Agenda Document Pack - Audit and Scrutiny Committee - 31/10/2024
North Ayrshire Council · 31 October 2024
Back to Audit and Scrutiny Committee — 31 October 2024 and its agenda
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Audit and Scrutiny Committee A Meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of North Ayrshire Council will be held in the Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE on Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 10:00 to consider the undernoted business. Meeting Arrangements - Hybrid Meetings This meeting will be held on a predominantly physical basis but with provision, by prior notification, for remote attendance by Elected Members in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003. Where possible, the meeting will be live-streamed and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public- i.tv/core/portal/home. 1 Declarations of Interest Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda. 2 Minutes The accuracy of the Minutes of the Meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee held on 29 August 2024 will be confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7 (1) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (copy enclosed). 3 Call In: Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System Submit report by the Head of Service (Democratic) on two call-in request received in respect of a decision taken by Cabinet on 1 October 2024 to approve the proposal to procure and implement a digital booking system within all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) on the mainland and the Isle of Arran (copy enclosed). 1
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 4 Elected Member Development Submit report by the Head of Service (Democratic) providing information and seeking views on the development sessions provided to Elected Members over the 13 months from August 2023 to August 2024, and on future planned development sessions (copy enclosed). 5 Year End Performance Reporting 2023-24 Submit report by the Head of Service (Democratic) advising of progress on Council Plan priorities and the Council Plan Year End Performance Reporting (copy enclosed). 6 Carbon and Scope 3 Emissions Submit report by the Executive Director (Place) providing an update to the Committee on what was included in the Council’s carbon emission reporting, and ongoing work to understand and reduce scope 3 emissions (copy enclosed). 7 Community Asset Transfer Process Submit report by the Executive Director (Communities & Housing) providing an update on the process for Community Asset Transfer applications (copy enclosed). 8 Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator 2023/24 Submit report by the Executive Director (Communities & Housing) advising of the Council's Annual Return on the Charter 2023/24 submission and requesting endorsement of the Annual Assurance Statement to be submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator (copy enclosed). 9 National Fraud Initiative (NFI) in Scotland 2024 Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) providing an overview of the NFI 2022/23 exercise outcomes (copy enclosed). 10 Internal Audit Annual Update Report – North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) informing of the IJB’s annual report for 2023/24 and the approved internal audit plan for 2024/25 (copy enclosed). 11 Internal Audit Plan 2024/25: Mid-year Update Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) providing an update on progress made in delivering the 2024/25 Internal Audit Plan (copy enclosed). 2
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 12 Corporate Fraud Team update report Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) providing an update report on the work of the Corporate Fraud Team between April and September 2024 (copy enclosed). 13 Internal Audit Reports Issued Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) informing of the findings of Internal Audit work completed between August and September 2024 (copy enclosed). 14 Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud Action Plans Quarter 2 update Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) on the progress made by Council Services in implementing the agreed actions from Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud reports as at 30 September 2024 (copy enclosed). 15 Strategic Risk Register 2024/25: Mid-year Update Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) providing an update on the progress with actions related to the Strategic Risk Register (copy enclosed). 16 Standing Item of Business: Consideration of future business for scrutiny 17 Urgent Items Any other items which the Chair considers to be urgent. 18 Exclusion of the Public - Para 1 Resolve in terms of Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude from the Meeting the press and the public for the following items of business on the grounds indicated in terms of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. Non Disclosure of Information In terms of Standing Order 21 (Disclosure of Information), the information contained within the following reports are confidential information within the meaning of Section 50A of the 1973 Act and shall not be disclosed to any person by any Member or Officer. 19 Investigation Reports Issued Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) informing of investigative reports finalised since the last meeting (copy enclosed). 20 Internal Audit Reports Issued Submit report by the Head of Service (Finance) informing of the findings of Internal Audit work completed between August and September 2024 (copy enclosed). 3
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Webcasting Please note: this meeting may be filmed/recorded/live-streamed to the Council's internet site and available to view at https://north- ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home, where it will be capable of repeated viewing. At the start of the meeting, the Provost/Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed/recorded/live-streamed. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018. Data collected during the webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site. Generally, the press and public will not be filmed. However, by entering the Council Chambers and using the press or public seating area, you acknowledge that you may be filmed and that any information pertaining to you contained in the video and oral recording of the meeting will be used for webcasting or training purposes and for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available to the public. In making this use of your information the Council is processing data which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. If you have any queries regarding this and, in particular, if you believe that use and/or storage of any particular information would cause, or be likely to cause, substantial damage or distress to any individual, please contact dataprotectionofficer@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 4
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Audit and Scrutiny Committee Sederunt John Bell (Chair) Donald Reid (Vice Chair) Eleanor Collier Cameron Inglis Tom Marshall Matthew McLean Davina McTiernan Donald L. Reid John Sweeney Chair: Apologies: Attending: 5
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Audit and Scrutiny Committee 29 August 2024 At a Meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of North Ayrshire Council at 10.00 a.m. involving participation by remote electronic means and physical attendance within the Council Chambers, Irvine. Present (Physical Participation) John Bell, Donald Reid, Eleanor Collier, Cameron Inglis, Matthew McLean, *Davina McTiernan and Donald L. Reid. *Attended later in the meeting. Present (Remote Participation) Tom Marshall. In Attendance (Physical Participation) C. Hatton, Chief Executive; D. Hammond, Executive Director (Communities and Housing); L. Cree, Head of Service (Sustainability, Transport and Corporate Property); A. McClelland, Head of Service (Education); P. Doak, Head of Service (Finance and Transformation) (Health and Social Care Partnership); M. Boyd, Head of Service, D. Forbes, Senior Manager (Strategic Business Partner), J. McCallum, Senior Manager, G. McMaster, Fraud Investigator (Audit, Fraud, Safety and Risk) (Finance); F. Walker, Head of Service and J. Smillie, Senior Manager (People Services) (People and ICT); and A. Craig, Head of Service, C. Stewart, Committee Services Officer and H. Clancy, Senior Committee Services Officer (Democratic) (Corporate Services). Also in Attendance (Physical Participation) D. Jamieson, Audit Scotland. Chair Councillor Bell in the Chair. Apologies John Sweeney. 1. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest by Members in terms of Standing Order 11 and Section 5 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. 2. Minutes The Minutes of the Meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee held on 30 May 2024 were confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7 (1) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Agenda Item 2 7
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3. Internal Audit Reports Issued Submitted report by the Head of Service (Finance) on the findings of Internal Audit work completed between May and July 2024. The Internal control reviews which have been completed in respect of the areas detailed were attached as Appendix 1 to the report. Officers were heard in response to Members’ questions and the Committee agreed to note the outcomes from the Internal Audit work completed as set out in the report and detailed in Appendix 1 to the report. Note: Councillor McTiernan entered the meeting during consideration of the above item. 4. Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud Action Plans: Quarter 1 Update Submitted report by the Head of Service (Finance) on the progress made by Council Services in implementing the agreed actions from Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud reports as at 30 June 2024. The Committee agreed to note the current position with the implementation of Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud actions. 5. Best Value Thematic Work in North Ayrshire Council 2023-24 Submitted report by the Head of Service (Finance) requesting the Committee to note the Best Value Thematic Work reports for 2023/24 and to consider a verbal report by the external auditor. The Improvement Action Plan was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. Members considered the verbal report provided by the external auditor and officers were heard in response to Members’ questions. The Committee agreed to (a) note the findings of the external auditor’s Best Value Thematic Work report; and (b) note the Improvement Action Plan outlined in Appendix 1 to the Report. 6. Climate Change Target & Associated Policies Submitted report by the Executive Director (Place) on the Council’s progress of the Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy (2024-27). Officers were heard in response to Members’ questions and agreed to bring a further report back to a future Committee on what was incorporated in terms of carbon emissions (i.e. Council estate assets including office rationalisation, KA Leisure, Council housing and fleet operations), and the wider work which was ongoing across the Council concerning wider (indirect) emissions, commonly known as Scope 3 emissions and how best to capture this. The Committee noted the report and agreed that a further report be brought to a future Committee on what was incorporated in terms of carbon emissions (i.e. Council estate assets including office rationalisation, KA Leisure, Council housing 8
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and fleet operations), and the wider work which was ongoing across the Council concerning wider (indirect) emissions, commonly known as Scope 3 emissions and how best to capture this. 7. Standing Item of Business: Consideration of Future Business for Scrutiny Members were invited to consider potential items of scrutiny business for future meetings. In relation to a request from Councillor Marshall, the Committee agreed to receive a report to a future meeting on statistical data in respect of staffing levels and costs of the Council, by Department, over the last 3 years. 8. Urgent Items There were no urgent items. 9. Exclusion of the Public – Para 1 The Committee resolved in terms of Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude from the Meeting the press and the public for the following items of business on the grounds indicated in terms of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. 10. Investigation Reports Issued Submitted report by the Head of Service (Finance) on investigation reports finalised since the last meeting. Following questions and discussion, the Committee agreed to note the outcomes from the investigations carried out. The meeting ended at 11.25 a.m. 9
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Call In: Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System Purpose: To allow the Committee to consider two call-in requests in respect of the decision taken by Cabinet at its meeting on 1 October 2024 to approve the proposal to procure and implement a digital booking system within all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) on the mainland and the Isle of Arran. Recommendation: That the Committee considers the terms of the call-in requests set out at Appendices 1A and 1B and agrees, or otherwise, to make a recommendation to the Cabinet. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 In terms of the Scheme of Administration (Section 5), the Audit and Scrutiny Committee has a remit to consider call-in requests and invite at least one of the Members who has requested the reference to call-in to attend the Committee to explain the request. 1.2 This report sets out the background to two call-in requests in respect of the decision taken by Cabinet at its meeting on 1 October 2024 in relation to the report on Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System. 2. Background 2.1 The Cabinet, at its meeting on 1 October 2024, considered a report by the Head of Neighbourhood Services seeking approval to implement a digital Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) booking system at all sites. 2.2 Two call-in requests have been received in terms of the call-in procedure set out in the Council's Scheme of Administration and Standing Orders, that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee examine the decision taken by the Cabinet. These are presented (in the order received) at Appendices 1A and 1B: Appendix 1A – Call-in request signed by Councillors Stalker, S. Ferguson and T. Ferguson Appendix 1B – Call-in request signed by Councillors McDonald, Currie and Cullinane Agenda Item 3 11
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The desired outcome of both call-in requests is that the proposal to implement and procure a digital booking system at all Household Waste Recycling Centres on the mainland and on the Isle of Arran does not proceed. 2.3 A copy of the original report presented to Cabinet on 1 October 2024 is attached as Appendix 2 to the report. A briefing note has been provided by the Head of Service (Neighbourhood Services) and is attached at Appendix 3. 2.5 Both call-in requests are valid for consideration by the Committee. The requests were received within the appropriate timescale, signed by three Elected Members respectively and, in both cases, details were provided on both the reason for the call- in and the desired outcome. 2.6 The Elected Members who have submitted the call-in will be invited to address the Committee to explain the respective call-in requests. The appropriate Cabinet Member, will then be invited to clarify the reasons for the decision. The relevant senior officer will also be present to provide information on the report presented to Cabinet and on issues raised by the call-ins received. The Committee will have an opportunity to ask questions of both parties and of those officers in attendance. 2.7 The Committee will then debate the call-in requests and decide whether or not it agrees with the decision of the Cabinet. 2.8 The Audit and Scrutiny Committee therefore has to:- i) decide if it agrees or not with the decision of the Cabinet; and ii) consider what alternative action the Committee would recommend to the Cabinet if it does not agree with the decision. 2.9 If the Audit and Scrutiny Committee does not agree with the Cabinet decision and recommends alternative action to Cabinet, the Chairperson or another member of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee will have the right to attend the Cabinet and speak in support of any recommendation. 2.10 In the event the Cabinet declines to accept the recommendation from the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, the matter will be referred to Council for determination. The decision of the Council will be final. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee considers the call-in request set out at Appendices 1A and 1B. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The financial implications are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. 12
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Human Resources 4.2 The human resource implications are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. Legal 4.3 The legal implications are outlined are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The equality/social-economic implications are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The climate change and carbon implications are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. Key Priorities 4.6 The key priorities are outlined in the are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The community wealth building implications are outlined in the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Digital Booking System report attached at Appendix 2. 5. Consultation 5.1 No formal consultation has been undertaken at this stage. Craig Hatton Chief Executive For further information please contact Craig Stewart, Committee Services Officer, on 01294 324130 Background Papers N/A 13
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Appendix 1A Call In Request by Councillors Stalker, S. Ferguson and T. Ferguson Reason for Call In “1. The process of the booking system did not include a consultation or public engagement period 2. It is not required as the HRWC sites are not busy, this does not require a booking system to be implemented 3. It will lead to an increase in fly-tipping as many people will not use the system and in so will dump rubbish in public areas”. Desired Outcome Not to proceed with the proposal to procure and implement a digital booking system within all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) on the mainland and the Isle of Arran. 14
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Appendix 1B Call In Request by Councillors McDonald, Currie and Cullinane Reason for Call In “the current system isn’t broken. Changing to a digital booking system could result in an increase in fly-tipping and impact our waste performance”. Desired Outcome Not to proceed with the proposal to procure and implement a digital booking system within all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) on the mainland and the Isle of Arran. 15
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 1 October 2024 Cabinet Title: HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLING CENTRE (HWRC) DIGITAL BOOKING SYSTEM Purpose: To seek approval from Cabinet to implement a digital Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) booking system at all sites. Recommendation: That Cabinet approves the proposal to procure and implement a digital booking system within all Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) on the mainland and the Isle of Arran. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Council operates four Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) located in Irvine, Kilbirnie, Largs and at Brodick on the Isle of Arran. 1.2 A HWRC permit system has operated since August 2011 at the mainland HWRCs for vans and trailers, with height restriction barriers being installed. A pre-paid permit system is in place at Brodick for commercial vehicles. 1.3 The Council approved a saving in February 2024 of £75,000 to reduce HWRC Opening Hours. The implementation of a digital booking system will support the budget decision for reduced operating hours/days and help minimise the impact on our customers. 1.4 The procurement and implementation of a digital booking system at HWRCs will provide a range of benefits, which are detailed in paragraph 2.5. The system will allow customers to book slots at HWRC sites at a time convenient to them and this will enable the appropriate support to offload their household waste safely and correctly, minimising contamination and improving recycling. 1.5 An outline of the key aspects of how the digital booking system will operate are detailed at paragraph 2.7. 2. Background 2.1 The Council operates four Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), three on the mainland, located in Irvine, Kilbirnie and Largs and one in Brodick on the Island of Arran. 2.2 A HWRC permit system for vans and trailers was implemented in August 2011 on the mainland, which included the installation of vehicle height restriction barriers. The Appendix 2 16
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permits allow 12 visits per annum per household, however if residents wish to use a HWRC more frequently for the reuse/recycling or disposal of household waste only, additional permits may be issued where justified. A pre-paid permit process is in place at Brodick HWRC for the deposit of commercial waste only, as alternative disposal facilities on Arran are limited. 2.3 The Council approved a saving in February 2024 of £75,000 to reduce HWRC opening hours, based on closing the sites for some days and we will no longer operate 7 days per week. This will likely result in longer than usual waiting times at peak periods, as well as on the day after sites re-open. The implementation of a digital booking system will support delivery of the budget decision for reduced operating hours/days, while minimising the associated impact on our customers. 2.4 The Corporate Transformation Team and officers from the Waste Service have engaged with a range of councils that have already implemented a digital HWRC booking system and identified best practice from them to support the implementation of a system within North Ayrshire’s HWRCs. The feedback received from some of the Councils included: • East Renfrewshire Council - received minimal complaints regarding the introduction of the booking system. • South Ayrshire Council - since the implementation of the booking system they have not had to review any incidents at their Ayr site and from a safety point of view, it has been a great improvement. Customers commented on how much safer they felt when visiting their sites. • Hampshire County Council - HWRC tonnages decreased by 70,000 which equates to a 37% reduction and only 3% of bookings are being made over the phone, with the rest being made online. • Kent County Council – site staff have reported an increase in job satisfaction. • North Lanarkshire Council - during a pilot in 2023/24 at one HWRC, 59,000 bookings were made and 98.6% were online, with positive feedback from site staff and customers. Following the successful pilot this is now being implemented at all their sites. • Research has shown that councils who have implemented a booking system have not experienced a visible increase in fly tipping following its inception. 2.5 The system will focus on allowing customers to be able to book a time slot at HWRC sites at a time convenient to them and this will enable the provision of appropriate support to offload their household waste safely and correctly, minimising contamination and improving recycling. The key benefits of implementing a digital HWRC booking system include: • Customer Experience o Avoidance of long queues at sites, particularly at peak times and providing certainty of access to the site at the time and date booked, while reducing customer waiting/lost time. o Reduced vehicle idling when queuing, reducing vehicle emissions and the associated fuel costs for customers. o Freeing up staff to assist with customers and encourage reuse/recycling. 17
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o Ability to send booking reminders and bulk notifications to customers e.g. for emergency site closures/ training. o Supporting the ability to book the same day will be a key element of the system. o Providing a simple and standardised booking experience, which will support the incorporation of the existing HWRC permit access system and policy for vans, trailers and oversize vehicles, standardising the application process and streamlining the approach for customers. o Provides an opportunity to close off booking times at individual sites for small periods as required to allow the delivery of essential staff training. o Supports the ‘Meet and Greet’ approach to ensure customers have booked and to ascertain what wastes customers have for deposit at the site. • Health and Safety o Reduced traffic at the sites ensures a safer site for the customer and employees, particularly at peak times. o It will reduce the risk of violence and aggression towards staff. o It will prevent Police Scotland having to visit the sites during extremely busy periods to deal with traffic congestion and reduce queue jumping incidents and the associated customer and staff issues in respect of this. • Site Misuse o Ability to monitor the level of customer visits / flag up unusual visit patterns, helping to identify and prevent site misuse. o Discourage commercial businesses from misusing the sites. o Ensure no hazardous waste enters sites e.g. asbestos and supports the provision of waste related information to customers in advance of their visit (waste packing advice, waste disposal guidance etc). o Avoidance of fly-tipping near HWRCs, due to certainty of access and never having to leave a site with a full vehicle. • Analysis o Allows the understanding of patterns/trends for site usage through bookings and the type of materials that are being presented for reuse, recycling or disposal. o Supports engagement with frequent site users to ascertain whether additional support is required e.g. help with recycling at home. • Financial o It will improve staff vigilance which will help to reduce contamination and the associated contamination contractual charges levied on the Council. o Improved staff vigilance will help to increase reuse/recycling and reduce waste disposal costs. o It will help to reduce the overall disposal costs due to reduced tonnages, through avoiding waste from residents of neighbouring councils and improved commercial waste controls. 18
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2.6 The system will focus on allowing customers to be able to book slots at HWRC sites at a time convenient to them and this will enable the appropriate support to offload their household waste safely and correctly, minimising contamination and improving reuse and recycling. 2.7 The key aspects of how the digital booking system will operate are included below: • Customers will still be able to call to book slots via the contact centre without signing up to MyNAC, however it is expected the vast majority will book on-line. • Should a customer present at a site without a booking then a ‘one time’ pass will be issued, which will be recorded against the car registration number. • An extensive communication campaign will be carried out ensuring the new system is widely publicised via multiple communications channels. • A number of same day booking slots will be made available via the system, to accommodate unexpected demands, subject to availability. • The system will also support the digital delivery and management of the existing permit system and policy for householders seeking access with vans and small trailers, as well as facilitate the review and digitisation of the commercial permit system on Arran. • The system will be configured to support family members to be able to deposit household waste on behalf of elderly NAC residents. • The system will be implemented as soon as practically possible taking account of the communication required and the procurement of the system. 2.8 A one-off implementation cost is estimated to be around £6,500 for tablets and system. Recurring costs are estimated to be around £5,000 for hosting, licences etc and will be met from the existing Waste Service revenue budget through savings in waste disposal costs. 2.9 The estimated implementation date is 1 April 2025 which will provide sufficient time for the procurement of the system, configuration and testing of the system, alignment with MyNac & the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and an extensive communications campaign. 2.10 An implementation and communication plan will be developed which includes: • A cross-service implementation group will ensure that all services and stakeholders are considered in the implementation strategy and within the communication plan. This will include Customer Services, Communications, Financial Services, Procurement, IT, Transformation and the Waste Service. • A marketing campaign will be undertaken in advance to advise residents of the implementation of the new digital booking system. • Providing clear guidance on the implementation of the new digital booking system, including step by step guidance on how to book using the online system, or through the Customer Contact Centre for those residents without digital access. • New signage will be installed at the gates of each HWRC to advise residents of the implementation of the new booking system. • The council’s website will be updated prior to implementation with the details of the booking system, including a detailed section to answer frequently asked questions. 19
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3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet approved the proposal to implement the HWRC Booking System at all sites on the mainland and on the Isle of Arran. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 An estimated initial investment cost of £6,500 will be required for the purchase and installation of the system with ongoing revenue costs of £5,000 per annum. Human Resources 4.2 There are no direct implications for human resources. Legal 4.3 Household Waste Recycling Centres are only licensed for the acceptance of specific types of household waste. The implementation of a digital HWRC booking system will assist the council in ensuring compliance with the site waste management licences, which are issued and regulated by SEPA. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The proposal will ensure that HWRCs are equally accessible for all customers. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 The implementation of a HWRC booking system will support the promotion of a circular economy in North Ayrshire to reduce consumption of raw materials and promote reuse and recycling. Key Priorities 4.6 The proposal supports the Council Plan strategic priority to be a sustainable council, through supporting the effective governance and management of resources. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The implementation of the HWRC booking system contributes to being a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities, and by supporting the reuse and recycling of waste, helping to reduce carbon emissions and contributing to the mitigation of climate change. 20
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5. Consultation 5.1 Consultation has taken place with Customer Services, Transformation, IT and Procurement. A report was taken to the Policy Advisory Panel on 10 September 2024 and feedback was positive. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Thomas Reaney, Head of Service (Neighbourhood Services), on 01294 324570. Background Papers 0 21
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Page 1 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION Audit and Scrutiny Committee Household Waste Recycling Centre Digital Booking System Overview A proposal to implement a digital Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) booking system at all sites was approved by Cabinet on 1st October 2024. The council operates three sites on the mainland (Irvine, Kilbirnie and Largs) and one on the Isle of Arran in Brodick. The proposal had previously been presented to the Policy Advisory Panel on 10 September 2024 and members present were broadly satisfied with the proposal. Proposal The proposal sought approval to implement a digital Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) booking system at all sites (Irvine, Kilbirnie, Largs and Brodick) from April 2025. Householders will be able to book online via the Council’s website or, if this is not possible, by telephoning the Customer Contact Centre, or in person at the local offices in Irvine, Largs, Saltcoats and Arran. How will it operate? A digital booking system will allow customers to book slots at HWRC sites at a time convenient to them and this will enable staff to help offload their household waste safely and correctly, minimising contamination and improving reuse and recycling, while avoiding queues at peak times. Booking systems have already proved successful in a number of other local authority areas in Scotland, including at both South and East Ayrshire, and are widely used throughout the UK to assist in making visits to the sites smoother and quicker. 22 of the 32 Scottish Councils (approx. 69%) have a type of booking system in place within their HWRCs. The extent of the use of booking systems can vary by individual sites and can be used and applied to vans, trailers and all cars. The Corporate Transformation Team conducted research with 5 Scottish and 2 English councils that have already implemented digital HWRC booking systems to identify best practice to support the implementation of a digital booking system within North Ayrshire’s HWRCs. The digital booking system proposal aims to ensure that the HWRCs can still be easily accessed by householders, while improving traffic management and employee and visitor safety, enhancing the customer experience, reducing pollution from vehicle queuing/idling, increasing operational efficiency, preventing access to visitors from neighbouring local authority areas, ensuring legal compliance with waste management licences by deterring businesses from depositing their commercial waste illegally in the household waste recycling centres and avoiding any unnecessary waste disposal costs. A comprehensive and extensive communication and marketing campaign will be carried out prior to implementation to ensure that the new system is widely publicised via multiple communications channels. Comprehensive, clear, step-by-step guidance on the use of the new digital booking system, including how to book using the system, or through the Customer Contact Centre and local offices for those residents without digital access. To avoid any customers being turned away who are not aware of the new system, if householders presented at a HWRC without a booking, then a ‘one time’ pass will be issued and Appendix 3 22
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Page 2 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION recorded against their car registration number and they would still be able to deposit their waste at the site, allowing guidance and information leaflets to be provided to support their future access. A number of same day booking slots will also be made available via the system, to accommodate unexpected demands (on a first come first served basis) and the system will be configured to support family members to be able to book and deposit household waste on behalf of elderly/disabled NAC residents. Consultation and Engagement Consultation has taken place with the relevant internal council services, including Customer Services, Transformation, IT, Communications and Procurement. Discussions also took place with employees from the service and the full time Trade Union officials, who are supportive the proposal particularly as it reduces the risk of violence and aggression incidents. The consultation and engagement process included presentations to the Council’s Transformation Board, a report to the Council’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT), a report to the Council’s cross-party Policy Advisory Panel on 10th September 2024, a presentation to Trade Unions on 5th September 2024 prior to being presented to Cabinet on 1st October 2024. The Cabinet report of 1st October 2024 describes how an extensive communication campaign would be carried out ensuring the new system is widely publicised via multiple communications channels, to ensure that all householders are aware of the implementation of the new system. Research conducted by the Corporate Transformation Team with councils who had implemented a booking system, suggests that high levels of customers use the online booking service, with some councils reporting that over 95% book online with low percentages opting to book through either phoning Customer Contact Centres or visiting local offices. During engagement on the development and implementation of the Council’s Digital Strategy, 95% of all respondents indicated they had access to the internet and emails and the preferred method of receiving information was through digital. Other Councils advised that no public consultation was carried out prior to implementation of a digital HWRC booking system, however customer satisfaction surveys took place after implementation to support improvements in the use of the booking system. It is proposed that North Ayrshire Council adopt a similar approach to ensure the booking system is continually optimised to take cognisance of site-specific circumstances and learn from customer experience and feedback. South Lanarkshire Council reported that the booking system for Carluke HWRC continues to receive positive feedback from site users. A review of the responses received during 2023/2024 showed that over 95% were satisfied with their experience of using the site, 97% were satisfied with availability of slots; and more than 98% of respondents rated the booking system easy to use. South Lanarkshire Council have now implemented at all their sites given the positive feedback. Customer Satisfaction During 2023/24, several customer complaints were received regarding the HWRC’s being closed, which can occur as a result of emergency issues, or to allow for the delivery of essential staff training. 23
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Page 3 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION The implementation of a digital booking system would provide the ability to send bulk notifications and reminders to customers regarding emergency site closures, and to allow for the closing of booking times for short durations at individual sites during quieter periods, to allow for the delivery of essential staff training, therefore avoiding customers turning up at sites during essential closures. Since the proposal to implement the digital booking system was announced, Customer Services has reported that only a small number of complaints have been received objecting to the proposal. It should be noted that when South Lanarkshire Council piloted a booking system at one site and then decided to roll out across South Lanarkshire, the feedback from users of the system was positive whilst feedback from those who hadn’t used the system yet was negative. Traffic Management / Health & Safety Traffic congestion can cause concerns over the volume of vehicle movements within sites, at the HWRC sites at peak times, particularly at Bartonholm in Irvine, which is the largest and most used site. HWRC staff at the Bartonholm site have reported that they regularly record queues of between 30 and 40 cars at the site at weekends and on occasions as many as 50 to 60 cars queuing. A Waste Technical Officer reviewed CCTV footage from Sunday 13th October 2024, which recorded a non-stop stream of 186 cars approximately between 12:25pm and 14:05pm. Unfortunately, when large queues form it can result in violence and aggression incidents towards employees and also amongst members of the public who try to skip the queue. Some of the employees’ comments on the introduction of a digital booking system are as follows: ‘When there’s queues, we have to deal with traffic management and irate customers – with a booking system this would be controlled due to a certain number only accessing the site at one time.’ ‘It’s difficult to maintain the machinery when you don’t know the volume of customers attending the site each day, if customers were booking in advance, we could pre-plan maintenance of certain machines. The maintenance and upkeep of the machines is really important to stay operational.’ ‘It would also allow more time to sort out tv’s, fridges etc which goes towards improving the recycling figures for NAC.’ ‘I think the booking system would help deal with the abuse we get because customers would be told when booking, what waste was acceptable and what wasn’t. Not everyone checks the website for this information however when booking online all the info will be there.’ The GMB Trade Union Rep and Site Attendant also commented ‘All in all, I feel this a positive step and I really hope this gets taken forward.’ Police Scotland have also visited Bartonholm HWRC during busy periods, as cars have been causing traffic congestion and blocking the road. The booking system would be configured to maximise the number of visitor slots that can be safely managed at each site, without requiring cars to queue at peak times, and the experience 24
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Page 4 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION shared from other councils is that the level of visitors balance out once introduced, particularly at peak times. Fly-tipping The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned detailed research in November 2022 to explore the ‘possible links between Household Waste Recycling Centre booking systems and incidents of flytipping - EV04102’, which can be found online at https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21149. The research surveyed 54 English Local Authorities who have implemented HWRC booking systems and noted that 43% of LA’s in England have some form of booking system in place. The research suggests that based on the data available, that there is no indication that a link between a booking system and increased fly-tipping exists. The Corporate Transformation Team and the Waste Service carried out research with both Scottish and English councils that have implemented a booking system at their HWRCs. Research has shown that councils who have implemented a booking system have not experienced a visible increase in fly tipping following its inception. Under the current process at North Ayrshire, the smaller sites are required to close when the skips are full and require to be serviced, particularly at peak times, which can lead to fly tipping at the gates, or in remote locations near to the sites. The implementation of a digital booking system would even out the number of visits and the associated tonnages over the opening hours. This will enable the Council to schedule skip servicing and thereby reduce the need to close sites due to skips being full. The implementation of a digital booking system could support the avoidance of fly-tipping near HWRCs, due to certainty of access for the public at the times booked, meaning customers would never have to leave a site with a vehicle full of waste. The proposed HWRC booking system includes the provision of a ‘one time’ pass, should a customer present at a site without a booking, which will be recorded against their car registration number and this process will allow the customer to deposit their waste. The inclusion of a ‘one time’ pass will provide flexibility for householders when visiting the HWRCs and support their transition to the new system, and therefore mitigate the likelihood of any household waste being fly-tipped. The proposal includes continual and close monitoring of all reported fly tipping cases by the Streetscene Environmental Enforcement Team, to ensure that cases are recorded, duly investigated and enforcement action taken where necessary. The fixed penalty for fly-tipping increased to £500 from 1st January 2024 and the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 also introduces additional measures for local authorities to address fly-tipping, which includes the ability to seize vehicles. A new UK wide Digital Waste Tracking System is scheduled to be introduced on 1st April 2025, which will record waste movements and help identify discrepancies to regulatory bodies including SEPA, particularly from rogue traders. The combination of these new measures is expected to help combat those that fly-tip their waste. HWRC Performance & Compliance Of the 5 Scottish councils contacted who have implemented a booking system within their HWRCs, none of them advised that their recycling performance has been negatively affected following implementation of the booking system. Both English councils spoken to advised that 25
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Page 5 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION although the total waste tonnages reduced, improvements were observed in their recycling rates at their sites. North Ayrshire collected approximately 11,114 tonnes of waste from the four recycling centres in 2023/24. Of these 5,694 tonnes of waste (51.2%) was source segregated at the sites, with the remaining 5,420 tonnes of waste (48.8%) being deposited in the mixed residual waste skips and requiring further mechanical sorting, indicating that there is significant scope for improving the source segregated reuse and recycling performance at the recycling centres. The total waste arisings collected from the four household waste recycling centres over the past two years has increased by 3.8% from 10,702 tonnes in 2022/23 to 11,114 tonnes in 2023/24 (+412 tonnes). Residents from neighbouring authorities may also potentially utilise the recycling centres, as the Kilbirnie HWRC is closer for residents just inside the Renfrewshire boundary, than visiting their nearest site in Johnstone. South Ayrshire Council introduced their HWRC booking system in July 2022 and East Ayrshire Council extended their existing HWRC booking system in June 2020 to include all vehicles during the Covid-19 pandemic. The operation of the booking systems for all vehicles at neighbouring Ayrshire authorities may have been a contributory factor to the increase in HWRC arisings at North Ayrshire’s sites since 2022/23. Since the North Ayrshire Digital Booking System was approved by Cabinet and reported in the press, there has been social media posts indicating East Ayrshire residents who don’t book a slot at their local HWRC and travel to North Ayrshire HWRCs which incurs an unnecessary cost for North Ayrshire Council. A HWRC booking system can be used to support householders in the separation of their waste for reuse and recycling by providing them with information regarding the waste types that can be accepted and separately collected at each site in advance of their visit, with an electronic layout map of the relevant site to aid packing of their vehicles in the correct order, therefore helping them to source separate their waste prior to their visit. The HWRC site attendants would have more time during busy periods to provide help and advice to residents, to ensure that the materials go in the right skip etc, as well as being able to avoid contamination, such as preventing items that should not be deposited in the sites, and which can contaminate a whole skip of recyclable material, such as asbestos, paint, oils etc. There will also be an option for anyone requiring assistance to indicate this when booking a slot, this will enable a member of staff to look out for and assist the resident. This isn’t always possible at peak periods. Household Waste Recycling Centres are only licensed for the deposit and acceptance of specific types of household waste, in accordance with a specific waste management licence that is issued for each site by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The implementation of a digital HWRC booking system will assist the council in ensuring compliance with its’ statutory duty to comply with the site waste management licences, as well as helping to prevent waste types entering the sites which are not compliant with the existing licences (asbestos, commercial waste etc.). Conclusion The proposed introduction of a digital Household Waste Recycling Centre booking system would provide a range of benefits including improving traffic management and employee/visitor safety, reducing the risk of violence and aggression incidents and enhancing the customer 26
