Agenda item

Presentation from the Service Lead (Public Protection) and the Strategic Managers setting out the activity of the Service during the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

To update the Committee on the work of the Service in Q4, to report the end of year performance outturn and to seek authority to carry forward the revenue under-spend from 2022/23.

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 9) which updated the Committee on the work of the Service in Q4, the end of year performance outturn, and which sought authority to carry forward the revenue under-spend from 2022/23.

Sean Murphy introduced the report and its accompanying presentation, demonstrating what the Public Protection Partnership had been doing over the previous year. Sean Murphy set out that the Inter-Authority Agreement tasked the Committee with overseeing performance of the service, including financial performance, and how the service delivered against its key strategic objectives.

Sean Murphy noted that in the coming year he expected that there would still be issues arising within the service due to the cost of living crisis. For example, within Housing, landlords were experiencing affordability issues. In addition, a priority was embedding the single IT system and harnessing the efficiencies. Sean explained that some data was missing from the year end report as there had been some data transfer issues between the previous three systems and the single new system.

Sean Murphy noted that the service struggled to recruit qualified officers, and were working with entry-level apprentices and developing existing officers.

Councillor Lee Dillon thanked Sean Murphy and officers for all their hard work over the past year. He also gave thanks for the detailed report and presentation, noting that it highlighted the many individual services and points of contact residents had with the service, and the need for the Partnership.

Councillor Guy Gillbe noted that staff recruitment was highlighted as a significant issue, and gave his support to the “grow your own” ethos within the service, but asked for further detail on the impact of the recruitment issues. Sean Murphy responded that, in the short term, the recruitment issues meant that the service had to use agency staff in areas such as Licensing and Private Sector Housing to provide cover in the absence of qualified officers. Non-qualified officers performed appropriate tasks and would become qualified in time.

Councillor Gillbe asked whether the service was offering a competitive recruitment package to people, with a comparable wage, and asked what could be improved. Sean Murphy responded that the salaries paid were in line with the average wages paid elsewhere, but that the main issue was a national shortage of qualified Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers. Sean Murphy highlighted that one Trading Standards Officer had been recruited in three years.

Councillor Gillbe asked what the issues with the IT system were, and how far the service was behind in installing the single system. Sean Murphy responded that the main issue was with data transfer and data matching which was a complex process. The service was 80-90% towards completing the transfer, but the last 10% was proving to be the most difficult. Sean Murphy was confident in the implementation that was chosen, as it moved a lot of the processes online and would be beneficial for customers.

Councillor Dillon noted that the customer service score was 80%, and asked what a realistic target for the next year would be. Sean Murphy responded that the customer service score was made up of three metrics; Trading Standards enquiries, Business inquiries, and Environmental Health and Licensing enquiries. Within the last year, the service had started to use QR codes to signpost people to data and to fill out satisfaction forms. Environmental Health was different from the other two metrics as it was often the subject of disputes, and not everybody could have a ‘winning’ experience. Sean Murphy stated that 80% was a good score, and highlighted that the number of complaints across the service had reduced to 13 in the last year (from approximately 8000 service requests). The needs of the high majority of residents were being met.

Councillor Dillon followed this by asking whether it was worth splitting the three metrics and setting individual targets for them to get a clearer performance picture. Sean Murphy responded that the information would be able to be broken down and looked at in further detail, and agreed to consider proposals in advance of the next meeting.

Councillor Kandy Jefferies noted that Community Engagement was talking to young people about the dangers of vaping, drugs and alcohol, and asked whether there was a focus on gas canisters and balloons as this had become an increasing concern. Sean Murphy responded that it had been looked at in the past, and seizures of items had taken place where the service had the evidence to do so to protect young people. Sean Murphy added that the legislative framework around nitrous oxide was not as clear, and the service had to prove that it was being used for intoxication, but the responsibility was on Councils to enforce it.

RESOLVED that:

·       The 2022/23 Q4 data for the Public Protection Service be noted.

·       The update on service delivery be noted.

·       The Bracknell Forest Council/West Berkshire Council underspend of £148,000 be carried forward to the 2023/24 Financial Year.