Item 16 - Appendix 1

West Dunbartonshire Council · 26 October 2022
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 26 October 2022 and its agenda

Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.

Original council PDF · Download plain text

Page 1

WESTDUNBARTONSHIRECOUNCIL
AnnualReport
202122

Page 2

WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2020 - 2021
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
2 3
Our vision, values and ethos
Foreword
The 2017-22 Strategic Plan stated that The 2017-22 Strategic Plan stated that
West Dunbartonshire Council would deliver high West Dunbartonshire Council would deliver high
quality services, led by priorities identified by quality services, led by priorities identified by
the communities of West Dunbartonshire, the communities of West Dunbartonshire,
in an open and transparent wayin an open and transparent way
These values reflect the personal stake that every one of us has in delivering our Council’s
priorities and underpins our commitment to the values we have adopted as a Council -
ACHIEVE
At the core of what we do as a Council is a commitment to reduce inequality and tackle the
root causes of poverty. The five strategic priorities adopted between 2017-2022, focus on
improving the lives of the people of West Dunbartonshire, by promoting equality for all.
Strategic priorities 2017 - 22Strategic priorities 2017 - 22
11 A strong local economy and improved job opportunities A strong local economy and improved job opportunities
22 Supported individuals, families and carers living independently and with dignity Supported individuals, families and carers living independently and with dignity
33 Meaningful engagement with active, empowered and informed Meaningful engagement with active, empowered and informed
citizens who feel safe and engaged citizens who feel safe and engaged
44 Open, accountable and accessible local government Open, accountable and accessible local government
55 Efficient and effective frontline services that improve the everyday lives of residents Efficient and effective frontline services that improve the everyday lives of residents
“ “
The annual report is an opportunity
to reflect on what has been achieved,
where there has been challenge and
provides a focus for the future.
The 21/22 report sets out performance
against the 2017/22 strategic plan
which was developed by the previous
administration of the Council.
There is no doubt the Council has faced significant
challenge over the last two years as a result of the
public health emergency which impacted on services,
on resources and on performance.
In spite of this, the determination and dedication of
our workforce meant that the vital frontline services
our communities rely on most continued and our most
vulnerable residents were supported.
In a number of cases, the pandemic changed the way
the Council delivered services and the way we all lived,
and elements of this are evident in the report, with a 33%
rise in the number of online transactions and satisfaction
with the website increasing. Other highlights include
more people being supported to reduce or sustain debt
levels and the street cleanliness index also increasing.
There are a number of areas where performance
declined and in some instances these too can be
directly attributed to the pandemic such as attendances
at leisure centres which had to close for periods.
The extent of some of the key challenges are set
out below:
• Rent loss in 2017 due to empty homes 
was just 0.9% but by last year this had 
increased to 1.29%.
• Fuel poverty in 2017 was 27% but this 
increased over time to 29% last year.
•  The child poverty rate in 2017 was 25% 
but this had increased to 26.8% by 2022.
•  Household recycling rates were 47.61%
	
in	2017	but	last	year	recycling	rates	significantly		
reduced to just 37%.
• Attendances at sports facilities in 2017 were 
6,198 but during 2021/22 the had reduced to 
3,810.
• In 2017 the councils delivered 100% of its 
prioritised local government benchmark 
performance indicators by 2022 this had 
reduced to 50%.
• Staff sickness absence rates in 2017 were an 
average of 11.83 days per person but last year 
the average sickness had increased to 13.3 days 
per person. This increase does not include COVID 
absences as these were recorded separately, 
so loss of productivity was much greater last year.
Since 21/22 there has been a change in the political
leadership of the Council with a number of new
members elected and there is an opportunity to
drive forward change.
There are clear areas where we need to ensure a
continued focus such as on fuel poverty, resident
satisfaction, recycling and on the numbers of residents
who feel the Council listens to their views when
designing and delivering services.
As a Council, we exist to make the lives of local people
better and we are focused on improving the lives of our
residents, providing critical help with the cost of living
crisis and ensuring our communities not only fully
recover from the pandemic but are supported to thrive.
Working together we will build a better West Dunbartonshire
and ensure our area continues to be a place where
people want to live, work, learn, invest and visit.
Martin Rooney
Council Leader, West Dunbartonshire Council
AMBITION COLLABORATIVE HONESTY INNOVATION ETHICALITY VALUING EMPOWERING

