Item 10 APPENDIX 1
West Dunbartonshire Council · 30 October 2024
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 30 October 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Annual Report 2023/24 APPENDIX 1
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2022-27 Priorities are resilient and thriving Our Environment promotes a greener future Our Council is inclusive and adaptable Our Economy is strong and flourishing Our CommunitiesPriority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Aඕඊඑගඑඖ Cඔඔඉඊකඉගඑඖ Hඖඍඛගඡ Iඖඖඞඉගඑඖ Eගඐඑඋඉඔ Vඉඔඝඑඖඏ Eඕඟඍකඑඖඏ At the core of what we do as a Council is a commitment to reduce inequality and tackle the root causes of poverty. The four strategic priorities for 2022-2027 focus on supporting our communities to thrive, by promoting equality for all. I am very pleased to bring forward this year’s Annual Report which offers a high-level overview of how the Council is performing against our strategic priorities; national performance in the Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF), resident satisfaction and expectations as well as insight into budgets and workforce. This report demonstrates how we as an organisation are delivering on our vision for West Dunbartonshire as outlined in our Strategic Plan. Every piece of work undertaken helps us deliver continuing improvement towards strong and resilient communities who are well- supported, a thriving local economy with jobs and investment, and a move towards a greener West Dunbartonshire. Local government nationally faces a number of significant challenges, including funding levels not keeping pace with increased demand, growing need and rising cost pressures. Despite this, in West Dunbartonshire the long-term trends outlined through LGBF data, shows continuing improved performance. A number of our achievements for 2023/24 are outlined in this report to demonstrate the steps being taken to achieve our aims for West Dunbartonshire’s residents. We rightly want to celebrate our achievements, but the data behind this report also allows us to reflect on how we can continue to drive positive change and where these efforts must be focused for the next year. In 2024/25, there will be continued focus on key areas including increasing recycling and reducing landfill; workforce satisfaction and improving the road network. The report highlights key facts using visual and infographic data in order to ensure the information presented is easily accessible to all. A comprehensive suite of public performance reporting material is also available on our website to enable residents and partners to understand organisational progress in more detail should it be required. I hope this approach helps residents, employees and partners to understand the work we are undertaking to build a better West Dunbartonshire for all. Councillor Martin Rooney, Council Leader, West Dunbartonshire Council Introduction Our Vision, Values & Priorities The 2022-27 Strategic Plan sets out our vision for West Dunbartonshire: Delivering services which build on the strengths and resilience of our neighbourhoods and supporting all residents to fulfil their individual potential and that of their communities. Good governance flows from shared values and culture. Our values, set out below, underpin everything we do and describe how we will deliver our Plan. These values reflect the personal stake that every one of us has in delivering our Council’s priorities:
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Attainment has increased, including for those pupils living in our most deprived areas, which has reduced the attainment gap between our most and least deprived children and young people. West Dunbartonshire is ranked in the top five performing Councils in Scotland for narrowing the attainment gap in literacy and numeracy in primary. Our Key Achievements Our Telephone Survey gathered feedback from 900 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 77 % were satisfied with leisure and sports were satisfied with museums and galleries89 % were satisfied with libraries91 % rated West Dunbartonshire as a good or very good place to live89 % Our Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2401 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 01 1 4 14 Key Targets met or exceeded Targets narrowly missed Target not met 1 Shortlisted for a national Scottish Library & Information Council Project Excellence Award, the New Pathways project helps young people reconnect with their learning, with courses for those who were unable to fully engage during the pandemic lockdowns and faced challenges with the return to physical schooling. The project expanded to include school leavers, with a focus on alternative career paths and choices. Pupils in West Dunbartonshire’s primary schools are meeting or exceeding the national average in reading, writing and numeracy, with a steady improvement in all three areas. The key objectives in this area are ensuring our neighbourhoods are safe, resilient and inclusive, supporting residents’ health and well-being, and supporting residents to increase life and learning skills. Overall, performance was very good, with 74% of 19 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 95% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed.
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Our Communities - Resilient and ThrivingOur Environment - A Greener Future Strategic Priority 1 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2402 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 02 Improved energy efficiency with over 400 external wall insulations carried out on Council tenanted properties. Another 120 insulations on private homes were completed with Scottish Government funding. Expanded the Queens Quay District Heating Network, with the connection to 46 Clydebank Housing Association flats. Providing low carbon heating and cooling solutions, the Network aims to significantly reduce fuel poverty and deprivation and contribute to key climate change targets. Established an innovative Net Zero Cooperation Agreement with Glasgow City Council to share skills, resources and infrastructure to help deliver our climate change goals. Our Key Achievements Our Telephone Survey gathered feedback from 900 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 77 % were satisfied with parks and open spaces were satisfied with waste services82 % were satisfied with grounds maintenance and grass cutting60 % were satisfied with street cleaning 72 % Our Performance 3 3 5 Key Targets met or exceeded Targets narrowly missed Targets not met 2 The key objectives in this area are ensuring our environment is protected, enhanced and valued, our resources are used in an environmentally sustainable way, and our neighbourhoods are sustainable and attractive. Overall, performance was fair, with 45% of 11 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 73% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed.