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Page 6 of 6 OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION OFFICIAL-PROTECT INFORMATION experience and reducing pollution from vehicle queuing/idling. A system would help to increase operational efficiency while preventing unauthorised access from visitors from neighbouring local authorities and businesses, ensuring the Council is compliant with the site waste management licences regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The digital booking system proposal aims to ensure that the HWRCs can still be easily accessed, facilitated through a simple and easy-to-use booking system, which includes providing a number of same day booking slots to accommodate unexpected visitor demand with the system being configured to support family members to be able to book and deposit household waste on behalf of elderly NAC residents. If anyone doesn’t wish to use the digital method or can’t use the digital method then a booking can still be made through telephoning the Customer Contact Centre or by visiting a local office. Streetscene’s Environmental Enforcement Team will continue to closely monitor fly tipping cases, duly investigating them and taking the necessary enforcement action where appropriate. Implementation of the system would be supported by a comprehensive and extensive communication and marketing campaign, with clear step-by-step guidance made available to residents on the use of the new system in advance of implementation. Easy to follow guidance leaflets would also be made available to support any householders that may attend the sites without having made a prior booking during the implementation period. There is also an unintended consequence if this proposal is not progressed in terms of staff morale and the health, safety and wellbeing of employees. Thomas Reaney Head of Neighbourhood Services 21 October 2024 27
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- NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Elected Member Development Purpose: To provide information and seek views on the development sessions provided to Elected Members over the 13 months from August 2023 to August 2024, and on future planned development sessions. Recommendation: The Committee is recommended to (a) note the report on the Elected Member Development sessions held in the period August 2023 to August 2024; (b) note the future development sessions scheduled to date; and provide feedback on (c) the means to support Elected Member attendance; (d) how future programmes might be improved and (e) to suggest additional topics for the next year. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 This report provides information on development support provided to Elected Members during the period August 2023 - August 2024, on attendance rates, feedback from current activities and on future planned development. 2. Background 2.1 An annual report is provided to Audit & Scrutiny which details the Council's learning events programme for Elected Members and individual Elected Member attendance figures. This report provides information for the period August 2023 until Aug 2024 inclusive. 2.2 The Audit Commission report on “Roles and Working Relationships - Are you still getting it right?” emphasised that Councillors need the skills and tools to carry out their role. This includes training in relation to both Council and ALEO responsibilities, as well as scrutiny, audit and financial decision making. Finally, it noted that training and development should be an ongoing process, not a one-off induction. 2.3 North Ayrshire Council has continued to offer a full training programme for Members in addition to e-learning and the opportunity to attend Improvement Service events and webinars. The number of internal development sessions from Aug 23 – Aug 24 was 10 sessions, with an average attendance of 8 Members per session. Individual Agenda Item 4 29
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Member attendance from Aug 2023 to Aug 2024 varied between attendance at 8 sessions to attendance at none. 2.4 Appendix 1 contains details of the development that has taken place between Aug 23 and Aug 24 and includes the internal sessions plus any e-learning that Elected Members completed. 2.5 Overall there were 79 separate Member attendances at development sessions between Aug 23 and Aug 24. These figures include those aimed at specific committee members (i.e. Appeals Committee). 2.6 The Council offers members an annual 1-2-1 PDP discussion to discuss their development needs. This was offered as part of a Member’s development survey but there was no take up. Take up for this is historically low and indeed there was no interest the last time it was offered. 2.7 Council previously agreed that all Members who sit on the Appeals Committee should receive training before they sit on the Committee. An externally facilitated session was held in August 2024 with two Members attending. 2.8 Members can provide feedback by electronic means on sessions attended. For the period Aug 23 – Aug 24 the feedback response rate was 26%. The sessions are rated 1-5 by respondents on content, handouts, presentation, friendliness of tutor, relevance and overall service provided. The feedback is primarily positive with only two ratings of 3 and everything else a 4 or 5. Generally training is well received with Members confirming that their skills/knowledge has increased by attending the training. A breakdown of the evaluations received for all sessions for this 13 month period is included in Appendix 2. 2.9 In addition to this there is learning available from the Improvement Service (IS) in the form of Briefing notes, masterclasses, newsletters and more recently webinars. Our own intranet Connects site also hosts information, such as the slides from learning events. There is also e-learning available through iLearn. This is shown on the table in Appendix 1. 2.10 Further to Audit and Scrutiny feedback in 2023 a short survey was issued to Elected Members. Five responses were received. Questions primarily related to the format of development events, timings, pace, etc. Based on the feedback received, Members considered that the ideal session would be face-to-face on a Monday or Wednesday morning lasting under 2 hours. Some feedback was also received on potential topics for development and these will be actioned with the appropriate person where appropriate. It is not possible to find dates that suit every Member but when any session is arranged face-to-face with a hybrid option is the preferred option and diaries are always checked and the most suitable date selected based on maximum Elected Member availability. 2.11 Members and Officers are consulted on future training topics and any views from the Committee are also welcome. The Elected Member Learning and Development Event Schedule for the first half of 2025 will be published in due course. The schedule for the remainder of 2024 (Sep – Dec) is included in Appendix 3. 30
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2.12 In conclusion, whilst the Council continues to offer an extensive development programme for Members, it is important that the Committee has the opportunity to review the current development arrangements and offer suggestions. 3. Proposals 3.1 The Committee is recommended to note the report a) on the Member Development sessions held in the period August 2023 to August 2024, b) the future development sessions scheduled to date; and provide feedback on c) the means to support Member attendance d) how future programmes might be improved and e) to suggest additional topics for the next year. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 Investment in development produces more informed decisions and better outcomes. As this supports good governance and better decision making, Elected Member development continues to be an area of focus in terms of Best Value activity. Human Resources 4.2 Effective development is key to keeping North Ayrshire Council as a high performing Council. Legal 4.3 Effective development is a key component of good governance, leading to better decisions. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 Effective equalities training is essential for Members. Training in equalities assists Members to develop policy and inform decision making processes whilst ensuring that appropriate equalities impacts are taken into account. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 No Implications. A session on Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change is planned for next year. Key Priorities 4.6 Sharing of information and knowledge through briefings and development sessions with Elected Members supports the delivery of all priorities outlined in the Council Plan. Community Wealth Building 31
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4.7 There are no direct community wealth building impacts although trained and skilled Members will be better placed to support their communities. A session on the Community Wealth Building refresh is planned for next year. 5. Consultation 5.1 The Learning and Organisational development team have been involved in the preparation of this report. All sessions have been evaluated. Aileen Craig Head of Democratic Services For further information please contact Paul Houston, Learning and Organisational Development Adviser, by email on phouston@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Background Papers None 32
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Appendix 1 - Learning & Development Attendance Aug 23 - Aug 24 SFRS Prevention & Engagement Strategy, Operational Response Tree Planting Strategy Digital Connectivity Update Cyber Security Update Housing Services Update Building Services Update Cyber Security Update Next Steps for Community W ealth Building Appeals Committee Remodelling Care Options Trauma Informed Practice e- learning Cyber Security Essentils e-learning Alan Hill Y 1 Amanda Kerr 0 Angela Stephen 0 Anthea Dickson Y Y Y Y Y 5 Anthony Gurney Y Y Y 3 Cameron Inglis Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 Chloe Robertson Y Y 2 Christina Larsen Y Y Y Y 4 Davina McTiernan Y Y Y Y Y Y 6 Donald L Reid Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 Donald Reid Y Y Y Y Y 5 Eleanor Collier Y Y Y Y 4 Ian Murdoch Y Y 2 Jean McClung Y 1 Jim Montgomerie 0 Joe Cullinane 0 John Bell Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 John Sweeney Y Y Y Y Y 5 Louise McLaughlan 0 Margaret Johnson Y Y Y Y Y Y 6 Marie Burns Y Y 2 Matthew McLean Y Y 2 Nairn McDonald Y 1 Robert Foster 0 Ronnie Stalker Y 1 Scott Davidson 0 Scott Gallacher 0 Shaun Macaulay 0 Stewart Ferguson Y Y Y Y 4 Timothy Billings Y Y 2 Todd Ferguson 0 Tom Marshall 0 Totals 7 8 8 6 16 6 9 6 2 9 1 1 79 33
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Appendix 2 – Evaluation Feedback from Aug 2023 – Aug 2024 Note The scale runs from 1 (Dissatisfied) to 5 (Satisfied) on all of these ratings, with the exception being Overall which is presented as 1 (Dissatisfied) to 5 (Delighted). Development Session Content Handouts and presentations Presentation of the session Tutor Relevance Overall Has the session increased your knowledge and/or skills? 20 Nov 2023 - Digital Connectivity Update 5 4 5 5 5 5 Yes 20 May 2024 - Housing Update 4 3 4 4 4 4 Yes 20 May 2024 - Housing Update 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 20 May 2024 - Housing Update 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 20 May 2024 - Housing Update 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 23 May 2024 - Building Services 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 23 May 2024 - Building Services 5 4 4 5 4 4 Yes 23 May 2024 - Building Services 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 23 May 2024 - Building Services 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 29 May 2024 - Cyber Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 29 May 2024 - Cyber Update 4 4 4 4 3 5 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 4 4 4 5 4 4 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 26 Aug 2024 - Re-modelling Care Options 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 2 Sept 2024 - Procurement Overview 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 2 Sept 2024 - Procurement Overview 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 2 Sept 2024 - Procurement Overview 5 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 34
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Appendix 3 – Elected Member Development Schedule Sep – Dec 2024 Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments 2 Sept 2024 (11am – 12noon) (Teams) Procurement Overview & Activity Suzanne Quinn Mark Boyd This procurement presentation gives a high-level overview of procurement. It includes information relating to the procurement procedures most commonly used, it details the procurement process itself, and it outlines the internal and external governance that surrounds public sector procurement. The presentation will also provide detail of procurement activity for the last financial year, which includes the volume of procurement exercises carried out, the total spend by category (including local and anchor spend) and the volume and types of community benefit delivered. 16 Sept 2024 (9:30am – 12:30pm) (In person) Launch of New Members Account & overview of MyNAC and Online Forms Craig Valentine/Elaine Nixon Fiona Walker On 1 October we will be launching a new Member's Account using MyNAC. This session is to introduce you to the new account and show you how easy it is to set up and use. The new account will work in a similar way to the old one, but with a more modern look and feel. We will also demonstrate the customer MyNAC account and some of the new online forms we have launched over the last couple of years. This includes forms for Waste, Streetscene, Licensing, Housing and Council Tax. Not only are these forms better for the customer, but they make it easier for the service to receive, manage and process saving the Council time and money. 35
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Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments 30th Sept 2024 (10:00am – 12noon) (Hybrid) Community Asset Transfer Lesley Forsyth Rhonda Leith This session will focus on Community Asset Transfer within North Ayrshire, including the legislation, process and support available for community groups as well as how CAT fits into the wider community empowerment agenda. 25th Nov 2024 (9:30 – 10:30) (Teams) Cyber Security Awareness Gavin Alston / Fraser Cunninghamme / Stephen Quigley / James McNeil Fiona Walker In this session the Cyber Security Team will provide an update on the current cyber security threat landscape and how it affects the Council. The update will incorporate real world examples and give advice on how we can all better protect ourselves and the Council against the ever-present threat of cyber-attack. 26th Nov 2024 (9:30 – 10:30) (Hybrid) Councillor Code of Conduct Aileen Craig Aileen Craig This session will provide an update on guidance changes to the Councillor Code of Conduct and recent cases considered by the Standards Commission. 11th Dec 2024 (9:30 – 10:30) (Hybrid) Planning Allan Finlayson (Senior Manager (Planning) / Raymond Lynch (Senior Manager (Legal) David Hammond This session is for Planning Committee and LRB Members only. Course content to be confirmed 36
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Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments 17th Dec 2024 (9:30 – 10:30) (Hybrid) Planning Allan Finlayson (Senior Manager (Planning) / Raymond Lynch (Senior Manager (Legal) David Hammond This session is open to all Members. Course Content TBC 37
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Year End Performance Reporting 2023-24 Purpose: To advise the Audit & Scrutiny Committee of progress on Council Plan priorities and the Council Plan Year End Performance Reporting Recommendation: Audit and Scrutiny agrees to note: (i) Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report attached at Appendix 1; (ii) the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix 2 and (iii) the status of the council’s performance within the LGBF Analysis of 2024 Data Release at Appendix 3. 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Our Council Plan 2023-28 is the overarching strategy of our council and details our council’s strategic priorities. We have a statutory duty to publish information that enables effective scrutiny of our performance. A report on progress with Council Plan priorities and Council Plan performance reporting was presented to Cabinet on 27th August 2024. Cabinet approved the report and agreed that it be referred to the Audit & Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. 1.2 This report combines three key Council Plan and corporate performance reports: • Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report (1st October to 31st March 2024) • Our Annual Performance Report 2023/24 • The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) - Analysis of April 2024 Data Release 2 Background 2.1 Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1992 and Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 we have a duty to demonstrate Best Value. To ensure we support our residents, fulfil our statutory duties and invite scrutiny, we actively manage performance and develop our reporting to make it accessible and engaging. Agenda Item 5 39
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2.2 Our new Council Plan 2023-28 was approved by Council in June 2023. 2.3 Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report (1st October to 31st March 2024) and accompanying appendices provide detailed information on the progress made towards our strategic priorities. The report includes key activities and case studies from across our council in a magazine style format. It provides an overview of performance over the six months ending 31st March 2024 as well as our next steps. 2.4 Our Annual Performance Report 2023/24 summarises our performance across the full financial year. The Annual Performance Report is a high-level summary with links to our more detailed six-monthly Council Plan Progress Reports to avoid duplication. 2.5 The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) Analysis of 2024 Data Release provides information on how we compare to similar councils. The LGBF is a national framework collating performance information from across all 32 local authorities and is specifically referenced within the Accounts Commission Strategic Performance Information Direction. This report mainly covers 2022/23 data as released during 2024, some information may relate to more recent periods. Data is as downloaded in April 2024 unless otherwise stated. 2.6 The Inclusive Growth Dashboard provides a contextual overview of North Ayrshire, it is currently being reviewed and will be available in 2024/25 for use within our reporting. However contextual indicators as outlined in our Council Plan Performance Management Framework are included in the report. 3 Assessment of Performance 3.1 There are 47 actions within Our Council Plan, with one reported directly through the HSCP and therefore excluded from this report. One action “CP_29 Promoting new woodland creation and protecting our green spaces to provide a natural resource for carbon sequestration” is slightly adrift of target (see 3.2 below for related performance indicator commentary), the remaining 45 actions are all on target at Year End. 3.2 There are 26 performance indicators (PIs) within our framework. At Year End 88.2% of indicators where data is known were either on or only slightly adrift of target (17 indicators). Two indicators were significantly adrift of target, these are: • CP_29 Overall carbon emissions (tonnes) (Non-domestic Council estate) For 2023/24, the total carbon emission figure is 20,745tCO2e against a target of 19,500tCO2e. However, this is a 0.72% reduction from 2022/23 emissions, and 69.4% reduction from our 2005/06 baseline year. When calculating our council’s carbon emissions, we consider fossil fuel usage from employee travel, fleet transport, waste, street lighting, KA Leisure buildings and our non- domestic estate (including PPP schools). 40
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There is an increase in emissions associated with our non-domestic estate when compared with the previous year, specifically caused by heating fuels. We will analyse our properties with excessive energy demand to determine the best approach. Following increased capacity within the Sustainability Team, energy management practices will be reinvigorated to scrutinise energy use, instil behaviour change and deliver carbon reduction projects. Behaviour change will be encouraged through an employee energy awareness campaign which includes utilising our Leadership Programme, other internal communication channels and a new training module prior to the heating season beginning in September. • CP_46 Number of trees planted under the North Ayrshire 2030 Tree Planting Strategy The total number of trees planted at the end of 2023/24 was 36,366, which is slightly lower than the projected target of 40,000, however the total number of trees planted within the first three years of the strategy is on track to achieve the overall target of 108,000 trees to be planted by 2030, with six years of the strategy remaining. We have made a conscious decision to defer planting at one of our larger key planting sites to allow for the regrading of soil from another area of the same development site, which will reduce the associated development costs to the council. The planting at the site will commence after the soil regrading works are complete. The level of response from the Woodland Grant Fund applications in 2023/24 was not as high as expected, so we will be looking to do more publicity around the grant funding this year to hopefully improve the level of uptake in the next round. The 2024/25 Woodland Grant Fund will be opened and widely advertised in the autumn, which will support local tree planting projects including the creation of new community orchards. The Streetscene Service is also currently reviewing several potential planting sites for developing new tree planting proposals for the 2024/25 tree planting season. 3.3 Overall the first year of Our Council Plan 2023-28 performance appears strong. Key highlights are detailed in the following section. 3.4 Within the LGBF Analysis of April 2024 Data Release the majority of PI data relates to 2023/24. The analysis focusses on 33 LGBF measures that directly link to our priorities. These include LGBF indicators included in our Council Plan Performance Management Framework and additional indicators that relate to our priorities. It should be noted this April 2024 data release relates to a time period prior to the current Council Plan, however the plan builds on progress made during the previous Council Plan to drive immediate and longer-term sustainable improvements for our residents. As a result, the analysis of these PIs is still valid for this time period. 3.5 Of the 33 LGBF priority indicators, 25 have data for 2022/23. During 2022/23 eight priority PIs were within the top quartile (32%) and six were within the 41
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second quartile (24%). Top quartile performance includes areas such as crisis grant payments, proportion of pupils entering positive destinations, household waste recycling and rent arrears. 3.6 68% of our LGBF priority indicators demonstrate improved performance in the short term (one year comparison of 25 PIs with data) and 4% remain unchanged. For the same number of PIs over the medium term (three years), 60% have improved and 4% remain unchanged. Long term (10 years) 93.75% of indicators have improved (based on 16 PIs with comparable data). 3.7 This LGBF analysis supports the Council Plan Progress Report findings that our council performance against our priorities appears strong. The information from the LGBF is being used by teams to improve and maintain our performance. 3.8 Key Highlights • We established a Financial Inclusion Partnership to increase access to financial advice and support for our residents. For example, our Debt Advice service which commenced in summer 2023, has exceeded its referral target of 245 as at 31st March 2024. • We are funding two additional School Welfare Rights Officers providing financial advice and assistance to parents and carers. This is based on strong evidence, with our current School Welfare Rights Officer obtaining £560,509 for secondary school parents during 2023/24. This is an average of £5,387 per referral. • We agreed to provide a £50 clothing grant to all eligible three and four year olds in Early Years during the 2024/25 school year to help with the cost of living. • We were awarded £79,181 to proactively support residents in accessing the support they are eligible for following a successful grant application to the Scottish Government Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund (CPAF). • All eight mainland Secondary Schools now have access to mentoring services following the successful recruitment of MCR Pathway Co-ordinators with discussions in progress to deliver the service to Arran High School. • Our council approved a definition to enable care experienced to be treated as a protected characteristic within our Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (ECRIAs). • 378 empty homes have been brought back into use during 2023/24, this is significantly above the annual target of 200. • 384 new building housing units are reaching completion, again significantly above the annual target of 295. • 2.05% of council budget is directed via participatory budgeting methods, higher than our target of 1.5% and national target of 1%. • Our Community Investment Fund has approved funding for 13 applications over the year, totalling £721,912. • To date, 53 council assets have been transferred to community management. • Our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and accompanying Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy - Delivery Plan were approved by Cabinet on 23rd January 2024. 42
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• We launched a £350k Community Net Zero Carbon Fund, enabling local community groups to bid for funding to help with feasibility and / or renewable energy technologies on land or buildings they own. • Our council's solar PV farm developments have progressed to construction stage. Both Nethermains and Shewalton site clearances have been completed, with fencing being installed and consideration being given to provision of mammal gates to support biodiversity on the sites. • Our council continues to support wider action on climate change. Four community renewable projects have been awarded funding through the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund, totalling approx. £130,000. • 2,015 households were assisted to furnish their homes in North Ayrshire due to our bulky waste reuse partner Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company collecting and processing reusable items such as mattresses and furniture. • 36,366 trees have been planted to date across North Ayrshire through various projects and by community partners. • 209 businesses were supported to reduce their environmental impact. • Our Council Plan 2023-28 was approved by Council in June 2023. Developed with our communities, our Council Plan is our contract with our residents. • Our first Best Value Thematic Audit on ‘Leadership of the Development of the Council’s Strategic Priorities’ showed our council “continued to demonstrate a strong culture of continuous improvement”. Engagement with our communities in jointly creating our Council Plan 2023-28 was also highlighted. • As part of our ‘No Wrong Door’ approach, we have created a new streamlined customer referral process. This new process will ensure that customers only share their information with us once and are directed to the most appropriate service provider (internal council services and external support services). • Our council secured an award of £242,000 from the UK Government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to advance wireless infrastructure and 5G technology. We were one of six successful local authorities and the only one in Scotland. • Council approved a balance budget for 2024/25. 3.9 Key Next Steps These next steps were as at 31st March 2024 and at time of writing these areas will be progressing or may be complete. Details of our performance will be included in our Mid-Year report. • We will progress our Single Shared Assessment approach which enables consent to be obtained from our residents which will allow us to actively assess the support available. • We will publish our British Sign Language Plan. • We will refresh our strategic approach to tackling poverty through the work of our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board. • We will develop a Pathfinder project with the Scottish Government which will focus on a place based, person centred approach to tackling child poverty. 43
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• We will continue making our play areas more accessible and inclusive by extending regeneration works to 15 additional sites. • We will work with our third sector and other partners to ensure our Participation Strategy meets the needs of our communities. • We will continue to develop our locality planning model as the central way for residents to be involved in local decision-making including working with communities to develop their six locality action plans for 2024/25. • We will continue to work with communities to co-design and deliver our participatory budgeting processes. • We will develop streamlined ways for communities to find information about support, including funding available for our residents. • We will continue to provide support for communities interested in making greater use of council assets, including through the Community Asset Transfer process, and use feedback to make processes as easy as possible for our residents. • We will undertake additional awareness raising activity to increase the uptake of the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund. • We will continue to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful, to support free energy resources for Secondary Schools. • We will implement our Local Transport and Active Travel Strategy. • We will continue to review the current bulky uplift service to align with the new SEPA guidance. • We aim to complete the construction of our Fairlie Coastal Path. • We will continue to embed and evolve our Workforce Planning approach meetings. • We will continue to support the Audit Scotland Best Value Thematic Work. • We will launch a project to develop and improve the quality of Children's Rights Impact Assessments. • Awards will be made under the Communities and Place Fund. • The Participatory Budgeting funding through UKSPF Communities and Place Fund will take place later in 2024, with a budget of £31,000 available. 4 Proposals 4.1 Audit and Scrutiny agrees to note: (i) Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report attached at Appendix 1; (ii) the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix 2 (iii) the status of the council’s performance within the LGBF Analysis of 2024 Data Release at Appendix 3. 5 Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 5.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report. 44
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Human Resources 5.2 There are no human resource implications arising from this report. Legal 5.3 This report confirms the arrangements for the Council’s compliance with its duties under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1992 and Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and our commitment to improving public performance reporting. Equality/Socio-economic 5.4 There are no equality/socio-economic implications arising from this report. Climate Change and Carbon 5.5 There are no climate change and carbon implications arising from this report. Key Priorities 5.6 The Year End Progress Reports enable the effective scrutiny of the delivery of our Council Plan strategic priorities. Community Wealth Building 5.7 There are no Community Wealth Building implications arising from this report. Consultation 5.8 The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) reviewed and scrutinised the report prior to submission to Cabinet. Aileen Craig Head of Service (Democratic) For further information please contact Isla Hardy, Senior Manager (Policy, Performance and Democracy), on 01294 324035 or email IslaHardy@north- ayrshire.gov.uk. 45
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Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report 1 October to 31 March 2024 Appendix 1 46
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Contents Our Performance at a Glance ................................................................................................. 1 Welcome ................................................................................................................................. 2 Our Priori�es .......................................................................................................................... 3 Wellbeing ................................................................................................................................ 4 Key Ac�vi�es ....................................................................................................................... 4 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................... 9 Case Study – Welfare Rights Officers ................................................................................ 10 Communi�es and Local Democracy ..................................................................................... 11 Key Ac�vi�es ..................................................................................................................... 11 Next Steps ......................................................................................................................... 12 Case Study – Over 50’s Ac�vity Group.............................................................................. 13 Climate Change..................................................................................................................... 14 Key Ac�vi�es ..................................................................................................................... 14 A Sustainable Council ........................................................................................................... 20 Key Ac�vi�es ..................................................................................................................... 20 Next Steps ......................................................................................................................... 23 Case Study – No Wrong Door ........................................................................................... 24 Audits, Inspec�ons and Accredita�ons ................................................................................ 25 Performance Summary ......................................................................................................... 28 Measures Adri� of Target ................................................................................................. 28 Ac�ons Adri� of Target ..................................................................................................... 30 Indicator Amendments and Recommenda�ons ............................................................... 30 Performance Indicators .................................................................................................... 31 Ac�on Tracker ................................................................................................................... 34 47
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 1 of 39 Our Performance at a Glance 248 adults engaged with our Multiply Projects between January and March £160k awarded to nine projects under the Communities and Place Fund £108,086 awarded to local community groups through our Community Investment Fund 245 referrals to our new Debt Advice Service exceeding the expected target as at 31st March 2024 £130,000 funding awarded to four community renewable projects through the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) approved by Cabinet in January 2024 209 local businesses supported to help reduce their environmental impact 52 climate change and energy lessons delivered to 22 primary schools 36,366 trees have been planted as part of our 2030 Woodland: A Tree Planting Strategy 2,015 households assisted to furnish their homes via our bulky waste recycling partner £79,181 funding secured from Scottish Government Child Poverty Accelerator Fund £560,509 in financial gains delivered to parents through our School Welfare Rights Officer (over £1.6m since the project began) 48
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 2 of 39 Welcome Welcome to our Six Monthly Progress Report on Our Council Plan 2023-28. This report covers the period 1 October to 31 March 2024. We view Our Council Plan as our contract with our communi�es, ‘our’ plan. It is an ac�ve commitment to support our residents and deliver on our joint priori�es. Our four priori�es are Wellbeing, Communi�es and Local Democracy, Climate Change and A Sustainable Council. Overall, our delivery of our Council Plan is making good progress. At year end 88.2% of our indicators with data and 100% of our ac�ons are either on target or only slightly adri�. We benchmark with other local authori�es through the Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF). This is detailed in our annual LGBF Report. The cost of living crisis con�nues to impact the lives of our residents and communi�es as we strive to find ways to support those who are most vulnerable. For example, we have been working towards the extension of free school meals provision to ensure children have access to healthy and regular meals. We are addressing inequali�es within our communi�es that can heighten the impact felt by the cost of living crisis by ensuring our young people have access to appropriate support such as the MCR mentoring programme and advice services when seeking further educa�on. Our School Welfare Rights Officer has successfully supported families to access £560,509 of financial support during 2023/24, with over £1.6m since the project began. We con�nue to build on strong exis�ng rela�onships with our communi�es and partners by developing online resources that provide informa�on on what support is available for our residents. If you are in need of cost of living support please visit www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk or call 01294 310000. In order to address the ongoing climate crisis we have planted 36,366 trees through various projects and with community partners we con�nue to educate our young people on the impact of climate change and what they and their communi�es can do to help. We have con�nued our extensive recycling and reuse programme with items such as old matresses and furniture being collected and prepared for poten�al future use. Everything we do is achieved in the context of our environment. Moving forward we will demonstrate this through our ‘Inclusive Growth Dashboard’ which gives an overview of the status of North Ayrshire and is currently under review. Our key contextual indicators are shown below: Population of North Ayrshire: 133,490 (June 2022) 29.2% of our children live in poverty after housing costs (2022/23) 28% of our households live in fuel poverty (2021/22) 70.3% of working age population are in employment (December 2023) 10.4% of people earn less than the living wage (2023) Area wide CO2 emissions are 682kt CO2 (July 2023) Employee Headcount 7,690 (March 2024) Number of Full Time Equivalent Employees 6,561 (March 2024) 49
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 3 of 39 Our Priori�es Our Vision – A North Ayrshire that is fair for all. Our Mission – Working together to improve the lives of our people in North Ayrshire. 50
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 4 of 39 Wellbeing Key Ac�vi�es Cost of Living As part of our budget discussions, our Council approved £160,000 to fund two addi�onal Welfare Rights Officers for two years. These Welfare Rights Officers will be based in schools and provide financial advice and assistance to parents and carers. Results from our current School Welfare Rights Officer show an impact is being made. 106 referrals to our Money Maters team have resulted in: • £560,509 in financial gains for secondary school parents during 2023/24. An average of £5,387 per referral. • £1,067,328 gained by secondary school parents since the project began. The Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board were successful in obtaining a grant from the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund (CPAF). £79,181 was awarded to the council to assist with the development of a streamlined process for residents to access support. The process will route the person to the appropriate service or team to gain access to all entitlements and support(s). We met with parents of our young people accessing free school meals and clothing grants. The outcome of the discussions will inform the redesign process of accessing these benefits. This forms part of our No Wrong Door approach and aims to get consent from parents to automate the availability of these essential services in the future. In March 2024, Cabinet approved the extension of our free school meals programme. This will provide a healthy mid-morning snack for all primary school children and ensure availability of ambient food on a temporary basis during 2024/25. This covers the period up to the next phase of the na�onal expansion of free school meals to those pupils in P6 and P7 who are eligible for the Sco�sh Child Payment (expected in February 2025). The Sco�sh Government’s most recent Programme for Government stated that na�onal universal expansion would then follow during 2026. This approval also saw the extension of the Winter Warmer Breakfast ini�a�ve that provides breakfasts to all secondary school pupils. This will be available again between November 2024 and March 2025. To further help with the cost of living crisis, we will provide a £50 clothing grant to all eligible three and four year-olds in Early Years during the 2024/25 School Year. Financial Inclusion Our North Ayrshire Financial Inclusion Strategy is being implemented and is on target. The North Ayrshire Financial Inclusion Partnership includes representa�on from financial inclusions service providers and key stakeholders such as advice services, 1st Alliance Community Bank, fuel poverty advice services, employability, educa�on and housing services, 51
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 5 of 39 housing associa�ons, community link workers, the food bank and the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership. It was established in 2023 with an aim to improve referral pathways and promo�on of services for our residents. For example, our Debt Advice service which commenced in summer 2023, has exceeded its referral target of 245 as at 31st March 2024. Later this year a review of our Debt Advice service provision will be undertaken to inform decision making for the longer term. We remain commited to ensuring advice services are available in communi�es through GP surgeries, schools, foodbanks and local housing offices. We are also expanding our services within Educa�on to include primary schools and early years. To ensure people get access to the services they require we have established referral pathways between our Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Services and a range other services such as Housing and Employability. A communica�ons plan for our Financial Inclusion Partnership will be developed later in 2024. Our Community Banking Hub in Kilwinning has been opera�onal from 4th March 2024 and has been well-received by the local community, with 199 contacts including transac�ons from our residents and local businesses. Our Banking Hub provides residents and businesses with access to cash, banking facili�es and in person services. This is vital for those who rely on face-to-face banking. A review will take place in May 2024 regarding extending the opening hours. Through the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, third sector organisa�ons have been engaged in the transforma�onal ac�vity required to support holis�c family support, shi� focus to early interven�on and preven�on and work towards the aspira�ons of The Promise. More info can be found in our North Ayrshire Children's Services Performance Update 2023-24 Tackling Inequali�es We have con�nued to work with partners, including the lead organisa�on KA Leisure, to develop our Wellbeing Alliance as we work together to ensure everyone is given an opportunity to enjoy life and cope with challenges. A successful pilot working with young people in the Garnock Valley area has helped shape thinking around how the Alliance operates to promote equality and reduce health inequali�es. Our council approved a defini�on for Care Experienced to be treated as a protected characteris�c within our Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (ECRIAs). These new assessments were used immediately for our council budget discussions in February to ensure the poten�al impact of any decisions rela�ng to our care experienced young people were considered in full. We have recruited addi�onal MCR Pathways Coordinators to ensure mentors are available for our young people who may benefit from this extra support. Our young people con�nue to rate the programme highly and reports suggest the interven�on of an MCR Mentor is having a posi�ve impact on atainment. Our young people have requested access to their mentor over the school holidays and discussions are progressing to 52
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 6 of 39 ensure consistency of this support across North Ayrshire. Addi�onal mentor recruitment campaigns are planned over the coming months. Work has commenced on u�lising the “One Good Adult” role profile. This profile focusses on providing kind and reliable rela�onships with “One Good Adult” offering support and mentoring to the young person. This work began a�er young people indicated that improved rela�onships support their learning. To ensure sustained posi�ve des�na�ons for our young people leaving school, work is underway with our partners in Ayrshire College to iden�fy those who are planning early entry to further educa�on. This will allow more targeted transi�on mee�ngs to take place and ensure young people have applied for a course which aligns well with their needs and aspira�ons. Our young parents’ group was launched in January 2024 and has seen 15 young parents regularly engage in weekly ac�vi�es. This group has been developed by and for young parents under the age of 25 to increase their confidence and support improvement in the physical, mental, emo�onal and rela�onal wellbeing of them and their children. On 23rd February 2024, at Ardeer Community Centre, we welcomed 70 young people from across secondary schools in North Ayrshire to take part in the first Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Young Person’s event. The event’s aim was to engage with our young people and listen to their experience of alcohol and drugs educa�on and how it can be improved. The event was facilitated by mul�-agency partners and included speakers with lived experience as well as ac�ve workshops to develop knowledge and capture views. Our New Scots community recently worked with other crea�ve young people from across North Ayrshire to produce a short film. The film follows the character Stephen (played by Ukrainian, Oleksandr) as he makes his way to a university open day and demonstrates the various issues that are commonly experienced by New Scots. The project was a collabora�on between North Ayrshire Council, The Ayrshire Community Trust and Vertex Visions and was filmed in parts of North Ayrshire and other loca�ons in Scotland. The film was premiered at an event in January. You can view the “Different Ways” short film together with a behind the scenes stye short documentary ‘The Making of Different Ways’. The Litle Free Library was launched at Lochshore Park, with environmental- themed books for children, young people and adults to use on site or borrow as part of the Out and About project in the Garnock Valley. As part of this project, families iden�fied by our Family Care Workers have also benefited from KA Leisure memberships being provided and taking part in events to support them get ac�ve. This includes being gi�ed experience kits which include a range of items and ac�vity ideas for families to enjoy both indoors and outdoors. A pan Ayrshire Bri�sh Sign Language (BSL) plan is currently being finalised alongside East and South Ayrshire Councils, East, South and North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnerships, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and Ayrshire 53
