Item 14 Appendix 1 Strategic Plan 2024-25
West Dunbartonshire Council · 29 October 2025
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I am 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. 2022-27 Priorities Like all local authorities in Scotland, West Dunbartonshire continues to face significant challenges with financial pressures and a growing demand for services linked to an ageing population and cost-of-living crisis. Despite these challenges, we have strived to deliver our commitments in the Strategic Plan over the last year. Our performance against the Plan’s 50 performance indicators testifies to that, with 60% meeting or exceeding the targets set for the year, rising to 82% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. In addition, our performance compares well against other Scottish councils, with almost half of 108 performance indicators ranked in the top half of 32 Scottish Councils. 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 to a greener area. So it is right that we celebrate these achievements and commend our workforce for the commitment and dedication they show while we drive our vision for West Dunbartonshire forward. This document is also really important because it provides a clear insight into the areas we should be directing our focus as we look towards the year ahead. Our delivery plans set out our actions for 2025/26, showing where we are prioritising our resources to ensure we remain on track to meet our Strategic Plan commitments. For more information about our performance in 2024/25, please visit our website where you will find a suite of detailed performance reports to accompany this short, visual and accessible report. I trust that together they will help provide a comprehensive picture of our performance in 2024/25 as we work towards building a better West Dunbartonshire for all. Our Vision, Values and Priorities Councillor Martin Rooney, Council Leader West Dunbartonshire Council Introduction 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 Annual Report AMBITION COLLABORATION HONESTY INNOVATION ETHICAL VALUING EMPOWERING 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: 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. 2024/25 Appendix 1
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Our Key Achievements Our Telephone Survey gathered feedback from 900 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 81% were satisfied with leisure and sports were satisfied with museums and galleries81% were satisfied with libraries75% rated West Dunbartonshire as a good or very good place to live91% Our Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2501 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 01 Targets met or exceeded Targets narrowly missed Target not met 1 Rolled out our proactive approach to tackling damp and mould by installing over 1,500 environmental sensors in our homes. By tracking temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide, they alert us to properties at high-risk of damp and mould, allowing early intervention to tackle the causes and advise tenants. Tenants can also track their data in real time through an app, enabling them to act promptly. 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 good, with 68% of 19 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 95% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. Delivered a new sports hub and running track at Posties Park in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust. It includes a six- lane all-weather running track, facilities for field events including long jump and throwing, changing accommodation for individuals, teams and officials and ample parking. 1 5 13 Key Reduced the attainment gap between the most and least deprived pupils in our primary and secondary schools for both literacy and numeracy. Primary pupils in deprived areas are also performing better than the Scottish average, with literacy four percent higher and numeracy three percent higher.
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Our Communities - Resilient and ThrivingOur Environment - A Greener Future Strategic Priority 1 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2502 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 02 Secured £225k in funding for new mountain bike trails and circular pump track in Balloch Castle Country Park. The trails and track will make use of the natural features of the park, with climbing, descending and level sections. Due to open around Spring 2026, it will support and encourage the development of cycling skills for all ages and abilities. Built 88 net zero flats, houses and bungalows at Clydebank East, with super insulation, triple glazing and zero-emissions heating systems. Nine of the properties are fully wheelchair accessible. The development is part of the More Homes programme which also saw 29 empty properties brought back into use, and another 30 added back into Council stock through the Buy Back scheme. Improved household recycling by more than 50% over the past year, from 35% to 55%, and reduced the tonnage of bio- degradable waste sent to landfill by more than 50% over the same period, from around 16.5k tonnes to just over 8k tonnes. These significant improvements followed the introduction of improved screening and sorting methods for general domestic waste and bulky household waste. Our Key Achievements Our Telephone Survey gathered feedback from 900 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views 72% were satisfied with parks and open spaces were satisfied with waste services61% were satisfied with grounds maintenance and grass cutting49% were satisfied with street cleaning 62% Our Performance 4 2 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 challenging, with 45% of 11 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 64% 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 2024-2503 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 03 Strategic Priority 3 Supported residents to achieve 1,021 nationally recognised qualifications, assisted 367 people to progress in the workplace through apprenticeships or training, and supported 537 people into work, the highest in six years. Our Citizens’ Panel gathered feedback from 309 residents over the last year. This is what they said… Our residents’ views feel secure about their finances 72% Our Key AchievementsOur Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2504 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 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 75% of 8 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 100% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. 0 2 6 Key Targets met or exceeded Target narrowly missed Targets not met Commenced construction at the former Exxon site in Bowling to improve transport infrastructure and unlock the site’s potential. It follows the successful completion of the development phase, including the purchase and remediation of land, site clearance and appointment of contractors. Work on the infrastructure, including an A82 relief road, is underway, with all construction works, including a waterfront pedestrian and cycle path, due for completion in late 2027. 56% reported no issues with digital inclusion, while almost all, 96%, were aware of the free digital support provided by the Council, for absolute beginners to more experienced users84% shop locally for groceries and general household items, while 73% engage local trades such as plumbers and electricians Supported more pupils than ever to move on to positive destinations after finishing school, with a record 96.1% in further or higher education, training, volunteer work, personal skills development activity or employment.
