The Audit of Best Value and Community Planning Fife Council
Prepared for the Accounts Commission March 2009 The Accounts Commission
The Accounts Commission is a statutory, independent body which, through the audit process, assists local authorities in Scotland to achieve the highest standards of financial stewardship and the economic, efficient and effective use of their resources. The Commission has four main responsibilities:
• securing the external audit, including the audit of Best Value and Community Planning
• following up issues of concern identified through the audit, to ensure satisfactory resolutions
• carrying out national performance studies to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government
• issuing an annual direction to local authorities which sets out the range of performance information they are required to publish.
The Commission secures the audit of 32 councils and 41 joint boards (including police and fire and rescue services). Local authorities spend over £19 billion of public funds a year.
Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000 under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It provides services to the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission. Together they ensure that the Scottish Government and public sector bodies in Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public funds. Fife Council Contents
The Audit of Best Value Efficiencies Page 2 Procurement Commission findings Page 24 Page 4 Continuous improvement Overall conclusions Page 25 Page 6 Equal opportunities Part 1. Does the council have clear Page 26 strategic direction? Page 9 Sustainable development Page 27 Context Page 10 Part 3. How are services performing? Page 29 Leadership and culture Page 11 Statutory performance indicators
Setting a clear direction Customer focus Page 14 Page 30
Engaging with the community Education Page 16 Page 31
Part 2. Is the council organised to Social work deliver better services? Page 32 Page 18 Local community and housing Working in partnership Page 33 Page 19 Environment and development Managing performance Page 34
Scrutiny Part 4.What needs to improve? Page 21 Page 36
Managing resources Fife Council improvement agenda Page 22 Page 37 The Audit of BestValue The Audit of Best Value
This report is made by the Controller As Best Value and Community of Audit to the Accounts Commission Planning encompass all the activities under section 0() of the Local of a council it is not realistic to audit Government (Scotland) Act 97. After everything in depth, so we plan our considering it the Commission may detailed work in two ways: do any or all of the following: • Where possible, we draw on • direct the Controller to carry out the findings of other scrutiny further investigations processes, such as the work carried out by the council’s external • hold a hearing auditors and by inspectorates. These are incorporated into • state its findings. our report.
The Local Government in Scotland Act • We select certain aspects of 00 introduced new statutory duties the council’s performance for relating to Best Value and Community detailed audit investigation. A wide Planning. The scope of Best Value and range of sources, including the Community Planning is very broad council’s own assessment of its but in general terms a successful performance, reports issued by council will: external audit and inspections, and national Statutory Performance • work with its partners to identify a Indicators (SPIs), informs this clear set of priorities that respond selection. to the needs of the community in both the short and the longer term • The report reflects this selective approach, with detailed • be organised to deliver those commentary on some areas and priorities limited or no coverage in others. While we have made some • meet and clearly demonstrate comparisons with other councils, that it is meeting the community’s our overall approach has focused needs on performance trends and improvement within Fife Council. • operate in a way that drives The report also reflects the picture continuous improvement in all its available at the time our main audit activities. work was conducted between July and September 008. The challenge for local government is to find new ways of working across We gratefully acknowledge the services and with other bodies to co-operation and assistance provided achieve the best results for citizens to the audit team by Fife Council, and service users. The key objectives particularly the councillors and officers of this audit were to: contacted during the audit. We would like to particularly thank Councillor • assess the extent to which Fife Peter Grant, the leader of the council; Council is meeting its duties under Ronnie Hinds, the chief executive; and the Local Government in Scotland Peter Corbett, Niki Ross and Fiona Act 00 Moffat (Strategy and Review Team).
• agree planned improvements with the council. These will be reviewed by the council’s external auditor over the next three years. Commission findings Commission findings
1. The Commission accepts this 3. For the future, we consider it report on the performance of Fife essential that effective performance Council’s statutory duty to secure information is in place to underpin Best Value and to initiate and facilitate improvements in service delivery. the community planning process. Elected members should take more The Commission recognises that of a leadership role in driving forward the report gives a broad picture of the best value agenda at a strategic the council’s performance based on level and should participate fully in the work of Audit Scotland and the training and development. There is findings of other scrutiny bodies such room for improvement in respect of as Inspectorates and that it does not workforce planning and a need for attempt a comprehensive review of improved monitoring of the outcomes all service delivery. We acknowledge of partnership working. We would also the co-operation and assistance given encourage the council to develop the to the audit process by members and working of its area committees and to officers of the council. make progress with shared services.
2. We are pleased to note that the 4. Fife is a unitary police authority council has a clear strategic direction and fire and rescue authority, one of and shows good self awareness, only two such councils and this is with many of the building blocks in therefore the first time that we have place for achieving best value. We looked at police and fire as part of welcome the recent increase in the a Best Value audit. We found a lack pace of change and the evidence of clarity around the roles of elected of recent significant improvements members in relation to these services in statutory performance indicators and the council should review and we note, in particular, the good how it discharges its best value performance of the education service responsibilities with regard to police and the improvements in social work. and fire and rescue services. We would urge the leadership of the council, both officers and elected 5. We look forward to receiving from members, to maintain the momentum the council an improvement plan with towards further improvement. measurable and achievable outcomes to address the issues highlighted in the Controller of Audit’s report and these findings. Overall conclusions Overall conclusions 7
Fife Council has a clear strategic 2. The council’s leadership provide in Fife. Monitoring of outcomes has direction.The council’s leadership clear direction and communicates been limited and the council as lead has set out its vision and priorities their priorities effectively.There is partner needs to ensure that plans and communicated these constructive cross-party working. Over are implemented and performance effectively.The council is ambitious half the council is made up of newly monitored more effectively. and has recently put the building elected members and, while they blocks of best value in place. It have a good awareness of what is 6. Fife Council is a unitary authority shows good self-awareness of what required, all elected members would for police and fire and rescue is required and it is developing a benefit from better use of learning services. Elected members are not culture of continuous improvement. and development activities. Elected fulfilling the range of their best value The pace of change has increased members need to play a more active responsibilities for these services. and the council needs to maintain role in driving improvement and The current arrangements do not this momentum if it is to achieve implementing the best value agenda provide adequate time for discussion its priority of becoming a ‘top at a strategic level. of strategic issues and there is a performing council’. lack of clarity about the respective 3. The council’s vision complements roles of members in relation to the Elected members have not been that of the Community Planning chief constable. The council needs sufficiently active in leading Partnership (CPP). It is supported to review how it discharges its best improvement and implementing by the ‘Big 8’ priorities, which are value responsibilities in relation to the the best value agenda at a strategic recognised and supported by elected police and fire and rescue authorities. level. The council needs to review members and officers. The corporate how it discharges its best value planning framework focuses on 7. Fife Council has in place the responsibilities in relation to the vision and priorities but there is key elements of a performance the police and fire and rescue scope to integrate the work of area management framework. Further authorities. committees more effectively.The development of the framework council is ambitious and shows good and significant improvements to The council works closely with its self-awareness of what is required performance reporting is required to partners and community planning through its corporate improvement enhance the scrutiny of performance. arrangements are well established. programme. The council manages its finances 8. Many of the building blocks of effectively. It has a strategic 4. The council regularly consults best value are in place but the approach to managing assets, residents and service users. It council would benefit from a more procurement and risk, although provides a good range of information structured approach to continuous its approach to workforce planning on the services on offer and the improvement. The council manages is less well developed. performance it achieves. However, its finances effectively. It has made Performance management the results of a recent residents’ significant improvements in financial needs further development and survey indicate that people do not management, particularly in social improvements are required to feel sufficiently informed about the work services. It has implemented scrutiny to enable the council to council’s performance. The council single status and equal pay.The lack demonstrate good practice. should use this information when of a corporate workforce strategy planning future performance-related has led to services developing their Services demonstrate mixed reports to ensure they are reaching own approaches, with the potential levels of performance and SPIs the right audiences. for inconsistencies in people show performance below the management across the council. Scottish average. There is, however, 5. There is a strong culture of The council has a strategic approach evidence of recent significant partnership working in place to asset, procurement and risk improvements. throughout the council. The CPP management. While the council has benefits from operating within identified efficiency savings, it cannot 1. Fife Council has a growing common boundaries. There is a clearly show the impact that these population and covers a diverse clear vision and direction of travel have had on service delivery.The area with a mix of rural and urban for the partnership and it has a clear council also needs to demonstrate the settlements. It has pockets of severe understanding of its financial priorities. competitiveness of its services. deprivation and areas of relative The council and its partners have affluence.The council has to combine started to address the potential for 9. While there are various providing fair and consistent services ‘shared services’ and this needs to be improvement activities taking place with effective targeting of priority areas. further developed to make the most across the council, these were of the combined public resources only captured into one corporate 8
improvement programme in April to maintain the pace of change it has 008. Implementation of the established if it is to achieve its priority programme has been limited so of being a top performing council. far and it is too early to assess its effectiveness. The council leadership need to focus their attention in this area and develop milestones to measure progress. Performance reporting lines have yet to be established and elected members need to receive regular reports.
10. The council can demonstrate its commitment to equal opportunities. The council has addressed the gender balance of its workforce, and the number of women in the top five per cent of council employees is well above the national average. Staff have access to practical information on how to communicate with people with disabilities through the Access to Information Policy. The race equality duty has not had a significant impact on the delivery of council services or on minority ethnic communities.
11. Environmental sustainability is high on the council agenda as one of the Big 8 priorities and there has been good progress in this area as well as in economic and social sustainability. The council would benefit from a more structured approach to sustainability.
12. The council has been developing its approach to customer service and there is scope for this to improve. There has been limited reporting on any aspect of customer service until recently.The council has a renewed focus on this area and needs to maintain this commitment to deliver enhanced services.
