Agenda item

Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing regarding the One Coventry Bi-Annual Performance Report 2023 – March 2024. The Committee noted that the report would also be considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 1 October 2024.

The report indicated that the One Coventry approach helped to shape the way the Council worked with its partners to improve the city and improve people’s lives. It included the Council’s vision and priorities, new ways of working, and core areas of activity to deliver the One Coventry Plan objectives, key strategies, and approaches. A One Coventry approach put the needs of the communities at the heart of the continued vision to improve the health and wellbeing of Coventry’s residents.

The last performance report was presented to all Members in February 2024, and it was agreed that performance reporting should be twice yearly going forward. This increased frequency was to provide members, partners and residents with timelier assurance that progress was being made towards the priorities in the One Coventry Plan, and an opportunity to understand more quickly if envisioned impact was not being realised and to review plans accordingly. The data within the report was from April 2023- March 2024 and the next annual report would include data for the year Oct 2023-Sept 2024 and presented in Jan 2025, repeating this bi-annual pattern going forward.

For each objective within the One Coventry Plan, the report set out the trends, actions taken, and performance metrics to provide an assessment of the progress made against previous years and to benchmark against other places. The report also included case studies to capture impacts that were less easy to measure numerically.

The Leader, Councillor G Duggins, welcomed the One Coventry Plan Bi-Annual Performance Report (April 2023 – March 2024)advising this was a good guide to Council’s performance and recommended Members focus on the indicators that were not progressing.

The Committee considered the report and asked questions, sought assurances and made comments on a number of issues which were to be reported to the Cabinet meeting to be held on 1 October 2024, as follows:

• The recent collapse of construction firm ISG and what the future plans were for delivery of the Cultural Gateway.
• National data relating to the proportion of neighbourhoods amongst the 10% most deprived in England had not been recently updated.  In Coventry, this metric was marked by health and inequalities.
• The decrease in male life expectancy was a national trend however, Council’s Marmot approach had been refocused and would be monitored to measure impact.
• Council worked closely with the Marmot team to reduce health inequalities in the city.
• Digital exclusion measures were being developed along with measures for traffic control and the impact on congestion and air quality.
• Council tax end of year collection rate figures had decreased and were being monitored.
• The launch of the Job Shop had seen a positive uptake in employment.  An increase in the unemployment rate should improve as the city benefitted from further investment.
• Consultation on the One Coventry Plan was widespread across the city.
• Information on the Household Support Fund was distributed through Customer Services and the community and voluntary sector across the city.  Software was in place which targeted eligible residents and this was currently being used to target pensioners eligible for pension credit.
• The average speed enforcement programme was successful. Revenue was collected by the Government.
• The leadership team were actively involved in looking into staff sickness rates and spend on agency staff with a view to it being more tightly managed.

Members requested the following:

• A statement circulated to all Members regarding the recent collapse of ISG.
• Officers to investigate how the City’s Marmot status could help increase life expectancy.
• Officers to develop a meaningful indicator for traffic control and impact on congestion and air quality.
• Metrics to be addressed when the Climate Change Strategy comes to Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, including carbon emissions and council staff inequalities.
• Information to be circulated to Members regarding the UK resettlement scheme and migrant/asylum seekers access to social housing.
• Future reports to be more accessible including standard size 12 font.
• Further comparative information to be built into future reports.
• The effectiveness of Coventry being a Marmot city to be brought back to Members.
• Ward Councillors to be consulted regarding tree planting and residents to be notified. 
• Officers to investigate and build into the report how to track direct emissions and carbon footprint for the city.
• Trends to be reported in future reports including Council staff sickness levels and cycling infrastructure.

Councillor Ridley requested a written response regarding Council acceptance of donations of trees.

Following discussion, the Committee highlighted a number of issues to be added to the Scrutiny Board’s Work Programmes for 2024/25.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee:

1. Notes the Council’s performance as set out in the performance report.
2. Notes that there were no comments/issues to raise with Cabinet.