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 7 of 39 College. This plan will ensure that people whose first or preferred language is BSL will be fully involved in daily and public life, as ac�ve, healthy residents and will be able to make informed choices about every aspect of their lives. Life Long Learning Opportuni�es The Discovery Award, which is delivered in Irvine, Kilwinning, Garnock Valley and Three Towns locali�es as well as with a New Scots group, has seen almost 60 adults par�cipate in bronze and silver award ac�vi�es. The Discovery Award is aimed at people over 50 years of age, to help promote an ac�ve and healthy lifestyle by offering challenges to both s�mulate and mo�vate. Our Mul�ply Projects have engaged with 248 adults between January and March. These projects provide numeracy support in the community including a partnership with Ayrshire College, and University of Highlands and Islands for Arran residents, allowing us to provide access to accredita�on. Housing Our council recognises that access to good quality affordable housing and outdoor green space is a key asset in addressing child poverty, and poverty overall and has a posi�ve and las�ng impact on public health. All new build council family homes being built as part of our Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) have study space and private gardens built into their design. Despite the affordability challenges being faced, 136 new homes were delivered by our council and our partner Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) during 2023/24. Our council delivery included 36 homes at Harbourside in Irvine; 6 amenity bungalows at A�on Court in Stevenston; and 12 amenity flats at the former police sta�on in Largs. Riverside completed 31 homes at Tarryholme in Irvine. Cunninghame Housing Associa�on delivered 27 homes at West Byrehill in Kilwinning and 24 amenity flats in Green Street, Saltcoats. Our council bought five proper�es during 2023/24 and have increased our programme to purchase 15 proper�es during 2024/25. We also acquired 33 new homes across five locali�es between 1 October 2023 and 31 March 2024 to support Ukrainian displaced households. There were no new build comple�ons by our council or our Registered Social Landlord (RSL) partners from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024. We are con�nuing to build new homes throughout North Ayrshire to address current demand for housing and a summary of new build site starts and ongoing development projects for the six months ending 31st March are noted below: Arran Trust Housing Associa�on acquired two second-hand market homes on Arran for RSL rent. Construc�on work con�nues at Arran Development Trust’s Rowarden site, which is supported by the Sco�sh Government’s Rural and Islands Housing fund, providing 18 homes for private rent. Garnock Valley During January 2024 works commenced on site to deliver seven council homes at Laburnum Avenue, Beith and a further seven council homes at Newhouse Drive in Kilbirnie. Both development sites formed part of our council’s Estate 54
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 8 of 39 Based Regenera�on Programme. Low demand flated accommoda�on was regenerated and will be replaced with general needs houses and amenity bungalows. Irvine Works commenced on the site of the former Stanecastle School in Irvine during March 2024. The site will deliver 31 units (29 homes) for council rent. Kilwinning There were no new site starts or comple�ons in Kilwinning from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024. North Coast The site of the former St Mary’s primary school in Largs is being redeveloped to provide 26 new homes for council rent. Works commenced on site during January 2024. Three Towns Works commenced on site at the former James McFarlane school in Ardrossan during March 2024. The site will provide 19 homes for council rent. Work con�nues at Cunninghame Housing Associa�on’s 20 unit Garven Road, Stevenston site. The works commenced during September 2023 and are an�cipated to complete during late 2024. Community Wealth Building Our refreshed Community Wealth Building (CWB) Strategy, approved by Cabinet in February, aims to work towards achieving a wellbeing economy for North Ayrshire. We will progress the delivery of the ac�ons in the refreshed strategy which includes commissioning research into op�ons for delivering a locality-based approach. We have a lead role in delivering the Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy. While all Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy themes aim to develop infrastructure to support business growth, North Ayrshire Council also has the lead on the “Support for Enterprise” theme. This focusses on crea�ng a region where businesses can grow and entrepreneurship and crea�vity can flourish. The development of a Regional Economic Strategy website is underway to support this theme. Our Business Support team has concluded a series of mini enquiries with local businesses to help develop the website which will host informa�on on support available. We have made an investment of £300,000 in developing our approach to CWB with our communi�es. This will allow us to work with third sector and community partners to support new and innova�ve ownership models and income genera�on ideas that bring money into and keep it within our communi�es. Commercial Estate Developments Our new business pavilion within Annickbank Innova�on Campus in Irvine is now complete. The building is low carbon and energy efficient with an Energy Performance Cer�ficate (EPC) ra�ng of A+. It is hoped that the pavilion will support the growth of local businesses. As part of our provisional award for the Levelling Up for Ayrshire: Commercial and Low Carbon Infrastructure project, we have appointed a design team to prepare designs for new industrial space on the site. Phase Two of our commercial space 55
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 9 of 39 development on Kyle Road is currently awai�ng the confirma�on of funding, following which a tender will be issued. Public Spaces Our Streetscene service is responsible for ensuring the places we live, work and visit are well maintained and accessible. To support this the service has con�nued the roll out of street assets such as bins, seats and wheelchair-accessible picnic benches. For example, 25 new seats and benches have been installed in parts of Eglinton Country Park. Our Street Cleanliness Score has also showed a significant improvement this year rising from 84.6% to 89.1%. Our employees are using digital technology to streamline the recording and repor�ng of assets that require maintenance, allowing a quicker response which provides a beter experience for our residents. We have also begun the regenera�on of all of our 95 play facili�es. We have improved bus stop infrastructure across North Ayrshire through the £146,000 capital award under the Community Bus Fund. The fund aims to enable local transport authori�es to improve local public transport, with a focus on rural areas of depriva�on where lower popula�on density means bus services can be less commercially viable. These were delivered alongside the bus corridor improvements funded under SPT’s Capital Programme. We have implemented the Regenera�on Delivery Plan Ac�on programme for 2023/24. This has been supported by over £4m funding under the Place Based Investment Programme, Cycling Walking and Safer Routes, Vacant and Derelict Land Fund and SPT’s Capital Programme. We have con�nued work on our Community Transport study establishing where community transport is in demand and types of community transport within North Ayrshire. From this, public and stakeholder consulta�on exercises are underway to help iden�fy the level of need for community transport across the area. Next Steps • We will progress our Single Shared Assessment approach which enables consent to be obtained from our residents which will allow us to ac�vely assess the support available. • We will con�nue to deliver our Mul�ply Projects providing numeracy support in the community including access to accredita�on. • We will publish our Bri�sh Sign Language Plan. • We will refresh our strategic approach to tackling poverty through the work of our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board • We will develop a Pathfinder project with the Sco�sh Government which will focus on a place based, person centred approach to tackling child poverty. • We will con�nue making our play areas more accessible and inclusive by extending regenera�on works to 15 addi�onal sites. • We will undertake a review of our Debt Advice service. 56
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Council Plan Progress Update – Mid Year 2023-24 Page 10 of 39 Case Study – Welfare Rights Officers School Welfare Rights Officers provide confiden�al advice and assistance to parents and carers to enable them to access all benefits they are en�tled to. They also offer advice when circumstances change, provide support to challenge any sanc�ons and offer representa�on at appeals. Through being based in schools it is hoped any s�gma is lessened and parents and carers feel more confident in approaching officers for assistance as it is a trusted space. Key results from our current School Welfare Rights Officer show an impact is being made. From 106 referrals to our Money Maters team: • £560,509 in financial gains for secondary school parents during 2023/24. An average of £5,387 per referral. • £1,067,328 gained by secondary school parents since the project began. In addi�on to schools, we partner with the Food Bank and have a Welfare Rights Officer funded by the Trussell Trust taking referrals from all Food Banks and holding drop-in surgeries as required. We also have advisers in GP surgeries, Addic�on Services, Jus�ce Service and Children and Families Teams and get regular referrals to our services such as Financial Inclusion. Next Steps As at 2023/24 we have one Welfare Rights Officer based in our Secondary schools, with funding met by the Educa�on Service and the Financial Inclusion Partnership. In February as part of the budget discussions, Council agreed to fund £160k for School Welfare Rights Officers. The agreed funding will enable recruitment of an addi�onal two Welfare Rights Officers for two years, extending the current programme to March 2025. It is intended that the school clusters will be placed into three sec�ons with one Welfare Rights Officer in each. This will keep the links between Early Years, Primary and Secondary, meaning that if a family has children of various ages, the family is s�ll supported by the same officer. Performance management of the School Welfare Rights Officers emphasises wellbeing as well as financial improvement. As a result, case studies will be used to manage performance in addi�on to quan�ta�ve informa�on. Baselines will be taken to be able to show improvement. With the addi�onal funding we aim to replicate this across our schools. All three School Welfare Officers will be in posi�on a�er the summer to help support our families during the 2024/25 academic year. I just wanted to drop a wee email to say thank you so much for all the assistance in finding what we were en�tled to... …The gain isn't just about finances (which is a wonderful help and a huge weight off my mind) …. [I] no longer stress and panic over trying to cover school holidays, sick days etc. I am much happier and less stressed as I'm here fully for all three children now which has made the kids all feel happier. The service you offer is wonderful and I'm very grateful to have been offered your assistance. 57
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 11 of 39 Communi�es and Local Democracy Key Ac�vi�es Community Planning Partnership Our Community and Locality Planning Conference was held in February 2024 and was supported by representa�ves from Sco�sh Government who are leading on Democracy Maters 2. Democracy Maters 2 is part of the Local Governance Review which looks at how power, responsibility and resources are shared with local government and different communi�es in Scotland. It was the main theme for the Conference. Over 60 delegates were in atendance from partner agencies, third sector organisa�ons, council services and community members. February also saw the launch of the Community Directory tool together with the new Community Planning website. Our Community Directory tool allows residents to find services, groups and ac�vi�es for health and wellbeing across Scotland. Our new Community Planning website provides all the important informa�on about our Community Planning Partnership including community empowerment, advice on the Cost of Living crisis and community engagement. The Community Planning X account (formally called Twiter) con�nues to grow with over 860 followers and over 7,500 impressions since late 2023. The first of two planned Community and Locality Planning training sessions took place online in March 2024 with 16 par�cipants in atendance including community members, partner organisa�ons and internal colleagues. The next session is scheduled to take place in November 2024. We con�nue to offer training and outreach sessions regularly to third sector and voluntary colleagues through the Community Engagement Network and atendance at Community Planning training. Links will be further strengthened through development of the Par�cipa�on Strategy and new Community Planning Partnership website and Community Directory. We will be engaging with our Third Sector Interface colleagues at The Ayrshire Community Trust and Arran CVS to support and finalise the new strategy so we can be certain it meets the needs of our council and our partners. We engaged with our Joint Youth Forum and Youth Council around our Community Plan (our Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)). These results will be used to inform our inclusive approach with young people throughout the lifespan of the Community Plan. Community Grant Funding Our commitment to Community Investment Funding has supported three successful grant applica�ons approved by Locality Partnerships and Cabinet resul�ng in a total of £108,086 being awarded to local community organisa�ons. Our Communi�es and Place Fund as part of our Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan has provided £160,000 of funding to nine community projects. 58
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 12 of 39 Islands On Arran, we con�nue to support the three theme groups that feed into the Island Plan Delivery Group. This has involved taking forward the findings of the North Ayrshire Island Skills Ini�a�ve to support and fund an Arran Skills Coordinator which will support individuals to remain on Arran. This is a direct result of responding to needs iden�fied by research into island challenges through lived experience. On Cumbrae, we have con�nued to support the Carbon Neutral Islands programme which, over the year to March 2024, has advanced key energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle fuel poverty, again demonstrated through lived experiences. Over £0.95m of funding was secured through the Sco�sh Government’s Islands Programme to support community led regenera�on projects at Dyemill Bike Park, Lamlash and Garrison House, Millport. Next Steps • We will work with our third sector and other partners to ensure our Par�cipa�on Strategy meets the needs of our communi�es. • We will con�nue to develop our locality planning model as the central way for residents to be involved in local decision-making including working with communi�es to develop their six locality ac�on plans for 2024/25. • We will con�nue to work with communi�es to co-design and deliver our par�cipatory budge�ng processes. • We will develop streamlined ways for communi�es to find informa�on about support, including funding available to them. • We will con�nue to provide support for communi�es interested in making greater use of council assets, including through the Community Asset Transfer process, and use feedback to make processes as easy as possible for our residents. 59
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Mid Year 2023-24 Page 13 of 39 Case Study – Over 50’s Ac�vity Group Social isola�on within the older community in North Ayrshire increased drama�cally during the Covid-19 Pandemic and remains a significant challenge. Our Discovery Group has been successful in addressing the needs of those aged over 50 years within the Irvine Locality. The Irvine Library Ac�vity Group was created to address the social and wellbeing needs of the over 50’s demographic within the Irvine Locality. The aims and objec�ves of the Over 50’s Library Ac�vity Group are to: • Provide peer support and reduce social isola�on in the over 50 age group in the Irvine Locality. • Provide par�cipants with the opportunity to try a wide variety of new ac�vi�es, which will be guided by the needs and interests of the group members. • To improve the health and wellbeing of par�cipants by providing them with the opportunity to meet new people, share skills and experiences and try new ac�vi�es. • Provide a forum for informal informa�on sharing and signpos�ng for par�cipants to access a variety of opportuni�es within the wider community. The group was adver�sed throughout the Irvine Locality via social media, local shops/venues and through posters, leaflets and conversa�ons with regular customers. Weekly sessions of the Over 50’s Ac�vity Group are planned and developed in partnership with the par�cipants. A vital part of every weekly session is the �me built in for the par�cipants to connect and build rela�onships through an informal coffee and chat. Weekly sessions also provide opportuni�es for par�cipants to try new ac�vi�es, share hobbies and interests, work with partner agencies and explore opportuni�es in the wider community. At the beginning of the group participants highlighted the various reasons why individuals chose to join: • ‘To help my mental health and find new friends.’ • ‘To keep active, to meet new people and have fun.’ • ‘I have a lot of health problems and I want to meet new people and get help with my computer.’ Over the past few months, the group has been involved in a wide variety of activities including: • Tai Chi Taster. • Police and Trading Standards Talk and Information sharing. • Board games afternoon. • Group members sharing hobbies and interests. • Halloween quiz and activities. • Murder Mystery afternoon. • Computer class with Input. • Calligraphy taster session. 60
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 14 of 39 Climate Change Key Ac�vi�es Energy The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) was approved by Cabinet on 23rd January 2024 and has been published alongside the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy - Delivery Plan. As well as the forthcoming Pan Ayrshire Energy Masterplan, the crea�on of our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy is an example of work that has been undertaken to beter understand the current energy use status and opportuni�es for ac�on. A revised Renewable Energy Strategy in 2024 and building asset decarbonisa�on model will provide further opportunities to support decision making for future actions. Our Council's solar PV farm developments have progressed to construction stage. Both Nethermains and Shewalton site clearances have been completed, with fencing being installed and consideration given to provision of mammal gates to support biodiversity on the sites. We are developing a battery storage pilot scheme to maximise the use of existing roof mounted solar PV on non-domestic buildings to support local energy networks. A feasibility study for wind and solar on the i3 site in Irvine has been completed and further works are being undertaken to understand the options available for low carbon energy generation schemes for the site. Our council continues to support wider action on climate change beyond our own estate. Four community renewable projects have been awarded funding through the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund, totalling approximately £130,000. Additional awareness raising activity is underway to increase the uptake of the available funding. Our Sustainability Team has delivered 52 climate change and energy lessons to 22 primary schools to date, with 10 schools visited between January and March 2024. The lessons support awareness of action on climate change and encourage action within schools through their climate action plans. A further 12 schools have signed up for lessons in the new term. We continue to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful to support free energy resources for Secondary Schools and are developing a community carbon literacy training pack for smaller community groups. Our Business Development team has supported 209 businesses to help reduce their environmental impact. A large focus of this work has been through collaboration and delivery of support including Net Zero Accelerator programmes and financial aid to adopt new technology. Biodiversity 36,366 trees have been planted to date across North Ayrshire through various projects and by community partners. Our 2030 Woodland: A Tree Plan�ng Strategy con�nues to be a key driver, with support being provided to local community groups and the assessment of suitable plan�ng sites con�nuing. A working group has been established to create a new ‘Tree Plan�ng Webapp’ – a GIS system that overlays various relevant layers to help iden�fy poten�al sites for tree plan�ng. 61
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 15 of 39 All applica�ons submited to the council's Woodland Grant Fund (2023/24 season) were assessed in early 2024 and five local organisa�ons and groups were successful in receiving a grant to enable them to deliver their community tree plan�ng projects. A total of 3,344 trees will be planted during 2024 through the Woodland Grant Fund. Ongoing communica�on with all the groups is in place to ensure that the projects are progressing well. The four successful applicants from last year’s Woodland Grant Fund (2022/23 season) submited their evalua�on reports for their projects for the trees they planted during 2023. These reports will now be reviewed, and the informa�on provided will be used to improve future rounds of the Woodland Grant Fund. The 2024/25 Woodland Grant Fund will be opened and adver�sed in the autumn. The fund will support local tree plan�ng projects, including the crea�on of community orchards. Our Streetscene team con�nues to work with the volunteer network and local schools to promote areas of wildflowers to support biodiversity in North Ayrshire. Funding opportuni�es are being explored to purchase equipment that will help the service deliver an improved wildflower meadow management plan. Our Bourtreehill Park volunteers cleared around 225m of paths and removed approximately. 181m2 of Invasive species (Rhododendron Pon�cum) to improve accessibility and enjoyment for residents in an area that had become inaccessible due to vegeta�on encroachment. Three Junior Rangers sessions took place in early 2024. These sessions were atended by 30 young people and supported by six young leaders and four volunteers. During a session in January, a trip to Haylie Brae Cairn took place to assist Archaeology Scotland to maintain the heritage asset and to contribute towards the crea�on of a new resource currently being developed by Forestry and Land Scotland. Their efforts were rewarded with 12 of our young people receiving a Heritage Hero Award. Our Pupils at St John Ogilvie’s primary school have been involved in a consulta�on to inform the crea�on of a public learning trail in Bourtreehill that will focus on Science Technology Engineering and Mathema�cs (STEM) and local biodiversity. Schools are being supported to use a range of biodiversity monitoring equipment as part of the curriculum including wildlife cameras and sampling equipment such as quadrats, field iden�fica�on guides, soil moisture and pH probes. The Sco�sh Government Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 (SBS) states that local authori�es will deliver a Scotland wide Nature Network. In response we are developing a Nature Network strategy to support a network that connects nature- rich sites, restora�on areas and other environmental projects through a series of areas of suitable habitat, habitat corridors and stepping-stones. The North Ayrshire Nature Network will help to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve nature posi�vity by 2045. Our statutory Biodiversity Duty report 2022/23 was submited to the Sco�sh 62
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 16 of 39 Government in January 2024. It must be completed once every three years and all council services and arm’s length bodies must submit returns to the report. A working group has been established with other councils from across Scotland to develop the content of an e-learn module to increase awareness and understanding of our Biodiversity du�es. Our first North Ayrshire Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Partnership group met in November. It aims to provide council services and local STEM and biodiversity partners with opportuni�es to connect and iden�fy projects that can be shared widely across schools and the community, or projects that will benefit from collabora�on. Transport We have made significant progress on local travel and ac�ve transport including the adop�on of our Local Transport and Ac�ve Travel Strategy. We have raised awareness of sustainable transport choices through our Travel Smart programme and the Trinity Ac�ve Travel Hub, our social media and working with workplaces, organisa�ons and volunteers to provide ac�ve travel ac�vi�es across the area. We have helped people develop more posi�ve a�tudes towards sustainable transport choices by con�nuing with workplace engagement including crea�on of travel plans and bike maintenance classes. As part of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) pathfinder project, we are working in partnership with East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire Council to seek funding to install an addi�onal 307 electric vehicle charge points across Ayrshire, to support a just transi�on to electric vehicles. We have con�nued the construc�on of the Links to Eglinton, Kilwinning Ac�ve Travel Route. We have also completed the construc�on of the B714 links at Sharphill, Saltcoats Ac�ve Travel Route. The North Crescent Coastal Path Phase One in Ardrossan is now complete. Construc�on has commenced on the next phase of Fairlie Coastal Path and is programmed for comple�on in summer 2024. We have also completed construc�on of the Lover’s Walk, Dalry Ac�ve Travel Route. Reuse and Recycling Our council's bulky waste reuse partner Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company (CFRC) collected 232 reusable matresses (4.8 tonnes) from January to March 2024. 783 (18.8 tonnes) of matresses were collected in total during the 2023/24 financial year, as part of the ini�a�ve to promote opportuni�es for their reuse. CFRC also collected and reused 58 tonnes of household furniture and assisted 497 households during January to March 2024. A total of 200 tonnes of household furniture was collected for reuse and 2,015 households were assisted to furnish their homes in North Ayrshire during the financial year 2023/24. Our council con�nues to be one of the highest performing for household waste recycling in Scotland with a recycling rate of 55.3% achieved in 2022, making the 63
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 17 of 39 council the 4th highest performing in Scotland. The average recycling rate in Scotland for 2022 was 43.3%. The dra� calcula�ons for the 2023 recycling performance have been submited to The Sco�sh Environment Protec�on Agency (SEPA), which will now be subject to verifica�on checks prior to publishing later in 2024. The es�mated household waste recycling performance for the calendar year 2023 has improved to 56.1% (subject to verifica�on). SEPA published new guidance at the end of 2023 regarding the management of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating (WUDS), which has required changes to be made to separate the material (for incineration only) at our council's Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and from fly tipped waste uplifted by the Streetscene Service. Work is ongoing to review the current bulky uplift service to align with the new SEPA guidance. The Scottish Government published a draft Circular Economy Bill which is progressing through parliament and is expected to become law during 2024. Officers are working closely with COSLA, SOLACE and Scottish Government through a co-design process to develop the key policy and actions to be taken forward within a new Waste Route Map for Scotland. The Circular Economy Bill and the Route Map once finalised will be used to inform the development of our council's new Zero Waste Strategy, which will explore the options for further improving performance in this area. We support volunteering groups through the ongoing distribu�on of volunteering packs. Recently a new online process has been established for volunteers to request the upli� of liter picking bags. Streetscene in partnership with the volunteering community, has supported Keep Scotland Beau�ful's Spring liter picking campaign through issuing liter pickers and collec�ng liter picked materials. 64
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 18 of 39 Adapta�on Our council undertook our second climate Adaptation Capability Assessment in February 2024, with a cross-service workshop. We u�lised the Public Sector Adapta�on Capability Framework and Benchmarking Tool. The framework has four capabili�es and four maturity levels for organisa�ons to track their adapta�on journey and how they can develop each capability. Progress of the five ac�ons from the first assessment were reviewed. The second assessment iden�fied five ac�ons: • Establish a formal Adapta�on Working Group within the Council which will include key stakeholders. • Ensure any adapta�on self- assessments are captured within Procurement’s Flexible Framework annual assessment and Financial Services annual Audit Scotland report. • Launch the Introduc�on to Adapta�on learning module for employees. • Create local climate risk maps from exis�ng publicly available GIS and na�onal maps including, coastal erosion, rainfall, wind and heat in partnership with our council’s Analy�cs Team. • Develop further the internal partnership working between the Sustainability and Flood Teams on council flooding ini�a�ves and ac�ons. Our council has flood protec�on schemes to reduce the impact of climate change on our communi�es. The severity and frequency of flooding is expected to increase as a result of climate change. Ongoing protec�on schemes include the Millport Flood Protec�on Scheme, coastal erosion works on Cumbrae and the comple�on of the Upper Garnock Valley Flood Protec�on Scheme with the 65
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 19 of 39 crea�on of a dam. Flooding scheme works have also been completed in Kilbirnie and Dalry. North and South Ayrshire Councils are replacing the Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan with a Coastal Adapta�on Plan during 2024. Two scoping reports have been produced for Irvine Bay and Stevenston Beach to iden�fy methods to manage coastal erosion and safeguard access to the beach. Net Zero Ambi�ons A priority ac�on within the Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy is to develop Community Climate Ac�on Plans for each locality, building on the Climate Ac�on Town Stevenston project. Ini�al development of this programme by the Sustainability Team has progressed during early 2024 with support from our Connected Communi�es Service and APSE Energy. A community focused carbon literacy module is in development to be made available to community groups throughout North Ayrshire by the summer. We are planning to arrange a second round of volunteering at Eglinton Park to support the ongoing biodiversity works. This ac�vity was well received by members of the team last year and has helped to share the opportuni�es to volunteer first-hand within our local communi�es. Next Steps • We will revise our Renewable Energy Strategy and build an asset decarbonisa�on model. • We will undertake addi�onal awareness raising ac�vity to increase the uptake of the Community Renewable Energy Genera�on Fund. • We will increase capacity to support the ac�ons associated within our LHEES strategy. • We will con�nue to work with Keep Scotland Beau�ful, to support free energy resources for Secondary Schools. • We will implement our Local Transport and Ac�ve Travel Strategy. • We will con�nue to deliver our Travel Smart programme. • We will con�nue to review the current bulky upli� service to align with the new SEPA guidance. • Our North Ayrshire Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Partnership will have its second mee�ng in May. • We aim to complete the construc�on of our Fairlie Coastal Path. • We will develop a community focussed carbon literacy module that will be made available to community groups. 66
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 20 of 39 A Sustainable Council Key Ac�vi�es Our Workforce In March, Audit Scotland commenced our Best Value Thema�c Audit – ‘Workforce Innova�on’ on behalf of the Accounts Commission. The outcome of this audit is expected in the autumn. The outcome of our Best Value Thema�c Audit – ‘Leadership of the Development of the Council’s Strategic Priori�es’ was presented to the Audit and Scru�ny Commitee in November. More detail on these audits can be found in the “Audits, Inspec�ons and Accredita�ons” sec�on below. A Voluntary Early Release (VER) programme provided an opportunity for employees to volunteer to leave the council. An assessment on the impact on service delivery and associated costs of exit were considered and 85 employees le� the council at the end of March 2024. As a result of our VER programme, a number of service re-designs were approved. These will take affect from April 2024. Our council is now in its 14th year of delivering a successful Modern Appren�ceship programme across our services. This supports our Appren�ceship Charter, confirms our ongoing commitment to our young people and provides a key element of our workforce planning approach. The Modern Appren�ceship programme creates a diverse range of opportuni�es with ringfenced places for young people with a disability and / or care experience. It u�lises over 20 different frameworks including Ac�ve Leisure, Business Administra�on, Civil Engineering, Hor�culture, Housing, Social Sciences and youthwork. There have been many posi�ve outcomes for our Modern Appren�ces over the last five years with over 100 young people progressing into promoted posts within our council. Our programme is also highlighted as an example of good prac�ce by Educa�on Scotland who stated in their Community Learning and Development Progress Visit Report in October that “…the input from MAs [Modern Appren�ces] is helping the service be innova�ve and remain responsive to learners’ changing needs, especially for children and young people.” and as a result is progress worth sharing more widely. Our council’s Leadership Academy provides a series of development interven�ons to our leaders at all levels of their career. During 2023/24, 896 delegates days have been delivered with 506 employees ac�vely engaging in these development solu�ons to enhance their skills and knowledge. 1,274 referrals have been made to our Occupa�onal Health Service to provide support in rela�on to areas such as health and fitness, Counselling, Cogni�ve Behavioural Therapy, Physiotherapy and health advice. This is also complimented with training for managers and online informa�on. Our Livewell programme which is designed and led by our workforce for our workforce, has hosted ini�a�ves such as 67
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 21 of 39 healthy ea�ng, weight management, mental health, financial wellbeing, health checks, mindfulness and media�on. This has led to 3,487 interac�ons from our employees across our council. Effec�ve use of resources As part of our ‘No Wrong Door’ approach, our Transforma�on team has worked with key stakeholders to create a new streamlined customer referral process. This new process will ensure that customers only share their informa�on with us once, before direc�ng them to the most appropriate service provider. This includes both internal council services and external support services. It is hoped that this new process will ensure a dignified customer journey and allow the relevant service or partner to act as quickly and efficiently as possible. Levelling Up Fund As part of the Levelling Up Fund, we are an�cipa�ng further guidance on the recent £20 million alloca�on for Irvine under the Long-Term Plan for Towns. This will include advice on developing the Town Board required as part of the fund. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communi�es has advised that the Area Leads and the UK Government’s Towns Unit and High Streets Taskforce will work with our council to develop the Town Plan and provide ongoing support as the funding is delivered. On 20 November 2023 the UK Government announced that 55 projects had been provisionally selected to receive funding from the Levelling Up Fund Round Three. This includes £122 million for six projects in Scotland, including £17.54m towards the North Ayrshire element of Levelling Up for Ayrshire: Commercial and Low Carbon Infrastructure proposal submited by North and South Ayrshire Councils. This project seeks to deliver new energy efficient commercial property and associated access, ac�ve travel and electric vehicle charging infrastructure at key employment loca�ons across Ayrshire. This was comprised of two office pavilions and two specula�ve flexible industrial units at three sites in Irvine. The three Irvine sites proposed were Annickbank, Kyle Road and i3. Digital Renewal As previously noted in our mid-year report, North Ayrshire Council, in partnership with South and East Ayrshire Councils, submited a regional bid to the Department for Science, Innova�on, and Technology's (DSIT) £40 million 5G Innova�on Regions (5GIR) programme. This ini�a�ve is designed to significantly enhance the deployment of 5G technology across the region, thereby boos�ng digital connec�vity. Ayrshire has been successfully awarded funding through this ini�a�ve, marking a major advancement in our commitment to improving digital connec�vity and fostering technological innova�on throughout the area. The funding will support five pivotal projects alongside ecosystem development, each tailored to harness advanced 5G technologies to meet specific regional needs and opportuni�es. 68
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 22 of 39 The five projects are: 1. Digital Processing Manufacturing Centre: U�lising advanced manufacturing technologies to enhance efficiency and precision. 2. Aerospace Innova�on Hub: Applying 5G solu�ons to transform aerospace design and manufacturing processes. 3. Small to Medium Enterprise Internet of Things (SME IoT) Adop�on Project at Moorfield: Empowering SMEs in sectors such as food, drink, manufacturing, and engineering with IoT technologies for improved data management. 4. Tourism Events Project: Boos�ng visitor experiences at local events through reliable, high-speed 5G connec�vity. 5. Skills and Immersive Learning Project: Employing virtual and augmented reality to improve educa�onal outcomes and prepare students for future digital challenges. Central to Ayrshire's digital strategy, the Ecosystem Development cross-cu�ng theme aims to foster a robust network of innova�on through strategic partnerships. Key partners include the University of the West of Scotland, Ayrshire College, the Na�onal Manufacturing Ins�tute Scotland (NMIS), and Scotland 5G Centre, all collabora�ng to integrate cu�ng-edge digital solu�ons across regional industries and educa�onal ins�tu�ons. The project aligns with our strategic focus on innova�on, skills development, and community engagement as outlined in the Regional Economic Strategy. Digital Maturity Assessment Update Following the successful funding acquisi�on, the Digital Connec�vity Maturity Assessment was conducted to gauge our current digital infrastructure and plan future enhancements effec�vely. This comprehensive evalua�on, along with extensive stakeholder engagement, provided deep insights into our exis�ng infrastructure, pinpoin�ng areas needing improvement and iden�fying 69
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 23 of 39 opportuni�es to leverage both local and na�onal government investments in digital connec�vity, as well as private sector investments in full-fibre broadband. This assessment has laid a solid founda�on for North Ayrshire’s progression towards becoming a digitally inclusive, economically vibrant and smart- connected community. By exploring the iden�fied challenges and recommended strategies, we are poised to significantly enhance digital connec�vity and readiness, paving the way for a flourishing future in North Ayrshire. Robust Governance Prior to our mee�ng of Council to discuss the 2024/25 budget, Equali�es and Children's Rights Impact Assessments (ECRIAs) screenings or assessments were completed for all budget proposals. A project is due to commence to develop these further and improve the quality of updates through training and revision of the templates. This is being informed by na�onal Childrens Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs). To ensure good governance and clear accountability for delivering the desired outcomes for service users and communi�es, we are upda�ng our Code of Corporate Governance on an annual basis. Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) The second round of our Communi�es and Place Fund obtained Cabinet approval in February. The Fund is now closed with 53 applica�ons under review. The People and Skills and Suppor�ng Local Business Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) priority ac�vi�es are ongoing, with UK SPF (UKSPF) replacing the European Social Fund (ESF) funding for Employability and Skills. The Par�cipatory Budge�ng funding through UKSPF will take place later in 2024, with a budget of £31,000 available. Next Steps • We will con�nue to embed and evolve our Workforce Planning approach mee�ngs. • We will con�nue to support the Audit Scotland Best Value Thema�c Work. • We will launch a project to develop and improve the quality of Children's Rights Impact Assessments. • Awards will be made under the Communi�es and Place Fund. • The Par�cipatory Budge�ng funding through UKSPF Communi�es and Place Fund will take place later in 2024, with a budget of £31,000 available. 70
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 24 of 39 Case Study – No Wrong Door Historically, our services needed to rely on our residents to contact various services themselves and the services didn’t have visibility of any other teams our residents were involved in. To tackle this our No Wrong Door ini�a�ve aims to ensure our residents can always access the informa�on and support they need from our council and Community Planning Partners. It is strongly supported by the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board and key to our Council Plan and Digital Strategy 2023-28. It ensures people are at the centre of innova�on and no one is le� behind to prevent digital exclusion. There are two main elements to our No Wrong Door approach, ‘Corporate Referral’ and ‘Single Shared Assessment”. Our new Corporate Referral process is now live. As a result of the review, our residents only need to provide their informa�on once and will be directly routed to the services that best meet their needs. In addi�on, services are no�fied immediately when a request for support is submited via the online form on our website. This form is also used by our Customer Services team when residents call or visit our offices, ensuring that those without internet access are not digitally excluded and s�ll receive the same high level of support. Following the no�fica�on, services contact the resident to complete an assessment of their needs allowing us to route the referral to the appropriate services or external partners to provide the best support. These services or partners then make direct contact with the resident, reducing cost and the poten�ally overwhelming task for residents to contact mul�ple services and partners. Our emerging Single Shared Assessment approach will inform decision making and provide residents with assistance more quickly through a whole system approach offering immediate and longer-term support to li� people out of the cycle of poverty. This will be achieved by asking residents at the point of applica�on for their consent to use their details to assess eligibility for all benefits, grants and support available across our council in one applica�on. This ul�mately will create a ‘golden record’ to proac�vely help residents access the support they are en�tled to. 71
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 25 of 39 Audits, Inspec�ons and Accredita�ons Best Value Thema�c Approach – Leadership of the Development of the Council’s Strategic Priori�es The results of our Best Value Thema�c Audit on the leadership of the development of the council’s strategic priori�es was presented to the Audit and Scru�ny Commitee in November. The results were very posi�ve, sta�ng our council “con�nued to demonstrate a strong culture of con�nuous improvement”. The engagement with our communi�es in jointly crea�ng our priori�es within our Council Plan 2023-28 was also highlighted. How we report to ensure effec�ve scru�ny was posi�vely received. Further good progress has been made since our Best Value Assurance Audit in June 2020. The following recommenda�ons were highlighted within the report with progress reported directly to our Audit and Scru�ny Commitee. Recommendation Agreed Management Action The council should conclude its website review and make its improvements as soon as possible. This will bring many benefits to users, including raising more awareness of its vision and priorities. The website redesign project is currently progressing at pace and the aim is to have a Beta version live by Summer 2024 and the full version live by Autumn 2024. To improve the visibility of the Council Plan and priorities, the home page will be revised to include reference to our Council Plan 2023-28. The council should ensure that all the performance information published on its website is up-to-date, performance reports are as timely as possible and audit and inspection information is easily accessible and includes how the council is responding to recommendations. The website will be reviewed to remove or replace out of date information. Audits and inspections will be including in six monthly Council Plan Progress reports (these reports) published on our website. The council should update all locality planning information and corresponding links as soon as possible. The Community Planning Partnership (CPP) website will be reviewed to ensure all locality planning information and links are up to date. The CPP website will be refreshed with new Locality Partnership pages. The council should consider including more information on its website about what it is doing to address climate change and the progress it is making. The council’s website will be updated to include more information on what we are doing to address climate change and progress we are making, including publication of a dedicated public facing climate change webpage. Options for a social media page dedicated to climate change will be investigated. Source: Leadership of the development of the council’s strategic priorities. Best Value Thematic Work in North Ayrshire Council 2022-23. 72