13. Performance of council services is improving, particularly in relation to education and social work, as indicated by the most recent inspection reports. In other areas, such as housing, leisure and planning, performance is more mixed. The rate of improvement of SPIs has increased significantly in recent years, but overall SPI performance remains below the Scottish average. The council needs 9 Part 1. Does the council have clear strategic direction? 0
Fife Council has a clear strategic Exhibit 1 direction. The council’s leadership Map of Fife has clearly set out its vision and priorities and communicated Newport on Tay these effectively. The council faces significant challenges in relation Leuchars to anticipated increases in the Newburgh numbers of young people and older St. Andrews people in Fife. Cupar Auchtermuchty The coalition administration has Ladybank Fife Falkland Crail fostered a culture of openness and Anstruther accountability. Elected members Leven Glenrothes Pittenweem St. Monans work well with senior officers. Methil Elie Elected members need to play Buckhaven a more active role in leading Lochgelly improvement and implementing Cowdenbeath Kirkcaldy the best value agenda at a strategic Kinghorn Kincardine Dunfermline level. The council needs to review Burntisland how it discharges its best value Rosyth Inverkeithing responsibilities in relation to the police and fire and rescue services. Source: Audit Scotland The council engages well with its communities but further work needs to be undertaken to 16. Traditionally, the local economy expectancy at birth. While hospital demonstrate how this activity was heavily dependent on mining and admissions due to alcohol abuse affects policymaking and service the air and sea defence industries; are significantly below the Scottish provision. now it is dominated by the service average, admissions for drugs misuse sector (79 per cent). Fife Council is are slightly higher. Context the main employer along with NHS Fife, HBOS, MGt and BSkyB. In April 18. Fife has generally good transport 14. Fife Council is the third largest 007, gross weekly earnings for Fife links, including the M90 and the local authority in Scotland by were around the Scottish average main North and East of Scotland population (0,00) covering a (£) at £7.70. Unemployment rail lines. Fife has . per cent of geographical area of , sq km, is higher (.8 per cent) than the the total local authority public road making it the th largest authority by national average (. per cent). The length in Scotland. This is the fifth area (Exhibit ). There are 7 people council is working with a wide range highest proportion nationally and it is per square metre and this is the th of agencies to address this through ranked th for the condition of the highest population density in Scotland. Opportunity Centres where they carriageway. In addition to the main Almost a third of the council’s total provide information about education, rail routes there is a local ‘Fife Circle’ population live in the main towns training and job opportunities route, but while the south and central of Kirkcaldy (7,090), Dunfermline throughout Fife. areas of Fife are well connected by (,70) and Glenrothes (8,00). rail, the west of Fife, Levenmouth 17. Fife is a diverse community with and the East Neuk area are not. 15. The population of Fife is expected areas of deprivation. The Scottish Recent developments including the to increase by per cent between Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Clackmannanshire Bridge over the 00 and 0, against a growth of in 00 identified that 0. per cent Firth of Forth and the abolition of Forth five per cent for Scotland. This is the of Fife’s data zones were in the most Road bridge tolls will help to support eighth highest projected increase in deprived per cent in Scotland, Fife’s economy, improve access to the Scotland. The two key areas of growth ranking the council the th highest area and ease congestion. that will provide challenges for the nationally. This was an increase on council are the 0- year age group, the previous figures. These areas 19. The average cost of a property where an increase of three per cent include Lochgelly, Levenmouth and in Fife for the period April to June compares with a national decline some parts of Glenrothes. Fife is 008 was £,97 compared with of seven per cent, and the elderly around the Scottish average for the a Scottish average of £,9. Fife population. percentage of primary school pupils Council is the second biggest public entitled to free school meals and life housing provider in Scotland. In Part . Does the council have clear strategic direction?
007, the council had ,77 housing Exhibit 2 units. Twenty-nine per cent of homes Gross expenditure 2007/08 (£1,084 million) are rented from the public sector. Providing affordable housing and 1.1% Education services (£327.498m) fulfilling its role as a social landlord are 1.0% key challenges facing the council. 0.6% Social work (£213.973m) 2.5% 0.2% 2.6% General fund housing services Fife Council 4.2% (£123.016m) 4.8% 20. The council’s gross revenue 30.2% Housing revenue account services expenditure in 007/08 was £,08 (£89.363m) 5.7% million (Exhibit ). Gross expenditure Police services (£86.317m) per head of population was £,0, which was below the national average 8.0% Cultural and related leisure services of £, and ranked th compared (£61.290m) with the other local authorities in Environmental services (£51.566m) 8.2% Scotland. The council’s band D council Roads and transport services (£45.701m) tax for 008/09 (£,8) was slightly 19.7% lower than the national average 11.3% Planning and development services (£,9), ranking it th lowest. (£28.333m) Fire services (£26.571m)
21. Fife Council has 78 elected Central services to the public (£12.270m) members. The administration is a coalition between the Scottish Corporate and democratic core National Party (SNP) () and the (£10.361m) Scottish Liberal Democrat (SLD) () Other costs (£6.416m) parties. There are Labour, five Trading services (£1.786m) Conservative, three Independent and two Left Alliance. This marks a Source: Fife Council Annual Accounts 2007/08 significant change for politics in Fife, which has traditionally had a Labour administration. The council has seven Leadership and culture 24. The council administration has local area committees. demonstrated a willingness to The council’s leadership provides take difficult decisions, such as 22. The council is a unitary police clear direction. There is constructive making changes to the charging authority and a unitary fire and rescue cross-party working and the arrangements for homecare and authority. Dumfries and Galloway management culture is cohesive managing a significant projected Council is the only other local and motivated. Elected members overspend in social services. It is authority in a similar position. All other need to take a more active role open to considering different delivery authorities in Scotland have joint board in leading the best value and models, recently implementing sport arrangements with neighbouring continuous improvement agenda at and leisure and arts and theatre trusts authorities. Fife Council operates a a strategic level. that were planned under the previous Police, Fire and Safety Committee administration. as part of its responsibilities as the 23. The coalition administration is unitary authority for police and for fire responding well to the challenge of 25. While elected members contribute and rescue. The Best Value duty on leading a large council. The council to service reviews and other local authorities covers the police and leader (SNP) and the depute council improvement activities, they need fire and rescue authorities. leader (SLD) work effectively together to take a more active leadership role providing a clear direction for the in developing a strategic approach council. Elected members work to best value and continuous well together with a strong focus on improvement. They have had limited priorities agreed by the full council. involvement in key aspects of They combine this with a good best value such as the approval of awareness of and engagement in the arrangements for service planning issues and challenges for Fife and and performance management, their local areas. management of resources, sustainable development and equal opportunities.
26. Elected members should 28. The chief executive has been in team leaders across the council, but make better use of learning and post since June 00 and has built now needs to be extended to other development activities. Less than half a good awareness of the issues groups of staff.The council has a () attended induction training on best and challenges for the council. He range of training and development value and scrutiny, and at October delegates effectively and is promoting arrangements including a joint ‘leading 008 only per cent of members a management culture based on and learning’ training programme with had personal development plans.The corporate working. NHS Fife. council has a comprehensive member training programme for elected 29. The CMT (Exhibit ) meets Accountability and decision-making members, and officers are reviewing formally each month and informally and refreshing the arrangements to weekly to discuss corporate and The council’s political structures allow more flexibility and accessibility. operational matters. Meetings are effective, although the new Training and development is a are held quarterly with senior area committees need further continuous process and it is important management and six-monthly with development. There is a culture that members participate in council individual service management of openness and accountability organised training. teams. Senior managers have cross but arrangements for supporting cutting roles as well as operational elected members could be 27. The chief executive and the remits. While these roles are at improved to enhance their Council Management Team (CMT) different stages of development they capacity for effective decision- work effectively with the council are contributing to a corporate culture making and scrutiny. leadership in delivering their vision and for the council. priorities. Elected members, officers 31. Following the May 007 elections, and community planning partners said 30. In 00, the council adopted the administration amended the that there had been a positive change an approach to management and committee structure (Exhibit ), in the culture of the organisation leadership development which changing the roles and remits in recent years. Discussions with consists of a competency-based of the strategic committees and elected members and officers performance assessment, known moving from three to seven area indicated a sense of ‘corporate-ness’ as ‘contribution management’, and committees. The service structure and consistency of message being a 0-degree appraisal process. This complements the strategic committee projected by the CMT. has been applied to all managers and arrangements. The changes have
Exhibit 3 Management structure
Chief executive Assessor, Chief fire officer, Chief constable, Assessor & Fife Fire Service Fife Constabulary Electoral Registration
Executive director, Executive Executive director, Executive Executive Executive Education director, Finance & director, director, director, lead officer for the Environment & Resources Local Community Performance & Social Work council on Development lead officer for the & Housing Organisational lead officer for the Children’s Services lead officer for council on Efficiency lead officer for the Support council on Health the council on and Risk council on lead officer for the and Social Care Sustainability Management Community council on Engagement Performance, Governance and Customer Care
Source: Fife Council Part . Does the council have clear strategic direction?
brought benefits to service areas, members use their local knowledge 35. There is a culture of openness creating opportunities for elected to contribute well to discussions. and accountability across the members to consider a wider range However, area planning needs further council. The cross-party leaders’ of issues. development. This would provide forum demonstrates a good level of a focus for each committee and openness between the administration 32. Seven area committees were assist with performance reporting and opposition and has good cross- introduced in 007 to replace and scrutiny of local services. In party engagement. The level of the previous three area service North East Fife in particular, the debate at committee is mature committees. Each area committee balance between strategic, area- and constructive and there is good meets on a four-weekly cycle. The based discussions and operational attendance and engagement by area committees have three key roles: discussions is skewed to the latter, elected members. Committees are with planning applications taking open to the public, and minutes and • determining matters within their a disproportionate amount of reports are available on the council’s terms of reference that directly committee meeting time. website, at the committees and affect their area, including local on request. land and property planning and 34. The schemes of administration, management issues delegation and scrutiny and 36. Some of the arrangements performance provide clear to support the openness and • scrutinising local service expectations of roles and accountability of decision-making and performance responsibilities, but further guidance scrutiny activity could be improved. on performance scrutiny would While committee agendas are agreed • monitoring the impact of council assist the development of this role with elected members, officers and other public services on the and promote a consistent approach. predominantly lead on their content. community. In our survey of elected members The agendas can be large with a only around half of those responding number of significant reports for 33. The audit team examined area agreed that the area committees scrutiny and decision-making but committees in South West Fife have a clear remit in relation to other members can have only five days to and North East Fife. These operate committees and wider policy. review papers and request further in a consensual way and elected information from officers prior to
Exhibit 4 Fife Council committee structure
Fife Council Standards & Audit
Education & Environment, Housing & Planning Police, Fire Policy, Finance Regulation Social Work Children’s Enterprise & Communities & Safety & Asset & Licensing & Health Services Transportation Management
Area Committees
City of Cowdenbeath Glenrothes Kirkcaldy Levenmouth North East Fife South West Fife Dunfermline
Subcommittees
Source: Fife Council
the committee. Only 0 per cent of Exhibit 5 elected members surveyed agreed Council priorities that they received all the information they needed to make decisions and The Big 8 only 0 per cent agreed that they received information in a timely • Improving educational attainment and achievement for all. manner. • Making Fife the leading green council.
Unitary police and fire and safety • Improving local conditions for economic development. authorities • Increasing access to housing.
