Agenda item

Report and presentation of the Chief Executive

Councillor G Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

Councillor Duggins introduced the One Coventry Plan Annual Performance Report 2019-20. The report contained performance information up until the end of March 2020. The report for 2020-21 would look different as it would reflect the impact of COVID-19, particularly on the economy. Of the 75 indicators in the report, 39 had improved and 11 had stayed the same which was positive as this had been delivered against the backdrop of significant funding reductions since 2010.

The Committee received a presentation of the Chief Executive on the One Coventry Plan Annual Performance Report. Following this meeting, there was to be a Member Seminar to develop a refreshed plan for 2020-21.

The presentation outlined the following:

• The One Coventry Plan was a 10-year plan agreed in 2014 with three key focuses – globally connected; locally committed and delivering our priorities with fewer resources.
• In 2019/20, 79% of directional headline indicators improved or stayed the same.
• Detail of the three key focuses was provided including the current context and actions.
• The approach to refreshing the One Coventry Plan was outlined and would reflect the COVID-19 situation. It would also consider City of Culture 2021, the Climate Emergency, Brexit, Housing and Homelessness and the One Coventry approach, which had emerged since the plan was initially written in 2014.

Following the presentation, Members raised a number of questions and issues, and received the following responses:

·  Scrutiny Board Chairs would look in more detail at the indicators relating to their portfolio and decide which to scrutinise. During the meeting some items for work programmes were identified which were set out in the recommendations.

·  Information on home ICT access for children and young people to support their learning, in light of COVID-19, would be provided.

·  Coventry was still second to Cambridge with regards to the number of patents issued, showing the innovation taking place across the City.

·  Investment in the City was discussed. Work was underway to explore opportunities with anchor institutions across Coventry and Warwickshire to maximise spend of investment money within the sub-region.

·  The population figure in the report was pre-COVID and based on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). There had been an increase in population due to job growth, especially around some innovative business. The population projections showed an increase in the numbers of over 65s.

·  Human Resources had undertaken a lot of work to support the Council Workforce well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff sickness figures covered one week of lockdown at the end of March.

·  The Council workforce did not reflect the diversity of the population in the City, especially at a senior level. Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) would add this to their work programme to review the plans being implemented to address this gap, including the delivery on unconscious bias training.

RESOLVED that:-

1)  All Scrutiny Board Chairs to review the performance indicators relating to their portfolio and scrutinise performance where appropriate

2)  In future when the One Coventry Plan Annual Report is scrutinised, appropriate senior officers to be invited to the meeting

3)  Additional information on the numbers of children and young people with access to ICT at home for learning and the number of schools participating in the Daily Mile be circulated to the Committee

4)  The following items be added onto the Scrutiny Work Programmes:

·  Hate Crime and Domestic Violence – Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee

·  Coventry City Council Apprenticeships – Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)

·  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy – Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)

·  Update on Caradoc Hall – Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4).