stated that he would circulate copies of the Council’s policies on lone working to Members of the Committee

          RESOLVED:

(a)  That the presentation be noted

(b)  That a briefing note be circulated to Members of the Committee detailing the implications of the business rate re-evaluation and business rates retention proposals for the Council

(c)  That copies of the Council’s policies on lone working be circulated to Members of the Committee

(d)  That Members be informed of how successful the Procurement Team has been in assisting SME’s and the voluntary sector and in winning contracts

The Chair thanked Councillor Hull for his presentation