The council needs to review • Improving community safety. how it discharges its best value • Targeting support to vulnerable people. responsibilities in relation to the police and fire and rescue services. • Improving sport, leisure and cultural opportunities. • Becoming a top performing council. 37. The Police, Fire and Safety Committee meets on a six-weekly Source: Fife Council Plan 2007 to 2011 cycle. It has elected members (four SLD, four SNP, four Labour, two Independent and one Conservative) which sets the objectives for the year ‘to make Fife a great place to live, and is chaired by a member of the ahead, during a committee away day, work and visit’ reinforces the Fife CPP Administration (SNP). Reports are but the opportunity to influence the vision of ‘a confident, ambitious and prepared and presented by council plan’s content was limited. caring Fife that is a great place to live, officers, the chief constable or chief work and visit’. fire officer.The chair has introduced 40. The committee receives presentations on relevant topics at performance reports that include 42. The council promotes and the beginning of each meeting. The details of recorded crime, detected communicates its priorities well.These agenda for each meeting is varied crime and clear-up rates covering are referred to as the Big 8 (Exhibit ). and lengthy, and this can limit the various crime groupings. An There is a high level of awareness and time available for discussion and operational briefing is presented by strong buy-in to the Big 8 by elected effective scrutiny. the chief constable at each meeting. members and officers. Almost all Performance reports received by elected members responding to the 38. Elected members and officers the committee are generally for audit survey agreed that the council from the council, Fife Constabulary noting with no action required. There has a clear set of priorities. The clarity and Fife Fire and Rescue Service is limited opportunity for elected and profile of the priorities is having said that there is a lack of clarity members to discuss how resources a positive impact on organisational around the respective roles of elected are used to achieve performance culture, with officers demonstrating a members in their different capacities targets, or whether the performance clear understanding of how their work as authority members and council targets are appropriate. contributes to the Big 8. committee members. This was particularly notable in respect of the Setting a clear direction The planning framework police authority, reflecting the current 43. The council has a clear planning tripartite arrangements covering the The council and its partners share a framework (Exhibit ). A community accountability of the police service in common vision and together they plan, council plan and service plans Scotland. The Scottish Government have agreed a Single Outcome have existed for some years. Recent sets national policing policy, the Agreement (SOA) for Fife. The changes are designed to create more chief constable is responsible for the council has developed clear effective linkages between the plans operational aspects of policing and priorities to support the vision ensuring that they clearly reflect the the police authority is responsible and this is underpinned by a clear community planning themes and for securing best value and setting planning framework. Area planning corporate priorities and enabling the budget. needs further development. members to monitor them more rigorously. 39. The unitary authority members Vision have agreed strategic plans for the 41. The council has clearly articulated 44. Fife’s community plan, A Stronger police force and the fire and rescue its vision and priorities, and actively Future for Fife 2000–2010 (revised service. There was some discussion uses them to direct planning and 2007) has five key themes: of the draft ‘Policing Plan 008-009’, decision-making. The council’s vision Part . Does the council have clear strategic direction?
Exhibit 6 partner agencies. The objectives and Planning framework targets in the SOA are based on the key objectives in the council plan and the community plan milestones. Fife Community Defines the Fife Partnership’s shared vision and outcomes for Fife. Accompanied by Community Plan 2007–2010 Service planning Planning Milestone Indicators. 49. Service plans cover strategic, best value and operational issues clearly, Fife Council Plan Defines the council’s contribution to the community plan. with well-structured action plans 2007–2011 Includes the Corporate Performance Scorecard. including targets and responsible officers. The plans incorporate performance scorecards, however, the quality of the measures in them Corporate Defines the council’s organisational is mixed and there is scope for Improvement improvement priorities supporting delivery of further refinement of these. Member Programme the council plan. involvement in service planning and monitoring has until recently been limited. This year is the first cycle Service plans Defines service contributions to delivery of the council where members have been asked plan. Includes Service Performance Scorecards. to approve service plans and their associated balanced scorecards.
Team & individual Defines more detailed operational activity. Includes 50. The service plans set out how contributions individual Contribution Management objectives. each service intends to contribute to the delivery of the council’s priorities. Arrangements are in place to identify Source: Fife Council and link the contribution of teams and individuals to the council’s priorities in relation to the relevant service • Building a stronger, more flexible 46. The Administration demonstrated priorities. These arrangements include and diverse economy. clear leadership in developing the team plans and individual ‘contribution Fife Council Plan 007 to 0.The management’. However, neither is • Creating a well educated and plan reflects the community planning fully deployed across the council. skilled Fife. themes but is expressed around the council’s Big 8 priorities. A corporate Area planning • Improving health and well-being balanced scorecard accompanies the 51. There is limited area service in Fife. plan. This identifies indicators and planning. Transportation and housing targets that will be used to monitor and community services provide area • Sustaining and improving Fife’s progress. However, this needs further planning reports while education and environment. development with challenging targets social work are only beginning to for all indicators. develop their approaches. This limits • Making Fife’s communities safer. the effectiveness of performance 47. The council’s planning framework management and scrutiny by the 45. The community plan describes a includes the recently developed area committees. series of outcomes for each theme corporate improvement programme with associated milestones. However, (CIP). The CIP demonstrates 52. The council is developing area the milestones do not contain specific that the council is ambitious work plans. These are based on measures and targets. The partnership and has good awareness of the priorities identified by the local elected published its most recent progress improvement activity required. It members and should provide some report, The State of Fife, in 007. identifies improvement priorities focus for the area committees. The report describes achievements and draws together initiatives into It is unclear how these plans will against the community plan objectives a single programme for corporate contribute to wider service and and milestones but without specific management and monitoring. corporate objectives. The council targets it is difficult to measure the should ensure the area plans extent of progress. 48. The council coordinated the complement the developing local development of a SOA which has community plans and make clearer been agreed by Fife Partnership and the links with service plans.
Engaging with the community Exhibit 7 Newburgh Community Trust Fife Council undertakes a wide range of consultation and Newburgh is to the north of Fife, on the banks of the river Tay. Previously, it community engagement activity. was an industrial town with a linoleum factory as its centre. This closed down The council needs to improve many years ago and the area lay derelict for sometime. The local community arrangements for coordinating and got together and formed a Trust to develop and regenerate the area. The managing this activity. group was supported by the Fife Rural Network and assisted by a number of council services. 53. The council is involved in a range of consultation and engagement They had many obstacles to overcome as the land was opposite the largest activities, both strategically and reed beds in the United Kingdom and home to many migrating birds. Much operationally. Consultation and of the work was carried out by Trust members including having to undertake engagement activity across the an environmental impact assessment. The Trust successfully created an council is supported by a variety of attractive grassed area by the river for use by the community. The Trust has tools and arrangements. The council gone on to purchase and develop disused piers adjacent to the park. has recently agreed a community engagement policy with a stronger The Trust has succeeded in bringing together the community to develop their focus on community capacity neighbourhood. Those involved have been proactive in seeking additional building. It would benefit from having funding and undertaking the work. Over £00k of funding has been secured a corporate strategy and action plan from various sources including Fife Council, Fresh Futures Transforming Your to direct and monitor consultation Space, Community Environmental Renewal Scheme, Fife Environmental and engagement activity.This Trust and the European Union. would improve the links between engagement activity and policy and Source: Fife Council/Audit Scotland service development.
54.The council undertakes a residents’ gauging public awareness of issues, 57. The CPP has a well-constructed survey approximately every two years. such as NHS Fife public partnership consultation handbook, based on the The third and most recent survey was forums, testing user satisfaction on national standards for community undertaken in December 007.This changes to the council telephone engagement, which provides clear involved face-to-face interviews with system and in the development of advice for partners on a wide range ,80 residents and found: strategies, such as a green spaces of tools for consultation and is strategy. Feedback on survey results illustrated with case studies. The • Overall satisfaction with council and information on panel activities is CPP also engages with community services increased from 8 per provided to panel members through a representative groups such as cent in 00 to 8 per cent in regular newsletter. FRAE (fairness, race awareness 00 but declined slightly to and equality) Fife, an organisation 80 per cent in 007. 56. The council has a useful intranet- representing ethnic minority based consultation diary with groups in Fife. • Accurate information, ease of information about past, current and contact, and knowledge and planned consultations. Services use 58. The council engages well with understanding of services were a wide range of consultation activity local communities. There is ongoing rated as the most important to help inform and improve service engagement with community aspects of service delivery, delivery. Surveys are used frequently, councils. Services support small and translation services and for example, to inform local plans projects, which are coordinated at accessibility/access to buildings and the local services payment a local level by the council’s Local as least important. strategy. Focus groups, roadshows Services Network. The Fife Rural and conferences about particular Partnership works with communities 55. The council runs the Fife People’s topics have been used for issues to establish community trusts panel on behalf of the partnership. including implementation of the new throughout Fife (Exhibit 7). It was set up in 00 and has telephone system, development of a over ,000 members. The panel refreshed tenant participation strategy 59. The council and the Fife CPP is self-selecting and may not be and community safety.The council provide well-presented information representative of the population. also uses online voting to gather to the public about services and This has the potential to limit its information, for example, to gauge the activities. A wide range of media is effectiveness. The panel has been public’s interest in mobile phone text used including newsletters, the used in the review of street cleaning, reminder services. Fife direct website and a digital TV Part . Does the council have clear strategic direction? 7
channel providing key information such as school, road closures and useful phone numbers. The Fife Partnership distributes the Fifelife newspaper to residents four times a year. In the 007 residents’ survey, 7. per cent of residents responded that overall they are well informed about the council and the services it provides, 9.8 per cent of residents feel they get the right amount of information about the council and 7 per cent are satisfied with the quality of information provided.
60. The council reports performance information to the public through a range of documents, such as a SPI results booklet, a residents’ directory, the Fifelife community planning newsletter and a leaflet provided with council tax bills. The information within the reports provides a balanced view of performance. Recent improvements to the council’s performance management arrangements should provide scope for the inclusion of more outcome- focused performance information to provide better public performance reporting.