Page 3

Key projects in 2021/22
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
4 5
Key achievements in 2021/22
Recognition Awards
Introduced rapid Electric Vehicle chargers across West Dunbartonshire, contributing to
our Net Zero by 2045 ambitions
Secured £19.9 million Levelling Up Funding to regenerate Dumbarton Town Centre
including redevelopment of Glencairn House
Established Alexandria Masterplan and Clydebank Framework to ensure town centres
thrive
Completed the £3.6 million restoration and refurbishment of Lomond Bridge as part of
significant regeneration works in Balloch
Delivered 306 new Council homes and established the Council as the largest social
housing developer in West Dunbartonshire
Invested £2 million in the development of a Scottish Marine Technology Park, which when
complete will bring 1,000 jobs to West Dunbartonshire
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
£31m
£2m
digital devices distributed through the
Connecting Scotland Programme and
1,392 households provided with Wi-Fi
self isolation support grants
managed and processed
totalling £1,053,000
Kickstart employees recruited, creating jobs
and experience for young people, to help
manage the vaccination centre support teams
processed in Free School Meals
and hardship payments to families
in need throughout the pandemic
1,578
2,106
60
of COVID-19 grants delivered
to more than 1,500 businesses
over the period of the pandemic
Awarded the Touchstone Award
for Hallmarking for valuable work
around counterfeit precious metals
for Trading Standards
The ‘Rediscovering the Antonine Wall’
project was recognised on an
international level, receiving the
Honourable Mention for the European
Archaeological Heritage Prize 2021
and shortlisted as a ﬁnalist for
an Association for Heritage
Interpretation award for sculpture
and distance stone at Nethercroy.
The District Heating Network at
Queens Quay won two prestigious
awards in its ﬁrst year:
• District Heating Network at the
European Heat Pump Awards, Heat
Pump City of the Year category, for
the most efﬁcient, smart and
sustainable project of the year
• Carbon Reduction Award at the
Scottish Green Energy Awards
The Council was recognised
with a national award
as one of the top ten ﬂexible
employers
Recognition for W4U services
including attainment of quality
standard accreditation for the
delivery of information and advice
services. In addition, the CLD team
received an award in partnership
with West College Scotland

Page 4

A strong localeconomy andimprovedjob opportunities
Our measures
KEY
TARGET MET - 5
TARGET NARROWLY MISSED - 4
TARGET NOT MET - 1
For more info on the wheel, please click here, or visit:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending
GROWING
ECONOMY
INCREASE
SKILLS FOR
LIFE &
LEARNING
INCREASED
EMPLOYMENT
& TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES
Increased exhibition space
at Clydebank Town Hall
Progressed
the Connecting
Clydebank project,
including sustainable
transport improvements
to enhance the area for
pedestrians and motorists
Major refurbishment of
Alexandria Library,
including significant
upgrades to adult and
children’s library spaces
Progressed work on a new
gym, changing pavilion
and all-weather running
track at Posties Park
Successful
funding
applications
of almost
£60k to develop projects
around Sustainability and
Disengaged Learners
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
6 7

Page 5

Opened three
all-weather professional
standard tennis courts
in Argyll Park
Free Early Learning and
childcare offered for all three
and four-year-olds and
all eligible two-year-olds
Supported individuals,families andcarers livingindependentlyand with dignity
1,140
Our measures
MORE
AFFORDABLE
& SUITABLE
HOUSING
OPTIONS
IMPROVED
WELLBEING
ENHANCED
LIFE CHANCES
For more info on the wheel, please click here, or visit:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending
KEY
TARGET MET - 2
TARGET NARROWLY MISSED - 2
TARGET NOT MET - 3
Provided holiday programmes
and ensured access to
11,038 places at 337
summer events across
the Council
Successfully rolled out
free school meals for all
Primary 4 and 5 pupils
Welcomed pupils into the new Renton
Campus, with Primary School, Early
Learning and Childcare Centre, and
language and communication base
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
8 9

