DECISION

1.    To note the strategic delivery and performance report for quarter 3 2020/21.

2.    To note the performance of the strategic measures, including those measures where the minimum expectation has been missed; and

3.    To note progress in delivering the council’s Strategic Plan.

Action by:

CHIEF EXECUTIVE (W. TUCKLEY)

(Divisional Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance (S. Godman)

(Head of Intelligence and Performance (T. Dreyer)

The Mayor introduced the regular report updating Cabinet on the Council’s performance and delivery reporting. He noted that he had been scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on this report on Monday night.

The Covid pandemic had caused significant disruption to the Council’s performance management and some targets were not now achievable. However, the Council had also managed to maintain core services which were important to residents. He noted that the report had positive highlights as well as areas of concern.

Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, highlighted that the Council had reviewed how it had performed during the Covid Pandemic compared to other authorities and he considered that the performance held up well.

The Mayor proposed the recommendations for the vote and they were agreed without dissent. It was:

RESOLVED

1.    To note the strategic delivery and performance report for quarter 3 2020/21.

2.    To note the performance of the strategic measures, including those measures where the minimum expectation has been missed; and

3.    To note progress in delivering the council’s Strategic Plan.

Members are asked to refer to the report included in the Cabinet agenda 25^th November, 2020.

The Committee received a presentation on the delivery and performance information for Quarter 2 (July – September 2020) by Mayor John Biggs; Will Tuckley, Chief Executive and Thorsten Dreyer, Head of Intelligence and Performance. The main points of the discussion on this report may be summarised as follows:

The Committee noted that:

• The Council was exceeding performance in many areas, but areas of under-performance was recognised.
• This period has been impacted by the pandemic.  Notably, the Council’s ability to conduct the Annual Residents Survey, and collect qualitative information on residents’ views. 
• The Service and officers are seeking to accurately capture that information based on comparable survey techniques with other local authorities in London.
• LBTH are working with their supplier to develop different options including how any face to face consultation would be undertaken in a COVID-19 secure way or with whatever restrictions are in position at the time (e.g. a doorstep interview with 15-minute maximum at a safe distance or telephone survey as an alternative). Accordingly, LBTH are working on different models for delivery with the contractor to make sure that a survey can be undertaken during January 2021 to February 2021.
• As consequence of the pandemic there has been the development of better methods of remote monitoring of public opinion (e.g. telephone survey methods have undergone a serious methodological development regarding the coverage of households with increased access to telephones justifying its use and provided you get representative samples). However, it is recognised that it can produce slightly differing results from face to face surveys and it is important to take this into account when the data is being interpreted.
• One of the good things about the approach that has been adopted in Tower Hamlets is that the Council now has a good set of core questions and techniques developed over many years now. 
• Regarding Households prevented from becoming homeless the Outturn for Q2 2020/21 shows an increase by 20.99%.
• LBTH have recruited Tenancy Sustainment Officers to work with social and private landlords, and directly with clients to address homelessness.
• This is related to the new target that flows from the Homelessness Reduction Act, that places new more challenging duties on housing authorities to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness and to take reasonable steps to relieve homelessness for all eligible applicants, not just those that have priority need under the Act.
• The nature of the housing market in East London makes it challenging to provide sustainable tenancies for people in the private sector and the Mayor indicated that he would very much welcome a more detailed scrutiny on how LBTH as a housing authority can address this effectively.
• Although LBTH performance regarding preventing homelessness has improved the increased volume of work that the Homelessness Reduction Act has brought to the Housing Options Team and the impact of the pandemic has had a significant influence on performance.
• Noted that LBTH as a housing agency needs to take a fundamental look at the way which the Housing Option Services is working  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7