61. The residents’ survey indicates that residents feel most informed about how to make payments and where to vote, but least informed about whether the council is delivering on its priorities, and how well it is performing. The council has a draft communications and marketing strategy and action plan that recognises the need to develop the public performance reporting framework in response to the survey findings. 8 Part 2. Is the council organised to deliver better services? Part . Is the council organised to deliver better services? 9
Fife Council has put in place Exhibit 8 many of the best value building Fife Partnership blocks. Community planning and joint working arrangements Fife Partnership Board are well established. The Fife Partnership needs to develop (Community planning, governance and scrutiny) a better understanding of how Executive and non-executive officers: it is performing in relation to NHS Fife, Fife Council, Fife Constabulary, Scottish Enterprise, outcomes for local communities. FHE Sector, Scottish Government, Voluntary Sector Key elements of a performance management framework are in place within the council but performance reporting should be Executive Group Cross-cutting enhanced with clear and timely (Strategic direction) Delivery Groups reporting to elected members to Chief executive officers: eg Shared Services, support scrutiny arrangements. NHS Fife, Fife Council, Equality & Diversity lead Fife Constabulary, FHE Sector officers, Data Sharing The council manages its finances and Scottish Enterprise Partnership effectively. It does, however, need to take a more strategic approach to finance and workforce planning to ensure that resources are used most effectively in delivering Community Plan Outcome Partnership and Policy Support corporate priorities. The council Theme Leads • Research and information has developed a more strategic Lead senior manager for each • Performance and monitoring approach to other areas including strategic partnership/theme: • Community engagement asset management, procurement • Economy • Environment, • Local community planning and risk management. It is also • Community safety • Health and • Communications addressing underperformance in well-being • Education and skills • Data sharing Information Technology (IT). The council needs to ensure these Source: Fife Council improvements are sustained.
A culture of continuous Working in partnership with its partners and that joint working improvement is developing had improved services. and this will be enhanced with Community planning is well better coordination through the established in Fife. There is a clear 63. The partnership has recently recently established improvement vision and direction of travel for changed its structure and is in programme arrangements. The the partnership and it has a clear the process of clarifying roles and council is not in a position to clearly understanding of its financial responsibilities for individual partners. demonstrate the competitiveness priorities. The council works jointly Senior officers from the partner of its services. with many partners to deliver agencies lead on the community plan services. The council should themes. Their role is to coordinate The council has well-defined ensure that there is more rigorous and monitor the arrangements in management arrangements for monitoring and reporting of the key place for delivering the community equal opportunities, although, outcomes and financial resources. plan objectives. A number of groups elected members demonstrate are associated with each theme, limited ownership of equalities 62. The council has a strong culture allowing flexibility for each outcome issues. Good progress has been of working with partners. The Fife theme lead to develop areas to made on sustainability. Partnership is well established meet their own needs. Less than (Exhibit 8) and the leader of the half (7 per cent) of the partners council chairs the Partnership Board, responding to the survey agreed that while the vice chair is the chair of the respective roles of the different NHS Fife. Other partners have partners were clear. lead roles in the Executive Group. Our survey of community planning 64. There has been inconsistent partners found that 8 per cent reporting of performance to the Fife agreed that the council works well Partnership. Only 7 per cent of 0
partners responding to our survey Exhibit 9 agreed that progress against the Safer communities centre community plan priorities were monitored effectively.The partnership Eighty community safety staff from the following organisations have been has recently started a programme co-located into the new Safer Communities Centre at Kingdom House, of performance reporting on each Glenrothes: outcome theme at partnership meetings. As the board meets • Fife Community Safety Partnership’s policy team. quarterly this means that each outcome will be reported once every • Fife Cares home safety and home security service. 8 months. The partnership should • Safer Neighbourhoods Team, which includes staff from Victim Support review whether this is sufficient. Fife, Fife Council, Fife Fire and Rescue, and Fife Constabulary. 65. Local community planning • Housing Investigation team. arrangements are being developed • Night Time Noise team. within the existing area committee structure. However, only 7 per cent • Fife Drug and Alcohol team. of those responding to our survey agree that local community planning The centre is funded by contributions from community planning partners. activity is well developed. The Its work is reported through the Community Safety Partnership. Partnership Board agreed in October Achievements for 008 include: 007 that a variety of different models should be pursued at area • Continued implementation of the Safer Neighbourhoods strategy to level, allowing flexibility to meet local tackle antisocial behaviour across Fife, including targeted operational needs. The flexible approach taken by work in the Kirkcaldy area. the board should be balanced with • Promotion of home safety, fire safety and home security. a structured approach to managing implementation, ensuring robust • Targeted work to promote pupil safety on school transport. milestones and targets are in place • Arrangements to tackle hate crime. and monitored. Without a clear management framework, there is a • Promotion of greater youth involvement in community safety issues. risk of local community plans being developed in isolation from each other Source: Fife Council/Audit Scotland and the process becoming disjointed.
66. The Fife Partnership has a 67. Community planning partners in using resources and improving clear understanding of its financial recognise the common boundary as working conditions. management responsibilities. It has a strength of the Fife Partnership. a budget of £,000 which includes Partners felt that their ability to focus 69. The Fife Partnership carried out a funding for Fifelife newspaper, on delivering benefits for the people feasibility review and set up a project Fife People’s Panel and Kingdom of Fife, without having to manage board to identify possible areas for Graduates to which partners competing priorities and differing shared services. These include: contribute. Approximately £ million demands from other partnerships, (007/08) was managed through was advantageous. • Fleet Management – including various partnership groups and Scottish Ambulance Service. organisations, and by lead partners 68. Promoting community safety on behalf of the Fife Partnership. is a key priority for the council and • Employee databank for catering This figure includes £. million for its partners. Some staff involved in and cleaning employees. affordable housing, £9.7 million for community safety activities are now supporting people and £.09 million co-located in a newly established • Fife-wide procurement for the hire for community regeneration activity. Safer Communities Centre (Exhibit 9). of taxis. This is a significant sum of money and This aims to improve service delivery the Fife Partnership acknowledges for Fife residents through better • Driver training and assessment that greater clarity is required in communication and coordination, as service. the management of these budgets well as achieving efficiencies through across the partnership. It is currently sharing administration costs, reducing • Courier service across partner considering how to formalise this role overheads, increasing flexibility organisations. in line with the SOA. Part . Is the council organised to deliver better services?
Work is continuing to manage the 72. The council has not set targets Scrutiny shared resource in these areas and for all areas in which it is monitoring the partnership recognises that it performance. It plans to formally Elected members engage in the could be more ambitious in the areas report performance annually against scrutiny process but their scrutiny selected as potential shared services. the council scorecard to elected of performance is underdeveloped It is too early to assess the impact of members through the Policy, Finance due to a lack of clear performance the initial areas of work. & Asset Management (PFAM) information and the timescales in Committee. As the scorecard reflects which reports are received. Managing performance the key priorities of the council, members should be regularly 75. Strategic committees develop Fife Council has in place most of monitoring performance. policy and set strategic direction and the key elements of a performance together with area committees and management framework. Further 73. Service-wide annual performance the Standards and Audit Committee, development of this framework is reports produced by the council are responsible for scrutinising required and performance reporting to March 007 did not provide decision-making and performance. to elected members needs to be a balanced picture of service This is not consistent with good significantly improved. performance. These were reported practice principles outlined in the to members between November Leadership Advisory Panel’s Report, 70. The council has set out what and January 008. Revised corporate Scottish Local Government’s Political it is seeking to achieve in its performance reporting arrangements Management Structures, which 007- council plan. It approved a were approved in 007 and these suggest that scrutiny should be performance scorecard in March 008 were to include six-monthly service undertaken by a separate scrutiny to reflect the council’s Big 8 priorities reporting. Reports for the year group with its own corporate identity, and services have also developed ending March 008 had not been formal work programme and remit. scorecards. Prior to this, the council prepared by September 008 and so monitored performance against a it remains unclear whether services 76. Scrutiny is taking place at full wide variety of performance indicators have met their intended objectives. council and within committees but (PIs), including SPIs as well as locally The council re-established the this is not based on a formal scrutiny developed Key PIs, but these were practice of submitting service plans to work program. In June 008, the not aligned with council priorities. strategic committees in spring 008 PFAM Committee approved a new The council still needs to complete and these now provide a baseline scheme of scrutiny and performance. the roll-out of the framework to cover against which annual performance can The scheme set out mechanisms individual objectives. be measured. Prior to this it was not by which effective scrutiny could possible to determine whether the be carried out and recommended 71. The CMT and heads of service service was meeting its objectives. that all committees should consider receive quarterly detailed performance the adoption of an annual work reports, however, performance 74. The council recognises that programme including the identification reporting arrangements for elected there are weaknesses in the of any priority areas for scrutiny.To members are not effective. The current reporting of performance ensure that scrutiny is not ad hoc reports to elected members on to committees. The revised and covers all areas of the council, PIs are difficult to understand and arrangements have not yet been in programmes should be put in place. indicators which are demonstrating a place for a full cycle. It is also unclear This is a recommendation in the decline in service performance are not how other areas of performance external auditor’s Annual Audit immediately evident. Reports do not improvement work (eg, best value Report 007/08. make clear why underperformance reviews, European Foundation for has occurred, or what is being Quality Management (EFQM) reviews 77. The revised performance reporting done to rectify the position. The or the new corporate improvement arrangements, approved in September council currently seeks to compare programme) will feed into these 007, provided for service performance performance with the previous two arrangements to provide a more to be reported to members every years but in many instances the joined-up framework for performance six months, rather than annually. For information is not comparable and monitoring and improvement. the new arrangements to work, it is therefore not useful. essential that reports are presented on a timely basis. Annual reports on service performance for 00/07 were received by committees between November 007 and January 008. As a result the information was out of date and did not support effective scrutiny.