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 26 of 39 A further update on progress against these recommenda�ons is due to be presented to the Audit and Scru�ny Commitee in May 2024. Audit Scotland is expected to publish a na�onal report on this specific theme in the summer which will enable benchmarking of approaches with other local authori�es. Best Value Thema�c Approach – Workforce Innova�on In March, Audit Scotland commenced the Best Value Thema�c Audit – Workforce Planning on behalf of the Accounts Commission. This focused on the following areas: • How effec�vely our council’s workforce plans are integrated with its strategic plans and priori�es. • How effec�vely digital technology has been used to support workforce produc�vity and improve service quality and outcomes. • What innova�ve prac�ce our council is using to develop its future workforce capacity and skills needs and manage staff reduc�ons in line with its priori�es. • What progress our council has made with sharing roles or func�ons across its services and/or with other councils and partners. • How effec�vely our council is measuring the impact of its workforce planning approach. Next year Audit Scotland will release a na�onal report on Workforce Innova�on to share good prac�ce. The results of the audit will be presented to the Audit and Scru�ny Commitee in the autumn and any resul�ng ac�ons will be considered. Developments for Workforce Innova�on include: • Con�nua�on of Workforce Planning mee�ngs to further embed and evolve the approach. • Con�nue support to Audit Scotland Best Value Thema�c Work between April and June. • Host Learning Events to increase knowledge in rela�on to the applica�on of policies and procedures. • Con�nue to evolve and increase our use of digital interven�ons. Internal Audit – Council’s Workforce Planning January 2024 - An Internal Audit report on Workforce Planning was completed and granted an assurance level of “Substan�al”. This was prior to the Audit Scotland Best Value Thema�c Audit detailed above. No ac�ons were required as detailed in the report to our Audit and Scru�ny Commitee. Cyber Security – Public Services Network In January 2024, we received no�fica�on from the Sco�sh Government Cabinet Office that the council’s annual Code of Connec�on applica�on successfully passed assessment. The Public Services Network (PSN) was established to allow public service organisa�ons to share informa�on and services in a secure environment. Before an organisa�on can connect to the PSN there is a requirement to pass the PSN compliance process and demonstrate that 73
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 27 of 39 our infrastructure is sufficiently secure. For the first �me since the PSN was fully established over 10 years ago this was achieved without the requirement of further clarifica�ons or remedia�ons being sought. HMIE – Community Learning and Development In a recent HMIE report our Community Learning and Development teams have been recognised as making a significant posi�ve impact on our communi�es in terms of inclusion and reducing barriers. Health and Social Care Partnership Our Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) performance is reported separately through the HSCP. Our HSCP works closely with independent care providers to ensure that the care and support provided is being delivered in line with peoples’ outcomes, offers best value, meets regulatory requirements and keeps people healthy and well. Care services provided by our partnership teams undergo external inspec�ons and are subject to rigorous review and inspec�on. Full details are available within the Health and Social Care Partnership’s Annual Performance Report. 74
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 28 of 39 Performance Summary Measures Adri� of Target This sec�on details the performance indicators adri� of target and the ac�on being taken to address performance. Due to expected data lags the most recent data may relate to previous �me periods but may only now be available to report. To avoid duplica�on, only data that has not previously been reported to our Cabinet is included in this sec�on. CP_29 Overall carbon emissions (tonnes) (Non-domes�c Council estate) - Significantly Adri� of Target For 2023/24, the total carbon emission figure is 20,745tCO2e. This is a 0.72% reduc�on from 2022/23 emissions, and 69.4% reduc�on from our 2005/06 baseline year. When calcula�ng our council’s carbon emissions, we consider fossil fuel usage from employee travel, fleet transport, waste, street ligh�ng, KA Leisure buildings and our non-domes�c estate (including PPP schools). There is an increase in emissions associated with our non-domes�c estate when compared with the previous year, specifically caused by hea�ng fuels. We will analyse our proper�es with excessive energy demand to determine the best approach. Following increased capacity within the Sustainability Team, energy management prac�ces will be reinvigorated to scru�nise energy use, ins�l behaviour change and deliver carbon reduc�on projects. Behaviour change will be encouraged through an employee energy awareness campaign which includes u�lising our Leadership Programme, other internal communica�on channels and a new training module prior to the hea�ng season beginning in September. On Target, 13, 50% Slightly Adrift of Target, 2, 8% Significantly Adrift of Target, 2, 8% Data Only / Status Unknown, 9, 34% Performance Indicators On Target Slightly Adrift of Target Significantly Adrift of Target Data Only / Status Unknown On Target, 45, 98% Slightly Adrift of Target, 1, 2% Actions On Target Slightly Adrift of Target Significantly Adrift of Target 75
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 29 of 39 CP_46 Number of trees planted under the North Ayrshire 2030 Tree Plan�ng Strategy - Significantly Adri� of Target The total number of trees planted at the end of 2023/24 was 36,366, which is slightly lower than the projected target of 40,000, however the total number of trees planted within the first three years of the strategy is on track to achieve the overall target of 108,000 trees to be planted by 2030, with six years of the strategy remaining. We have made a conscious decision to defer plan�ng one of our larger key plan�ng sites to allow for the regrading of soil from another area of the same development site, which will reduce the associated development costs to the council. The plan�ng at the site will commence a�er the soil regrading works are complete. The level of response from the Woodland Grant Fund applica�ons in 2023/24 was not as high as expected, so we will be looking to do more publicity around the grant funding this year to hopefully improve the level of uptake in the next round. The 2024/25 Woodland Grant Fund will be opened and widely adver�sed in the autumn, which will support local tree plan�ng projects including the crea�on of new community orchards. The Streetscene Service is also currently reviewing several poten�al plan�ng sites for developing new tree plan�ng proposals for the 2024/25 tree plan�ng season. CP_43 Number of council assets under community management (cumula�ve) - Slightly Adri� of Target The number of council assets under community management for 2023/24 was 53. This is one fewer than the 54 target. A Community Asset Transfer was due to conclude prior to the year end, unfortunately external factors caused a delay in the final stages of the process. However, this is expected to be resolved by April 2024. CP_31 Percentage of total household waste that is recycled (calendar year as per SEPA) (LGBF) - Slightly Adri� of Target This is a provisional figure as the dra� calcula�ons for the 2023 recycling performance have been submited to SEPA and will now be subjected to verifica�on checks. As a result, they may change prior to issuing in September or October 2024. The es�mated household waste recycling performance for the calendar year 2023 is es�mated to be 56.1%. This is under the 57% target but an improvement on last year’s performance (55.3%). A new Zero Waste Strategy is being developed during 2024 to explore the poten�al opportuni�es for improving reuse and recycling performance. 76
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 30 of 39 Ac�ons Adri� of Target CP_29 Promo�ng new woodland crea�on and protec�ng our green spaces to provide a natural resource for carbon sequestra�on - Slightly Adri� of Target Our tree plan�ng work contributes to this ac�on and as detailed above (CP_46), we didn’t meet our tree plan�ng target for 2023/24. We will look to increase publicity around the Woodland Grant Fund this year to hopefully improve the level of uptake in the next round. The 2024/25 Woodland Grant Fund will be opened and widely adver�sed in the autumn, which will support local tree plan�ng projects, including the crea�on of new community orchards. The Streetscene Service is also currently reviewing several poten�al plan�ng sites for developing new tree plan�ng proposals for the 2024/25 tree plan�ng season. Indicator Amendments and Recommenda�ons CP_06 Average tariff score: All Leavers Following a refresh of data within the na�onal Insight system, the 2020/21 annual figure has changed from 912 to 908.5 and the 2021/22 figure has changed from 905.6 to 899.5. These changes do not impact on the status of this �me periods. CP_38 Average total tariff for Care Experienced Young People Following a refresh of data within the na�onal Insight system, the 2021/22 annual figure has changed from 457 to 413.8 and the 2022/23 figure has also changed from 430 to 413.8. This change did not impact on the status of these �me periods. CP_39 Number of unemployed people progressing into employment (since 1st April) The Quarter Two figure of 652 has been amended to 215. A cumula�ve figure combining the Quarter Four 2022/23 and Quarter One 2023/24 figures was used in error. This indicator is cumula�ve from the beginning of each financial year, but not across years. Appropriate changes to the indicator descrip�on have been made on the performance management system to avoid this in future. However, to align with na�onal repor�ng it is recommended that this performance indicator is replaced with the “Number of unemployed people that have progressed to employment as a result of par�cipa�on in council funded or operated employability ac�vi�es”. This figure is calculated for the official SLAED release and gives scope to include job outcomes which, under the current indicator, are not included un�l the subsidy ends. CP_19 Propor�on of opera�onal buildings that are suitable for their current use (LGBF) The Quarter Two figure of 91.5% was incorrect and has been corrected to 95.1%. This was due to a data entry error. As a result, the status of this indicator has changed to on target (green). 77
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 31 of 39 Performance Indicators PI Code and Description 2020/21 Value 2020/21 Target 2020/21 Status 2021/22 Value 2021/22 Target 2021/22 Status 2022/23 Value 2022/23 Target 2022/23 Status 2023/24 Value 2023/24 Target 2023/24 Status 2024/25 Target CP_36 Number of residents participating in community learning and development activity including youth work 17,269 17,804 23,503 18,700 19,500 CP_04 Proportion of children meeting developmental milestones (LGBF) 82.2% 78.7% 79.5% Data Available April 2025 79% 79% CP_37 Average total tariff score of pupils living in SIMD 20% most deprived areas 724 711 670.2 Data Available March 2025 714 720 CP_06 Average tariff score: All Leavers* 908.5 900 899.5 880 847.2 Data Available March 2025 908 910 CP_38 Average total tariff for Care Experienced Young People 448 413.8 413.8 Data Available June 2025 465 470 CP_07 Percentage of school leavers entering positive destinations (LGBF)* 95.2% 96.2% 96% 93.5% 96.5% Data Available April 2025 96.4% 96.8% CP_39 Number of unemployed people progressing into employment (since 1st April) 285 200 524 450 437 475 450 475 PI Status Significantly Adrift of Target Slightly Adrift of Target On Target Data Not Available Data Only 78
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 32 of 39 PI Code and Description 2020/21 Value 2020/21 Target 2020/21 Status 2021/22 Value 2021/22 Target 2021/22 Status 2022/23 Value 2022/23 Target 2022/23 Status 2023/24 Value 2023/24 Target 2023/24 Status 2024/25 Target CP_10a Percentage of procurement spent on local enterprises 21.39% 23.5% 22.93% 24% 26.04% 25% Data Pending 26% 27% CP_40 Number of new build housing units reaching completion (all tenures) (Actual not cumulative) 562 384 295 396 CP_41 Number of empty homes brought back into use (Actual) 122 335 120 378 200 300 CP_28 Hectares of vacant & derelict land in North Ayrshire 1,204 1,194 1,198 1,144 1,130.43 1,094 951.51 1,094 925 CP_27 Street Cleanliness Index – Percentage Clean (LGBF) 91.34% 94% 86.7% 94% 84.6% 90 89.1%** 87% 87% CP_20 Overall percentage of road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment 37.1% 38.1% 33.9% 37.5% 34.8% 33.8% 32.5% 34.8% 32.5% CP_42 Provided floor space of commercial/industrial space within our Council portfolio (sq ft) 400,991 404,897 404,755 423,077 CP_02 Percentage of Council budget directed via participatory methods 1.13% 1.2% 2.32% 1.1% 2.74% 1% 2.05% 1.5% 1.5% CP_43 Number of Council assets under community management (cumulative) 49 53 54 56 CP_30 Total installed capacity of low carbon heat and electricity generation across the Council's estate 10,720 9,800 11,680 11,000 12,104 11,800 15,992 12,000 28,499 CP_29 Overall carbon emissions (tonnes) (Non-domestic Council estate) 22,846 35,127 21,791 21,247 20,896 21,000 20,745 19,500 19,953 79
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 33 of 39 PI Code and Description 2020/21 Value 2020/21 Target 2020/21 Status 2021/22 Value 2021/22 Target 2021/22 Status 2022/23 Value 2022/23 Target 2022/23 Status 2023/24 Value 2023/24 Target 2023/24 Status 2024/25 Target CP_44 Percentage of council dwellings that are energy efficient (LGBF)* 97.6% 97.7% Data Pending Data Pending 98.1% 98.5% CP_45 Length of new or improved active travel routes per annum (Metres) 1,090 3,900 2,000 2,000 CP_46 Number of trees planted under the North Ayrshire 2030 Tree Planting Strategy 35,627 36,366 40,000 47,000 CP_19 Proportion of operational buildings that are suitable for their current use (LGBF) 91.05% 93% 91.1% 93% 95.1% 93% Data Available Oct 2024 92.1% 93% CP_31 Percentage of total household waste that is recycled (calendar year as per SEPA) (LGBF) 52.1% 52.1% 56.3% 53.1% 55.3% 56.9% 56.1%** * 57% 56% CP_25 Percentage of Council dwellings that meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (LGBF) 98.83% 99.5% 49.3% 99.5% 63.2% Data Available Oct 2024 72.5% 97.4% CP_47 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31 March each year as a percentage of rent due for the reporting year (LGBF) 5.5% 6.6% 7.1% 5.88%** 6.5% TBC CP_48 Percentage of income due from Council Tax received by the end of the year (LGBF) 92.1% 93.3% 94.7% Data Available Oct 2024 94% 98% *No target provided for 2022/23 as the reporting period was underway when the indicators were approved within the Performance Management Framework **Annual figure is based on local data. This figure is subject to change after future data releases. ***This figure is provisional data. 80
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 34 of 39 Ac�on Tracker Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP01 Ensuring that wellbeing is at the heart of local life and opportunities, with a focus on tackling inequalities. CP02 Developing a Community Wealth Building approach to a wellbeing economy. CP03 Improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap. CP04 Improving outcomes for care experienced young people including implementation of The Promise. CP05 Developing the Young Workforce and ensuring positive destinations for school leavers. CP06 Providing lifelong learning opportunities for individuals and organisations, including digital literacy. CP07 Maximising access to and uptake of benefits, entitlements and financial advice. CP08 Ensuring that supports are available in communities to alleviate cost-of-living pressures through community hubs and networks. 81
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 35 of 39 Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP09 Through our housebuilding programme and wider Housing Investment provide homes for life that meet the needs of our residents. CP10 Increase the number of homes in the area through a mix of private and social developments and bringing empty buildings back in to use. CP11 Exploration of models and the development of pilot schemes to increase access to and use of public/community transport. CP12 Ensure our places and spaces where we live, work and visit are well maintained and accessible. CP13 Developing infrastructure to support business growth. CP14 Support KA Leisure’s leadership of North Ayrshire’s Health and Wellbeing Alliance. CP15 Through the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan we will protect and provide care and support for those in need.**** CP16 Developing strong relationships with communities and partners based on trust and shared aspirations using their experiences to inform service provision. CP17 Providing support for community organisations in achieving their goals, including as Community Wealth Building anchor organisations. 82
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 36 of 39 Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP18 Creating a participation and engagement framework which ensures opportunities and support for all residents to take part in influencing local democracy and council and partner strategies. CP19 Supporting participatory budgeting. CP20 Supporting community asset transfer and community owned and operated/managed assets. CP21 Supporting the Community Planning Partnership and the Community Plan (LOIP). CP22 Developing partnerships with the third and voluntary sector. CP23 Placemaking, including creation of locality action plans based on the Community Plan (LOIP) priorities and support the delivery of Islands Plans. CP24 Ensuring an inclusive, fair, rights-based and asset-based approach in our work. CP25 Accessible public services, both digitally and locally, ensuring a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach. CP26 Embedding our net-zero ambition in all democratic decision-making. CP27 Reducing the carbon footprint of our estate through rationalisation utilising a locality-based approach and 83
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 37 of 39 Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 taking a fabric first and low carbon energy generation approach to homes and buildings. CP28 Improving resilience and reducing carbon by developing and supporting supply chains where materials and goods are sourced locally. CP29 Promoting new woodland creation and protecting our green spaces to provide a natural resource for carbon sequestration. CP30 Supporting local businesses as they meet their climate change obligations. CP31 Promoting a circular economy in North Ayrshire to reduce consumption of raw materials and promote reuse, repair and recycling, and generating energy from residual waste. CP32 Developing local low carbon energy generation schemes and networks. CP33 Unlocking the potential of community owned energy generation to bring new income streams into communities and help them take direct action to combat climate change. CP34 Learning for Sustainability, and work with communities to adopt low carbon behaviour change and encourage climate-based volunteering activities. CP35 Improving communities’ preparedness to deal with the impacts of climate change already locked-in. 84
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 38 of 39 Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP36 Working with communities to adopt low carbon behaviour change and encourage climate-based volunteering activities. CP37 Taking a nature-based approach to protect our habitats and species. CP38 Developing and promoting active travel infrastructure. CP39 Transitioning to low and zero carbon travel. CP40 Ensuring robust governance arrangements are in place to fulfil the council’s statutory duties, manage risk and support delivery of key priorities. CP41 Using dynamic data and lived experiences to inform decision-making. CP42 Working with partners nationally, regionally and locally to secure investment and target resources towards our priorities. CP43 Driving change and transformation, using technology where appropriate, to deliver efficient and effective services and support delivery of priorities. CP44 Maximising financial flexibilities to help support delivery of priorities. 85
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 39 of 39 ****Delivery of this ac�on is managed through the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan. Priority Ref # Existing Overall Action 2023/24 2023/24 2023/24 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2025/26 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2026/27 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 2027/28 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP45 Maximising value from the use of our assets. CP46 Focusing our investment on priorities. CP47 Effective workforce planning ensuring that we have the right skills/resources to deliver priorities. 86
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Our Council Plan Progress Update – Year End 2023-24 Page 40 of 39 We strive to make our repor�ng as accessible as possible. If you have any ques�ons or require further informa�on on our council’s performance please contact: The Corporate Policy and Performance Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Reports can be viewed at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance 87
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North Ayrshire Council Annual Performance Report 2023 to 2024 Appendix 2 88
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Welcome to our Annual Performance Report 2023 to 2024 This Annual Performance Report is the first annual report relating to our new Council Plan. Our Council Plan 2023 to 2028 was approved by Council in June 2023 following consultation with our residents. It is our joint plan, our contract with our communities, Our Council Plan. This report provides an at a glance summary of how we’ve supported our residents of North Ayrshire during 2023 to 2024. You can find full details in our magazine style Council Plan Progress Reports published on our website (https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance). We are proud to serve our people of North Ayrshire and would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported the delivery of our services including our communities, third sector, public and private partnerships and of course our employees. Councillor Marie Burns Leader of the Council Craig Hatton Chief Executive Our Vision – A North Ayrshire that is fair for all. Our Mission – Working together to improve the lives of our people in North Ayrshire. Our four Council Plan priorities are interlinked and interdependent. They are: 89
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2023 to 2024 About Us Elected Members • 12 Scottish National Party (SNP) • 10 Scottish Conservative and Unionist • 6 Scottish Labour Party • 3 Labour and Co-operative Party • 2 Independent Employees • 7,690 employees • 6,561 full time equivalent (FTE) employees • 1,129 part-time employees • 75.5% female • 24.5% male Key Facts • Population: 133,490 • Life Expectancy: o Female: 79.7 years o Male: 74.4 years • 19,617 children and young people attend our schools and early years centres (including partner early years centres). • 29.2% of children in North Ayrshire live in poverty (after housing costs) • 70.3%% of residents are in employment. • 40.9% of our residents live in the most deprived Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation areas. Key assets include: • 42 Local Authority Early Years Provisions • 14 Partner Early Years Provisions • 48 Primary Schools • 8 Secondary Schools • 1 Additional Support Needs School • 1 Through School (Early Learning Centre, Primary and Secondary School combined) • 13,163 council homes • 1,118 km carriageway • 3,900mm footpaths • Approx. 23,750 streetlights • 16 beaches (including three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) • More than 275 Hectares of woodland • 15,992kW Total installed capacity of low carbon heat and electricity generation across our council’s estate 90
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Financial Overview Chief Executive's Service, £22.365 , 5% Communities and Education, £182.795 , 43% Place, £59.961 , 14% Health and Social Care Partnership, £124.933 , 30% Other Corporate Items, £11.681 , 3% Financing Costs, £20.360 , 5% Allocation (£000's) Chief Executive's Service Communities and Education Place Health and Social Care Partnership Other Corporate Items Financing Costs Scottish Government General Grant, £294.729, 70% Scottish Government Specific Grant, £19.673, 5% Non Domestic Rates, £42.175, 10% Council Tax, £65.518, 15% Funding (£000's) 91
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Our Performance This section highlights key areas we have delivered under each of the four priorities: ‘Wellbeing’, ‘Communities and Local Democracy’, ‘Climate Change’ and ‘A Sustainable Council’. Full details can be found in our six monthly Council Plan Progress Reports on our website www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk. Wellbeing • We established a Financial Inclusion Partnership to increase access to financial advice and support for our residents. • We are funding two additional School Welfare Rights Officers providing financial advice and assistance to parents and carers. • We agreed to provide a £50 clothing grant to all eligible three and four year olds in Early Years during the 2024/25 school year to help with the cost of living. • We were awarded £79,181 to proactively support residents in accessing the support they are eligible for following a successful grant application to the Scottish Government Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund (CPAF). • Cabinet approved the extension of our free school meals programme. This will provide a healthy mid-morning snack for all primary school children and availability of ambient food during 2024/25. • The Winter Warmer Breakfast initiative has been extended providing breakfasts to Secondary School pupils from November 2024 to March 2025. • All eight mainland Secondary Schools now have access to mentoring services following the successful recruitment of MCR Pathway Co- ordinators with discussions in progress to deliver the service to Arran High School. • Our council approved a definition to enable care experienced to be treated as a protected characteristic within our Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessments (ECRIAs). • Our young parents’ group was launched in January 2024 with 15 young parents under the age of 25 regularly engaging in weekly activities to increase their confidence and support improvement in their and their children’s physical, mental, emotional and relational wellbeing. • Our refreshed Community Wealth Building Strategy was approved by Cabinet in February and aims to work towards achieving a wellbeing economy for North Ayrshire. • 378 empty homes have been brought back into use during 2023/24. • 384 new building housing units are reaching completion. 92
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Communities and Local Democracy • 2.05% of Council budget is directed via participatory budgeting methods, higher than our target of 1.5% and national target of 1%. • Our Community Investment Fund has approved funding for 13 applications over the year, totalling £721,912. • We relaunched our Housing Services’ Customer Participation Strategy for 2023 – 2028. This will ensure that our communities are involved in decision making and are empowered to influence how we deliver our Housing Service. • We successfully launched the Community Directory tool together with the new Community Planning website. • To date, 53 council assets have been transferred to community management. Climate Change • Our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and accompanying Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy - Delivery Plan were approved by Cabinet on 23rd January 2024. • We launched a £350k Community Net Zero Carbon Fund, enabling local community groups to bid for funding to help with feasibility and / or renewable energy technologies on land or buildings they own. • Our council's solar PV farm developments have progressed to construction stage. Both Nethermains and Shewalton site clearances have been completed, with fencing being installed and consideration being given to provision of mammal gates to support biodiversity on the sites. • A feasibility study for wind and solar on the i3 site in Irvine has been completed and further works are being undertaken to understand the options available for low carbon energy generation schemes for the site. • Our council continues to support wider action on climate change. Four community renewable projects have been awarded funding through the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund, totalling approx. £130,000. • 2,015 households were assisted to furnish their homes in North Ayrshire due to our bulky waste reuse partner Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company (CFRC) collecting and processing reusable items such as mattresses and furniture. • 36,366 trees have been planted to date across North Ayrshire through various projects and by community partners. • 209 businesses were supported to reduce their environmental impact. 93
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A Sustainable Council • Our Council Plan 2023-28 was approved by Council in June 2023. Developed with our communities, our Council Plan is our contract with our residents. • Our first Best Value Thematic Audit on ‘Leadership of the Development of the Council’s Strategic Priorities’ results showed our council “continued to demonstrate a strong culture of continuous improvement”. Engagement with our communities in jointly creating our Council Plan 2023-28 was also highlighted. • As part of our ‘No Wrong Door’ approach, we have created a new streamlined customer referral process. This new process will ensure that customers only share their information with us once and are directed to the most appropriate service provider (internal council services and external support services). • Our council secured an award of £242,000 from the UK Government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to advance wireless infrastructure and 5G technology. We were one of six successful local authorities and the only one in Scotland. • Council approved a balance budget for 2024/25. Areas of Focus Areas of focus for the next six months are included in our six monthly Council Plan Progress Reports on our website www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk. How do we compare? You can discover how our performance compares to other Scottish local authorities through the national Local Government Benchmarking Framework online tool or through our LGBF Report published within our Year End reporting on our website www.north- ayrshire.gov.uk. 94
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We strive to make our reporting as accessible as possible. If you have any questions or require further information on our council’s performance please contact: The Corporate Policy and Performance Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Reports can be viewed at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance 95
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework Analysis of April 2024 Data Release Appendix 3 96
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Contents Introduc�on ............................................................................................................................... 1 Our Approach ............................................................................................................................. 1 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Family Groups ......................................................................................................................... 4 People Services ................................................................................................................... 5 Proportion of children living in poverty (after housing costs) ....................................... 5 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as a percentage of rent due for the year .................... 6 Proportion of children meeting developmental milestones ......................................... 7 Proportion of pupils entering positive destinations ...................................................... 7 Proportion of council dwellings meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standards ....... 8 Proportion of council dwellings that are energy efficient ............................................. 9 Other Services ................................................................................................................... 10 CO2 emissions area wide per capita (tonnes) ............................................................. 10 CO2 emissions area wide emissions within scope of local authority per capita (tonnes) ........................................................................................................................ 11 CO2 emissions from Transport per capita ................................................................... 12 CO2 emissions from electricity per capita ................................................................... 13 CO2 emissions from Natural Gas per capita ................................................................ 13 Claimant count as a percentage of working age population ....................................... 14 Claimant count as a percentage of populations aged 16 to 24 years ......................... 14 Proportion of people earning less than the living wage .............................................. 15 Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from Council programmes .... 16 Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita ........................................................................... 16 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes ................................................................................................. 17 Proportion of procurement spent on local enterprises .............................................. 17 Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 population .................................. 18 Town Vacancy Rates .................................................................................................... 19 Percentage of roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment ............ 20 Street Cleanliness Score ............................................................................................... 21 Proportion of total household waste arising that is recycled ..................................... 22 Proportion of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women ............................. 23 Gender Pay Gap ........................................................................................................... 23 Percentage of income due from Council Tax received by the end of year ................. 24 Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days ................................. 24 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions made within one day .... 25 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Community Care Grant decisions made within 15 days .............................................................................................................................. 26 Percentage of operational buildings suitable for their current use ............................ 26 97
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 1 of 26 Introduction The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) provides an opportunity to benchmark our performance with other local authorities in Scotland. It is administered by the Improvement Service in partnership with the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and highlighted within the Accounts Commission’s Statutory Performance Information Direction 2021 which defines how local authorities should demonstrate they are achieving Best Value for the people they serve. As a result, several of the indicators are used within our current 2023-28 Council Plan. This report details our performance as at the data released in April 2024, most of which relates to 2022/23. The LGBF brings together a range of 108 performance indicators covering nine key themes: • Adult Social Care • Children’s Services • Corporate Services • Culture and Leisure • Economic Development • Environmental Services • Financial Sustainability • Housing • Tackling Climate Change These can be explored in full using the LGBF Dashboard. Our Approach The Direction 2021 Statutory Performance Indicator 1 includes a requirement for our council to report information that demonstrates how we are improving local services and local outcomes. This particularly relates to using the LGBF to enable comparison with similar bodies and over time, linked to the desired outcomes agreed with our partners and communities. As such, the Direction 2021 gives scope to identify the key LGBF measures that relate directly to our Council Plan priorities to help inform decision making. Our Council Plan 2023-28 priorities are: 98
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 2 of 26 The following LGBF PIs have been identified by the Corporate Policy and Performance Team as relating directly to our Council Plan priorities. This list is wider than the range of LGBF PIs directly included in our Performance Management Framework (PMF) as they serve a slightly different purpose. The PMF function is to manage performance on a six-monthly basis using frequent and immediate data. The LGBF suite provides as close to a like for like comparison as possible so is used to benchmark our performance and learn from others. LGBF Indicator Group PI Code Description Use Children’s Services CHN11 Percentage of pupils entering positive destinations PMF Children’s Services CHN17 Percentage of children meeting developmental milestones PMF Children’s Services CHN24 Percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs) PMF Tackling Climate Change CLIM1 CO2 emissions area wide per capita PMF Tackling Climate Change CLIM2 CO2 emissions area wide: emissions within scope of LA per capita Benchmarking Tackling Climate Change CLIM3 CO2 emissions from Transport per capita Benchmarking Tackling Climate Change CLIM4 CO2 emissions from electricity per capita Benchmarking Tackling Climate Change CLIM5 CO2 emissions from Natural Gas per capita Benchmarking Economic Development ECON1 Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from council operated / funded employability programmes Benchmarking Economic Development ECON10 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes in the local development plan Benchmarking Economic Development ECON11 Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita Benchmarking Economic Development ECON12a Claimant Count as a percentage of Working Age Population Benchmarking Economic Development ECON12b Claimant Count as a percentage of population aged between 16 and 24 years Benchmarking Economic Development ECON4 Percentage of procurement spend spent on local enterprises Benchmarking Economic Development ECON5 Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 population Benchmarking 99
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 3 of 26 LGBF Indicator Group PI Code Description Use Economic Development ECON7 Proportion of people earning less than the real living wage PMF Economic Development ECON9 Town Vacancy Rates Benchmarking Environmental Services ENV3c Street Cleanliness Score PMF Environmental Services ENV4b Percentage of A class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Benchmarking Environmental Services ENV4c Percentage of B class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Benchmarking Environmental Services ENV4d Percentage of C class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Benchmarking Environmental Services ENV4e Percentage of unclassified roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Benchmarking Environmental Services ENV6 Percentage of total household waste arising that is recycled PMF Housing Services HSN1b Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31 March each year as a percentage of rent due for the reporting year PMF Housing Services HSN3 Percentage of council dwellings meeting Scottish Housing Standards PMF Housing Services HSN5a Percentage of council dwellings that are energy efficient PMF Corporate Services CORP 3b Percentage of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women Benchmarking Corporate Services CORP 3c The gender pay gap (%) Benchmarking Corporate Services CORP 7 Percentage of income due from council tax received by the end of the year PMF Corporate Services CORP 8 Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days Benchmarking Corporate Services CORP 9 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions within one day Benchmarking Corporate Services CORP 10 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions in 15 days Benchmarking Corporate Asset CORP- ASSET1 Percentage of operational buildings that are suitable for their current use PMF Analysis Of the 33 LGBF PIs directly linked to our Council Plan 2023-2028 priorities, 25 have data for 2022/23. It should be noted this April 2024 data release relates to a time period prior to the current Council Plan, however the plan builds on progress made during the previous Council Plan to drive immediate and longer-term sustainable improvements for our residents. As a result, the analysis of these PIs is still valid for this time period. 100
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 4 of 26 During 2022/23 eight priority PIs were within the top quartile (32%) and six were within the second quartile (24%). Top quartile performance includes areas such as crisis grant payments, proportion of pupils entering positive destinations, household waste recycling and rent arrears. Of the indicators with data 68% of our priority indicators demonstrate improved performance in the short term (one year comparison of 25 PIs with data) and 4% remain unchanged. For the same number of PIs over the medium term (three years), 60% have improved and 4% remain unchanged. Long term (10 years) 93.75% of indicators have improved (based on 16 PIs with comparable data). Rank is naturally affected by other local authority performance and though useful as an indication of relative performance, it cannot be viewed in isolation. Over the short term, of the 25 PIs with data, 52% have improved rank and 12 % have maintained their position. For the same number of PIs over the medium term, 64% have improved and 4% have maintained their position. Over the long term, where data is available for 16 of the PIs, 62.5% have improved and 6.25% have maintained their position. Family Groups Family groups enable local authorities to make as close to a like for like comparison as possible with other councils by grouping those within similar traits depending on the indicator. Grouping is based on levels of deprivation (people services) or rurality (other services). Following a review in 2022/23 of previous LGBF reporting 2022/23, a more visual chart-based approach and analysis focussing on family groups was adopted. This more in-depth consideration of each indicator is made possible by focussing on the indicators directly linking to our priorities. We will be using this information to actively benchmark through approaching other local authorities to learn from their performance and/or gain context to their results. In addition, the Improvement Service is exploring the potential of a peer review system to support this approach in future. In the following charts, North Ayrshire Council’s performance is indicated by a thick dark blue line. For ease of viewing, only the data labels relating to North Ayrshire Council are included in the graphs. To support accessibility, a summary analysis is provided for each chart. Full details, including the meta data behind each measure which explains how it is captured, is available through the LGBF Dashboard. 101
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 5 of 26 People Services This section provides an overview of North Ayrshire’s performance within our ‘People Services’ Family Group. This includes our priority indicators relating to Children, Social Work and Housing. Local authorities included in this comparison are: • North Ayrshire Council • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar • Dundee City Council • East Ayrshire Council • North Lanarkshire Council • Inverclyde Council • West Dunbartonshire Council • Glasgow City Council Proportion of children living in poverty (after housing costs) (Please note, the axis of this chart is 15% to 35% for clarity.) Most recent child poverty statistics were released by Loughborough University and End Child Poverty in June 2024 and are not covered in the LGBF data release (in the chart above). The June data states 29.2% of children are in poverty after housing costs (as at 2022/23) which is 0.2 percentage points higher than in 2021/22 and we remain second highest behind Glasgow City Council (32.9%). The LGBF data release in the chart above relates to 2021/22 and shows an increase from 24.7% to 28.9% of children living in poverty. However, due to changes in the methodology in gathering this information during the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020/21 isn’t directly comparable to other years. 29.2% (2022/23) means approximately 7,181 of our children, young people and their families may be struggling every day to access essentials such as food, sanitary products, clothing and transport. 102
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 6 of 26 Our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board Chaired by the Leader of our council implements our Child Poverty Strategy 2023-26. The Board continues to coordinate whole systems approaches where possible across our council, Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, third sector partners and our communities. Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as a percentage of rent due for the year (Please note the axis for this chart is 0% - 10% for clarity) The percentage of rent due for the year has increased from 6.63% in 2021-22 to 7.14% in 2022-23. This is lower than other family group members, however the increasing trend has continued since 2018-2019 and may be related to the cost-of-living crisis. Only North Lanarkshire is seeing a decrease in rent arrears during 2022-23. Cost of living support is available on our website (www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk) and is being supported across our partners, led by our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board. 103
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 7 of 26 Proportion of children meeting developmental milestones (Please note the axis for this chart is 70% - 90% for clarity) This indicator relates to the proportion of children meeting developmental milestones as reported by our Health and Social Care Partnership. Along with East Ayrshire, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire within the family group, our performance has improved slightly from 2021- 22 moving from 78.73% to 79.53%. Our Health and Social Care Partnership has lead responsibility for Child Health services (including child immunisation and infant feeding). Details of the work undertaken by our Health and Social Care Partnership around child health can be found in the North Ayrshire Health and Social Partnership's Annual Performance Report 2022-2023. Proportion of pupils entering positive destinations (Please note the axis for this chart is 90% - 100% for clarity) 104