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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 fair, with 50% of 12 indicators meeting or exceeding targets, rising to 67% with the inclusion of those where targets were narrowly missed. Our Key Achievements 4 2 6 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 55% were satisfied with the way the Council runs things 4 Introduced a brand new all-digital tenancy resource to help Council tenants set up their homes. Convenient, easy-to-use and accessible in a range of languages, it covers setting up energy supplies, rent and Council Tax payments, and managing the tenancy, including links to the tenant handbook. Launched our award- winning online chatbot tool for reporting and tracking missed bin collections. Available 24/7 on our website, it has streamlined contact with residents and led to significant improvements in our responsiveness and efficiency. This is one of many innovative, digital solutions implemented across the Council, improving engagement with residents, and delivering fast, efficient and accessible services. Achieved the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award for demonstrating our commitment to supporting armed forces personnel. Since signing the Covenant in 2016 and receiving the Gold Award in 2019, we have worked to support the armed forces community, focusing on reservists, service leaders, service spouses and their families. think the Council is good at keeping them informed about important issues 53% would speak highly of the Council50% were satisfied with the Council website overall 84% x
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Our Council - Inclusive and Adaptable Strategic Priority 4 Our Performance WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2505 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 05 Our Comparative Performance The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) is a set of 108 performance indicators (PIs) 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 Of the 21 Cost PIs in the LGBF set: 52% performed better than the previous year 57% performed better than the Scottish average 62% performed better than the family group average Of the 76 Performance PIs in the LGBF set: 47% performed better than the previous year 43% performed better than the Scottish average 39% 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: 21% ranked in the top 8 (Q1) 49% ranked in the top half (Q1 + Q2) 5 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 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 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 9% performed better than the previous year
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Our Budget 45 30 7 5 3 3 2 21111 Education 45p Health & Social Care Partnership 30p Financial Commitments (eg Loan Charges) 7p Citizens, Culture & Facilities 5p Waste Services 3p Roads & Infrastructure 3p Support Services (eg Resources, People & Technology) 2p Other 2p Housing & Employability 1p Regulatory & Regeneration 1p Leisure Management 1p WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2506 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 06 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2507 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 07 £295.469m (Revenue Budget 2024/25) was spent collecting Council Tax per property, better than the target of £3 and an improvement on the previous year’s figure of 70p which was the second best performance of all Scottish councils. Our performance £ Income Expenditure In 2024/25, every £1 of income came from (in pence): In 2024/25, every £1 of income was spent on (in pence): £154 29 14 3 Scottish Government Grant 54p Non Domestic Rate 29p Council Tax 14p Reserves 3p £1 £ 68p of Council Tax was collected, meeting the target of 93.5%. 93.8% £ of rent was collected, just missing the target of 99.1%. 98.4%
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Our People WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2508 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 08 Our people stats £ 13,914 on-line courses completed Fire Safety (including Wardens) 973 Data Protection 945 Display Screen Equipment Awareness 605 Fraud Awareness 582 Manual Handling 562 Top 5 on-line courses completed 586 face-to-face courses completed New Employee Induction 116 Modern Leaders 107 New Manager Induction 97 Be the Best at Managing People 59 Core Strengths 35 Top 5 face-to-face courses completed Ensuring our workforce is skilled and resilient helps us deliver high quality, best value services. Training courses are available to support this, some focused on specific services or roles and others targeted at a wider audience through our Corporate Training Programme. Participation in this Programme has increased year-on-year, with a 40% increase between 2023/24 and 2024/25. Here are some highlights in 2024/25. 49% with 10+ years service at WDC 89% permanent posts 59 apprenticeship placements 4,695 Full-time equivalent employees, compared to 4,976 the previous year 74% female 26% male Corporate Training ProgrammeIn FOCUS
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Get in Touch Find Out More: To find out more about our performance, visit our website at: PPR Strategic Performance | West Dunbartonshire Council Get Involved: To join our Citizens’ 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
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