Managing resources balances to £9 million over a three- outstanding. Seventeen per cent of year period commencing April these claims are expected to go to Finance 007. The council is currently ahead tribunal and the council has made of schedule with balances of £.00 provision for these of around The council manages its finances million at March 008, rather than £ million in the accounts. effectively. Budgets are linked the £ million planned in the strategy. to the council’s objectives and 85. The council has been successful effective monitoring arrangements 82. The council has set itself a in recent years in reducing its levels are now in place. challenging capital programme of of sickness absence by introducing over £ million for the next three measures such as early intervention, 78. Fife Council spends around years. The council has experienced management training and the £,000 million each year on services. slippage in its capital plans – in consistent application of policies. The council has a sound system of 007/08, per cent of budgeted Although significant improvements financial control based on regular expenditure was re-phased into were made initially, the council has reporting, financial monitoring and future years, with slippage of per only seen a slight decline in absence scrutiny. The council continues to cent in 00/07 and 0. per cent in management figures in the past identify projected net overspends for 00/0. If the council is to meet the three years. The council is currently 008/09 but believes that through objectives of its capital programme, around the national average for effective management controls it should ensure that robust project teachers’ absence with a figure of service expenditure can be managed management procedures are .9 per cent against a national average within approved budgets. deployed, including more effective of .8 per cent. The absence rate milestone reporting. for administrative, professional and 79. While the council does not have technical staff is the same as the one overarching corporate financial People management national average, at . per cent. Fife strategy document it does have the council was awarded the Scotland’s component features including an The council has not had a clear Health at Work (SHAW) Gold Award approved three-year revenue budget, strategic approach to people in 007. a capital plan and a target position for management. It is beginning to its reserves.These provide a medium- develop its approach and should 86. The council has integrated term commitment and direction for focus on developing a corporate personal appraisal into its planning financial management.The council workforce management strategy. framework through its contribution acknowledges that for consistency Staff surveys should be carried out management process. However, and ease of review there could regularly with the feedback used to the programme is still being rolled be an advantage in these policies inform strategy development and out across the council. The council being brought together under one service provision. also offers a range of training and overarching corporate finance strategy. development opportunities for staff 83. Fife Council has only recently including internal training courses and 80. The three-year revenue budget approved its corporate HR strategy external development opportunities, links to the council’s objectives (008/) to develop a consistent such as professional qualifications. and was developed with service council-wide approach which links to departments. The council provides corporate HR strategies and council 87. The 007 employee survey was effective revenue and capital reporting objectives. The council previously the first council-wide employee to its strategic committees. Budget had a set of agreed HR priorities. The survey since 000. The survey shows reports are provided to officers on council says that its commitment improvements on the 000 survey a monthly basis giving each service to tackling equal pay issues and results in terms of morale and job an up-to-date financial position and single status reduced its capacity satisfaction, with 8 per cent of projected final year outturn. Elected to progress workforce planning and respondents feeling valued for the members and officers are committed develop its HR strategy. However, work they do compared with 8 per to deliver within budget. this led to services developing cent in 000. The time lag between their own workforce strategies and the two surveys, however, means that 81. The council’s reserves were workforce planning arrangements, it is difficult for the council to judge reduced from £.897 million to including training and development what measures have led to these £.9 million during 00/0, arrangements. improvements. The response rate following the settlement of equal to the survey was 8 per cent. The pay liabilities which amounted to 84. The council introduced a new council should carry out the employee approximately £0 million. The package for single status and equal survey on a regular basis and look council’s reserves strategy aims to pay in April 007. As at March 008 for ways to improve the response restore the level of uncommitted the council had 8 equal pay claims rate. The council has used the survey Part . Is the council organised to deliver better services?
results to inform its policies and The council is developing a ten-year 96. Risk workshops have been held decision-making processes and it capital investment plan, although this across the council to raise awareness should ensure that the impact of the plan is not informed by the council’s of risk management among staff. findings of these surveys are reported asset management plans. There has also been training for back to staff. staff who are directly involved 92. The council and its community in developing risk management Asset management planning partners could make better arrangements. Nominated staff within use of its combined asset base. They the council have also completed the The council has a strategic should consider joint reviews externally accredited Management of approach to asset management. of assets in particular areas and Risk and Uncertainty course. Further work is under way to link towns. This would provide an the corporate asset management opportunity to consider joint Information technology strategy to individual service asset rationalisation of assets with a focus management arrangements. on improving services and reducing The council has recognised that its costs across public services. IT function has been 88. The council has developed a underperforming and it is addressing corporate asset management strategy 93. Fife was one of five councils some of the fundamental issues. and has delegated responsibility for included in an Accounts Commission asset management to the PFAM national study of asset management. 97. IT services within Fife Council has Committee. Environment and The study found that Fife compares been underperforming for a number development services directorate favourably with other Scottish local of years and an external audit report has overall responsibility for asset authorities although there are some in early 007 indicated that significant management. The council approved its weaknesses in the council’s current improvements required to be made. asset management plan in 2006 and arrangements for managing assets. There had been a lack of strategic is currently revising this. planning and governance within the Risk management council’s IT arrangements as well as 89. Work is progressing on assessing concerns about how IT can help meet the condition and ‘fitness for The council has developed a strategic strategic and service objectives. This purpose’ of the council’s property approach to risk management and is had led to a lack of consistency in IT asset portfolio. Corporate asset progressing work to embed it within service provision. management services are carrying council services. out work to obtain and grade data 98. Performance monitoring on the condition, suitability and 94. The council has made good arrangements do not allow an sufficiency of each asset within the progress in the implementation of its assessment of IT performance against property asset portfolio. However, the risk management arrangements at a existing targets. Previous plans had too council has not yet outlined how this strategic level. The risk management many targets and too many priorities data will be used. strategy was implemented in 007 which contributed to a lack of clear and the current risk register identifies direction.There was a lack of strategic 90. The council is developing service risks in relation to the council’s Big capacity planning and historically asset management plans. These plans 8 priorities. The arrangements are resourcing had been undertaken on a are at various stages of development not as well developed or consistent project by project basis. and it is not clear how these plans at a service level and further work is will feed into an overarching corporate required for risk management to be 99. The council has recently revised asset management plan. embedded into everyday practices. its IT governance arrangements to address the weaknesses. It has 91. The council has recently 95. The council has established established an IT Strategy Board reclassified its assets to ensure that effective arrangements to monitor and which meets every two months and they are in line with the appropriate manage risk. There are two groups to an officer-led Information Governance definitions of investment properties. support heads of service in fulfilling Board. The IT Strategy Board is This work resulted in 7 properties, their risk responsibilities. These are responsible for creating a consistent worth £. million, being classified the Risk Management Strategy framework for IT governance as surplus to requirements. The Group (RMSG) and an Operational across the council. In January 008, council’s external auditors have Risk Management Group. An action the council started to develop an recommended that the council plan is in place outlining how the information management strategy reviews assets within the ‘surplus risk management strategy will be but this work has been delayed and assets, held for disposal’ category to delivered. Progress reports on the the strategy is now expected to be ensure all assets have been correctly work of the RMSG are presented to finalised in March 009. classified in the financial statements. the Standards and Audit Committee.
100. The council has approved an IT £9.7 million of cash and non-cash 107. The procurement function is investment plan and an IT strategy. savings for the council. working with services to identify The IT investment plan identifies the efficiency savings. The council’s key IT projects needed to improve 103. The 008– revenue budget 007–08 efficiency statement the IT infrastructure. The investment process identified savings which could identified £.7 million of plan was approved before the IT be made across the council. Targets procurement savings. The council strategy and does not identify within the budget were allocated to has agreed that all efficiency savings how the key projects link with reflect the council’s priorities with achieved can be retained by the the council’s strategic and service different services being set different individual service and reinvested in objectives. This is an area that will efficiency targets. Savings identified services. This has resulted in greater require close scrutiny by the IT through the budget process are interaction between services and Strategy Board to ensure alignment monitored during the year through procurement which should enhance with the strategic objectives of the regular reports to elected members. opportunities for joint working. council and to ensure the strategy is not led by committed or proposed 104. As part of its corporate 108. The procurement strategy developments. improvement programme the council identifies how the procurement has established an Efficiency Board. function delivers against the council’s 101. The council has recently This officer-led board seeks to monitor key objectives. As part of the council’s undertaken major IT projects such efficiencies and ensure that they are corporate improvement programme as the implementation of a new contributing to the achievement of the council set up an Efficiency Board telephony system during 00 council objectives. Further work is as an officer-led group reporting to and 007. This cost approximately required in order that the council can the Corporate Improvement Board. £. million. The project was better demonstrate the impact of The procurement function has delivered on time and within budget efficiencies on service delivery. recently started reporting to the and has achieved the stated business Efficiency Board. objectives. However, at the time Procurement the council made the decision to 109. Procurement is an important undertake the project, there was The council has developed a contributor to the council’s no clear IT strategy in place and the strategic approach to procurement commitment to supporting the local project therefore went forward based and it needs to embed these economy and becoming a green on its own merits rather than on arrangements across the council. council. Quality Meat Scotland has how it would deliver against agreed undertaken a review of red meat strategic IT objectives. 105. Fife Council has recently suppliers to the council’s schools, restructured its procurement function staff canteens and residential homes. Efficiencies to bring it within the finance and The review identified that the majority resources directorate. This has of the council’s meat came from The council has a framework for raised the profile of the function, farms across Fife while the Scotch capturing and reporting efficiencies. allowing more effective reporting lamb came from farms in Angus. However, it needs to better and line management structures and By using local suppliers the council demonstrate the impact these improving links with the accounts believes it will not only support local savings have had on service delivery. payable function. businesses and the Fife economy but will reduce transportation costs and 102. The council uses service budgets 106. The current procurement its carbon footprint. and performance information to strategy covers the period 007–0 demonstrate financial savings. and was approved by the council’s 110. The council procurement function This framework is based on work PFAM Committee in January 008. In has received external recognition undertaken on a consultancy basis, developing this strategy, the council for its work in tendering for a recent with accounting teams from Finance consulted with local partners and contract for its PRINT ’08 project working with services in capturing external stakeholders, such as NHS (Exhibit 0). The project has been the relevant details. In addition to Fife, Communities Scotland and identified as an example of good this work, SOLACE Enterprises Scottish Enterprise Fife. The policy practice by the Office of Government was commissioned to identify key reflects the findings of the 00 Commerce. opportunities for efficient government/ Scottish Government commissioned shared service initiatives across Fife Review of Public Procurement in 111. The council is actively engaging Partnership. Fife Council has Scotland and aligns the work of the with external bodies on procurement produced efficiency statements procurement function directly with the issues. These include other local for 00/07 and for 007/08. These council’s Big 8. authorities, Fife Chamber of have identified a combined total of Commerce and Enterprise, the Part . Is the council organised to deliver better services?
Federation for Small Businesses and Exhibit 10 the Council for Voluntary Service Print ‘08 – Fife. The council is a member of Scotland Excel, the Scottish Recognising that it was not getting best value from its current Local Government Procurement photocopying, printing and distribution arrangements, Fife Council Forum (SLGPF) and the South East developed its PRINT ’08 project. Procurement Alliance. Fife is working with Scotland Excel on a contract The council used an existing Office of Government Commerce (OGC) for light vehicle provision and is the framework as the basis for the review. A strengths, weaknesses, SLGPF advisory representative for opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was undertaken on the areas the Convention of Scottish Local which the council wished to review. An initial scoping document was Authorities on procurement matters. sent out to companies on the OGC framework with the council asking for proposals and ideas which would add value to the proposed review, how Continuous improvement they would link into the strategic objectives of the council and requesting proposed methods for delivering an innovative and effective service. The Fife has recently captured all of council retained intellectual property rights for these submissions and was its improvement activity in an able to use aspects of this information when developing the invitation to overarching corporate improvement tender as well as finalising how the project would be delivered with the programme. While there are successful bidder. This approach has been recognised by the OGC, which various improvement activities intends to use Fife Council as a case study for other councils. across the council, further work is required in order to demonstrate The PRINT ’08 project was awarded to Canon in June 008 and will be the progress being made. The phased in across all council offices and schools by September 009. council is not in a position to clearly demonstrate that its Source: Fife Council/Audit Scotland services are competitive.