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 8 of 26 Data is sourced from Scottish Government School Leaver Attainment and Initial Destinations information. Though data is included for 11 years, the source data notes state due to changes in the curriculum, trends over time may not be comparable. As detailed within our Education Service Improvement Plan we are designing tailored programmes with partners to provide enhanced support for specific groups of school leavers, including our young people with additional needs. This will improve opportunities for targeted learners to achieve and maintain an appropriate positive post-school destination. Proportion of council dwellings meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standards The energy efficient elements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standards were replaced by the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) that had to be met by landlords by 2020. The change in regulations reduced the testing period for electrical testing from every 10 years to every five years and impacted on the reportable Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) figures in 2021/22. Prior to this change we were reporting an SHQS figure of 97.36% in reporting year 2020/21. This reduced to 49.3% in 2021/22 due to the number of properties which immediately fell outside the five-year testing period as a result of the targets when introduced. An action plan was developed and we have implemented several measures to meet the new targets to ensure we progress towards 100% compliance in this area. Our own performance is improving at a faster rate than the national average, from 49.28% in 2021/22 to 63.24% in 2022/23 compared to the Scottish average of 68.5% and 70.9% respectively so progress is being made in this area. 105
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 9 of 26 Proportion of council dwellings that are energy efficient (Please note the axis for this chart is 60% - 100% for clarity) The proportion of council dwellings that are energy efficient remains high, with performance improving slightly from 97.58% in 2020-21 to 97.66% in 2021-22. This is the best performance in our family group and higher than the Scottish average of 87.6%. 106
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 10 of 26 Other Services This section provides an overview of North Ayrshire’s performance within our ‘Other Services’ Family Group. This includes indicators relating to Corporate Services, Culture and Leisure, Economic Development, Environmental Services, Financial Sustainability and Tackling Climate Change. Local authorities included in this comparison are: • North Ayrshire Council • Perth and Kinross Council • S�rling Council • Moray Council • South Ayrshire Council • East Ayrshire Council • East Lothian Council • Fife Council CO2 emissions area wide per capita (tonnes) This measure looks at the CO2 emissions that are area-wide, not only in the scope of North Ayrshire Council. It is a contextual indicator that helps inform our approaches, however we seek to lead where possible. Tackling Climate Change a priority for our Council, with the aim to become net zero by 2030. Four community renewable projects have been awarded funding through the Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund, totalling approximately £130,000. Additional awareness raising activity is underway to increase the uptake of the available funding. Education programmes for our young people in our schools and communities are ongoing. Our Sustainability Team has delivered 52 climate change and energy lessons to 22 primary schools to date, with 10 schools visited between January and March 2024. The lessons support awareness of action on climate change and encourage action within schools through their climate action plans. 107
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 11 of 26 We also work with local businesses to support their just transition to net zero. Our Business Development team has supported 209 businesses during 2023/24 to help reduce their environmental impact. A large focus of this work has been through collaboration and delivery of support including Net Zero Accelerator programmes and financial aid to adopt new technology. CO2 emissions area wide emissions within scope of local authority per capita (tonnes) This measure shows the emissions within the control of North Ayrshire Council. Over the long term, all 32 local authorities have reduced their emissions over the past 11 years. However there has been an increase in CO2 emissions from 2020/21 to 2021/22 due to the Covid-19 restrictions easing and colder temperatures increasing the use of heating in buildings during this period. This is a UK wide trend. Locally, our Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy 2024-27 was approved by Cabinet in December, building on the significant progress made from the former strategy as listed in the attached report. Our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Delivery Plan were published in January 2024 following approval by Cabinet. These strategies provide a full analysis and actions to reduce emissions in North Ayrshire. Details of the range of activities being undertaken can be found in our Council Plan Year End Progress Report 2023-24 accompanying this report. 108
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 12 of 26 CO2 emissions from Transport per capita This indicator records the annual carbon dioxide emissions from Transport per capita (in tonnes) in the local authority area. It should be noted in this release of data (April 2024) due to the use of inconsistent population estimates National Records Scotland (NRS) have advised that the mid-2022 estimates should not be compared to years prior to 2021. NRS are undertaking work to revise mid-2011 to mid-2021 estimates to ensure comparability between mid-2022 estimates and previous years. North Ayrshire currently sits above the national average of 26.81 tonnes. Only Moray Council is higher with 35.31 tonnes in our family group. We remain committed to helping our residents and businesses transition to active travel with the adoption of our Local Transport and Active Travel Strategy. 3,900m of active travel routes have been created or improved during 2023/24. We are also exploring community transport needs through our Community Transport study. Our council is implementing our Fleet Decarbonisation Strategy to rationalise our fleet, converting to lower carbon alternatives and avoiding travel where possible. As at December 2023, we had 31 electric vehicles across our fleet. We are also encouraging the use of electric vehicles as we continue to develop the new Ayrshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund pathfinder project which aims to bring £5 million public electric vehicle charging investment into Ayrshire to deliver an additional 307 new electric vehicle chargers. 109
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 13 of 26 CO2 emissions from electricity per capita This indicator records the annual carbon dioxide emissions from electricity per capita (in tonnes) in the local authority area. As detailed above, there is work ongoing to make the population figures used for this indicator consistent to support trend analysis. North Ayrshire currently sits above national average of 46.05 tonnes, recording 48 tonnes, with only Fife Council higher in our family group with 49.48 tonnes. CO2 emissions from Natural Gas per capita This indicator records the annual carbon dioxide emissions per capita (in tonnes) in the local authority area. As detailed above, there is work ongoing to make the population figures used for this indicator consistent to support trend analysis. North Ayrshire currently sits above the national average of 57.22 tonnes. We currently have the highest natural gas emissions within our family group. 110
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 14 of 26 Claimant count as a percentage of working age population North Ayrshire had the highest claimant count rates as a percentage of working age population within our family group 2023-24. From 2020/21 we have seen an improvement as we emerge from the pandemic. This decline in claimant counts from 2020/21 can be seen across the family group although the rate of improvement is beginning to reduce to pre pandemic levels. This measure is contextual and wider than the impact our council alone can influence. However, our Employability Service continues to support people into work with 475 people supported during 2023/24. We also work with anchor institutions through our Community Wealth Building Strategy to improve employment opportunities in North Ayrshire. More specific initiatives aimed at the younger workforce are detailed below. Claimant count as a percentage of populations aged 16 to 24 years 111
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 15 of 26 North Ayrshire had the highest claimant count as a percentage of population aged 16 to 24 years within our family group. Similar to claimant count rates as a percentage of working age population, performance has improved since the lock down periods of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020/21, however from 2022/23, there has been an increase from 5.33% to 5.59%. This is more in line with pre-pandemic figures. Though this indicator is much wider than our council’s sphere of influence, work continues on our Modern Apprenticeship and Skills for Life programmes which support those aged up to 24 years into employment. Proportion of people earning less than the living wage (Please note the axis for this chart is 0% - 30% for clarity) The proportion of people earning less than the living wage is continuing to decrease in North Ayrshire. Currently only East Ayrshire Council is performing better within our family group (9.20%). At 11.7% for 2021-22, we are performing better than the Scottish average of 14.4%. We are currently ranked 5th across all Scottish local authorities in this area. As detailed above, the implementation of our Community Wealth Building Strategy is key to working with partners to improve performance in this area and directly links to addressing child poverty in North Ayrshire. 112
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 16 of 26 Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from Council programmes (Please note the axis for this chart is 0% - 30% for clarity) The percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from our employability programmes has decreased from 24.13% to 19.41% from 2021-22 to 2022-23. This measure can be impacted by how far an individual is from gaining skills required to obtain employment, as well as the current unemployment rate. Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita Gross Value Added (GVA) is something we can help influence as a local authority; however, it relies on all industry within North Ayrshire and is monitored for context. Currently North Ayrshire has a GVA of £18,127 which is an improvement from 2021-22 and part of a long-term positive trend. This is below the family group average of £20,886 and the national average of £27,039. 113
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 17 of 26 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes In North Ayrshire, we have a greater amount of currently available employment land as a percentage of total allocated employment than other local authorities in our family group (15.3%) and the Scottish Average (22.8%). It is important to balance the amount of land available with demand, by having immediate availability it gives greater opportunities for inward investment. We are currently have the 7th highest availability in Scotland. Proportion of procurement spent on local enterprises (Please note the axis for this chart is 0% - 40% for clarity) This indicator is a useful comparison for benchmarking purposes; however, it does not capture all spend as detailed in our 2020/21 Mid-Year Council Plan Progress Report. “The LGBF calculation excludes certain spend, most notably it excludes all suppliers spend below £1,000 and excludes all suppliers not categorised as core trade organisations. This is therefore not an accurate reflection of the economic activity within North Ayrshire. As we have access to the source data used by the LGBF we are able to capture all spend data and 114
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 18 of 26 refine the calculation at a local level to better capture our spend with local enterprises and shorten the time delay in reporting.” Performance has improved over recent years, with 24.1% of procurement spend on local enterprises according to LGBF calculations. Local calculations show procurement spend is 26.04% as at 2022/23, with 2023/24 results expected in July. Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 population The most recent data available as at September 2023 shows the number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 population is seven. Though this is a decrease on the previous year, it is a trend reflected elsewhere due to economic conditions. Though business startups are welcomed, it is the sustainability of these businesses that is important to maintain employment and support our economy. 115
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 19 of 26 Town Vacancy Rates Town vacancy rates have reduced to 7% which is the lowest in our family group and below the national average of 12%. This is the first time we have performed below the national average since 2017/18. Town vacancy rates are a measure of the performance of our town centres and cannot be viewed in isolation. A suitable mix of various retail and service organisations in our towns is crucial to support ongoing regeneration. 116
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 20 of 26 Percentage of roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment 117
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 21 of 26 The percentage of roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment is shown in the four charts on the previous page and reflects the mixture of rural and urban areas in North Ayrshire. The requirement for maintenance remained relatively constant over the past there years. Please note, these are two-year rolling averages. Most recent information from our Council Plan Year End Progress Report 2023-24 shows 32.5% of our road network overall should be considered for maintenance treatment, slightly lower than previous years and within the target of 34.8%. Street Cleanliness Score (Please note the axis for this chart is 60% - 100% for clarity) Street cleanliness was impacted by the pandemic as resources were diverted to other services such as waste collection. Most recent data available within our Council Plan Year End Progress Report 2023/24 shows this has improved, with a provisional figure of 89.1%, above our year end target of 87% as at 2023/24. 118
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 22 of 26 Proportion of total household waste arising that is recycled (Please note the axis for this chart is 60% - 100% for clarity) The draft calculations for the 2023 recycling performance have been submitted to SEPA and are subject to verification so may change prior to issuing in October 2024. The estimated household waste recycling performance for the calendar year 2023 is estimated to be 56.1%, an improvement on the published 2022/23 figure of 55%. A new Zero Waste Strategy is being developed during 2024 to explore the potential opportunities for improving reuse and recycling performance. We participate in the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Contract. Our council and four partnering councils (East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire) are converting non-recyclable / residual waste into energy. More details can be found in this video Turning waste into energy - North Ayrshire Council - YouTube 119
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 23 of 26 Proportion of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women (Please note the axis for this chart is 60% - 100% for clarity) There is an overall long-term positive trend in this area, increasing from 61.17% to 61.30% over the last reporting period. Gender Pay Gap Our Gender Pay Gap has continued its gradual decline from 2018/19 reducing from 2.81% to 1.09%. Work continues to minimise horizontal and vertical segregation in our workplace. 120
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 24 of 26 Percentage of income due from Council Tax received by the end of year North Ayrshire Council continues to perform least well within our family group, with Perth and Kinross Council having the strongest performance with 98.40% of income due from Council Tax received by the end of year compared to 94.74% for North Ayrshire. However, performance has improved since 2021/22 (93.34%). This represents £61.3 million out of £64.7 million (excluding relief and rebates) of Council Tax owed in 2022/23. We are currently ranked 29th out of the 32 local authorities. Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days 121
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 25 of 26 North Ayrshire Council has the second strongest performance within our family group with 93.31% invoices sampled paid within 30 days. The highest performing was South Ayrshire with 94.45%. We are currently ranked 11th in Scotland for the speed of our payments. Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions made within one day The most recent data related to the end of September 2023 when 99% of Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions were made within one day. This is equal to East Ayrshire, Fife and Perth and Kinross councils. This is above the Scottish average of 93.5%. We are currently 7th in Scotland. During 2022/23, 3,605 crisis grants were paid to our residents. Work is ongoing through the Council Plan and Child Poverty Action Plan alongside our partners in the public, private and third sector to support our residents to obtain more stable financial support through employment, maximising income and reducing household costs. 122
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 26 of 26 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Community Care Grant decisions made within 15 days The most recent data related to the end of September 2023 when 99% of Scottish Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions were made within 15 days. This is the third highest within our Family Group behind only East Ayrshire and East Lothian. This is above the Scottish average of 86%. We are currently ranked 10th in Scotland. Percentage of operational buildings suitable for their current use 95.1% of our operational buildings are suitable for their current use. This is higher than the family group average of 89.9% and the Scottish average of 86.1%. Moray Council continues to perform the strongest in this area likely due to having considerably fewer operational buildings, 160 as at 2022/23. Whereas the number of operational buildings in North Ayrshire is 247. 123
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – April 2024 Analysis Page 27 of 26 We strive to make our reporting as accessible as possible. If you have any questions or require further information on our council’s performance please contact: The Corporate Policy and Performance Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Reports can be viewed at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance 124
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Title: Carbon and Scope 3 Emissions Purpose: To update the Audit and Scrutiny Committee on what is included in the Council’s carbon emission reporting, and ongoing work to understand and reduce scope 3 emissions. Recommendation: It is proposed that the committee note the progress and ongoing action to reduce carbon emissions in North Ayrshire and expand on emissions sources reported both internally and externally. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 North Ayrshire Council declared a climate emergency in June 2019, setting a net zero emissions target for 2030. Carbon emissions have been recorded since the Council’s first carbon management plan in 2006, and have evolved to include more sources of emissions. 1.2 Emissions are classed by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol into ‘scopes.’ The Council reports both internally and externally on these scope emissions, and are considering methods to increase scope 3 emissions, in line with the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report. 1.3 An update report on the ‘Climate Change Target and Associated Policies’ was presented to Audit and Scrutiny Committee on 29th August. Members requested a further report be presented to detail what was incorporated in carbon emissions (i.e. Council estate assets including office rationalisation, KA Leisure, Council housing and fleet operations), and note the wider work which was ongoing across the Council concerning wider (indirect) emissions, and how best to capture this information in terms of reporting. 2. Background 2.1 In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned that we have until 2030 to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels before damage to the planet is irreversible. In response, the Council declared a Climate Emergency in June 2019 and set an area-wide ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, in line with the IPCC report. 2.2 Carbon emission reporting has been undertaken by the Council since the first Carbon Management Plan in 2006, using a 2005/06 baseline year. As the Council’s strategies for carbon reduction have evolved, culminating in the most recent Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy (2024-27), so too have the emissions calculations to include more emission sources. Council emissions are reported internally through the corporate performance management system, Pentana. Agenda Item 6 125
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2.3 Public bodies have statutory climate change duties under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to cut greenhouse gas emissions, prepare for the impacts of climate change and to act sustainably. The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015, requires local authorities to report on their emissions annually. This is achieved by completing the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) Public Bodies Climate Change Duty (PBCCD) reporting template, for reporting to the Scottish Government. Within this template, emissions sources are categorised within three ‘scopes’ and these emission sources are also mirrored within the Council’s internal estate emission reporting. 2.4 Scope emissions were established through the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, as a way of measuring emissions arising from different sources. • Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from activities owned or controlled by the Council for example fuel use for heating and fleet vehicles. • Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the consumption of purchased electricity, heat, steam and cooling. • Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions (not included in scope 2), arising from the procurement of goods and services from a third party or contractor, for example business travel in staff cars, waste, water use and procured goods or services. Table 1 below identifies the sources of emissions reported, the fuel used and the scope in which the arising emissions are classified: Table1 – North Ayrshire Council reported emissions. 2.5 Internal emissions are calculated by converting fuel used into tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), using conversion factors published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These same conversion factors are used for PBCCD reporting. For 2023/24 the final outturn of internal emissions was 20,745tCO2e. This was calculated from the sources noted in Table 2 below: 126
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Table 2 – 2023/24 final outturn of annual emissions from Council estate. 2.6 Graph 1 below is a representation of the Council’s carbon emission journey since the baseline year of 2005/06. Through carbon reduction projects and policies, emissions have reduced across buildings, waste, street lighting, staff travel and transport by 69.4% since 2005/06. This is a reduction of 46,974tCO2e. Graph 1 – Council estate emissions in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) 2.7 In December 2023, Cabinet approved the Sustainable North Ayrshire (SNA) Strategy 2024-2027, which aims to tackle both the climate and nature crisis. One of the actions within the SNA Strategy is to develop a Carbon Project Register, to identify carbon reduction projects and monitor the emissions reduction associated with each project. Committing to carbon reduction projects in this way will better support annual projections. The Carbon Project Register is in development and will be initiated prior to the end of the year. 2.8 One example of a project to be recorded would be the Irvine Locality Property Review. It is anticipated that approximately 286tCO2e/year will be saved through property rationalisation in Phase 1 and 2. Investigation into the decarbonisation of the non- domestic estate and decarbonisation of fleet is well underway, with anticipated carbon savings to be considered once all data has been collated and business cases developed. 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 2029-30Council Emissions (tCO 2e) Year Council Estate Emissions (tCO2e) Forward Projection to 2030 127
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2.9 In order to progress with area-wide emission reduction, where the Council leads by example and provides support to local businesses, community organisation and households, officers are participating in the development of the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS). The aim of this Scottish Government funded initiative is to create a capacity-building programme with both a national digital platform and a support service co-designed with stakeholders. The platform will collate area-wide emissions data to build a baseline of emissions and calculate the emission reductions of the actions and projects local authorities undertake in order to deliver the area-wide emissions reduction strategies. 2.10 In addition to the ongoing works to reduce area-wide emissions, officers are participants in the Ayrshire Climate Hub Community Forum, where we aim to utilise the expertise within the group to support the implementation of Community Climate Action Plans for each locality. 2.11 Furthermore, with the proposed Climate Change (Emissions Reduction) (Scotland) Bill being laid before Parliament, it is anticipated that carbon budgeting will be the new focus for reporting in future years. A Scottish carbon budget will be a number of tCO2e prescribed for a given period, and the target will be to not exceed the given budget. Progress through Parliament will be closely monitored by officers to better understand the implications to the Council. Scope 3 emissions 2.12 As noted previously, the Council does report on several scope 3 emissions, both internally and through the mandatory annual reporting to Scottish Government in the PBCCD report. For this year’s report (considering 2023/24 emissions) to be submitted in November 2024, public bodies have been requested to ensure any “all emissions” targets be clear on what is included and excluded in terms of scope emissions. If the public body has a net zero by 2030 target, an explanation must now be included as to which scopes are included or not. 2.13 Public bodies have also been encouraged, to set and manage scope 3 targets more effectively by splitting them into category or source e.g. waste, business travel, procurement etc, rather than being grouped together as one target. Presently, the Council report on overall carbon emissions and do not have separate targets for scope 1, 2 or 3 emissions. This will be actioned for the upcoming report. 2.14 Commuting, home working and procurement are noted to be currently under-reported by the majority of public bodies. This is due to difficulties in capturing and accessing accurate data which would provide meaningful information. However, we aim to include Scope 3 emissions on homeworking sources within the 2023/24 report. 2.15 Corporate Procurement use the Flexible Framework Tool on an annual basis, which is a self-assessment process that allows the Council to measure and monitor their progress on sustainable procurement. Progress updates are provided in the annual reporting, to evidence the Council’s consideration of scope 3 emissions. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the committee note the progress and ongoing action to reduce carbon emissions in North Ayrshire and expand on emissions sources reported both internally and externally. 128
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4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 Delivery of the Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy is not fully funded and consideration will be required at future budget setting Council meetings regarding the prioritisation of spend. Exploration of external funding opportunities and innovative partnership models will also be critical in order to maximise investment and meet our objectives. The financial implications for decarbonising the non-domestic estate are anticipated to be positive as making buildings more energy efficient reduces the financial burden on utility spend for the Council. Investment Funding will be utilised to implement the recommendations from the recent decarbonisation study. Resource has been committed to the fleet decarbonisation route map. Human Resources 4.2 Previously vacant posts within the Sustainability service have been filled following a robust recruitment exercise, and external funding is being maximised to support temporary posts to deliver strategic projects, such as the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy. Legal 4.3 Under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, all public bodies in Scotland have a duty to contribute to the delivery of the net zero emissions target. The recently proposed Climate Change (Emissions Reduction) (Scotland) Bill will introduce carbon budgeting instead of an emissions reduction target. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The ambition to decarbonise heating systems and improve energy efficiency in all buildings contributes to our socio-economic duty by ensuring our homes and buildings are well insulated and energy efficient, making them cheaper to heat and reducing their emissions. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 This update provides progress on the Council’s net zero ambition and aspiration to tackle the issue of ‘heat and fleet’ whilst also addressing area-wide emissions and future scope 3 reporting. Key Priorities 4.6 The works undertaken are in keeping with the aim ‘To achieve net-zero by 2030’ within the Council Plan 2023-28. 129
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Community Wealth Building 4.7 Community Wealth Building is at the heart of the Climate Change Steering Group, key stakeholders in the development and delivery of the SNA, with opportunities to work collaboratively are sought out and implemented. 5. Consultation 5.1 Progress updates have been provided from across various services for this report. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Laurence Cree, Head of Sustainability, Transport and Corporate Property, on (01294) 324514. Background Papers 0 130
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Community Asset Transfer Process Purpose: To provide the Committee with an update on the process for Community Asset Transfer applications. Recommendation: That the Committee: a) notes the legal requirements around Community Asset Transfer (CAT); b) notes the North Ayrshire process for supporting Community Asset Transfer requests in line with these requirements as outlined in Appendices 1 and 2; c) notes that CAT is one of a range of tools used to support communities in North Ayrshire; and d) notes the ongoing programme of work aligned to the CAT application and delivery process. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Community Asset Transfers were introduced as part of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. The Act enshrined a right for community bodies to make requests to all local authorities, Scottish Ministers and a range of other public bodies for any land or buildings they feel they could make better use of. They can request ownership, lease or other rights as they wish. 1.2 Within North Ayrshire, we work closely with our community bodies to facilitate their ambitions, including the use of Community Asset Transfer (CAT) where appropriate. This is part of a range of supports we offer and an area of work where we continue to learn and develop our processes over time. This paper follows a request by the Audit & Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting of 21st March 2024, for an update on the CAT process. The report outlines the legal process we are required to follow, the supports we offer our community bodies around this, and the programme of work aligned to the application and delivery process. 2. Background 2.1 The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 introduced a right for community bodies to make requests to all local authorities, Scottish Ministers and a range of other public bodies for any land or buildings they feel they could make better use of. They can request ownership, lease or other rights as they wish. Agenda Item 7 131
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2.2 At the core of a Community Asset Transfer is the right to take over a public asset and use it to better serve the local community. A key benefit to the community body is that the costs associated with the transfer or lease will usually be considerably less than market value. The CAT process allows the Council to consider the social value of the proposed use of the asset and offer a reduction on market value based on that, while still fulfilling their responsibility of maintaining Best Value on the use of public assets. 2.3 North Ayrshire Council had an Asset Transfer Policy in place prior to the enactment of the legislation and has been actively supporting our communities to develop their social capital and organisational capacity, including to undertake the management of community facilities, for many years. The Community Empowerment Act and its subsequent guidance provided an endorsement of our policy of individual and community capacity building, leading to more active, resilient and responsible communities where people provide a wide range of services to meet people’s expressed need. 2.4 To date, eight CATs have been fully completed. 11 are currently progressing through the full application stage and a further 12 Expressions of Interest are being supported. We are also aware of a further four groups considering making a formal approach. All of these groups are provided with appropriate support as detailed below. An example of a completed CAT is Irvine Tennis Club’s redevelopment of local tennis facilities. Securing this community asset transfer provided the required legal status for the Club to attract external funding, including £100,000 from SportScotland, which was invested to develop the courts and deliver a range of opportunities to the local community. 2.5 The use of Asset Transfer can have many benefits for communities, such as: • To help meet a group's aspirations in the provision of services to the local community • It can support a group's development and business planning • A group may be able to use an asset it in a more creative way that better meets community needs • Owning or long-term leasing an asset might allow a group to access funding for other projects • Providing the opportunity for an under-utilised Council asset which a group could invest in for their community • Ownership of an asset can develop a sense of pride in place and support sustainability within communities 2.6 Community Asset Transfer is one of many tools which the Council use to support community groups to fulfil their aspirations. The approach supports the Council Plan priority of Communities and Local Democracy by placing greater control in the hands of communities. Community Asset Transfers are requested by a community group, meaning that the control over the speed of the process, and whether or not it proceeds to completion, often sits with the group. The process involved in a CAT itself can form an important component of a group’s capacity building and helps them develop the skills needed to run a community asset. 2.7 The Act means that the Council must consider any requests made. Some assets are exempt, such as castles and graveyards. Assets that are needed for the delivery of critical Council services can be deemed unavailable, for example those where key services are delivered. Assets which are in the process of being marketed can also be deemed unavailable. 132
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2.8 Groups have to meet the legal definition of a community body as set out within the Act. This means they must meet minimum standards of membership and have a constitution which is compliant with the requirements of the Act before they can be considered for a formal CAT. 2.9 The delivery of the CAT process requires support across a range of Council services and partners. This includes Connected Communities, Estates, Legal, Finance, the Business Support Team, Streetscene, Property Management and Investment (PMI) and the Third Sector Interface (TACT). Other services will also be involved as required e.g. Housing where there is an implication for that service area. A Community Asset Transfer Working Group meets regularly to review and update progress against live CAT interest and to ensure that any learning is captured and the process adapted to reflect this. 2.10 Not all CAT interests will proceed in the same manner. As explained above, much of the control over the speed of the process is dependent on the group’s desire and capacity to proceed. In addition, some assets are more complicated than others, for example those which sit in the Common Good require an additional legal process to obtain Sherriff Court approval to alienate them in order for a CAT to be concluded. The process for assets which are part of the Council’s general fund assets is shown at Appendix 1, and the process for those which are Common Good is detailed in Appendix 2 for information. 2.11 Groups who are interested in a CAT are required to have robust business planning and plans for their future sustainability in place. There is a range of support which is available to them to help with this and to help navigate the process. Across the Connected Communities Team there is experience and advice on capacity building and what they might need and expect if they decide to undertake an application. Once an Expression of Interest is received, they will be allocated a Single Point of Contact in the service to route their queries and communication. This will be someone who has local knowledge of the area they are operating in and potentially experience of their sector, for example the Active Schools Team supporting interest in sporting facilities. 2.12 External and independent support is also available to groups and signposted as required. TACT have an officer funded through the Council who is a source of advice and expertise on CAT for all groups. DTAS (Development Trust Association Scotland) have a local advisor through their Community Ownership Support Service who can also offer independent advice as well as a range of resources which groups can use. The Scottish Government offer a range of guidance including a model constitution which groups are encouraged to adopt. Thematic and umbrella organisations, for example sports governing bodies or the Scottish Mens’ Shed Association, can be another source of support. Finally, it is recommended that all groups appoint their own legal representative to support them through the process and ensure they have impartial advice. 2.13 Learning from previous CAT applications has been adopted and the progress adapted to reflect this. The first piece of learning is to always explore options as a CAT may not always be the best for a group. Understanding what the group wants to achieve can at times lead to a more suitable and sustainable solution which does not require either party to undertake the extensive process associated with a formal CAT. 133
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2.14 Full applications can only be considered once the applicant is a "community body" and meets the definition as per the Scottish Government in relation to a CAT. This means, along with other considerations, that their constitution must meet certain requirements before the application can be progressed. Validation letters will only be issued once the application form and all supporting documents have been received in order to complete the assessment. This helps manage expectations regarding timescales for all parties and ensures that the groups are in a position to proceed without additional delays should the assessment be positive. 2.15 Where an asset is more complex, for example those held in trust by the Council or those belonging to the Housing Revenue Account or Common Good, we undertake greater internal due diligence before inviting a full application. This means that we know the asset can be released and can also advise the group of the additional process that will need to be undertaken to do so and what this might mean for any timescales. 2.16 At their meeting of 15 June 2021, the Cabinet approved the creation of a £1 million fund to support the CAT process. This CAT Start Up Fund has enabled a post to be created within The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT), part of the North Ayrshire Third Sector Interface, to work with groups on their applications and plans. It has also enabled a series of improvement works on assets to ensure they are in a suitable condition for the group to be able to operate. In many cases groups have been able to secure match funding or in kind support to supplement the demand on this Fund. An example of this is the recent work carried out by Building Services Modern Apprentices using materials purchased through the Fund to support a group to meet Building Regulations and progress to full ownership of an asset. Other examples are a new boiler fitted prior to handover at Almswall Park as the existing boiler was at a the end of its useful life, and support to Ardrossan Community Development Trust to have a new power supply fitted when the asset was disconnected from the NAC supply on the prom. To date, 12 groups have been supported directly via the fund. In addition, the fund supports preparatory work such as checking Title Deeds of assets, securing external legal advice as and when required and the costs of the Sheriff Court process of alienation in the case of Common Good assets. 2.17 A programme of work is being delivered jointly by Connected Communities and PMI staff to identify the best use of the remaining uncommitted funds. This includes condition survey work on assets where there is live CAT interest and the identification of priorities for the best use of the remainder of the fund. Future Programme of Work 2.18 Each group which makes a CAT application and each asset itself are different and the process will vary as a result of this. This means that the support and the journey for each application will differ and the services involved need to ensure they are agile in their approach while still meeting all of the legal and due diligence requirements involved. Nonethless, there is a programme of ongoing work in place to ensure that our CAT process continues to evolve and reflects our Council Plan priority of Communities & Local Democracy, in particular the aim of ‘supporting community asset transfer and community owned and operated/managed assets’ alongside our Community Wealth Building ambitions. 134
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2.19 Key areas of focus include: • Continuing the extensive programme of work associated with expenditure of the CAT Fund noted at paragraph 2.16 and 2.17 above • Evaluation of the impending outcome of the review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act which the Scottish Government is currently undertaking and then implementing any necessary changes as a result of this • Continued monitoring of developments through national networks and corresponding updating of processes, particularly for assets held in trusts, Common Good and Housing Revenue Accounts to see where good practice can be shared • Building capacity and resilience across the Council by having a wider group of officers who are experienced in the CAT process, with associated time to upskill and embed the new approach. This is an important part of our workforce planning approach following changes in personnel as part of the Council’'s reduced resource envelope 3. Proposals 3.1 That the Committee: a) notes the legal requirements around Community Asset Transfer (CAT): b) notes the North Ayrshire process for supporting Community Asset Transfer requests in line with these requirements as outlined in Appendices 1 and 2; c) notes that CAT is one of a range of tools used to support communities in North Ayrshire; and d) notes the ongoing programme of work aligned to the CAT application and delivery process. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CAT lease or sale can assist the Council in reducing ongoing costs for buildings and assets while maintaining their continued use for communities, however this is not the main driver of the process. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 CAT processes follow the requirements of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The use of CAT can give greater control and opportunities to communities facing inequalities. 135
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Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Community bodies making CAT proposals are given advice on climate friendly resources and funding available to them by the Council’s Sustainability team to assist them in the future running of their asset should it proceed. Key Priorities 4.6 This work supports the Council Plan priority of Communities & Local Democracy, in particular the aim of ‘supporting community asset transfer and community owned and operated/managed assets’ Community Wealth Building 4.7 Community Asset Transfer has a direct impact upon the Community Wealth Building pillar of making the best use of assets by allowing local control and access to public sector assets which can then be utilised more effectively for the needs of the community. 5. Consultation 5.1 Each CAT requires consultation with the local community to ensure support for the proposal made by the community body. David W. Hammond Executive Director, Communities and Housing For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on 01294 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1 – CAT process map Appendix 2 – Common Good Assets CAT process map 136
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North Ayrshire Council - Community Asset Transfer Applicant Form Process Expression of Interest (EOI) Send EOI form to Applicant Completed form received from Applicant. NAC to acknowledge receipt of form Asset Suitability • Is the asset available? • Is the Applicant a compliant body? Send Asset Suitability form together with links to EOI form and plan to Estates. Form to be returned within 7 days. Asset not available for transfer Asset available for transfer Send Asset Suitability form together with links to EOI form, plan and constitution to Legal. Form to be returned within 7 days. Send Full Application to Applicant. A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) will be appointed from NAC to support Applicant. Do not support application Support application ESTATES ASSESSMENT Plan and Constitution must be returned with this form. Applicant to be notified giving reasons. Applicant to be notified giving reasons. Go to Legal LEGAL ASSESSMENT Appendix 1 137
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Full Application (FA) Completed form and supporting documents received from Applicant. Applicant Public Notice and Validation letter sent to Applicant. NAC – CAT -Website Public Notice and redacted FA published on website for representations. After 20 working days of notification, both documents are removed from website and any representations are copied to Applicant. Applicant has 20 working days to comment on any representations. CAT Officer’s Assessment FA assessments sent to SPOC/Estates/Legal/Finance/ Business Team (Officers’ have 8 weeks to complete). Collate Officer’s assessments and review at CAT Officer’s meeting. Approved Not Approved Public Notice displayed on asset by Applicant for 20 working Go to Cabinet SPOC to inform the Applicant and offer support to strengthen the application for resubmission where appropriate. 138