Page 6

Meaningful engagementwith  active, empoweredand informedcitizens who feelsafe and engaged
Our measures
FULLY
CONSULTED
& INVOLVED
CITIZENS WHO
ARE ABLE TO
MAKE FULL USE OF
THE COMMUNITY
EMPOWERMENT
ACT
STRONG
& ACTIVE
COMMUNITIES
KEY
TARGET MET - 1
TARGET NARROWLY MISSED - 3
TARGET NOT MET - 2
For more info on the wheel, please click here, or visit:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending
Installed additional life-saving
water safety equipment in key
locations in partnership with Scottish
Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland
Provided professional learning
opportunities for education staff
to include training sessions in:
Dyslexia Awareness
Autism Spectrum Diagnosis Awareness
Hearing Impairment
British Sign Language
Visual Impairment Learning
Improved 5Ghz wireless connectivity
across the organisation,
and upgraded network
backup solution
Establishment of
Community Empowerment
Project Board and Project Teams
to ensure delivery against
approved Community
Empowerment Strategy
Delivery of Community Transport,
Community Budgeting and
Participatory Budgeting
mainstreaming pilot projects
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
10 11

Page 7

Open,accountable and accessiblelocalgovernment
Our measures
KEY
TARGET MET - 5EQUITY OF
ACCESS FOR
ALL RESIDENTS
For more info on the wheel, please click here, or visit:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending
Supported the strategic management team with
provision of data and performance information
during the pandemic including national and local
data, performance information and support with
Equality Impact Assessments for reopening of
services
Continued to implement our Additional Support
Needs (ASN) Strategy. All staff in our 7
specialist settings have committed to SCERTS
(Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and
Transactional Supports) framework and approach
Supported an increase in the uptake of ELC
placements by parents and carers of eligible
2 year olds.
Introduced Fit for Future reviews, holistically
reviewing services with a people-centred
approach, using service design and identifying
both recommendations for improvement and
savings
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
12 13

Page 8

Effective and efficientfrontline servicesthat improve theeveryday livesof residents
Our measures
SUSTAINABLE
& ATTRACTIVE
LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
A
CONTINUOUSLY
IMPROVING
COUNCIL
DELIVERING
BEST VALUE
A COMMITTED
& SKILLED
WORKFORCE
For more info on the wheel, please click here, or visit:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/council/performance-and-spending
KEY
TARGET MET - 5
TARGET NARROWLY MISSED - 1
TARGET NOT MET - 5
DATA NOT AVAILABLE - 1
processed in clothing
grants to parents and
carers of 4,234 school
pupils
processed in Discretionary
Housing Payments to assist
the most vulnerable tenants
with housing costs
Implemented digital improvements
in Housing Operations for
communicating with customers
including use of text messaging,
online surveys and improvement
in online forms for new applicants
and medical assessments
Implemented electronic timesheets
submission within Home Care and
Facilities Management
£0.571m £2.5m
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
14 15

Page 9

APPRENTICES
CASUAL
FIXED TERM
PERMANENT
Sickness absence days per employee per year
Absence stats
Workforce breakdown
Resident satisfaction in 2021/22
84.5% 8.5%
6%1%
Council workforce
Sickness absence days per teacher per year
2021/22 2020/21
16.03days 8.94days
(TARGET 8 DAYS)(TARGET 7 DAYS)
2021/22 2020/21
8.6days 1.84days
(TARGET 5.2 DAYS)(TARGET 5 DAYS)
of residents satisfied with the way theCouncil runsthings
80%
of residents think Council services are value formoney
of residents think theCouncil takes accountof residents’views
66%
of residentswould speakhighly ofthe Council
of residents think the Council communicateswell with itsresidents
74% 75%65%
How each £ is spent
Council budget
LOAN
CHARGES
3p
OTHER
MISCELLANEOUS
COSTS
3p
REQUISITIONS
1p
HOUSING
6.5p
HEALTH &
SOCIAL CARE
PARTNERSHIP
33p
EDUCATION
43p
CORPORATE
SERVICES
10.5p
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
16 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT 2021 - 2022
17

Page 10

WEST
DUNBARTONSHIRE
COUNCIL
Find out how the Council is
performing by visiting:
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/
council/performance-and-spending
Email us at:
performance@west-dunbarton.gov.uk