112. The council is developing a teams of trained assessors drawn of Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) culture of continuous improvement from across the council. The council and the Local Authority Accounts and is implementing a corporate has developed its own excellence (Scotland) Advisory Committee improvement programme for 008–. awards to recognise and reward (LASAAC) guidance. Although these This is led by officers and is designed good practice. The awards have been trading operations have been subject to support delivery of the council’s further developed and have now been to reviews of their charges and/or Big 8 and the council plan. The extended across the Fife Partnership. undergone best value reviews, the programme identifies the actions council is unable to demonstrate the which the council believes will deliver 115. In March 00, the council’s competitiveness of all these services the priority of being ‘a top performing Policy and Resources Committee or when some trading operations council’.This is an ambitious approved a best value policy and were last subjected to competition. programme of work that would operating framework which would benefit from further prioritisation. be applied to all council services. 117. Fife Council is developing the Services have undertaken best value use of options appraisal work across 113. The council has established a reviews although these have varied all services. The council has used Corporate Improvement Board with in quality and not been consistently options appraisal for major projects, four sub-boards: Investment Strategy delivered. The council should consider such as School Estates Management Board; ICT Steering Group; Efficiency how the impact and success of these Plans and Public Private Partnership Board; and Performance and reviews can be built upon. (PPP) proposals. In October 007, the Organisational Support Improvement PFAM Committee approved a revised Board. It is too early to say how 116. Fife Council undertakes annual template for committee reports which effective the programme will be. The reviews of income generating requires all reports to clearly outline council needs to introduce milestone services. The 007 review concluded the result of options appraisals. The monitoring and reporting to elected that there was only one Significant council also used option appraisal members. Trading Operation (STO) and 0 techniques when developing its trading operations. The building recent revenue and capital budgets. 114. Fife Council uses the services STO has a cumulative EFQM excellence model as a surplus of £9.0 million for the three 118. Fife Council has used alternative self-assessment tool to support years to March 008. The council’s models for delivering services. In continuous improvement. Services classification criteria were found to be October 007, the council transferred are assessed on three-year cycle by consistent with the Chartered Institute the management of arts and theatre
services to a trust (Arts and Theatres Equal opportunities 125. The council reports employment Trust Fife) and in April 008 sports information annually to elected and leisure services were transferred The council has demonstrated its members and senior managers. The to the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. commitment to equal opportunities council recognises that its workforce The council has also used PPP to fund and has well-defined management does not represent Fife’s overall two schemes with a combined capital arrangements to support this work. ethnic minority population, and the construction cost of £0 million However, elected members have integrated equality and diversity covering schools, two libraries and not been actively involved in the action plan makes a commitment to a number of new and refurbished equalities agenda. address this. The council is leading community-use sports facilities. the CPP theme, ‘Equal in Fife’, aimed 121. The council has statutory at helping Fife’s ethnic minorities 119. In September 007, the schemes for race, disability and and new migrants into education, council agreed to revise its annual gender equality in place and an training and employment. The council performance reports to include integrated equality and diversity has an access to information policy, comparative statutory performance strategy and action plan. In 007, the which provides staff with practical information from other councils, council commissioned an equality information on how to communicate allowing elected members to audit of all its HR policies to ensure with people with a range of disabilities benchmark performance in SPIs. that they complied with equalities and different requirements. The council has sought to use legislation. The council has published a range of sources to provide two annual equality and diversity 126. The council’s system for benchmarking information. For reports, setting out the council’s gathering service information on example, membership of Association achievements and its challenges as equality and service delivery is of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) well as highlighting future priorities. limited. A migrant workers survey benchmarking groups, the KnowFife was conducted in 007, however, dataset which provides benchmarking 122. The executive director for social it is unclear how the results of this data for services and data gathered work has corporate responsibility consultation have subsequently been through external partnership groups for equalities. Equality champions used to inform service delivery.The such as the South East Procurement within services are connecting with council recognised this as a priority in Alliance. hard to reach groups. Housing and its most recent equality and diversity development services have dedicated report. It needs to continue to develop 120. In addition to these internal equalities officers. methods of engaging effectively with reviews, Fife has won a number of its harder to reach ethnic minority awards for its services including: 123. Elected members currently groups and to use this information to demonstrate limited ownership of improve services. • 008 COSLA Excellence Award equalities issues. For example, less (Community Planning and Local than half of all elected members 127. The council has a commitment Democracy) for its Anne Frank & have received formal race equality to gender equality and is developing You festival. training. However, they have approved a management development the equality schemes and scrutinise programme for women. The 007/08 • Scottish Transport Award 007 progress through the annual SPIs show that the council is above for the Go-Flexi Rural Demand equalities report. the national average with women Responsive Transport Service. accounting for 9. per cent of 124. Local authorities, under the Race the top two per cent of council • Four European Blue Flag beach Relations Act, are required to conduct employees and 8. per cent of the awards and Keep Scotland race equality impact assessments top five per cent. This compares with Beautiful, Seaside Awards 008. (REIAs) to identify how a policy will the Scottish averages of .9 per affect people from different racial cent and per cent respectively. • National Assessment of Cycling groups. While the council has a toolkit Both indicators have continued to Provision in Scotland – Best for conducting REIAs, only one REIA improve since 00/0. However, this Performing Local Authority 008. has been completed to date. A national is not mirrored in the composition of study for the Accounts Commission, the council’s most senior managers, published in November 008, reported where only three out of the top that the race equality duty has not yet managers are women. had a significant impact on the delivery of council services or on minority ethnic 128. The percentage of council communities.This conclusion applies to buildings that are suitable for and Fife Council as it does to other councils. accessible to disabled people has Part . Is the council organised to deliver better services? 7
increased from 7. per cent in 131. The council has committed to 134. The council is making good 00/0 to 80 per cent in 007/08. reducing its carbon emissions by progress in economic sustainability, The significant change in this figure 80 per cent by 00 in line with supported by the Fife Local Economic is largely explained by a more Scottish Government targets. Development Strategy ‘Growing comprehensive approach to assessing Three per cent year-on-year carbon Fife’s Future’. The new Economic the accessibility of buildings taken reduction targets have been Partnership is leading a review of the in 007/08 compared with previous established for each service and current economic strategy, taking into reporting years. The council is working the council is beginning to develop account updated research on Fife’s in partnership with an internet-based a carbon management strategy. economy and complementing it organisation ‘DisabledGo’ to improve A member officer working group with the development of a new communications about disabled (Carbon Emissions Reduction Board) Edinburgh City Region Economic access to buildings in the Fife area. provides a strategic focus towards Development Framework. They are developing an online carbon reduction. Fife is the only local directory of venues with access authority in Scotland to take part in information to help disabled people. a voluntary carbon trading scheme set up by the Local Government Sustainable development Information Unit Initiative to prepare for the government’s mandatory Fife Council has made good Carbon Reduction Commitment being progress on environmental, introduced in 00. economic and social sustainability issues. The council would benefit 132. Recycling has improved from a more structured approach. significantly from a very low baseline in 00/0, and recent figures show 129. While the council does not that the amount of waste produced by have an overarching sustainable households (0.087 tonnes per house development strategy it does per year) is below the national average recognise the different elements in Scotland (0.089 tonnes). The council of sustainability and reflects them has committed to the principle of zero in service and key plans. For waste. A three-year programme is in example, all 008 service plans place with a target of increasing Fife’s make a commitment to reducing recycling and composting rate to 7 carbon emissions. The council has per cent by 00/. The percentage of structures in place to support the waste collected and recycled by the environmental sustainable agenda, council in 007/08, was 9. per cent. but there are no clear structures in This is an improvement from 9.7 place to support economic and social per cent in 00/0, and ranks the sustainability.The executive director council fifth across all Scottish local for environment and development authorities. The council has introduced is the lead officer for the council on a variety of initiatives including an sustainable development. The chair ‘unwanted mail’ media campaign. of the Environment, Enterprise and Transportation Committee takes an 133. The council is addressing social active role in leading the council’s and economic sustainability through a environmental and economic agenda. variety of different projects, particularly at a partnership level (Exhibit , 130. Environmental sustainability overleaf). There are a number of is one of the Big 8 priorities for the strategic partnerships taking forward council – ‘making Fife the leading different strands of the sustainable green council in Scotland’.The development agenda including; Take a council is implementing a number Pride in Fife Environmental Network, of projects and initiatives to achieve Sustainable Communities Group and this ambitious vision and staff are Fife Economic Forum, which has engaging positively with the recently been replaced by the new council’s approach. ‘Fife Economic Partnership’. 8
Exhibit 11 Levenmouth Regeneration Initiative
Levenmouth has suffered from a decline in traditional industries resulting in high levels of deprivation. The vision for Levenmouth is to achieve a sustainable and more prosperous community by stabilising the population of the area, expanding the income in circulation within the local economy and by making Levenmouth a more attractive place to live and invest in. This will be done in a number of ways:
• Maximising local employment opportunities. • Giving greater emphasis to improving external accessibility to employment opportunities, increasing the competitiveness of local businesses, and making the area more attractive for inward investment. • Maintaining and enhancing the vitality and viability of town centres. • Management of continuing physical and economic changes in areas which have suffered from a loss of retail trade over the recent decades. • Raising skill levels of the local workforce.
• Improving the overall quality of life for the residents, workforce and tourists is a key part of the regeneration process, which can be achieved by:
– promoting improvements in health and well-being – protecting and enhancing the environment – improving opportunities and facilities for young people – helping local people to improve their own financial circumstances.
Progress to date
Progress has been made in Levenmouth over the past few years. Levenmouth Regeneration has been working in partnership with external bodies and other services to tackle issues and give support to the physical, social and economic regeneration of the local area. Some key projects include: Street Life – various activities for young people; development of the Fife Energy Park, focusing on renewable energies; Leven town centre improvements; environmental landscaping and employability projects.