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Not Approved Approved Cabinet Decision notice sent to applicant. The Applicant can appeal within 20 working days. Decision notice sent to applicant. NAC Legal will develop a draft offer. The offer will be issued to the Applicant’s Solicitor. Negotiations take place between solicitors to reach a mutually agreeable decision. Contract concluded between NAC Solicitor and Applicant Solicitor. Final arrangements are made for handover. Transfer takes place. 139
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North Ayrshire Council - Community Asset Transfer Applicant Form Process Common Good Expression of Interest (EOI) Send EOI form to Applicant Completed form received from Applicant. NAC to acknowledge receipt of form Asset Suitability • Is the asset available? • Is the Applicant a compliant body? Send Asset Suitability form together with links to EOI form and plan to Estates. Form to be returned within 7 days. Asset not available for transfer Asset available for transfer Send Asset Suitability form together with links to EOI form, plan and constitution to Legal. Form to be returned within 7 days. Send Full Application to Applicant. A Single Point of Contact (SPOC) will be appointed from NAC to support Applicant. Do not support application Support application ESTATES ASSESSMENT Plan and Constitution must be returned with this form. Applicant to be notified giving reasons. Applicant to be notified giving reasons. Go to Legal LEGAL ASSESSMENT Appendix 2 140
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Full Application (FA) Completed form and supporting documents received from Applicant. Public Notice and Validation letter sent to Applicant. Public Notice displayed on asset in public buildings by NAC for 40 working days and local press. CAT Officer’s Assessment FA assessments sent to SPOC/Estates/Legal/Finance/ Business Team (Officers’ have 8 weeks to complete). Collate Officer’s assessments and review at CAT Officer’s meeting. Public Notice displayed on asset by Applicant for 40 working days. Public Notice Public Notice and plan sent to Community Council. Approved Not Approved Go to Cabinet SPOC to inform the Applicant and offer support to strengthen the application for resubmission where appropriate. Public Notice and redacted FA published on NAC website for representations. After 40 working days of notification, both documents are removed from website and any representations are copied to Applicant. Applicant has 20 working days to comment on any representations. 141
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Not Approved Approved Cabinet Decision notice sent to applicant. The Applicant can appeal within 20 working days. Legal to go to court for alienation. NAC Legal will develop a draft offer. The offer will be issued to the Applicant’s Solicitor. Negotiations take place between solicitors to reach a mutually agreeable decision. Contract concluded between NAC Solicitor and Applicant Solicitor. Final arrangements are made for handover. Transfer takes place. Decision notice sent to applicant. 142
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit & Scrutiny Committee Title: Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator 2023/24 Purpose: To advise the Committee of the Council’s Annual Return on the Charter 2023/24 submission and request endorsement of the Annual Assurance Statement to be submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator. Recommendation: That the Committee: (i) notes the Annual Return on the Charter submission 2023/24; (ii) notes the supporting evidence provided to demonstrate compliance with the regulatory framework and relevant legislation; (iii) notes the Council’s areas of non- compliance detailed at paragraphs 2.24-29; and (iv) authorises the Chair to sign the Annual Assurance Statement at Appendix 1. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Scottish Housing Regulator’s framework for the regulation of social housing in Scotland includes the requirement for an Annual Assurance Statement to be submitted alongside the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). The statement must be approved by the appropriate Committee within the organisation prior to submission to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) by 31st October 2024. A copy of this year’s statement is provided at Appendix 1. 1.2 This report provides information on the performance reported in the ARC, highlighting areas of high or improving performance, areas requiring improvement, and areas of non-compliance. The report also provides information at Appendix 2 on how the Council gains assurance that it is compliant with the regulatory framework. 1.3 Endorsement of the Annual Assurance Statement will ensure that the Council complies with regulatory requirements set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010. 2. Background 2.1 The Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out the statutory objectives, functions, duties, and powers of the SHR, a non-ministerial department responsible for regulating social housing in Scotland. Agenda Item 8 143
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2.2 In 2012, the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Charter was established. It sets out the standards and outcomes that tenants, homeless people, homeowners, and gypsy/travellers can expect from social landlords. This is monitored via landlords’ annual ARC submissions to the SHR. 2.3 In February 2019, the Scottish Housing Regulator issued a revised framework for the regulation of social housing in Scotland. The new framework includes the requirement for landlords to submit an Annual Assurance Statement which has been agreed by a Board or Committee within the organisation. The Council must provide assurance that it complies with the relevant requirements of Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. 2.4 The Assurance Statement is confirmation that, as a landlord, the Council: • meets all legal duties and responsibilities, and adheres to relevant guidance and the requirements of other regulators • meets its statutory duties to prevent and alleviate homelessness • adheres to statutory guidance from the Scottish Housing Regulator • takes account of regulatory advice from the Scottish Housing Regulator and from other regulators • complies with all regulatory requirements The Council must also confirm plans to address any instances where there is a material non-compliance and notify the SHR about any material changes in their level of assurance during the year. 2.5 North Ayrshire Council’s 2023/24 ARC was submitted to the SHR on 31 May 2024. The return provided details of the Council’s performance across a range of indicators within the Charter outcomes. Prior to submission of the ARC, a meeting was held on 29 May 2024 with the North Ayrshire Network (NAN), which is our tenant group with representation from local Tenants and Residents Associations (TARAs). At the meeting a range of indicators were discussed, with information on levels of performance and a comparison with 2022/23 data provided to the NAN members. 2.6 The SHR requires landlords to provide assurance in their Statement that they have developed an effective approach to the collection of equalities information and that they have considered how they can adopt a human rights approach in their work. 2.7 As a landlord, North Ayrshire Council collects data relating to each of the protected characteristics for existing tenants, new tenants, people on waiting lists, governing body members, staff, people who are at risk of homelessness and service users on our Gypsy/ Traveller site. A systems review is currently being undertaken alongside our partner landlords within the North Ayrshire Housing Register, which incorporates further development of our approach to collation of equalities data within the brief for the review. Access to good quality housing is recognised as a basic human right and providing this to everyone in North Ayrshire is a key priority, including ensuring accommodation is provided to homeless households, tenancy sustainment, dedicated site to meet the needs of Gypsy/ Travellers, standards of Council-owned accommodation are well maintained and continuing to deliver our new house building programme. 144
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Performance 2.8 Comparative information from other local authorities for the 2023/24 ARC is not yet available. The 2022/23 comparisons from the Scottish Social Housing Charter show that North Ayrshire Council remains a high performing local authority housing service. Of the 37 indicators reported in 2022/23, ranked against other Scottish local authorities North Ayrshire is in: • The top quartile for 16 indicators (44%) • The second quartile for 6 indicators (16%) • The third quartile for 9 indicators (24%) • The bottom quartile for 6 indicators (16%) 2.9 When the 2023/24 comparisons are published, indicators will be scrutinised and plans developed to sustain areas of high performance and to address areas for improvement. 2.10 Housing Services has implemented a Performance Management Framework which ensures monthly monitoring is in place with regards to future ARC returns and other performance related data required for the SHR and internal scrutiny. A Housing Transformation Board continues to monitor improvement workstreams to increase performance in areas such as rent arrears, aids & adaptations, void management, repairs policy and homeless prevention. 2.11 The areas highlighted below identify key areas of high or improving performance as reported in our ARC return for 2023/24, alongside areas where there has been a decline, or where improvement is required. Areas of high or improving performance 2.12 Tenant satisfaction is high in terms of overall services as a landlord (88.74%), and opportunities for tenants to participate and keep informed about services (85.49%) and decisions (91.88%). Performance in this area is based on our tri-annual tenant satisfaction survey, which took place during summer 2021 to provide an updated position for the 2021/22 ARC submission. The next survey is scheduled to take place during quarter three of 2024/25 which will inform the position for the 2024/25 ARC submission. 2.13 The average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs decreased from 2.64 hours in 2022/23 to 2.12 hours, and from 8.42 to 7.60 days for non-emergency repairs. The increase in performance is due to the introduction of a new ‘Handyman’ post which allow Building Services to complete a higher volume of routine multi-trade jobs and allow more time for qualified operatives to undertake more complex, trade specific works. The move to this planned approach to works has improved the average response times for both emergency and non-emergency repairs. We continue to remain well within our four-hour target for emergencies as per North Ayrshire Council’s Housing Repairs Policy. 2.14 Satisfaction levels of tenants who had repairs or maintenance carried out in the last 12 months has increased from 86.16% to 97.51% since 2022/23. This is based on 1,564 responses received during 2023/24. The increase is due to tenants now having the ability to complete a satisfaction survey in real time on the tradesperson’s 145
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electronic device. This new approach commenced during September 2023. Despite this improvement, work is continuing to ascertain the most appropriate method of collating this performance information to support continuous improvement in the number of responses received. 2.15 There has been an improvement in performance relating to the adaptations process, with the number of households waiting on an adaptation to their home decreasing from 465 in 2022/23 to 302 in 2023/24. The average number of days to complete an approved adaptation also decreased from 92.38 to 90.59 days. A joint improvement group, with membership from the Health and Social Care Partnership, Housing, Building Services and Property Management and Investment continue to review demand for adapted properties and existing processes to consider ways to achieve the best possible outcome for tenants and demonstrate best value for their rent. 2.16 Gross rent arrears as a percentage of rent due decreased from 7.14% in 2022/23 to 5.88% in 2023/24. Housing Operations staff have been undertaking our escalation process to recover rent arrears where possible and have re-started court action for rent arrears over £2,250. We continue to take a welfare-based approach, contacting tenants and offering general advice/assistance on welfare benefits, income maximisation and alternative ways to pay rent due to the impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. This support alongside rent arrears recovery action has resulted in improved performance in this area. Areas with a decline in performance or requiring improvement 2.17 The percentage of antisocial behaviour cases resolved during 2023/24 was 91.78%, a slight decrease of 1.04% on last year’s performance of 92.82%. However, our performance against locally agreed targets is 100% of cases resolved within agreed timescales, against a target of 94%. 2.18 Approaches for homeless assistance in North Ayrshire increased by 6% in 2023/24 compared to the previous year. The annual national performance statistics published by the Scottish Government has reported that homelessness is at the highest level since 2011/12, with the number of open homelessness applications and households in temporary accommodation reaching the highest on record. The main reason for homelessness in North Ayrshire during 2023/24 was as a result of a relationship breakdown, accounting for 254 approaches (21.78%). This is followed by people being asked to leave the family home, which accounted for 219 (18.78%) approaches. 2.19 Whilst there is increasing pressure on the housing system locally in North Ayrshire, a range of measures are in hand to respond to this, including increasing housing supply, ensuring our empty properties are turned around as quickly as possible for re-let, and managing the demand from homeless people by way of temporary and the supply of permanent accommodation. We have changed the service delivery model within Housing/Homelessness services to enable prevention activities to be undertaken at a locality level with newly integrated teams working to identify the service priorities within each locality. This is to ensure that there is a joined-up response to our tenants and residents by resolving any issues as they arise at a local level. The Homelessness Task Force that we have in place comprises of a range of stakeholders who are working to analyse the variety of datasets we have at our disposal. The purpose of this is to understand the changing dynamics of the homelessness system and risk factors. The work of the task force includes preparation of a new Prevention 146
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Strategy, which will consider all of the levers at our disposal to balance the system and will also be aligned to the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2024. In addition, a key component of our current allocations policy review is to understand the impact of increased lets to homeless households and the options available for mitigation. 2.20 The average time taken to re-let properties increased slightly from 23.99 days in 2022/23 to 26.86 days in 2023/24. During 2023/24 void performance was impacted due to issues with utility meters. This issue is recognised nationally and has been escalated to the Scottish Government for action. Housing Services are working closely with Building Services to review the current void processes as part of the Housing Transformation Board workstream. The aim of the project is to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service that not only creates efficiencies but also assists to futureproof the housing stock. 2.21 The percentage of tenancy offers refused during the year increased slightly from 37.24% to 42.45%. This is attributable to an increase in refusals from tenants on the housing waiting list who have an identified accessible housing need who are looking to transfer from an existing tenancy. We do not impose any penalties to applicants for refusing offers of housing that are made via the North Ayrshire Housing Allocation Policy. This could have led to applicants receiving multiple offers of housing and refusals being made, therefore the decline in performance may not be a true reflection. Also, through local knowledge and feedback, we have been made aware that applicants' expectations are for housing or re-housing in our new build developments. In order to evidence the impact a detailed analysis of refusals will be carried out as part of the review of the allocation policy during 2024/2025. 2.22 For 2023/24 the number of court actions resulting in eviction decreased from 100% in 2022/23 (based on one case for antisocial behaviour) to 11.22%. 10 evictions were due to rent arrears over £2,250 and one was due to antisocial behaviour. The Scottish Government removed the ban for court action for arrears cases at any level on 31 March 2024, therefore the number of evictions during 2024/25 is expected to increase further. 2.23 Rent arrears in 2023/24 for tenants in receipt of Universal credit saw a larger increase than in previous years. Rent arrears attributed from tenants in receipt of Universal Credit has increased by 9.2%, in comparison to an increase of 4.5% the previous year. The Welfare Reform Team continue to support tenants with Universal Credit claims. Many high rent arrears cases are generally more complex to manage and require intensive support from the team. Financial Inclusion Officers are responsible for supporting our most vulnerable tenants, or those with complex needs with claiming and maintaining Universal Credit claims. This support will become more valuable as more tenants move to Universal Credit through the managed migration process. Our performance in relation to rent arrears is monitored by the Housing Services leadership team on a monthly basis with detailed information provided at a local level. Area of non-compliance 2.24 Our two areas of non-compliance relate to gas safety and Electrical Installation Condition Reporting (EICR). In early 2023, a cross-service working group was established to address our performance in this area. An improvement plan was developed and implemented which has delivered a sustained increase in performance as noted below. However, our target is 100% compliance and efforts continue to close 147
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the remaining gap. As part of our improvement plan, a dedicated Compliance Team within PMI has been created, supported by additional resources. An update on gas safety and EICR is provided below. Gas Safety 2.25 During 2023/24, 25 properties did not receive their annual gas safety check within the statutory timescales. We have faced challenges over the reporting year due to system issues and gaining access to properties to carry out statutory compliance works following persistent and unprecedented levels of access refusals post pandemic. The number of failures in 2022/23 was 106, representing a 75% reduction from the previous year. In the year to date, 1 failure has been recorded, a further significant improvement and evidence that the actions taken continue to have the desired effect. 2.26 All efforts were made to ensure compliance at the earliest opportunity and appropriate records were kept. All 25 of the properties which failed compliance during 2023/24 were completed by 31 March 2024. Electrical Testing 2.27 In April 2020 new legislation was introduced which reduced the statutory inspection regime for electrical installations from ten to five years with a target compliance date of 31 March 2022. The pandemic interrupted the testing programme which resumed during 2021. At the end of 2023/24, 2,821 properties were non-compliant, 21.29% of our total housing stock. 2.28 Property Management & Investment engaged two contractors during 2021 to undertake the testing programme to try and achieve compliance by the 31 March 2022 deadline. As noted above, while accessing properties remains a challenge, performance has continued to improve with the pass rate increasing from 2022/2023 to 79.02% in 2023/24. The Council’s access policy has been extended to enable electrical inspections to be undertaken, similar to the arrangements already in place for gas compliance checks. This commenced during August 2023. 2.29 All efforts were made to ensure compliance at the earliest opportunity and appropriate records were kept; we have considered this a material non-compliance and the SHR was informed during 2023/24 of the expected outcome. Property Management and Investment have been providing monthly updates to the SHR since January 2023. Assurance 2.30 The overall performance of the Housing Service is continuously reviewed by the Head of Service and Housing Senior Management Team on a monthly basis, with key performance information and action plans presented to the North Ayrshire Network, Housing Business Plan Group and Council’s Cabinet regularly during each year. 2.31 Some ARC indicators also form part of the corporate performance monitoring framework, scrutinised by Chief Officers and elected members. 2.32 The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) Self Assurance Toolkit has also been utilised as a further method of self-assessment. The toolkit provides guidance to social landlords on gathering evidence to demonstrate compliance with 148
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regulatory requirements and standard and focuses on questions that governing bodies should ask to gain assurance that this is being achieved. 2.33 Housing Services commissioned the Scottish Housing Network to independently validate our 2023/24 ARC submission during October 2024 to scrutinise performance and to highlight any further areas for improvement. The report has identified the need for a review of the approach to a number of indicators. An action plan has been created to take forward this exercise in advance of the 2024/25 ARC. A report will be brought to a future Audit & Scrutiny meeting to provide an update on the outcome of the review work. The SHR are aware of this approach and supportive of the validation exercise. 2.34 The ARC 2023/24, which can be accessed at Annual Return on the Charter (north- ayrshire.gov.uk), demonstrates the Council’s performance against the outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter. 2.35 Supporting evidence to demonstrate compliance with the regulatory framework and relevant legislation is attached at Appendix 2. 2.36 The Annual Assurance Statement, which is attached at Appendix 1, confirms that the Council has complied with the regulatory framework, all standards, and outcomes. It highlights North Ayrshire’s non-compliance with our legal responsibilities around gas and electrical safety. It also confirms the equalities data currently captured, and how North Ayrshire adopts a human rights approach in our work. This Statement will be made available to tenants as part of the Council’s performance reporting process. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee (i) notes the Annual Return on the Charter submission 2023/24; (ii) notes the supporting evidence provided to demonstrate compliance with the regulatory framework and relevant legislation; (iii) notes the Council’s areas of non-compliance detailed at paragraphs 2.24-29; and (iv) authorises the Chair to sign the Annual Assurance Statement at Appendix 1. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None Human Resources 4.2 None Legal 4.3 Approval of the Annual Return on the Charter submission 2023/24 and supporting evidence, and signature of the Annual Assurance Statement, will ensure that the Council complies with regulatory requirements set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010. 149
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Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 As a landlord, data is collated relating to each of the protected characteristics for existing tenants, new tenants, people on waiting lists, governing body members, staff, people who apply to us as homeless and service users on our Gypsy/Traveller site. This data is used to inform decision making, policy making and day to day service delivery. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The matters referred to in this report contribute to all four of the Council Plan priorities; Wellbeing, Climate Change, A Sustainable Council and Communities and Local Democracy by ensuring our housing stock is well maintained, energy efficient and compliant with all statutory duties. Housing Services ensure housing stock investment and compliance are consulted with and reported to our North Ayrshire Network (NAN) tenants group and other affected services. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 Consultation has taken place with Services within Housing and Public Protection; Sustainability, Transport and Corporate Property; Corporate Performance; the Health and Social Care Partnership; Tenant representatives and the Scottish Housing Regulator during the preparation of the Annual Return on the Charter and Annual Assurance Statement. David W. Hammond Executive Director (Communities & Housing) For further information please contact Fiona Ellis, Senior Manager (Housing Strategy & Development, on 01294 324031. Background Papers Appendix 1 - Annual Assurance Statement Appendix 2 - Supporting Evidence Document 150
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Appendix 1 North Ayrshire Council Annual Assurance Statement 2023/24 North Ayrshire Council complies with the requirements set out in Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. North Ayrshire Council is assured that we: Adhere to relevant guidance and the requirements of other regulators; Meet our statutory duties to prevent and alleviate homelessness; Adhere to statutory guidance from the Scottish Housing Regulator; Take account of regulatory advice from the Scottish Housing Regulator and from other regulators; and Comply with all regulatory requirements, encompassing: • Assurance and notification • Tenant and service user redress • Whistleblowing • Equalities and human rights • Scottish Social Housing Charter Performance. We did not meet our legal obligations around tenant and resident safety as we did not comply with gas safety legislation for 25 properties and electrical testing for 2,821 properties during 2023/24. The most significant challenge during 2023/24 has been gaining access to properties to carry out statutory compliance works following persistent and unprecedented access refusal rates post pandemic. All efforts were made to ensure compliance at the earliest opportunity and appropriate records were kept. The Scottish Housing Regulator was notified of this expected outcome at the earliest opportunity and was provided with monthly updates during 2023/24. As a landlord, we collect data relating to protected characteristics for existing tenants, new tenants, people on waiting lists, governing body members, staff, people who apply to us as homeless and service users on our Gypsy/Traveller site. A systems review is currently being undertaken alongside our partner landlords within the North Ayrshire Housing Register, which incorporates further development of our approach to collation of equalities data within the brief for the review. We recognise that the right to housing is a human right and providing this to everyone in North Ayrshire is of the highest priority with work already taking place across a range of activities. North Ayrshire Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee has considered sufficient evidence to give this assurance. The Annual Assurance Statement was approved by Audit and Scrutiny Committee on 31 October 2024. Authorised by:________________________ Chairperson of the Committee Printed name: ________________________ Date:_______________________________ 151
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Appendix 2 North Ayrshire Council Housing Services Annual Assurance Statement 2023/24 Supporting Evidence October 2024 152
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Appendix 2 Introduction In February 2019, the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) issued a revised framework for the regulation of social housing in Scotland. The new framework includes the requirement for landlords to submit an Annual Assurance Statement which has been agreed by a Board or Committee within the organisation. We must provide assurance that the organisation complies with the relevant requirements of Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. This document provides evidence to support our Statement that North Ayrshire Council is assured that we: Adhere to relevant guidance and the requirements of other regulators; Meet our statutory duties to prevent and alleviate homelessness; Adhere to statutory guidance from the Scottish Housing Regulator; Take account of regulatory advice from the Scottish Housing Regulator and from other regulators; and Comply with all regulatory requirements, encompassing: • Assurance and notification • Tenant and service user redress • Tenant and resident safety • Whistleblowing • Equalities and human rights • Scottish Social Housing Charter Performance. As a landlord, we are also required to meet all legal duties and responsibilities. During 2023/24 we were unable to do this, as some properties did not have an annual gas safety check carried out or an electrical safety certificate in place within the legal timescales due primarily to issues in gaining access to tenants’ homes. We have provided information on this non-compliance in our Annual Assurance Statement and further detail in this supporting evidence. The Scottish Housing Regulator contacted all local authorities and RSLs in March 2024 to ask landlords to include further assurance around tenant and resident safety in their 2023/24 Annual Assurance Statement, in particular: • Gas safety • Electrical safety • Water safety • Fire safety • Asbestos • Dampness and mould 153
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Appendix 2 • Lift safety The Scottish Housing Regulator has requested that landlords provide assurance in their Statement that they have appropriate plans to implement an effective approach to the collection of equalities information and that they have started to consider how they can adopt a human rights approach in their work. Regulatory Requirements Assurance and notification We prepare an Annual Assurance Statement in accordance with guidance and submit it to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) annually. The statement is available to tenants and other service users. We will notify the SHR during the year of any material changes to our assurance as set out in the Statement. We can evidence that we meet all legal obligations associated with housing and homelessness services, and equality and human rights. We have not met our legal obligations around tenant and resident safety as we did not comply with gas safety legislation for 25 properties during 2023/24. Due to new legislation introduced during 2021/22 regarding electrical testing, 2,821 properties were non-compliant with regards to having an electrical installation condition report (EICR) in place during 2023/24. There continues to be an ongoing reluctance by some tenants to grant access to their property; this is an issue we are working to address alongside system issues. In early 2023, a cross-service working group was established to address our performance in this area. An improvement plan was developed and implemented which has delivered a sustained increase in performance from 2022/23. As part of our improvement plan, a dedicated Compliance Team within PMI has been created, supported by additional resources. We have considered this a material non-compliance and informed the SHR during 2023/24 of this expected outcome and continued to provide them with monthly updates. We notify the SHR of any tenant and resident safety matters involving the Health and Safety Executive or reports from other regulatory bodies relating to safety concerns. There were no issues to report during 2023/24. ‘Customer Connections’, our Customer Participation Strategy, is available to tenants and service users on the Council website. Customer Connections Strategy (north-ayrshire.gov.uk) Tenant and service user redress Information on how to report any concerns around significant performance failures is available to tenants. Further information is contained in the Scottish Housing Regulator leaflet. North Ayrshire Council’s Complaints Handling Procedure is readily available to tenants and other service users. It sets out the information they need to exercise their right to complain and seek redress. Responses are provided within timescales set out in the procedure, in accordance with guidance 154
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Appendix 2 from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). We have mechanisms in place to learn from complaints and other tenant and service user feedback, in accordance with SPSO guidance. Whistleblowing North Ayrshire Council has a policy and procedure in line with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 for whistleblowing by staff and elected members. This is readily available on the Council website and promoted through staff bulletins. Equalities and human rights Equality is one of North Ayrshire Council's core values. The principles of equality and fairness are central to all council activities. Our Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessment process for all policies, procedures and proposals ensures we meet legislative requirements. All decisions made by the Council’s committees include an assessment of equalities implications. As a landlord, we collect data relating to each of the protected characteristics for existing tenants, new tenants, people on waiting lists, governing body members, staff, people who apply to us as homeless and service users on our Gypsy/Traveller site. We use this data to inform decision making, policy making and day to day service delivery. We provide a diverse range of services, and we want to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to access services and that they meet the needs and value the diversity for all our customers. We are currently undergoing a system review alongside our partner landlords within the North Ayrshire Housing Register and have incorporated equalities data into the brief to further develop our approach. We recognise that access to good quality housing is a basic human right and providing this to everyone in North Ayrshire is of the highest priority. Work already takes place across a range of activities: ensuring that accommodation is provided to homeless households when needed; housing support services are provided to council tenants and homeless households to help sustain tenancies; there is a dedicated site to meet the needs of Gypsy/ Travellers; standards of Council-owned accommodation are well maintained and align to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS); and we carry out adaptations to properties to make them more accessible for households with disabilities. Scottish Social Housing Charter Performance We submit an Annual Return on the Charter to the Scottish Housing Regulator annually in accordance with published guidance. We have agreed our approach to this through the North Ayrshire Network (NAN), a group of representatives from the various Registered Tenant Organisations in North Ayrshire. You can read about our approach in ‘Customer Connections’, our Customer Participation Strategy 2023 - 2028. Each year, we report on performance in our autumn edition of Tenancy Matters. The NAN work with us to agree the content of the report, which includes comparisons with previous years, other landlords and national performance. Within this report we identify how we will address areas for improvement and ask for feedback on our approach. Standard 1 – The customer / landlord relationship 155
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Appendix 2 Outcomes: Equalities We promote equality and embrace diversity in all parts of Housing Services. All the information we produce is in line with the Council’s Communications Strategy. All leaflets, and a number of documents, are published in plain English and can be made available in large print, braille, tape or CD, and can be translated on request. Communication Housing Services provide a comprehensive range of information which is made available in leaflets, on the Council website and on social media. The Tenant Editorial Panel approves all leaflets prior to issue to ensure they are fit for purpose and easy to understand. Our ‘tenant approved’ logo shows tenants have endorsed our publications. In recent years we have developed a social media profile through Facebook and Twitter to encourage digital engagement with a wider and more diverse customer base. We commission an independent organisation to undertake a tenant satisfaction survey at least every three years. The results of these surveys help us to focus our efforts in improving communication and participation and understand what is important to our customers. Our next survey is scheduled take place during quarter three of 2024/25. Participation The North Ayrshire Network (NAN) customer group has responsibility for ensuring that we continually improve the way we deliver services to tenants and customers. Part of their role is to challenge our performance against the indicators, outcomes, and standards in the Charter. To do this, Housing Services report to the Network through presenting on performance both mid-year and prior to submitting the Charter annually, working together on developing our annual report to tenants and communicating any changes from the Scottish Housing Regulator directly to the group. Our Tenant Inspection Panel scrutinise one area of service per year. They can decide this independently through review of our performance information, or with support from Officers. Scrutiny provides an opportunity for tenants to drive improvement in the services most important to them. We have reviewed/ relaunched our Customer Participation Strategy for 2023 - 2028 which encompasses the requirements of the Scottish Social Housing Charter and relevant Council Plan priorities. Collectively these three documents emphasise the importance of supporting our communities’ tenants and residents to grow and develop opportunities for active engagement and participation for all citizens by listening to local needs and aspirations. 156
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Appendix 2 Alongside developing the Customer Participation Strategy for 2023 – 2028 we received gold level accreditation from Tenant Information Service (TIS Scotland) in August 2022 for Excellence in Scrutiny and Charter Performance for 2023 –2025. In addition, we received gold level re-accreditation from Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS Scotland) in November 2022 for Excellence in Tenant Participation for 2023 - 2025. Our latest tenant satisfaction survey told us that 92% of tenants are satisfied with the opportunities given to them to participate in our decision-making processes. Standard 2 – Housing quality and maintenance Outcomes: Quality of housing Our housing stock is in very good condition and is well maintained. We take a proactive approach to housing asset management and target improvements to ensure that our properties are SHQS and EESSH compliant. Properties are refurbished to ensure they remain attractive, meet energy efficiency targets, meet modern requirements, and tenant expectations. We have a range of planned maintenance programmes which are designed to: optimise investment by replacing major element components before they would otherwise require responsive repairs; anticipate changes in minimum acceptable standards; reduce future requirements for cyclical maintenance; and future proof properties to ensure sustainability measures being introduced can be met. A self-assessment of asset management processes and data has been undertaken to develop our approach. This is to enable the delivery of the Housing Asset Management Plan (HAMP) and takes cognisance of the recommended practice on Integrated Asset Management published by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) in February 2023. The workstream is reported to the Housing Asset Management Board and has an action plan developed and monitored to ensure delivery. Alongside property lifecycle data, the outcomes from the action plan will inform future capital investment needs and identify properties where investment required is not economically viable and other solutions may be preferable, such as demolition. We have not met our legal obligations around tenant and resident safety during 2023/24 as we did not comply with gas safety legislation for 25 properties. Due to new legislation introduced during 2021/22 regarding the frequency of electrical testing and the installation of smoke detection equipment, 2,821 properties were non-compliant with regards to having an up to date EICR during 2023/24. There continues to be an ongoing reluctance by some tenants to grant access to their property; this is an issue we are working to address alongside system issues. Additional contracts were put in place to try and achieve this by the date given, however supply chain and labour shortages for contractors have also impacted the programme. In early 2023, a cross-service working group was established to address our performance in this area. An improvement plan was developed and implemented which has delivered a sustained increase in performance from 2022/23. As part of our improvement plan, a dedicated Compliance Team within PMI has been created, supported by additional resources. We aim to be 100% compliant and efforts continue to close the 157
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Appendix 2 remaining gap. However, completing the EICR programme in the context of continuing tenant refusal makes this extremely challenging. Resorting to forcing access using our Access Policy is also extremely resource intensive for both the Council and our contractors. We have a dedicated Contracts, Compliance and Maintenance team within our Property Management and Investment service who ensure all statutory compliance requirements are met with regards to lift maintenance and legionella. We also have a dedicated asbestos compliance officer who works with all officers conducting any form of refurbishment or alteration to buildings to ensure compliance with legislation in all instances. Condensation, Dampness & Mould North Ayrshire Council has a robust approach to dealing with cases where dampness and mould are reported. A strategy - which encompasses our approach to both Council homes and the private sector - and an improved proactive “end to end” process is in place. A comprehensive process map has been developed that sets out the process and ensures issues with damp and mould are effectively addressed. The core of this process is in place and further elements, such as an expansion in the use of electronic monitoring, are also under consideration. Our Building Services Inspection Officers, who inspect instances of dampness and mould, are all from a building trade background and are qualified to HNC in Construction standard as a minimum. Further specialist training in dampness, mould, and timber decay has been undertaken by two officers who have achieved the industry recognised qualification of Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness in Buildings (CSTDB). Tenant engagement has also been increased, with regular information provided via the digital Tenant Chat channel. Repairs, maintenance and improvements North Ayrshire Council is committed to delivering a high quality, efficient and effective reactive and planned maintenance service to all our tenants and factored owners in a manner which maintains high customer satisfaction. Our Repairs Policy sets out the service provided by the Council for repairs and maintenance and aims to ensure the needs of our current and future tenants are met in relation to the provision of high-quality housing. The policy is currently under review as part of the Housing Transformation Board workstream and will be developed in consultation with tenant representatives. The average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs decreased from 2.64 in 2022/23 to 2.12 hours in 2023/24, and from 8.42 to 7.60 days for non-emergency repairs. The increase in performance is due to the introduction of a new ‘Handyman’ post which allow Building Services to complete a higher volume of routine multi-trade jobs and allow more time for qualified operatives to undertake more complex, trade specific works. The move to this planned approach to works has improved the average response times for both emergency and non-emergency repairs. We continue to remain within our four-hour target for emergencies as per our housing repairs policy. 158
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Appendix 2 Satisfaction levels of tenants who had repairs or maintenance carried out in the last 12 months increased from 86.16% to 97.51% during the same period. This is based on responses from 1,564 tenants received during 2023/24. An efficient and effective void repairs service provides a quick turnaround on empty properties, which helps to accelerate the repairs process and reduce void rent loss. Void performance is affected by the additional time taken to rehouse tenants affected by our regeneration projects. A general increase in the number of properties requiring major works such as central heating, rewiring and full decoration has also impacted on performance. The average time taken to re-let properties has increased slightly from 23.99 days in 2022/23 to 26.86 days in 2023/24. For 2023/24 void performance was also affected due to issues with utility meters, which is recognised nationally as a significant issue and has been escalated to the Scottish Government for action. Housing Services are working with Building Services to review the current void process as part of the Housing Transformation Board workstream to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service for tenants and to assist in future proofing our housing stock. Despite the slight increase in the number of days taken to re-let voids we are still ranked first within our SHN benchmarking peer group for 2023/24 and second across all other local authorities. Standard 3 – Neighbourhood and community Outcome: Estate management, antisocial behaviour, neighbour nuisance and tenancy disputes Estate Management covers a broad range of situations and activities such as new tenant visits, permissions for garages and driveways in garden ground, abandoned tenancies, untidy gardens, neighbour disputes, problems with pets, abandoned vehicles, tackling graffiti and illegal dumping/fly- tipping. We have a comprehensive Estate Management procedure manual to ensure we meet our responsibilities as a landlord, and to support tenants to meet their responsibilities as detailed within their Tenancy Agreement. Every effort is made to support tenants to address any breach of the tenancy agreement, however if a tenant is consistently unwilling to do adhere to the tenancy agreement, the Council will pursue appropriate and proportionate action. In May 2024 a new integrated delivery model was implemented with housing, homelessness, advice, support and anti-social behaviour officers located within locality-based housing offices. Teams are working to identify the service priorities within each town to ensure there is a joined-up response to delivering an improved service to our tenants and residents by resolving any issues as they arise at local level. During 2023/24 the remit of the Estate Caretaker post was reviewed and evaluated which resulted in the regrading and redesignation of the post to become an Estate Officer. The remit is to provide a more proactive rather than reactive service for our tenants and residents. The Safer North Ayrshire Partnership (SNAP) is a multi-agency group who work together with local communities and key stakeholders to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour, responding quickly and proportionately to arising issues. 159