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Our Economy - Strong and Flourishing* Strategic Priority 2 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2403 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 03 Strategic Priority 3 Supported 200 new business start-ups and developed and implemented a range of business interventions, through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to provide growth support to local businesses. Supported nearly 450 people to secure a nationally recognised qualification, assisted 305 people to progress in the workplace through apprenticeships or training, and supported 439 people into work, the highest in five years. Progressed work to create a major £44m industrial and commercial development at the former ExxonMobil terminal in Bowling, with detailed planning approval granted for work to begin. Part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal, the development will bring up to 1,000 jobs and investment, drive economic renewal and deliver green infrastructure. Our Key Achievements Our Citizens’ Panel gathered feedback from 309 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 74 % shop locally for groceries and general household items, while 66% engage local trades such as plumbers and electricians feel secure about their finances 69 % Top options to improve finances were: reduced transport costs 26% access to skills development training 24% more flexible working 24% Our Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2404 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 04 3 The key objectives in this area are ensuring the infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive growth is in place, supporting businesses to flourish, and supporting residents to access training and employment opportunities. Overall, performance was very good, with 88% of 8 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 100% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. 0 1 7 Key Targets met or exceeded Target narrowly missed Targets not met
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The key objective in this area is to have a skilled and resilient workforce, enabled to deliver best value services for our residents who are engaged and empowered. Overall, performance was good, with 58% of 12 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 75% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. Automated a range of processes across the Council to deliver efficiencies, including employee new starts, sickness absence, free school meals, clothing grants and discretionary housing payments. Our Key Achievements 3 2 7 Key Targets met or exceeded Targets narrowly missed Targets not met Our Telephone Survey gathered feedback from 900 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 62 % were satisfied with the way the Council runs things think the Council communicates well52 % would speak highly of the Council57 % were satisfied with the Council website overall90% 4 Upskilled ICT employees with industry-standard training in infrastructure, Microsoft 365, device, and cyber security and implemented a walk-up Tech Bar to provide immediate ICT support to employees, providing fast and effective solutions and reducing down-time. Improved the Council Tax collection process, which contributed to a significant saving in the annual cost of collecting Council Tax per dwelling, down from £3.00 to £0.70. We are now the top performing Council in Scotland for this, ensuring that more of the money collected is directed to services for residents. SUPPORT
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Our Council - Inclusive and Adaptable Strategic Priority 4 Our Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2405 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 05 How We Compare Nationally The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) is a set of 108 performance indicators that all local authorities in Scotland are measured against. The latest data is summarised below, showing our performance compared to the previous year, all Scottish councils, and similar councils (known as our family group). Of the 11 Satisfaction PIs in the LGBF set: 64% performed better than the Scottish average 64% performed better than the family group average 36% performed better than the previous year Of the 21 Cost PIs in the LGBF set: 62% performed better than the previous year 57% performed better than the Scottish average 67% performed better than the family group average Of the 76 Performance PIs in the LGBF set: 50% performed better than the previous year 50% performed better than the Scottish average 46% performed better than the family group average This graph sets out the performance of all 108 indicators by service area and by quartile (Q). There are 32 councils in Scotland, so each quartile reflects a group of 8 councils. The quartiles range from Q1, the top 8 performing councils, to Q4, the bottom 8. Some services have PIs that sit in only two or three quartiles, for example Housing, and this is reflected in the columns below. Of the 108 PIs: 23% ranked in the top 8 (Q1) 56% ranked in the top half (Q1 + Q2) 8 recorded the best performance in Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Children's Services Corporate Services Adult Social Services Culture & Leisure Services Environmental Services Housing Services Economic Development Climate Change Finance 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Quartile 1 Quartile 2 Quartile 3 Quartile 4
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Education , 43.00 Health & Social Care, 27.00 Roads & Neighbourhood (including waste), 6.00 People & Technology, 2.00 Citizens, Culture & Facilities, 5.00 Cost of borrowing, 6.00 Resources, 2.00 Other, 4.00 Housing & Employability, 4.00 Regulatory & Regeneration, 1.00 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2406 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 06 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2407 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 07 Council Budget How each £1 was spent in 2023/24: Council Workforce £1 Absence days per employee Absence days per teacher 5.4% improvement in 23/24 18.8% increase in 23/24 Sickness absence Permanent 81% Casual 10% Apprentices 1% Fixed Term 8% 14.83 days 15.68 days 8.02 days 6.75 days 2023/24 2023/242022/23 2022/23
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Find Out More: To find out more about our performance, visit our website at: www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending Get Involved: To join our Citizen’s Panel, contact us at: engagement@west- dunbarton.gov.uk Contact Us: performance@west-dunbarton.gov.uk West Dunbartonshire Council Performance & Strategy 16 Church Street Dumbarton G82 1QL