Source: Fife Council/Audit Scotland 9 Part 3. How are services performing? 0
Fife Council’s SPI performance has Exhibit 12 shown significant improvement Council profile of SPIs 2007/08 during the last financial year. However, it remains below the Upper Middle Bottom national average in terms of overall quartile quartiles quartile SPI performance. The council needs to sustain the recent Adult Social Work 8 improvement if it is to achieve Benefits Administration 0 0 its priority of becoming a top performing council. Education and Children’s Services
Corporate Management 8 0 Education and social work performance is improving and Cultural and Community Services 7 this provides a good base for the council to deal with the key Development Services 0 challenges facing it over the next Housing 8 few years. Performance in other areas such as housing and planning Protective Services 0 0 is more mixed. Roads and Lighting 0
Customer service arrangements Waste Management have been developing and Total 11 53 18 the council needs to focus on 1 implementing its improvement Scottish average 21 41 16 priorities in this area. Note: 1. Three measures have ‘no service’ and one measure was classed as unreliable. Statutory performance indicators Source: Audit Scotland
135. Each year local authorities are required to report and publish Exhibit 13 information about their performance. Performance change between 2005/06 and 2007/08 This is done through SPIs. On behalf of the Accounts Commission, Audit Scotland collates the information Measures that worsened by: Measures that improved by: received from all councils and > 15% 10 14% 5 9% 5 9% 10 14% >15% publishes on its website a compendium of all SPIs and council Fife 7 8 8 profiles.The council profiles contain Scotland 0 8 8 measures taken from the SPIs. While these do not give a Source: Audit Scotland council profiles 2007/08 comprehensive picture of performance across all services, they do allow some comparisons to be made 00/0 moving out of the bottom Customer focus between councils and over time. quartile in 007/08. The rate of SPI improvement to decline between Customers are generally satisfied 136. Fife Council’s SPI performance 00/0 and 007/08 was ., which with the service the council for 007/08 demonstrates significant is significantly higher than the Scottish provides. Implementation of the improvement compared with previous average of .7 (Exhibit ). council’s customer contact strategy years. However, there are fewer SPIs has been slow and the council is in the top quartile and more SPIs in 138. We considered performance improving arrangements to support the bottom quartile compared with within a selection of the council’s its customer focus. the Scottish average (Exhibit ). services. Commentary on relevant statutory and local key performance 139. The council has good information 137. The council’s rate of SPI indicators is provided in the on customer priorities and satisfaction improvement ranks highly compared following sections. and uses this well. The 007 with other local authorities, with a residents’ survey results show a significant proportion of previously good level of satisfaction with the poorly performing indicators in council overall and with customer Part . How are services performing?
service. Seventy-five per cent of applications, fault reporting and 146. The estimated cost of the ten- residents surveyed are satisfied submitting complaints. year school estate programme is with the council and its services. £ million. The programme includes Seventy-six per cent are satisfied with 143. The first annual customer report, new, replacement and refurbished customer service, although this varies presented to the September 008 schools as well as investment in between areas ranging from 9.7 per PFAM Committee, summarises environmental improvement, safer cent in Cowdenbeath to .9 per cent the current arrangements and schools, accessibility and ICT. The in Kirkcaldy. performance information for priorities for the first two years of customer management and sets the programme have been identified 140. The council produced a customer out clear priorities for improvement. and are monitored through progress contact strategy in 00. Reporting These include putting in place a reports to the Education and and monitoring by the council on single council approach to customer Children’s Services Committee. progress with the strategy has been management and producing better insufficient. The council has put in and more frequent monitoring reports 147. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate place a telephone contact centre, on customer care and complaints. of Education (HMIE) published an self-service website, customer care Inspection of Education Authorities standards and introduced smart 144. The council’s complaints policy (INEA) report on Fife Council in technology. Progress in implementing and procedure are clear and reflect May 008.The report found good some elements of the strategy has the guidance of the Scottish Public improvement in the delivery of been slower, such as the citizens’ Services Ombudsman. In the 007 education services since the first INEA account, customer relationship residents’ survey, 8. per cent of report in 00 (Exhibit , overleaf). management system and property residents feel informed about how The report highlights strengths in information systems. to complain to the council. However, the commitment of service staff to there is scope for improvement in the the vision and values and the ‘strong 141. Progress with the contact management of complaints. The same strategic leadership provided by centre’s development has been survey indicates that 9. per cent the executive director’. It also notes slow but is gathering momentum of those surveyed made a complaint ‘highly effective partnership working as more services are integrated and to the council and of these more at a cluster level’, ‘the introduction its IT infrastructure is improved. The than half are dissatisfied with various and effective use of high-quality 007 residents’ survey indicates aspects of the handling of their performance management information that . per cent of residents use complaint. Results from the people’s to track pupils’ progress’ and ‘high the telephone to contact the council panel reported in July 008 reflect quality provision for pre-school and and the council’s telephone contact these findings. The Standards and adult learners and improvements in key centre handles approximately 00,000 Audit Committee are reviewing the outcomes for primary aged learners’. incoming calls annually.The council corporate complaints system. implemented a new telephone 148. Attainment by five to -year system and numbering strategy in Education olds is improving and has shown 007 to reduce the number of contact improvement over a number of telephone numbers and to improve The education service is performing consecutive years. The results for the functionality of the telephone well overall and levels of attainment the lowest attaining 0 per cent of system. A Fife’s people’s panel survey and achievement are improving. S pupils are also improving and are early in 008 indicates that the new above the national average. In 00, arrangements are causing some 145. Fife Council’s education service the number of to 9-year-olds difficulties. Of the respondents who is well regarded by residents with a not in education, employment or had used the new system, per consistently high satisfaction level training has reduced to just above cent stated they were not satisfied in the council’s residents’ survey. the national average of 9. per cent with the ease of making a call. The The service provides for over ,000 at 9.9 per cent. Fourth, fifth and sixth council is implementing an action plan pupils in primary schools, 9 year Scottish Credit & Qualifications to address the areas for improvement. secondary schools, stand-alone Framework (SCQF) results for nurseries and six special schools. 00/07 are slightly below the national 142. The council, with its community There are significant challenges average. Attainment levels for 008 planning partners, has a well- with the quality and capacity of the (pre-appeal) indicate this remains the developed community portal website, schools estate and the administration case. The 008 INEA report states Fife direct. It holds a broad range of has committed significant capital that improvements need to be made information and the council provides investment of almost £8 million from to the attainment levels of S to S. over 0 services online, including 008 to 0 to deliver a new school The council has recognised this as council tax payment, purchasing estate management plan. an issue and extended a monitoring theatre tickets, online planning system for tracking pupils’ progress.
Exhibit 14 Demand for services was higher HMIE INEA 2 Inspection quality indicators than the available resources and the changes have targeted resources Area for evaluation Rating on the most vulnerable groups. The council recently changed the charges Improvements in performance Good for non-residential homecare services and increased the standard weekly Impact on learners Good charge for residential care homes by Impact on parents/carers and families Good .9 per cent.
Impact on staff Very good 153. In 00, the Social Work Impact on the local community Good Inspectorate Agency (SWIA) published a performance inspection Impact on the wider community Very good report on Fife social work services. SWIA classed performance in Vision, values and aims Very good eight criteria as ‘good’ and two as Leadership and direction Very good ‘adequate’ (Exhibit ). SWIA stated in its 007 Performance Inspection Developing people and partnerships Very good follow-up report that the council has Leadership of change and improvement Good made substantial progress on all the recommendations made in the Note: 00 report and is positive overall Ratings: Very good – major strengths; Good – important strengths with some areas about the progress and direction of for improvement. Source: HMIE 2008 the service.
154. Performance across the service 149. In 00/07, 77 per cent of Social work is improving, but from a low baseline. schools inspected by HMIE were Of the social services SPIs in rated good, very good or excellent. Social work services performance 007/08, seven improved and one The HMIE district inspector has is showing improvement from declined by a rate of more than five indicated that since the publication a low baseline. The service has per cent over the previous three of the 008 INEA report, school responded effectively to the need years. Eight of the indicators are inspections continue to be positive to manage projected overspends among the lowest across all local and the council is responding well to while maintaining a focus on the authorities. the areas indicated for improvement. changing demographics of the area. 155. There are positive trends 150. The service is addressing a 151. The social work service includes in indicators relating to staff wide range of national and local four sections; adults services, older qualifications in care facilities and issues, including school performance, people, children and families and to the indicators for the criminal inclusiveness, child protection and criminal justice services. The service justice service. For example, the health promotion.The service has is experiencing particularly challenging number of new probationers seen contributed significantly to the times, with significant demographic by a supervising officer within one development of the Fife Children’s pressures (including a growing week improved in the past year Service Plan 2008–09.The plan is population, an increasing proportion from . per cent to 70. per cent. supported by six local area groups. of elderly residents and increasing The number of reports submitted to The council reports that there is numbers of adults with disabilities), court by the due date improved in early evidence of the benefits of a responding to national agendas and 007/08 by almost ten per cent. Other coordinated approach, for example, the need to reduce significant financial indicators show less positive trends. co-location meetings have resulted deficits. Implementing changes The number of children subject to in a per cent reduction in reports to services, such as the recent a supervision order seen in days compiled for the Children’s Reporter homecare charging policy and service has fallen from 90.8 per cent in three and joint action teams in the six local eligibility criteria, are particularly years to 8.7 per cent. areas have reported a 0 per cent challenging examples of balancing reduction in purchased placements these pressures. 156. The picture in homecare and in for Fife children and young people. respite provision is more mixed. Over HMIE is currently undertaking an 152. In August 007, the council the past three years in the homecare inspection of child protection services amended the eligibility criteria for service, there has been a slight at Fife Council. adult and older people’s services. reduction in the number of people Part . How are services performing?
Exhibit 15 was good multi-agency working with SWIA evaluation young people with sexually harmful behaviours.