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Appendix 2 We experienced a 1.5% decrease in reports of ASB during 2023/24 compared to the previous year. The Council has locally agreed targets for the closure of ASB cases, which are based on the complexity and level of investigation required to resolve them. Our performance against the locally agreed targets during 2023/24 was 100% of cases resolved within agreed timescales, against a target of 94%. Our last tenant satisfaction survey was carried out during 2021, therefore there has been no change to the satisfaction levels reported in the previous AAS which detailed a decrease of 12% in tenants satisfied with the management of the neighbourhood they live in compared to the previous survey carried out in 2018. Standard 4 – Access to housing and support Outcomes: Housing options and access to social housing We, alongside our RSL partners, are currently reviewing our Housing Allocation Policy with implementation expected during 2025. This review is looking at key themes that have emerged from our last review in 2019 and any upcoming legislation that could impact housing allocations. We introduced an Arran Local Letting Initiative in April 2021, which allows island residents and key/ essential workers to be given additional priority for housing on the Island. Trust Housing Association will be joining the North Ayrshire Housing Register (NAHR) during 2024/25 and will adopt the Arran Local Letting Initiative. In relation to our void processes, timescales are mutually agreed by the Housing Officer and Building Services supervisor, based on the amount of work required. Although the average time taken to re-let properties increased slightly from 23.99 days in 2022/23 to 26.86 days in 2023/24. For 2023/24 void performance was also affected due to issues with utility meters, which is recognised nationally as a significant issue and has been escalated to the Scottish Government for action. We have established a cross-service working group to review and analyse our void processes. The group will scrutinise current working practices to identify opportunities to improve our void processes, turnover performance and to create efficiencies. Housing management and our Building Services team (who carry out the majority of works in Council dwellings) have periodic meetings with officers from North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (NAHSCP) who – in accordance with the Integration Scheme - manage the process for aids and adaptations. This allows us to understand demand and agree, set, and monitor performance in relation to expenditure. NAHSCP have a formal Adaptations Criteria and Policy for staff to adhere to; this ensures a consistent and high-quality adaptations assessment process. Joint complex case reviews are held monthly between NAHSCP and Housing professionals to agree the scope of the works to be undertaken. OT staff have been trained to explore the housing options of housing applicants with long term health conditions, to ensure that accessible housing needs are met where adaptations are not appropriate. These tiers of governance provide a formal procedure for all decision making, ensuring resources are targeted to those most in need of adaptations. 160
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Appendix 2 There has been a decrease in the number of households waiting for an adaptation to their home, decreasing from 465 in 2022/23 to 302 in 2023/24. The average number of days to complete an approved adaptation has also decreased from 92.40 to 90.59 days. The joint improvement group comprising of Housing Services, Building Services, Property Management and Investment and the Health and Social Care Partnership continue to review demand and current work processes, in order to deliver the best outcome and value for money for tenants. Homeless people Approaches for homeless assistance Approaches for homeless assistance in North Ayrshire increased by 6% during 2023/24 compared to the previous year, resulting in rising pressure on the demand for temporary accommodation. The annual national performance statistics published by the Scottish Government has reported that homelessness is at the highest level since 2011/12, with the number of open homelessness applications and households in temporary accommodation reaching the highest in the time series (back to 2003 and 2002 respectively).. Whilst there is increasing pressure on the housing system locally in North Ayrshire, a range of measures are in hand to respond to this, including increasing housing supply, ensuring our empty properties are turned around as quickly as possible for re-let, and managing the demand from homeless people by way of temporary and the supply of permanent accommodation. We have changed the service delivery model within Housing/Homelessness services to enable prevention activities to be undertaken at a locality level with newly integrated teams working to identify the service priorities within each locality. The Homelessness Task Force that we have in place comprises of a range of stakeholders who are working to analyse the variety of datasets we have at our disposal. The purpose of this is to understand the changing dynamics of the homelessness system and risk factors. The work of the task force includes preparation of a new Prevention Strategy, which will consider all of the levers at our disposal to balance the system and will also be aligned to the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2024. In addition, a key component of our current allocations policy review is to understand the impact of increased lets to homeless households and the options available for mitigation. Reasons for approach for homeless assistance The main reason for homelessness in North Ayrshire during 2023/24 was as a result of a relationship breakdown, accounting for 254 approaches (21.78%); this is followed by people being asked to leave the family home, which accounted for 219 (18.78%) approaches. Applications from households fleeing domestic abuse accounts for 168 homeless approaches (14.4%) during 2023/24, compared to 152 approaches (14%) in 2022/23. We have had no breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order and have ensured that temporary accommodation continues to be available for anyone who needs it. We have continued the delivery of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) and met the year five target to deliver 100 Housing First tenancies for the most vulnerable homeless households in North Ayrshire by 31 March 2024. 161
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Appendix 2 The North Ayrshire Homelessness Task Force has reviewed the above performance to inform our homeless prevention strategy moving forward. Standard 5 – Getting good value from rents and service charges Outcomes: Value for money Our robust Housing Revenue Account Business Plan provides clear strategic direction, ensuring that effective short, medium, and long-term financial planning is undertaken. This clearly details how we will plan for, and deliver, key priorities such as compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, investment in our current stock, our Council house building programme and rent setting. The Business Plan was developed by a cross stakeholder working group which included representation from elected members, tenant representatives and officers from within Housing, Property Management and Investment, Building Services and Finance. This approach ensured balanced decision- making that can stand up to both internal and external scrutiny. In addition to the business plan, we have an effective budget and performance management reporting framework that makes certain that we continue to provide value for money services to our tenants and, at the same time, keep rents at affordable levels. This is achieved while recognising that we are currently operating within an extremely challenging and evolving economic environment which requires sufficient flexibility to be able to change and adapt investment plans. The Business Plan is easily accessible to stakeholders. It provides information to demonstrate that the Council has a clear picture of its strategic direction and the associated financial position of the service to deliver this, over the 30-year planning period. This plan is reviewed annually, and we are focused on providing value for money through a number of measures, such as operating robust financial management processes, implementing value for money principles, exploring efficiency opportunities, and managing competitive contractual arrangements. During our last tenant satisfaction survey 89.47% of tenants confirmed they felt that the rent for their property represents good value for money. Rents and service charges Our rent levels remain in line with the national average, whilst continuing to invest in our existing stock and new house building programme. Our plans takes account of the strategic context, such as: the prevailing economic situation and expectations/ forecasts for the time horizon of the business plan; the broader context for tenants and other service users such as rent affordability, cost of living, welfare policy and how the labour market is performing; and the broader context for landlords such as cost pressures in repairs, maintenance and development, supply chain issues, 162
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Appendix 2 investment decisions in meeting net zero obligations and tackling homelessness. We manage these pressures and are committed to delivering services in new, improved and more cost-effective ways. Standard 6 – Other customers Outcomes: Gypsy/travellers North Ayrshire Council provides services, advice and assistance to Gypsy/Travellers who live permanently in North Ayrshire and to those who visit on a temporary basis. North Ayrshire manages one permanent site at Redburn Grove, Irvine. The site has 16 pitches, and each pitch has its own amenity block with separate kitchen, shower, toilet facilities and utility room. A community room is available on site for partner services to meet tenants and their children within a safe and comfortable environment. The room is used by several services, including Education, the Welfare Reform Advice team, Tenancy Support, the Community Link team, and a regular GP surgery. Our Tenant Participation Team also support Redburn Grove tenants to hold regular tenants’ meetings. The meetings allow tenants the opportunity to work in partnership with Council staff as we consider the options for current and future service provision. In 2016 the Scottish Government introduced minimum standards for Gypsy Traveller Sites across Scotland. North Ayrshire Council achieved the minimum standards at Redburn Grove; however, we recognise that significant capital investment is required to ensure that it continues to meet expected standards. Following consultation with current tenants in April 2023, future improvement proposals for the Redburn site are being developed reflecting on feedback gathered in relation to their preferences for future housing. The Scottish Government has developed a draft design guide for Gypsy/Traveller sites to be used for new sites or major refurbishments of existing sites. The design guide has been provided to give advice on what good quality, culturally appropriate accommodation should look like. The Scottish Government previously had a capital fund available for five years from 2021-25 with criteria clearly outlined for the fund, including how residents and travelling community members would be involved, together with a process for project selection. However, this was put on hold due to funding constraints. During August 2024 the Scottish Government wrote to all local authorities to advise them that the fund will be reintroduced from 2026-27 onwards. The Scottish Government will work with CoSLA and relevant colleagues to ascertain how the fund will be utilised using the information gathered from the demonstration projects completed through the previous fund. Our response to unauthorised encampments fully complies with Scottish Government policy. Our Gypsy/Traveller Encampment Officer works to build relationships with visiting families to assess their needs. Where necessary they make referrals to partner organisations and provide advice on housing options, if required. The Officer also works closely with other landowners and members of the settled community and provides advice and assistance regarding the rights and responsibilities of Gypsy/Travellers who visit North Ayrshire. 163
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Appendix 2 Refugees North Ayrshire Council is fully committed to supporting the UK Humanitarian programmes in place to accommodate and support refugees. This work is coordinated by our inter-agency Refugee Task Force comprising of senior officers from across the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) including Housing, the Health and Social Care Partnership, Education, Department of Work and Pensions, Police Scotland, and voluntary organisations. Our Refugee Support Team work together with the CPP partners to deliver robust resettlement support to assist families to integrate into the local communities and access vital services to meet their individual needs. During 2023/24, the Council and community planning partners have supported 145 Ukrainian households, comprising of 347 individuals, to resettle in North Ayrshire across the different Scottish Government sponsorship schemes. To support the schemes, 33 properties were bought during 2023/24 using our buy back approach and allocated to Ukrainian households. We have provided 120 units of social housing stock to provide long term accommodation for households. We previously supported a Welcome Hub which was set up within a local hotel to provide interim emergency accommodation and support to a number of individuals and families while they awaited a more appropriate housing solution. The transition of all guests to permanent housing was successfully completed by September 2023. In the last 12 months, in partnership with the Scottish Government, we have redeveloped a large vacant property to provide temporary accommodation for a further three Ukrainian families. We have also purchased 33 ex-local authority properties throughout North Ayrshire to support the Ukrainian resettlement programme. The 33 properties were fully funded by the Scottish Government with the condition that they are utilised for Ukrainian Displaced Persons (UKDPs) for the first three years. Thereafter, they can be utilised for mainstream housing allocations. Housing Services are monitoring resettlement provision carefully to ensure we continue to meet our statutory responsibilities in relation to other priority groups including homeless people. 164
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OFFICIAL INFORMATION OFFICIAL INFORMATION NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: National Fraud Initiative (NFI) in Scotland 2024 Purpose: To provide the Committee with an overview of the NFI 2022/23 exercise outcomes. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the outcomes of the exercise. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Audit Scotland has published its most recent biennial National Fraud Initiative (NFI) report. The report is provided in full at Appendix 1. 1.2 North Ayrshire Council’s participation in the NFI exercise is coordinated by the Corporate Fraud Team, with matches investigated by appropriate teams across the Council. 1.3 Investigation of the 2022/23 data matches was concluded earlier in 2024. 2. Background 2.1 The NFI is a major counter fraud exercise carried out across the UK every two years. Participating bodies provide sets of data and, following matching of data provided by various public sector bodies, anomalies in the data are provided for investigation. 2.2 The exercise is coordinated across the UK by the Cabinet Office, and in Scotland is delegated to Audit Scotland through the powers in the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and incorporated in Part 2A of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. 2.3 The NFI exercise in Scotland is well established and remains the most comprehensive detective and preventative scheme in which vast amounts of data across numerous public bodies can be compared and matched using dedicated software. A data match does not necessarily mean there is fraud or error present, but highlights that further investigation is required in order to make a determination. Outcomes are recorded on the system and collated for each public body in order to arrive at a total value of recoveries across the whole of Scotland. 2.4 110 public bodies across Scotland participated in the 2022/23 NFI exercise, and matches are recommended for investigation across the country. Most matches are Agenda Item 9 165
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OFFICIAL INFORMATION OFFICIAL INFORMATION categorised into risk priority to enable resources to be focussed on the matches with the most likely outcomes and recoveries. 2.5 The value of fraud and error identified across Scotland in 2022/23 was £21.5m, resulting in cumulative outcomes of £180m since the NFI first launched in 2006/07. 2.6 The majority of the NFI results arise from the following key match areas: • Payroll • Council tax discounts • Blue badges • Pensions • Housing benefit • Housing tenancy • Council tax reduction • Housing waiting lists • Creditors 2.7 Whilst the national report does not include the outcomes of each individual body included in the exercise, consultation with Audit Scotland confirmed that for North Ayrshire Council NFI outcomes totalled £0.474m. It should be noted however that this includes a notional saving of £0.342m relating to 526 Blue Badge matches, where the badge holder has been identified as deceased. These badges have since been cancelled. 2.8 External audit also carried out an assessment of the Council’s planning and progress with the NFI and makes recommendations for improvement where appropriate. North Ayrshire Council was assessed as Satisfactory. 2.9 Audit Scotland continues to work with the Cabinet Office in developing new ways to prevent and detect fraud. This includes piloting new data matching opportunities, and where pilots achieve matches that demonstrate a significant level of success these are extended nationally and included in the main NFI exercise going forward. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee notes the content of the Audit Scotland report on the National Fraud Initiative in Scotland 2024. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. 166
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OFFICIAL INFORMATION OFFICIAL INFORMATION Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The work of the Corporate Fraud Team, including participation in the NFI, helps to support the efficient delivery of the strategic priorities within the Council Plan 2023- 2028. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 No consultation has been required in the preparation of this report. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk and Insurance, on 01294 324607. Background Papers None. 167
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Prepared by Audit Scotland August 2024 The National Fraud Initiative in Scotland 2024 168
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2The National Fraud Initiative in Scotland 2024 Contents Key messages 3 Recommendations 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Overall outcomes 7 3. NFI delivery 11 4. Specific match areas 14 5. Pilot exercises and future developments 25 Appendix 26 Accessibility You can find out more and read this report using assistive technology on our website www.audit.scot/accessibility. Audit team The core audit team consisted of: Tim Bridle, under the direction of Cornilius Chikwama. 169
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3Key messages Key messages Key messages Key messages 1 Fraud against the public sector costs the taxpayer money and can undermine both confidence in government and the delivery of public services. The proactive detection and prevention of fraud using the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) remains vitally important to public sector financial management as public bodies continue to recover from Covid-19 and to deal with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. 2 NFI savings and outcomes have increased from £14.9 million in 2020/21 to £21.5 million in 2022/23, with increases across most data match areas. However, savings from council tax single person discounts are slightly reduced and additional outcomes in some areas are attributable to changes in estimation methodologies. Overall, it is not clear whether underlying levels of fraud have increased since 2020/21. 3 NFI governance and follow-up arrangements remained sound for most participating bodies over the period covered by the 2022/23 exercise. However, when compared to previous exercises, fewer bodies have been assessed by their auditors as having fully satisfactory arrangements, and there remains scope for some bodies to follow up on data matches more effectively. 170
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4Recommendations Recommendations Participating bodies should: • Ensure that an appropriate level of resource is available to deliver NFI follow-up activities in an efficient and effective manner, in line with local priorities. • Use the NFI Self-Appraisal Checklist as part of planning for the 2024/25 exercise. • Put in place arrangements for monitoring follow-up activity, and where it is necessary seek to understand reasons for low or nil outcomes. 171
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5 1. 1. Introduction 1. Introduction The proactive detection and prevention of fraud using the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) remains vitally important to public sector financial management as public bodies continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to deal with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. 1. Fraud against the public sector costs the taxpayer and can undermine both confidence in government and the delivery of public services. The National Fraud Initiative (NFI) is a proactive data matching exercise designed to identify and prevent fraud. It remains vitally important during a time of ongoing financial pressure as public bodies continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to deal with the impact of the cost-of- living crisis. 2. The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) oversees the NFI across the UK, and Audit Scotland leads the exercise in Scotland, working with a range of Scottish public bodies and their external auditors. The NFI takes place every two years, and this report considers the outcomes from the 2022/23 exercise. Statutory basis for NFI 3. We carry out the NFI under powers introduced by the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and incorporated in Part 2A of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It is important for all parties involved that this exercise is properly controlled, and that data is handled in accordance with the law. The Audit Scotland Code of Data Matching Practice includes a summary of the key legislation and controls governing the NFI data matching exercise. Participating bodies 4. In 2022/23, 110 public sector bodies in Scotland participated in the NFI, submitting data and following up on matches. The Scottish Government also submitted data for another 17 central government bodies who share their systems for payroll and/or creditors. Many councils also submit payroll data for their Arm’s-Length External Organisations (ALEOs). Across the UK there are over 1,100 participating bodies and data matching takes place across them all. 172
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1. Introduction 6 Main data match areas in 2022/23 5. The main data match areas for the 2022/23 NFI exercise were: • Payroll • Creditor payments • Council Tax (Single Person Discounts and Reduction Scheme reliefs) • Pensions • Housing Benefit • Housing Tenancy and waiting lists • Blue Badges (disabled parking) • Adult concessionary bus travel (new in 2022/23 exercise). 6. The 2022/23 NFI exercise matched new data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) using powers under the Digital Economy Act (2017). 7. Non-Domestic Rates Small Business Bonus Scheme (NDR SBBS) matching was postponed for the 2022/23 exercise due to the national NDR revaluation exercise in 2023. Results will be reported as part of the 2024/25 exercise. Basis for reported outcomes 8. All monetary outcomes included in this report are on a cash basis, prior year totals have not been adjusted to reflect inflation or changes in estimation methodologies since amounts were originally reported. Details of estimate methodologies used can be found at Appendix. 173
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72. Overall outcomes 2. Overall outcomes Overall outcomes from the NFI have increased from £14.9 million in 2020/21 to £21.5 million in 2022/23. Overall outcomes by type 9. The value of outcomes from the NFI, recorded since our last report, total £21.5 million (up from the £14.9 million in 2022). The cumulative value of outcomes from the NFI in Scotland since participation started in 2006/07 now stands at around £180 million. Exhibit 1 shows NFI outcomes by type for 2022/23 and the previous three exercises. Exhibit 1. NFI outcomes by exercise and type, 2016/17 to 2022/23 Reported outcomes have increased to £21.5 million in 2022/23. Source: Audit Scotland analysis of NFI outcomes 0 10 25 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £ million £17.8m £15.3m £14.9m £21.5m 3.1 2.7 4.2 6.8 9.2 7.0 6.2 8.9 5.5 5.6 4.5 5.7 Actual savings: overpayments and additional income Forward savings estimates: from overpayments, additional income and prevented fraud Notional outcome estimates: not directly linked to actual overpayments or additional income, eg blue badges, housing tenancy and waiting lists 10. Increased outcomes reported in 2022/23 partly reflect improvement in recording of results as bodies continue to recover from Covid-19. There have also been changes to estimation methodologies which contribute to higher outcomes in some areas (details of methodologies can be found in the Appendix). It is not possible to extrapolate from these figures that underlying levels of fraud have increased. 174
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2. Overall outcomes 8 Outcomes by data match area 11. Most monetary outcomes from the NFI accrue to councils, the Scottish Public Pensions Agency and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the form of savings arising from council tax, pensions and housing benefits matches. 12. Many participating bodies only submit payroll and creditors datasets for matching, and this limits the monetary outcomes available to them. However, overpayments associated with duplicate creditor payments and payroll matches are not insignificant. NFI outcomes analysed by main data match area, are shown for the last three exercises in Exhibit 2 (page 9). 175
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2. Overall outcomes 9 Exhibit 2. NFI outcomes by area and exercise Most savings arise from Council Tax, Pensions and Housing Benefits matches. Notional outcome estimates Forward savings estimates Overpayments and additional income £ Million 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Care Home Payments Payroll Concessionary Bus Travel Creditors Housing waiting lists Council Tax Reduction Scheme Housing Tenancy Housing Benefit Pensions Non-Domestic Rates Blue Badges Council Tax SPD Care Home Payments Payroll Concessionary Bus Travel Creditors Housing waiting lists Council Tax Reduction Scheme Housing Tenancy Housing Benefit Pensions Non-Domestic Rates Blue Badges Council Tax SPD Care Home Payments Payroll Concessionary Bus Travel Creditors Housing waiting lists Council Tax Reduction Scheme Housing Tenancy Housing Benefit Pensions Non-Domestic Rates Blue Badges Council Tax SPD £ million 2020/21 2018/19 2022/23 176
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2. Overall outcomes 10 Notes: 1. Non-Domestic Rates Small Business Bonus Scheme data was first submitted for the 2020/21 exercise but did not form part of the 2022/23 exercise due to the revaluation exercise taking place in 2023. 2. Care home payments have not been matched since 2018/19 due to legislative constraints. 3. Adult concessionary bus travel was a pilot exercise in 2020/21 and has been mainstreamed in 2022/23. Source: Audit Scotland analysis of NFI outcomes Wider benefits of NFI 13. The NFI also delivers benefits which are more difficult to quantify. These include its fraud deterrent effect and the financial governance assurance it provides to bodies where no issues are identified (Exhibit 3). Exhibit 3. Non-monetary benefits of NFI Source: Audit Scotland Acts as a deterrent to potential fraudsters Can provide assurance that systems are operating well Can identify where system improvements are required 177
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113. NFI delivery 3. NFI delivery NFI governance and follow-up arrangements remain sound for most participating bodies. However, when compared to previous exercises, appointed auditors assessed fewer bodies as having fully satisfactory arrangements. Auditor assessments 14. NFI governance and follow-up arrangements remain sound for most of the 110 bodies in Scotland that participated in the 2022/23 exercise. However, several bodies have struggled with delivery and there remains some scope for improvement. 15. We asked auditors to assess participating body NFI arrangements, and rate them as Green (satisfactory), Amber (mostly adequate) or Red (unsatisfactory). Auditor returns for 2022/23 included an increased number of amber and red ratings Exhibit 4 (page 12). 16. In most cases amber or red assessments reflect deficiencies with follow-up activity. Participating bodies routinely cited the lack of adequate resources as the main reason for delay or lack of progress with follow-up activity. 17. Our NFI Self-Appraisal Checklist includes requirements for participating bodies to consider Leadership, Commitment and Communication. The checklist also asks NFI key contacts and users to consider potential improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of follow-up activity. The checklist can be found on our Counter Fraud webpage and has been updated for the 2024/25 exercise. 178
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3. NFI delivery 12 Exhibit 4. Auditor assessments of NFI delivery arrangements More bodies received amber and red assessments in 2022/23. Source: Audit Scotland analysis of Auditor Returns Percentage Satisfactory Mostly adequate Unsatisfactory 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Colleges 2022/23 Colleges 2020/21 Colleges 2018/19 CG 2022/23 CG 2020/21 CG 2018/19 NHS 2022/23 NHS 2020/21 NHS 2018/19 LG 2022/23 LG 2020/21 LG 2018/19 179
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3. NFI delivery 13 18. Exhibit 5 shows the main determinants of successful NFI delivery that participating bodies should be focusing on to strengthen their arrangements. Exhibit 5. NFI participation – main determinants of success Successful delivery of NFI requires a clear commitment to a well-thought-out approach that optimises the use of available resources to follow up matches appropriately. Source: Audit Scotland 19. Audit Scotland will continue to work with bodies to support effective and efficient delivery of NFI through its ongoing engagement activities. Knowledge Resources Leadership Effective NFI delivery 180
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144. Specific match areas 4. Specific match areas NFI outcomes have increased in most data match areas in 2022/23. However, savings from council tax single person discounts decreased slightly, and increases in some areas are partly due to changes in estimation methodologies. Payroll 20. The number of payroll and multi-contract working frauds identified as a result of the NFI has increased. There were 12 cases identified in 2022/23. This is the highest number since 2016/17, which is the last exercise for which immigration data was matched. Overpayments and case numbers for the 2022/23 exercise are shown alongside those for the three previous exercises at Exhibit 6. Exhibit 6. Payroll outcomes and case numbers by NFI exercise There has been an increase in the level of identified fraud in 2022/23. Note. Notional outcomes of £5,685 per case are allocated where staff resign or have been dismissed (Appendix). Source: NFI management information 0 80 140 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 0 8 16 24 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 Number of cases Overpayments £ thousand Cases 13 8 3 12 £20,000 £129,000 £27,000 £100,000 Notional outcomes 181
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4. Specific match areas 15 Creditor payments 21. Participating bodies submit details of payments made to people or organisations supplying them with goods and services. Data is matched by the NFI to identify potential duplicate payments. Bodies identifying duplicate payments often refresh procedures and tighten controls to reduce future risk. 22. In 2022/23 outcomes worth £0.75 million were identified from 146 duplicate payments across 31 bodies. This is broadly in line with previous exercises as shown in Exhibit 7. Exhibit 7. Duplicate creditor payment savings and case numbers by NFI exercise £0.75 million of recoverable duplicate creditor payments was identified in 2022/23. Source: NFI management information 0 0.6 1.2 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 Number of duplicate payments Overpayments £ million 168 147 144 146 £0.6m £1.1m £0.5m £0.75m 130 150 170 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 182
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4. Specific match areas 16 Adult Concessionary Bus Travel 23. Following a successful pilot exercise in 2020/21, adult concessionary bus travel mortality screening was rolled out to councils in 2023. The National Entitlement Card Project Office, working in partnership with councils, submitted details of all live travel passes for matching. 24. The NFI identified 99,600 travel passes that belonged to holders who had died. Transport Scotland was able to check usage of these passes and identified that 1,075 had been used after the date of death. 25. The full fare value of fraudulent bus trips associated with these passes amounted to £0.31 million, with a cost to Transport Scotland of around £0.18 million, based on the applicable reimbursement rates to bus companies. 26. The cancellation of these passes will prevent future fraudulent use with an estimated value of £0.45 million (based on £420 per travel pass used fraudulently, see Appendix (page 26). The resultant saving to Transport Scotland is estimated at around £0.25 million based on current reimbursement rates.1 Council Tax Single Person Discounts 27. People living on their own, or in some cases with adults who can be ‘disregarded’, are eligible for a 25 per cent single person discount (SPD) on their annual council tax bill. The NFI matches SPD recipients to the electoral register and to other datasets to identify where other adult residents have not been declared on applications, have subsequently turned 18 or have moved in. 28. Councils withdrew £1.8 million worth of SPDs because of the NFI. The additional income, based on a forward projection of annual savings for two years, in line with the Cabinet Office methodology, equates to an additional £2.7 million. These amounts are shown together and alongside savings for the previous three exercises in Exhibit 8 (page 17). 29. Only 19 councils recorded NFI activity in relation to SPDs, as more councils are now making use of third party providers for data matching and follow-up. Seven councils using third-party providers now record no NFI outcomes (an increase of two from the previous exercise). 1 Total outcomes for this area (Exhibit 2) includes a notional amount of £0.91 million relating to the pilot exercise in 2020/21 (based on the Cabinet Office methodology at the time which applied £550 to each travel pass cancelled). 183
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4. Specific match areas 17 Exhibit 8. Council Tax SPD savings and case numbers by NFI exercise Case numbers and savings from single person discounts decreased in 2022/23. Source: NFI management information Thousand 4,846 4,588 3,720 3,419 1.8 2.6 2.7 Case numbers0 3 6 2022/232020/21 2018/19 2016/17 0 3 6 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £4.4m £4.9m £4.6m £4.5m 3.1 1.8 2.8 1.5 2.9 1.7 2.7 1.8 Forward savings estimate Discounts removed £ million Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) 30. Council tax reduction is available to low-income households in Scotland. The NFI matches CTRS data to other datasets, such as payroll and pensions, for example, to identify undeclared income. 31. In 2022/23, additional council tax income of £0.92 million was identified because of follow-up on NFI matches (up from £0.65 million in 2020/21). Savings and case numbers are shown alongside those from the previous three NFI exercises in Exhibit 9 (page 18). 184
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4. Specific match areas 18 32. Actual additional income from the removal of council tax reductions has increased, as have forward savings estimates. The forward savings estimate methodology has, however, changed with savings now based on 33 weeks, compared to the 21 weeks previously used. Exhibit 9. Council Tax Reduction Scheme savings and case numbers by NFI exercise Total potential savings from CTRS have increased to £0.92 million in 2022/23. Source: NFI management information 115 280 772 395 Case numbers0 400 800 2022/23 2020/212018/192016/17 395 772 280 115 2022/23 2020/21 2018/19 2016/17 0.0 0.5 1.0 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £0.48m £0.30m £0.65m £0.92m 0.08 0.23 0.09 0.38 0.12 0.53 0.23 0.69 Forward savings estimate Reductions removed £ million 33. Only 18 councils identified savings from CTRS, with most savings arising from matches to pensions (around 40 per cent) and payroll (around 30 per cent), where income had not been declared. 185
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4. Specific match areas 19 Housing Benefits 34. Housing benefits (HB) help people on low incomes pay their rent. HBs in payment continues to decrease as more benefit recipients move on to universal credit. 35. The DWP’s Verify Earnings and Pensions alerts service has also impacted HB savings from NFI as alerts are sent directly to councils for investigation, allowing them to follow up outside the NFI process. We no longer match HB to payroll and pension as part of the NFI. 36. There has, however, been an increase in reported savings in 2022/23 due to the inclusion of late DWP savings from the 2020/21 exercise which was affected by Covid-19. Exhibit 10 shows the HB overpayments and forward savings reported for the current and previous three NFI exercises. Exhibit 10. Housing Benefit savings by NFI exercise 2022/23 includes significant late DWP savings from the 2020/21 exercise. Source: NFI management information 0.0 1.5 3.0 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £2.1m £2.8m £1.2m £2.2m 2.1 0.7 1.4 0.7 0.3 0.9 0.4 1.8 Forward savings estimate Overpayments £ million 37. HB matches involving suspected fraud are referred to the DWP for investigation and resultant savings are not attributed back to councils. In 2022/23 almost £2 million of savings arose from these referrals. £0.2 million of savings was identified locally by 17 councils, largely from the follow-up of matches to student loans. 186
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4. Specific match areas 20 Exhibit 11. Pensions savings by NFI exercise Follow-up activity and recording of outcomes in 2020/21 was impacted by Covid 19. Source: NFI management information 0 3 6 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £5.4m £3.2m £1.5m £5.6m 2.8 0.40.7 4.8 0.1 1.4 5.1 0.5 Estimated forward savings Actual overpayments £ million Pensions 38. The NFI is an efficient and effective way for the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) and councils that administer pensions to check that they are only paying pensions to people who are alive. 39. The follow-up of matches has led to the identification of actual overpayments of £0.5 million as at 31 March 2024, with projected forward savings amounting to a further £5.1 million. These savings are shown along with those reported for previous exercises in Exhibit 11. 40. Forward savings are estimated based on a potential payment period from the date overpayments are identified until the date the deceased pensioner would have reached the age of 85 (consistent with actuarial assumptions used to value public sector pension schemes). 41. In 2022/23 we have seen improved follow-up of pensions matches. However, not all overpayments identified had been recorded by 31 March 2024. Late savings will be reported as part of the 2024/25 exercise as a result. 187
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4. Specific match areas 21 Exhibit 12. Blue Badges outcomes and case numbers by NFI exercise There have been higher levels of recorded cancellation in 2022/23 than for recent exercises. Source: NFI management information 0.0 2.0 4.0 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 Badges cancelled Notional outcomes £ million Thousand 4,505 3,215 4,616 5,140 £1.8m £2.6m £2.7m £3.3m 0 3 6 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 Blue Badges 42. The Blue Badge scheme allows individuals with mobility problems to park for free at on-street parking meters, in ‘pay and display’ bays, in designated Blue Badge spaces, and on single or double yellow lines in certain circumstances. Badges are sometimes used by unauthorised persons after the badge holder has died. Not only is this an offence under the Disabled Persons’ Parking Badges (Scotland) Act 2014, but it may also result in parking spaces being denied to people who legitimately use the Blue Badge scheme. 43. The NFI matches Blue Badges issued to records of deaths, enabling badges to be cancelled. The number of badges cancelled in 2022/23 has gone up to 5,140, as shown at Exhibit 12. 188
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4. Specific match areas 22 44. The increased number of cancellations, together with a new estimate multiplier, has resulted in a higher notional outcome value. The Cabinet Office estimation methodology now applies £650 per badge cancelled (compared to £575 per badge in 2020/21). Housing Tenancy 45. With reported housing shortages and high levels of homelessness, tenancy fraud is increasingly an issue for councils. Where fraudulent subletting exists, it means that properties are not available to house people who are in most need and this can be costly to councils. 46. The NFI uses council housing tenancy data to identify possible cases where tenants may have sublet their property. It also helps identify cases where the tenant has died, and the property is either empty or has other individuals living in it. 47. As a result of the 2022/23 exercise, councils were able to identify and recover ten properties. A housing association property was also identified and made available for social housing. The numbers of properties recovered along with the notional outcome estimates for the last four exercises are shown at Exhibit 13 (page 23). 48. Notional outcomes of £78,300 are allocated per property recovered (£93,000 in 2020/21). This is based on an average four-year fraudulent tenancy and includes estimated costs of temporary accommodation for genuine applicants; legal costs to recover property; re-let cost; and rent foregone during the void period between tenancies. 49. In addition to recovery of properties, NFI has enabled several councils to update tenancy details where there has been legitimate succession following a bereavement. 189
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4. Specific match areas 23 Exhibit 13. Housing Tenancy outcomes and case numbers by NFI exercise Tenancies recovered as a result of NFI have remained in double figures in 2022/23. Source: NFI management information 0.00 0.50 1.00 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £ million 2 1 10 11 £0.09m £0.19m £0.93m £0.86m Notional outcomes Tenancies recovered0 6 12 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 Housing Waiting Lists 50. Councils maintain waiting lists for council housing, and in some cases for all social housing in their area. The NFI matches waiting list data to housing tenancy data and other data sets, enabling undisclosed changes in circumstances to be picked up. This enables removal of ineligible applicants from the waiting list, stops inappropriate allocations, and accelerates allocations to people in genuine need of social housing. 51. In 2022/23 we have seen an increase in the number of applicants removed from waiting lists as a result of NFI. Notional outcomes have also increased as shown in Exhibit 14 (page 24). 190
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4. Specific match areas 24 52. Notional outcomes are attributed to applicants removed from the waiting list on the basis that social housing could have been allocated inappropriately. The estimation methodology allocates £4,283 per case removed from the waiting list (an increase from £3,240 per application in 2020/21). Exhibit 14. Housing Waiting List outcomes and case numbers by NFI exercise More applicants have been removed from the waiting list in 2022/23 than in previous exercises. Source: NFI management information 0.0 0.8 1.4 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 £ million 90 230 187 280 £0.7m £0.3m £0.6m £1.2m Notional outcomes Applicants removed from waiting list0 150 300 2022/232020/212018/192016/17 191
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255. Pilot exercises and future developments 5. Pilot exercises and future developments Social Security Scotland took part in a pilot data-matching exercise which identified limited fraud and error. We are also exploring the possibility of involving wider public sector bodies in the 2024/25 NFI exercise on a voluntary basis. Social Security Scotland – benefits pilot 2022 53. In 2022 a pilot exercise was undertaken with Social Security Scotland (SSS) to identify any instances where claimants received support but were not residing in Scotland, or where claimants appear to have claimed benefits more than once (eg, from more than one Scottish address). The pilot exercise included payments made in the three-month period from April to June 2021. 54. Around 45,000 lines of data relating to benefit payments were submitted for matching, resulting in the identification of 367 claimants who appeared to be residing outwith Scotland. Following review and corroboration of addresses by SSS there were just 17 cases where claimants were not entitled to benefits. Overpaid benefits of £16,450 were identified, a further £20,000 could have been paid out in relation to these claims, over the remaining eligibility periods. 55. Despite the identification of fraud and error, the number and value of cases was not deemed sufficient to justify the inclusion of this match type in the main biennial NFI exercise in 2022/23. The intention is to run another pilot in 2024/25 which may also include Adult Disability Payments for the first time. Inclusion of bodies on a voluntary basis 56. There are potential benefits from expanding the NFI to include more public sector bodies in Scotland. We invited Scottish housing associations and universities to participate in the 2024/25 NFI on a voluntary pilot basis. 57. While no universities have volunteered for participation, we are working with several interested housing associations. At this time, it is unclear how many of those interested will actually participate. 192
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26Appendix Appendix Estimated outcomes methodologies In some cases NFI outcomes include an estimated element for forward savings or for where no monetary value can be recovered The NFI uses the term ‘outcomes’ to refer to the financial value of fraud, error and overpayment that can be attributed to NFI data matching. In some cases NFI outcomes include an estimated element which seeks to capture: • The value of loss from a fraud or error detected because of an NFI match, in instances where no monetary value can be recovered - such as the value of recovering a property from a tenant who has fraudulently obtained that tenancy. We have called these ‘notional outcome estimates’ in our report. • The value of any future losses that may have been incurred without intervention as a result of an NFI match. For example, the value of future overpayments prevented through detecting and stopping a fraudulent or erroneous housing benefit claim. We have called these ‘forward savings’ in our report. Most NFI datasets have a methodology to calculate estimated outcomes. These methodologies account for: • data relevant to the fraud problem, including national published data and data from previous NFI cases • the policy context relative to the fraud problem • any regional variances that may result in the generation of estimate methodologies specific to a region or area • alignment where possible with relevant estimated savings methodologies used in other central government departments. All methodologies are reviewed prior to the start of each new NFI exercise. Any changes are reviewed by the Cabinet Office NFI Governance Board and approved by the Cabinet Office Fraud Prevention Panel. This panel consists of cross government counter fraud experts (including representatives from DWP, HMRC, NHS, MOD, BEIS, DFID, NAO, etc.) who review and challenge, where necessary, methodologies for calculating the estimated value of fraud prevention initiatives across government departments. 193