Area for evaluation Rating Local community and housing . Outcomes for people who use social work services Good Performance across the service is . Impact on people who use social work services Good mixed. Libraries and community and other stakeholders learning and development are performing well while sports and . Impact on staff Good leisure services have relatively low . Impact on the community Good levels of participation. Housing services could improve on rent . Delivery of key processes Good management, management . Policy and service development, planning and of tenancy changes and Adequate performance management homelessness. The council is making significant investment in 7. Management and support of staff Good improving the housing stock and its major sport and leisure facilities. 8. Resources and capacity building Adequate 9. Strategic leadership Good 160. Local community and housing services deliver a range of functions 0. Capacity for improvement Good under the groupings of Local Services Network (LSN), Community Note: Ratings: Good – having important strengths with some areas for improvement; Services (community learning and Adequate – strengths just outweigh the weaknesses. development, cultural services Source: SWIA 2006 and sports, parks and countryside services) and housing services. aged over receiving a service, commissioning strategy.The council 161. The structure and focus of these from ,807 to ,0, and there is and NHS Fife have integrated services has recently been changed. limited change in the proportion of response teams that manage clients The LSN delivers more services clients receiving care in the evenings, with complex homecare needs through the contact centre; has overnight or at weekends. There is an who have been discharged quickly changed the focus of work in local increase in the proportion of clients from hospital. There are three offices; and supports the seven area receiving personal care from 8 per Community Health Partnerships (CHP) committees and the multi-member cent in 00/0 to 9. per cent in in Fife, (Glenrothes & North East wards. The housing service has 007/08. This is still below the national Fife, Kirkcaldy & Levenmouth and restructured to improve integration average of 79. per cent and places Dunfermline & West Fife) each with with the LSN. These changes have Fife th of the councils for two local management units. yet to be fully established and it is too this indicator. early to assess their impact. 159. The service also works jointly 157. The council carried out a best with Fife Constabulary. In 00, 162. The LSN service has reduced value review of residential, respite there was a high-profile case the number of its local offices from and day services for older people. The involving a young person who had to . Staff are assigned to review identified options for future been subject to supervision by Fife local offices or the contact centre. provision which were considered Council. Scottish ministers requested The contact centre deals with high by a cross-party working group. The that a review of the management volume, low complexity transactions preferred option is for the council to of the case be undertaken jointly and payments are now made through remain as a provider and to invest by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the ‘PayPoint’ network rather than £ million in facilities between 009 Constabulary and SWIA. The original local offices. In 007/08, payments and 0 and a further £7 million report was published in December accounted for approximately 70 per over the longer term. 00. The recently published follow- cent of transactions in local offices. up report on progress made by Fife Local office staff now deal with 158. The service works jointly Constabulary and Fife Council in more complex enquiries and provide with NHS Fife in many ways. A implementing the recommendations assistance to particularly vulnerable joint appointment has been made of the management arrangements of residents. for a manager to develop a joint the young person, found that there
163. LSN provides support to elected services and sports and leisure cent in 00/0 to 7. per cent. The members in their ward areas and services and the new administration council has reviewed its approach to with local community groups on local agreed to take this forward. The allocations and recently agreed a new projects and initiatives. The service trusts are in transitional arrangements allocations policy and transfer policy. works closely with housing and to manage financial and business The objective of these is to make the building services and with partners risks and both boards report via most effective use of its stock and such as the Department of Work and senior officers to the Housing and increase opportunities for tenants, Pensions (DWP). People over are Communities Committee. applicants and homeless people. referred to the service, approximately 00 over the past year, and over Housing services 172. The average time for the council £0,000 additional benefits were 168. The housing service is to complete its duty for cases claimed in 00/07. responsible for the management assessed as homeless or potentially and maintenance of over ,000 homeless has improved by over two 164. In its 008 INEA report, HMIE council properties. The council faces weeks since 00/0. The proportion commented positively about the an increasing demand for affordable of cases reassessed within community learning and development housing; St Andrews, the East months has increased from 7.7 per service, in particular its strong Neuk and parts of West Fife have cent in 00/0 to 8.8 per cent in strategic leadership. Residents’ been identified as pressure areas 007/08, placing Fife 8th of the satisfaction level with the library and the sale of council houses has Scottish councils for this indicator. services remains high and the SPIs been restricted in these locations. indicate that five of the six indicators The council plans to invest at least 173. The council anticipates a relating to libraries and learning centre an additional £ million per annum 7 per cent rise in the number of access points show positive trends to meet Scottish Housing Quality homelessness applications by 0. over the past three years. Standards targets by 0. The Fife homelessness strategy ended in March 008 and a revised 165. The 007 residents’ survey 169. The local housing strategy is approach is under development shows a high level of importance developed and delivered through through the Fife Housing Partnership. attached to parks and open spaces the Fife Housing Partnership. The 00 to 008 strategy and residents’ satisfaction rising from The partnership includes elected included the development of four 7.7 per cent in 00 to 88.8 per members, representatives of ‘HomeGood’ centres, with another cent in 007. The parks service was registered social landlords, private planned for 008/09. The centres awarded the APSE award in 007 landlords, tenants and the building are a joint initiative involving council for best performance in parks, open industry.The council also works services, NHS Fife and the voluntary spaces and horticulture. closely with the Fife Housing sector that provide a one-stop shop Alliance to deliver affordable for homeless people. 166. SPIs indicate that attendance at housing development. In 007, the sports and leisure facilities is falling. alliance developed 7 homes and Environment and development In 007/08, the service ranked th was progressing towards a target of nationally for both pool attendance 0 in 008. Services such as waste (,90) and attendance at other leisure management and economic facilities (,). The council’s 007 170. Rent management by the council development have responded residents’ survey showed a slight shows mixed performance. The well to challenges. Other areas, drop in satisfaction with sports and proportion of tenants giving up their particularly planning, continue to community centres to 8. per cent tenancy during the year who were perform less well. from 87.7 per cent in the 00 survey. in rent arrears remains the lowest The council recognises the need to among Scottish councils. In contrast, 174. The environment and improve facilities and services in this the number of current tenants owing development directorate covers a area. It has recently approved a more than weeks rent at the year broad range of services under the £0 million investment in its main end has increased from .8 per cent groupings of asset and facilities sports and leisure centres in to five per cent. management, development Dunfermline, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy. services, environmental services and 171. Management of tenancy changes transportations services. 167. In 007/08, the council and homelessness are areas for established the AttFife Arts and improvement. The time taken to 175. Recycling continues to improve Theatre Trust, and Fife Sports re-let houses that were not classed and is significantly up at 9. per cent and Leisure Trust. The previous as low demand has increased and of domestic waste collection from five administration approved the the percentage re-let within four per cent in 00/0. The cleanliness externalisation of the arts and theatres weeks has declined from . per indicator also shows improvement Part . How are services performing?
as does the proportion of abandoned 178. The council’s annual economic vehicles removed within days. The development activity performance SPIs illustrate that the cost of refuse report 007 illustrates continuing collection and disposal continue growth in the Fife economy across a to rise as the service phases in range of indicators. However, it also modernised collection arrangements. states that ‘despite this growth there Collection costs have risen from does remain a gap between Fife £. per property in 00/0 and the Scottish figures in relation to £8.9 in 007/08, placing Fife to some of the indicators – notably nd out of local authorities. The the number of new and growing disposal costs have risen from £9.0 businesses, productivity levels in to £8.0 in the same time period, the production sectors, research and which compares favourably with the development investment, earnings national average of £7.0. and number of graduates, where work remains to be done’. 176. The number of complaints about refuse collection has risen significantly 179. The processing time for planning from 7.9 per 0,000 households in applications has improved. The 00/0 to . in 007/08. The proportion of all planning applications council recognises that to continue to processed within two months has improve in waste management and improved from 8. per cent in reach the challenging targets it has 00/0 to .7 per cent in 007/08, set it now needs to pursue reduction although this remains below the in waste production. The residents’ national average of 8.7 per cent. survey found that 98 per cent of Householder applications have residents view recycling and street improved from per cent to 7.9 per cleaning as important services. The cent, also below the national average survey also identifies that satisfaction of 7. per cent. In comparison to with waste collection has dropped the other Scottish councils, Fife is since 00 from 9.7 per cent to placed th and th for these two 7.8 per cent. The council’s analysis indicators respectively. A new team of the data by areas shows that of managers in the service, in post the reduction in satisfaction was since March 008, are developing most marked where there had been a business plan focused on service recent changes to the collection improvement. The CMT is monitoring arrangements. This included the move progress. to fortnightly collections and the introduction of three wheeled bins. 180. The council should continue to monitor and review the effectiveness 177. The economic development of delegated arrangements for service has restructured, with planning decisions. In particular, the the creation of four new posts to North East Area Committee deals reflect the changing role of Scottish with a high number of planning Enterprise. Fife Council and Scottish applications, with as many as 7 at Enterprise Fife have worked in one meeting, skewing the workload partnership to deliver a range of major of this committee. An assessment projects. Economic development by the service in March indicated activity has been coordinated through that of planning applications going to the Fife Economic Forum, with a area committees 8 per cent were joint management team delivering a not discussed. shared strategy Growing Fife’s Future 2005–2015. The council is taking a lead role in re-launching the economic forum and continuing a partnership approach. Part 4.What needs to improve? Part 4. What needs to improve? 37
Fife Council has increased its pace of change and is developing Fife Council improvement agenda its approach to best value and continuous improvement. It • Ensure elected members are actively involved in improvement and is ambitious and has a good implementing the best value agenda at a strategic level, and support this awareness of its improvement through effective training and development for elected members. priorities. The council is • Support elected members with their responsibilities in relation to police implementing a cohesive approach and fire services. through the corporate improvement programme. Elected members • Continue to develop the performance management framework, ensuring need to play a more active role in it encompasses regular monitoring and reporting updates to elected delivering this approach and this members to support effective scrutiny. can be helped by more effective • Develop scrutiny arrangements in line with good practice. performance reporting. • Continue to develop and implement cohesive strategies for the effective 181. Continuous improvement in management of resources including finance and workforce planning. public services and local governance • Ensure progress of corporate improvement programme by setting clear lie at the heart of the Best Value priorities, establishing milestones and routinely reporting performance. and Community Planning policy framework. Elected members must • Undertake systematic review of competitiveness across services. focus on key policy objectives and • Demonstrate the impact of efficiency savings on service delivery. the needs of service users and communities, driven by the desire • Continue to implement the planned improvements for customer service. to achieve the highest possible • Develop action plans for tackling areas of poorer performance including standards in service delivery.This housing services and planning, ensuring these are regularly monitored requires a culture where areas in and reported. need of improvement are identified and openly discussed and in which • Continue to develop the role of area committees and local community service performance is constructively planning arrangements. challenged.
182. Fife Council is developing a and timely information from which arrangements are fully developed and strategic approach to continuous they can assess and monitor supported by effective performance improvement and has shown good progress. The council should review reporting and scrutiny arrangements. self-awareness of what it needs to do how it discharges its best value Consideration should also be given to to demonstrate best value. While it responsibilities in relation to police and the role of area committees in relation has carried out various improvement fire services. to the developing local community activities in the past, these have not planning arrangements. been part of a cohesive programme. 184. The council needs to maintain The corporate improvement the pace of change, particularly in 186. The improvement agenda sets programme has the potential to key areas of best value including out a number of priority actions focus improvement activity.This is performance management and designed to focus the council on an ambitious programme of work strategic resource management. It key areas for improvement. They that would benefit from further needs to develop and implement are intended to assist the council in prioritisation.The council must consider strategies for community identifying its priorities for action. In how it will secure the resources to engagement, financial management developing its improvement plan the enable successful delivery of the and workforce planning. More council should set out specific actions programme and it should introduce needs to be done to demonstrate and targets by which progress can monitoring of milestones and regular the impact of efficiencies and the be measured. Timescales need to reporting on progress. competitiveness of services. be challenging but realistic, taking into account available capacity.The 183. Elected members need to 185. The area committees have the improvement plan will provide the become more actively involved potential to strengthen community basis for review and monitoring by in driving improvement and engagement and localise decision the council’s external auditor over the implementing best value at a making. The area committee coming years. strategic level. Reporting by officers structure has only been in place for should be developed to ensure that a short period and the council now elected members receive sufficient needs to ensure that area planning Fife Council
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