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Appendix 27 Once approved, these methodologies are built into the NFI web application to enable the estimated outcomes element to be automatically generated. A summary of the outcomes methodology calculations applied to NFI datasets is set out in the following table: Data match Basis of calculation of forward savings and estimated outcomes Council tax single person discount Forward savings – Annual value of the discount cancelled multiplied by two years. Council tax reduction scheme Forward savings – Weekly change in council tax discount multiplied by 33 weeks (increased from 21 weeks in 2020/21). Housing benefit Forward savings – Weekly benefit reduction multiplied by 21 weeks. Pensions Forward savings – Annual pension multiplied by the number of years until the pensioner would have reached the age of 85. Housing Tenancy Notional outcomes – £78,300 per property recovered, based on average four–year fraudulent tenancy. Includes: temporary accommodation for genuine applicants; legal costs to recover property; re–let cost; and rent foregone during the void period between tenancies (reduced from £93,000 in 2020/21). Housing waiting lists Notional outcomes – £4,283 for each case based on the annual estimated cost of housing a family in temporary accommodation, the duration a fraud may continue undetected and the likelihood a waiting list applicant would be provided a property (increased from £3,240 in 2020/21). Blue Badges Notional outcomes – Number of badge holders confirmed as having died multiplied by £650 to reflect lost parking and congestion charge revenue (increased from £575 in 2020/21). Concessionary bus travel Forward savings – Number of bus passes used fraudulently multiplied by £420. Based on average fraudulent use and reflecting two years forward use. Payroll Notional outcomes – £5,685 for each employee dismissed or resigns as a result of NFI matching. (up from £5000 in 2020/21). 194
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The National Fraud Initiative in Scotland 2024 Audit Scotland, 4th Floor, 102 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DN Phone: 0131 625 1500 Email: info@audit.scot www.audit.scot ISBN 978 1 915839 46 6 195
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Internal Audit Annual Update Report – North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) Purpose: To inform the Committee of the IJB’s annual report for 2023/24 and the approved internal audit plan for 2024/25. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the IJB annual report and approved internal audit plan. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Section 21.7 of the North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board’s Financial Regulations states: “The Integration Joint Board Chief Internal Auditor will submit an annual audit report of the Internal Audit function to the Chief Officer and the Performance and Audit Committee indicating the extent of audit cover achieved and providing a summary of audit activity during the year. As a minimum the annual audit report and Chief Internal Auditor’s opinion will also be reported to the Audit Committees of the NHS Ayrshire & Arran Board and North Ayrshire Council”. 1.2 The remit of the IJB’s Performance and Audit Committee (PAC) includes the review of the overall internal control arrangements of NAIJB. The IJB annual report for 2023/24 and the proposed internal audit plan for 2024/25 were provided to the PAC on 30 August 2024. 1.3 The annual report and audit plan will also be provided for information to the Audit and Risk Committee of NHS Ayrshire and Arran on 18 November 2024. 2. Background Annual Report 2023/24 2.1 The 2023/24 IJB internal audit plan was approved by the PAC in June 2023 and included a review of the IJB’s workforce planning arrangements. This audit has been finalised and the findings were reported to the committee in March 2024. Overall, substantial assurance was obtained with regard the details presented within the IJB Workforce Plan. However, it was acknowledged that the ability to deliver is dependent on several factors, not all of which are within the control of the HSCP. Agenda Item 10 197
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2.2 The opinion on the control environment of the IJB is also influenced by the audit findings relating to the key systems of North Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran and by relevant audit work within service areas that are part of the Health and Social Care Partnership. The annual report on audit work within North Ayrshire Council was presented to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of the Council on 30 May 2024. The annual report for NHS Ayrshire and Arran was presented to the Audit and Risk Committee of the NHS on 16 May 2024. 2.3 Based on the audit work carried out in the IJB and relevant work carried out in the parent bodies, my opinion is that reasonable assurance can continue to be placed on the adequacy and effectiveness of the IJB’s systems of governance, risk and internal control. Internal Audit Plan 2024/25 2.4 The internal audit plan for 2024/25 was approved by the PAC on 30 August 2024. The IJB has its own audit plan which includes 25 days drawn from the Internal Audit service of North Ayrshire Council – 15 days being utilised to carry out the approved audit assignment for the year. 2.6 A further 10 days have been set aside to fulfil the IJB Chief Internal Auditor role; this will include preparing reports for the IJB, attending meetings and providing training and support to members of the IJB Performance and Audit Committee. 2.7 It was agreed that the 15 days will focus on the IJB’s transformation programme given the refreshed focus of the transformation plan for the next three years. 2.8 NHS Ayrshire and Arran (NHSAAA) has contracted out the delivery of Internal Audit services to Azets. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee notes the North Ayrshire Integration Joint Board annual report for 2023/24 and the approved internal audit plan for 2024/25. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. 198
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Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The work of Internal Audit helps to support the efficient delivery of the IJB’s strategic priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 In preparing the draft IJB audit plan, consultation has taken place with the Director and the Chief Finance and Transformation Officer of the North Ayrshire IJB and with the internal auditors of the East and South Ayrshire Integration Joint Boards. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk & Insurance), on 01294 324607. Background Papers None. 199
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Internal Audit Plan 2024/25: Mid-year Update Purpose: To provide an update on progress made in delivering the 2024/25 Internal Audit Plan. Recommendation: That the Committee (a) notes the current position with the 2024/25 internal audit plan, (b) approves the inclusion of seven additional audit review in 2024/25, and (c) approves the deletion or deferral of two audits for consideration as part of the 2025/26 internal audit plan. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The current Internal Audit Plan for 2024/25 was approved by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee in March 2024. The plan sets out the areas of work which Internal Audit intends to cover during the year. 1.2 The Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) recognise that it is good practice to regularly review and adjust the plan, as necessary, in response to changes in the organisation’s business, risks, operations, programmes, systems and controls. 1.3 Some amendments are proposed to the internal audit plan for 2024/25 and these are detailed within this report and Appendices B and C. 2. Background 2.1 Appendix A to this report is the approved audit plan for 2024/25. For each audit additional information has been provided to show the actual activity to 30 September 2024. 2.2 In line with good practice, the plan should be reviewed during the year in light of experience gained from audit work carried out, emerging risks to the Council and the changing environment in which audit work is carried out. 2.3 With Committee approval, the following audits will be deleted or deferred for consideration as part of the 2025/26 plan (Appendix B): • Agency Staff and Workers – Originally intended for Q2 of 2024, this audit was planned to review the Council’s compliance with IR35 procedures. However following consultation with People and ICT, and in order to prioritise audit resources, Agenda Item 11 201
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it is proposed that this audit is delayed until the new financial year, so that key risk areas around payroll and ICT can audited within the current financial year. • Community Associations – This audit was included in the long list of audits agreed by the Committee in March 2024, however work in this area was brought forward and completed as part of the 23/24 audit plan. 2.4 Using a risk-based approach and in consultation with Chief Officers in each of the Council’s directorates, seven additions to the audit plan, for completion during Q3 & Q4, are noted in Appendix C. These have been selected from the rolling long list of audits that were presented to the committee in March 2024. An updated copy of the rolling long list of audits is in included at Appendix D and future audits will be drawn down from this where capacity allows. 2.5 It should be noted that the first two quarters have been challenging due various factors, including staff turnover, sickness absence within the team and a higher-than-normal volume of unplanned audit investigations. Any further amendments to the audit plan will need to be considered within the context of available resources. 2.6 A further progress update, along with any proposed audit plan amendments will be brought to the committee for consideration in January 2025. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee: (a) notes the current position with the 2024/25 internal audit plan, as specified in Appendix A, (b) approves the deletion or deferral of two audit for consideration as part of the 2025/26 internal audit plan, and, (c) approves the inclusion of the seven additional audit reviews noted in Appendix C in 2024/25. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. 202
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Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The work of Internal Audit helps to support the efficient delivery of the strategic priorities within the Council Plan 2023-2028 Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 The relevant Services are consulted on Internal Audit findings during each audit assignment. Services have also been consulted on the proposed changes to the internal audit plan. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk and Insurance, on 01294 324607. Background Papers None. 203
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Internal Audit Plan 2024/25 Quarters 1 & 2 Appendix A Audit Area to Deliver in Plan Directorate / Service Planned Quarter Priority Link to Council Plan Link to Risk Registers Progress to Date Transformation and Change Management Corporate Q1 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk Fieldwork Ongoing ICT - Environmental and Physical Security People & ICT Q1 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk Fieldwork Ongoing ICT - Access Control People & ICT Q1 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk To Start Aids & Adaptations HSCP Q1 B Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk To Start Pupil Equity Funding Education Q1 A Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk Fieldwork Ongoing Accounts Payable Transaction Testing Finance Q1/Q2 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities N/A Fieldwork Ongoing ICT - Information Security Management People & ICT Q2 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk To Start Locality Planning Communities & Housing Q2 B Communities and Local Democracy – we will have active, inclusive and resilient communities Operational Risk To Start Community Care store HSCP Q2 A Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people N/A To Start Agency Staff & Workers People & ICT Q2 A N/A N/A Proposed deferral to 25/26 – See Appendix B Child Protection HSCP Q2 A Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk To Start Tenants & Residents Associations Communities & Housing Ongoing D Communities and Local Democracy – we will have active, inclusive and resilient communities N/A Complete Consultancy - Sustainability & Climate Change Place Ongoing A Climate Change – achieving net-zero by 2030 Strategic Risk Ad Hoc Consultancy - Waste Review Place Ongoing B Climate Change – achieving net-zero by 2030 N/A Ad Hoc 204
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Proposed Deletions / Deferrals from the Audit Plan Appendix B Audit Area to Deliver in Plan Directorate / Service Planned Quarter Priority Summary Explanation Agency Staff & Workers People & ICT Q2 A Originally intended for Q2 of 2024, this audit was planned to review the Council’s compliance with IR35 procedures. However following consultation with People and ICT, and in order to prioritise audit resources, it is proposed that this audit is delayed until the new financial year, so that key risk areas around payroll and ICT can audited within the current financial year. It is proposed that this will now be considered for inclusion as part of the 25/26 audit plan. Community Associations Communities & Housing N/A B This audit was included in the long list of audits agreed by the Committee in March 2024, however work in this area was brought forward and completed as part of the 23/24 audit plan. Propose the removal of this audit from the current rolling long list but will be considered for future audit plans, following a risk assessment. Additions to the Internal Audit Plan 2024/25 for Quarters 3 & 4 Appendix C Audit Area to Deliver in Plan Directorate/Service Planned Quarter Priority Link to Council Plan Link to Risk Registers Income Collection Finance Q4 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities N/A Procurement Finance Q4 B A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities N/A Payroll Transaction Testing People & ICT Q3 A N/A N/A ICT Asset Management People & ICT Q4 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk IJB - Transformation HSCP Q3 A N/A N/A Homelessness Communities & Housing Q4 A Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk Ayrshire Growth Deal Place Q4 A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Operational Risk 205
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Rolling Internal Audit Plan Appendix D These reviews will form part of the rolling plan for future audits. The plan will continue to be adjusted as the year progresses to reflect current organisational risks and issues. Ongoing risk assessments will be undertaken to determine the priority areas to include in the plan. Potential Future Audit Areas Directorate/Service Priority Link to Council Plan Link to Risk Registers Corporate Performance All B All N/A Advisory - Equalities Democratic B N/A Strategic Risk Freedom of Information Democratic B A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Corporate Risk and Operational Risk Subject Access Requests Democratic B A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Corporate Risk and Operational Risk Capital Monitoring Finance B A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Strategic Risk Health & Safety Finance C N/A N/A Absence Management People & ICT A N/A N/A Agency Staff & Workers People & ICT A N/A N/A Fuel Controls Place B N/A N/A Overtime Controls in Streetscene Place B Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk Flood Programme Place C Climate Change – achieving net-zero by 2030 Strategic Risk and Operational Risk Advisory - Decriminalised Parking Arrangements Place C N/A N/A Shared Prosperity Fund Place C Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk Waste Operations – Absence & Overtime Controls Place A A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities Operational Risk Community Based Support - Young People HSCP B Communities and Local Democracy – we will have active, inclusive and resilient communities Operational Risk Care Homes - sustainability HSCP B Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people Operational Risk Financial Assessments - non- residential HSCP C Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people N/A Overtime controls in HSCP HSCP B N/A N/A Social Care Establishments HSCP C Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people N/A Stores Controls Communities & Housing C N/A N/A Community Associations Communities & Housing B Communities and Local Democracy – we will have active, inclusive and resilient communities Operational Risk 206
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Corporate Fraud Team update report Purpose: To provide the Audit and Scrutiny Committee with an update report on the work of the Corporate Fraud Team between April and September 2024. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the work carried out by the Corporate Fraud Team. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Corporate Fraud Team provides the Council with the capacity to investigate fraud both within and against the organisation. 1.2 Committee receives bi-annual updates on the work of the team. This report provides an overview of the activity of the team between April and September 2024. 2. Background Referrals 2.1 Referrals for investigation have been made to the team from a number of different sources, including Revenues and Benefits and Housing, members of the public and other agencies and local authorities. The publicity used by the team, including posters and leaflets, advertising on Council vans and contact information on the Council website, continues to be successful in generating a stream of referrals. 2.2 Investigations have been carried out across a range of areas including employee- related matters as well as Council Tax, Discretionary Housing Payments, Scottish Welfare Fund, Blue Badges and Housing tenancy issues. Although responsibility for investigating Housing Benefit fraud now lies with the DWP Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS), issues may be identified by the Corporate Fraud Team which can result in changes being made to benefits in payment. Joint working arrangements are in place with the DWP for cases where there are suspected frauds relating to both DWP benefits and Council Tax Reduction. 2.3 The team investigates all tenancy abandonments which are referred by Housing. While Housing focus on recovering the tenancy, the Corporate Fraud Team can add value by locating the missing tenant, which can often lead to changes to benefits or Agenda Item 12 207
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discounts in payment elsewhere, as well as enabling Housing to recover costs associated with house clearances and cleaning. 2.4 Employee-related investigations are the subject of a separate report to the appropriate Service and the findings are also reported to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee as each investigation is finalised. Financial outcomes for April to September 2024 2.5 The team received 162 referrals for investigation during the first half of 2024/25 (2023/24: 181 referrals). Analysis of these referrals shows that 109 referrals were received from internal sources, and 53 from external sources. 2.6 The team investigates 100% of referrals made. During the period, 191 cases were closed (2023/24: 193 cases). These can be categorised as follows: Category Number of Cases Closed with no issues identified 88 Referred to another agency (including SFIS) or Council Service for investigation 48 Closed with results achieved (fraud, error or other recovery/action) 55 TOTAL 191 2.7 Fraud and error totalling £0.037m were identified and are categorised in the table below: Category Value (£000) Housing Benefit 0 Council Tax (including CTR, Single Person Discount and other recoveries) 24 Housing 4 Other (including employee investigations) 9 TOTAL 37 Non-financial outcomes for April to September 2024 2.8 In addition to the financial outcomes noted above, other outcomes/benefits were noted as follows: • Thirty tenancies were recovered by Housing with some assistance from the Corporate Fraud Team; • Nine warning letters were issued for blue badge misuse, with a further badge being recovered for misuse. • Three employee investigations have been undertaken which have resulted in reports with actions and of those, two included conduct / disciplinary issues. • Six corrections and updates to records have been made to ensure record keeping is up to date. 208
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International Fraud Awareness Week 2.9 International Fraud Awareness Week (IFAW) takes place from 17 – 23 November 2024. This year awareness will be through the promotion and sharing of fraud related social media posts, from across the UK public sector. National Fraud Initiative (NFI) 2.10 The NFI is a long-established exercise which takes place across the UK every two years and involves the matching of relevant datasets across public bodies to identify possible fraud or error for further investigation. 2.11 The Corporate Fraud Team coordinates the exercise for the Council and the 2024/25 National Exercise is now underway. Data sets for the exercise require to be submitted to the Cabinet Office between 1st and 25th October. When all data sets are received they will be quality checked, matched and reports containing matches will be released to participating organisations for investigation. It is expected that match reports will start being released in December 2024. The investigation of match reports is carried out by relevant Services, co-ordinated by the Key Contact, and participants will have until 31st March 2026 to complete this piece of work. 2.12 Progress updates will be provided at future Audit and Scrutiny Committee meetings, with the final outcomes being reported by Audit Scotland in Summer 2026. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee notes the work carried out by the Corporate Fraud Team. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. 209
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Key Priorities 4.6 The work of the Corporate Fraud Team helps to support the efficient delivery of the strategic priorities within the Council Plan 2023-2028. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 No consultation has been required in the preparation of this report. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk & Insurance), on 01294 324607. Background Papers None 210
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Internal Audit Reports issued Purpose: To inform the Committee of the findings of Internal Audit work completed between August and September 2024. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the outcomes from the Internal Audit work completed. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Council's local Code of Corporate Governance requires effective arrangements to be put in place for the objective review of risk management and internal control. Internal Audit is an important element in this framework as it reviews internal controls and offers Elected Members and officers an objective and independent appraisal of how effectively resources are being managed. 1.2 The remit of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee includes the monitoring of Internal Audit activity. The submission of regular reports assists the Committee in fulfilling this remit. 2. Background 2.1 This report provides information on Internal Audit work completed between August and September 2024. Internal control reviews have been completed in respect of the areas detailed in Appendix 1 to this report. The aim of these reviews is to provide assurance that the internal control framework within the areas examined is appropriate and operating effectively. 2.2 The findings from each audit assignment have been notified in writing to the Chief Executive, the Section 95 Officer and the relevant Executive Director and Head of Service on the completion of each assignment. Where appropriate, this has included an action plan with recommendations for improving internal control. Appendix 1 includes the report and action plan from each audit. 2.3 The findings from 3 separate audit assignments are detailed at Appendix 1 to this report and the levels of assurance for each are noted in the table below: Agenda Item 13 211
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Audit Title Assurance Level Leavers and Movers Limited Property Asset Management Reasonable Housing Rent Arrears Substantial 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee notes the outcomes from the Internal Audit work completed between August and September 2024. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The work of Internal Audit helps to support the efficient delivery of the strategic priorities within Our Council Plan 2023-2028. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 The relevant Services are consulted on Internal Audit findings during each audit assignment. 212
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk & Insurance), on 01294 324607. Background Papers None. 213
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT LEAVERS AND MOVERS PROCESS IN EDUCATION Assurance Level: Limited Version: Final Date: 21st August 2024 Author: Yvonne Trundle File Ref: 2024-PA-003 Classification: Public 214
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 2 2.1 LEAVERS AND MOVERS PROCESS IN EDUCATION Background The audit reviewed the controls around employees in Education who move jobs within the Council as well as employees who leave the Council, with a particular focus on access to personal and sensitive information. The audit focussed on the IT process but it incorporated the HR process to ensure the process is clear for Head Teachers. A similar audit was carried out on the Corporate network and the final report was issued in June 2022. This audit was restricted to the 9 secondary schools as each secondary school has an ICT Technician who is responsible for the new start and leaver process in active directory which allows users access to the resources on the Education network drives. Primary schools and Lockhart are supported via corporate ICT Technicians. There are a number of different types of users that need network access and potentially need access to the IT systems used in the schools. There are employees with permanent, temporary or casual contracts. Employees with casual contracts are supply staff that could be in a school for a varied length of time (e.g. a day, a week, a month, up to a maximum of 12 weeks) and often no prior notice is given for such employees starting. There are employees that work in a school, but as per the position details on the Payroll system are located to a central location rather than a specific school. Examples of such employees are Active Schools Coordinators, Library staff, School Counsellors, Music Instructors etc. There are users that are not employees, for example, Campus Police Officers, Careers Officers, School Nurses and Student Teachers. There are a number of IT systems used in the schools. This audit included a review of users with access to SEEMIS which is an Education Management Information System offering a range of modules to support pupil and staff record management and an app called Xpressions which is used to send communication to parents. In addition, key staff in each school have an Outlook account for sending personal and sensitive data. All employees have a work record within SEEMIS and if they need access to the SEEMIS system, they are also given a user profile. When an employee leaves the school, the work record is closed, and the access is removed. If an employee moves within the school, the access may need to be amended. The Service advised that a census exercise was carried out just prior to the audit which resulted in the SEEMIS users being reviewed and updated in line with current staff. This exercise highlighted issues with SEEMIS not being timeously updated when a user leaves. The findings carried out on SEEMIS users as part of this audit reflects this exercise. Objectives and Scope The main objectives of this audit were to ensure that: • Appropriate policies and procedures are in place covering the process for removing IT access for leavers and amending IT access for movers. • Network access has been deactivated or amended in a timely manner for leavers and movers. 215
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION • System access has been deactivated or amended in a timely manner for leavers and movers. • Processes are in place to remove or amend access to Corporate Office 365 for leavers and movers and there are proper controls in place over shared mailboxes. 2.2 The scope of the audit covered the controls in relation to the Education network only. The audit focussed on secondary school staff only and excluded pupils. 3 Findings Leavers and Movers Process for Network Access 3.1 Each of the ICT Technicians were contacted to ask how they are notified that a staff member is leaving. This highlighted that there is an informal process in place with some being notified by email or word of mouth. Most are notified by the Education Business Officer (EBO). There is no documented formal process of how the ICT Technicians should be informed a member of staff is leaving to allow the Active Directory (AD) account to be deleted. (action a) 3.2 The auditor tested the ICT Guidance Leavers Procedure that was implemented as part of a previous internal audit. This test highlighted that 6 out of 9 ICT Technicians provided the sample of leavers forms. However, in 2 cases the leavers forms were either completed and/or approved by the Head Teacher retrospectively. In another case the leavers forms did not record the leaving date or record when the AD account was deleted. One of the ICT Technicians had not previously completed the leavers form but will now start using them. The other 2 ICT Technicians did not reply or provide the requested information due to being on sick leave. (action b) 3.3 IT Services are planning to replicate the Corporate automated movers and leavers process in Education. If the ICT Technician is not notified of a leaver or mover, the automated process will ensure the AD account is deleted when an employee leaves or amended if an employee moves. In order for this to work, the new start process needs to capture mandatory information including employee number and email address. IT Services carried out a cleansing exercise to ensure missing employee numbers for historic users was captured. IT services developed an AD user creation tool to be used by the ICT Technicians when adding a new start to AD. In January 2024 and after discussions with the ICT Technicians, the Technology Officer requested the ICT Technicians use this tool to ensure the employee number is captured at the AD account creation stage. In June 2024, the Technology Officer advised not all ICT Technicians are using the new user creation tool resulting in accounts being created manually that are missing the employee number. IT Services have drafted an email that will be issued by the Senior Manager to advise the ICT Technicians that it is mandatory to use this app. The ICT Technicians advised one of the issues with using the new app is that they are not always notified in advance of a new start and are not always provided with the employee number and email address. This was discussed with the Service as there is no formal process in place to ensure the ICT Technician is notified of a new start in advance and to ensure the mandatory information is provided to allow the AD user creation tool to be used. (action c) 216
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION 3.4 There were 1,114 active AD users on a report provided by IT Services which were matched to the Payroll system. This test identified 34 leavers. IT Services were contacting the ICT Technicians to clean up AD at the time of writing. 3.5 The data match identified 28 generic AD accounts that should be reviewed and removed if no longer needed. (action d) 3.6 The data match identified 24 AD accounts that were passed to IT Services as the employee number on AD has been recorded incorrectly, to allow the correct employee number to be recorded. 3.7 There were 49 leavers from secondary schools as per the Payroll system report from April 2023 to November 2024 and 4 of them were overpaid by 2 weeks but this has been identified and rectified by the Payroll team. 3.8 There were 20 secondary school staff members that moved within Education between March and September 2023 as per the IT movers and leavers report. A sample of 5 were selected to check the movers AD access had been amended and there were no findings to report. 3.9 There were 3 secondary school staff members that moved from Education to Corporate between March and September 2023, as per the IT movers and leavers report, and 1 of them still had AD access in the school they previously worked in but this has been deleted by the relevant ICT Technician. 3.10 There have been discussions with IT and Education regarding how the AD access for supply staff should be controlled. Further discussion is required to agree the best approach for removing this access, giving consideration to time spent adding and removing such users as well as ensuring access is not retained for longer than necessary. Leavers and Movers Process for System Access 3.11 Each of the EBOs were contacted about the leavers process for the SEEMIS system and all of them confirmed they will close the work records and remove the access for leavers. The majority are informed by the Head Teacher but some did not specify who informs them. Some also receive the resignation letters and are involved in the recruitment process for the leaver’s replacement. Some advised the leavers are confirmed via email or verbally. There is no formal documented process in place for the leavers process to ensure work records are closed and access is removed. (action e) 3.12 Each of the EBOs were contacted about the movers process for the SEEMIS system and all confirmed once they are informed of a change in post, they would amend the SEEMIS access, where necessary. Only four of the schools advised they are involved in the recruitment process, which is how they are informed of movers and 1 advised they are usually informed via email or in person. There is no formal documented process in place for the movers process to ensure access is appropriate for the new job role, particularly when a promoted post ends and additional access should be removed. (action f) 3.13 Each of the EBOs were contacted to ask if they carry out periodic reviews of SEEMIS users. Only 1 school confirmed they did not carry out such a review and the other responses varied from once a year to every 8 weeks. The new formal documented 217
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION process should advise that a full review should be carried out at least twice per year. (action g) 3.14 There were 1,089 SEEMIS users and a data match was carried out to the Payroll system. This data match resulted in 146 queries being passed to the EBOs to investigate and included users that could not be traced to the Payroll system, users that had left, and users with a different school location as per the Payroll system. The EBOs reviewed the queries and took appropriate action. Action taken included removing access to 21 leavers, removing access to 5 movers and changing the access profile for 9 users. This data match also identified 2 external users. 3.15 The data match identified that non-teaching staff such as Active Schools Coordinators, Library staff, School Counsellors, Music Instructors have access to SEEMIS. The data match also identified non-council employees such as Campus Cops, Careers Officers and School Nurses have access to SEEMIS. Education should review such users to decide whether these users should have access to this system or whether relevant information should be sought from pastoral/guidance staff. 3.16 The data match identified 50 duplicate usernames at the same school and 12 duplicate usernames at different schools. The EBOs reviewed the duplicate usernames and 22 work records were closed as a result of this check. There are genuine reasons why a user would need more than 1 work record including a teacher that works at different schools or have more than 1 post at the same school. 3.17 The auditor summarised the users per user profile which determines the level of access they have. There are 43 user profiles being used. The auditor selected a sample of user profiles selected to test – Counsellor, Pastoral, Principal Teacher, Office and Security. There were 307 users with the selected user profiles that were reviewed by the EBOs which resulted in action being taken to amend 21 user access profiles and to remove access for 14 users. In addition, Auchenharvie and Greenwood Academies have a high number of users with the Security and/or Office-Security user profiles. (action h) 3.18 The auditor carried out testing on Groupcall Xpressions which is used to communicate with parents and 8 out of the 9 secondary schools use this application. This testing highlighted that the number of users varies per school and ranges from 11 to 32 users. Testing identified 1 leaver and 4 movers that still had access and the relevant EBO has since removed this access. 3.19 The Groupcall Xpressions testing also identified 7 users with personal email addresses set up and 1 user with a generic school email address set up. The relevant EBOs agreed to amend the email addresses to their Glow email account. Shared Mailboxes 3.20 The auditor discussed the use of shared mailboxes and in the school they are set up via Glow. Each school has a general shared school email account that parents can use to contact the school. Access to these accounts is via a shared login and password. (action i) 3.21 The schools have other shared mailboxes set up via Glow that are controlled via distribution lists so if a user is added to the distribution list, they will receive that email via their own email login and password so shared logins and passwords are not being used. 218
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION 4 Internal Audit Opinion 4.1 Overall, limited assurance was obtained with regard to the leavers and movers process in Education. There are no formal documented processes in place for the removal of leavers from the IT systems reviewed as part of this audit or for the amendment of IT access for movers. Although there is a documented leavers process for AD, this was not always being followed by all ICT Technicians. 4.2 It is vital that the new start application developed by IT Services is used by the ICT Technicians when a new start needs to be set up with AD access and that the relevant information is provided to the ICT Technicians, preferably in advance of the start date. This will allow the automated leavers and movers process to be implemented to capture any leavers and movers not dealt with via the school leavers and movers process. Definitions of Assurance Levels: Substantial A sound system of governance, risk management and control exist, with internal controls operating effectively and being consistently applied to support the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Reasonable There is a generally sound system of governance, risk management and control in place. Some issues, non-compliance or scope for improvement were identified which may put at risk the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Limited Significant gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance were identified. Improvement is required to the system of governance, risk management and control to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. None Immediate action is required to address fundamental gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance identified. The system of governance, risk management and control is inadequate to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. NB The level of assurance given is at the discretion of Internal Audit. 219
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS AND ACTION PLAN LEAVERS AND MOVERS PROCESS IN EDUCATION Action a Finding Each of the ICT Technicians were contacted to ask how they are notified that a staff member is leaving. This highlighted that there is an informal process in place with some being notified by email or word of mouth. Most are notified by the Education Business Officer (EBO). There is no documented formal process of how the ICT Technicians should be informed a member of staff is leaving to allow the Active Directory (AD) account to be deleted. Action Description A formal procedure document should be prepared documenting how the ICT Technicians are notified of leavers to allow the AD account to be deleted on a timely basis and all relevant staff should be notified of the new process to ensure it is followed. Risk Leavers continue to have IT access. Priority (1, 2, 3) 1 Paragraph Reference 3.1 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been instructed to develop a procedure that will be consistent across all secondary schools to be implemented for the new session. Action b Finding The auditor tested the ICT Guidance Leavers Procedure that was implemented as part of a previous internal audit. This test highlighted that 6 out of 9 ICT Technicians provided the sample of leavers forms. However, in 2 cases the leavers forms were either completed and/or approved by the Head Teacher retrospectively. In another case the leavers forms do not record the leaving date or record when the AD account was deleted. One of ICT technicians has not previously completed the leavers form but will now start using them. The other 2 ICT Technicians did not reply or provide the requested information due to being off sick. Action Description The ICT Technicians should be reminded to follow the ICT Guidance Leavers Procedure and to ensure all relevant information is captured and recorded. Risk Leavers continue to have IT access. IT access is withdrawn at the wrong date or from the wrong person causing operational issues and additional work. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.2 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Stewart Reid, ICT Coordinator Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment A communication will be issued reminding ICT Technicians to follow the ICT Guidance Leavers Procedure and to ensure all relevant information is captured and recorded. 220
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Action c Finding There is no formal process in place to ensure the ICT Technician is notified of a new start in advance and to ensure the mandatory information is provided to allow the AD user creation tool to be used. Action Description A formal process should be introduced to ensure the ICT Technicians are notified on a timely basis of all new starts to allow the AD user creation tool to be used which will ensure the mandatory information is captured at onboarding stage. Risk The AD user creation tool cannot be used to set up a new user, therefore the automated movers and leavers process cannot be used for that user. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.3 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been instructed to develop a procedure that will be consistent across all secondary schools to be implemented for the new session. Action d Finding The data match identified 28 generic AD accounts. Action Description The generic AD accounts should be reviewed and deleted where appropriate. Risk Unnecessary generic accounts could be used for unauthorised access; there is lack of accountability for user actions; there is an inability to detect who has carried out fraudulent actions. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.5 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs will be instructed to review and delete, where appropriate, all generic AD accounts for the new session. Action e Finding Each of the EBOs were contacted about the leavers process for the SEEMIS system and all of them confirmed they will close the work records and remove the access for leavers. The majority are informed by the Head Teacher and a couple did not specify who informs them. Some also receive the resignation letters and are involved in the recruitment process for the leavers replacement. Some advised the leavers are confirmed via email or verbally. Action Description A formal documented procedure should be introduced for the leavers process to cover how EBOs are notified of leavers to ensure the work record is closed and access is removed in a timely manner. Risk User access and work records are not updated promptly. Priority (1, 2, 3) 1 221
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Paragraph Reference 3.11 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been instructed to develop a procedure that will be consistent across all secondary schools to be implemented for the new session. Action f Finding Each of the EBOs were contacted about the movers process for the SEEMIS system and all confirmed once they are informed of a change in post, they would amend the SEEMIS access, where necessary. Only four of the schools advised they are involved in the recruitment process which is how they are informed of movers and 1 advised they are usually informed via email or in person. Action Description A formal documented procedure should be introduced for the movers process to cover how EBOs are notified of movers to ensure access is amended in a timely manner, particularly when a promoted post ends and additional access should be removed. Risk Access is not appropriate for the new job role; user retains additional access no longer required. Priority (1, 2, 3) 1 Paragraph Reference 3.12 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been instructed to develop a procedure that will be consistent across all secondary schools to be implemented for the new session. Action g Finding Each of the EBOs were contacted to ask if they carry out periodic reviews of SEEMIS users. Only 1 school confirmed they did not carry out such a review and the other responses varied from once a year to every 8 weeks. Action Description The new formal documented process should advise that a full review should be carried out at least twice per year. Risk Movers or leavers have inappropriate access to SEEMIS. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.13 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been instructed to develop a procedure that will be consistent across all secondary schools to be implemented for the new session. 222
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Action h Finding Auchenharvie and Greenwood Academies have a high number of users with the Security and/or Office-Security user profiles. Action Description Auchenharvie and Greenwood Academies should review the number of users with Security and/or Office-Security user profiles to ensure this is restricted to a small number of key staff. Risk Users have inappropriate access to sensitive data or to make changes. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.16 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Carlyn Jamison (Education Business Officer, Auchenharvie and Lynne Murdoch (Education Business Officer, Greenwood) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment The EBOs at Auchenharvie and Greenwood Academies have been instructed to review the number of users with Security and/or Office-Security user profiles to ensure this is restricted to a small number of key staff. Action i Finding The auditor discussed the use of shared mailboxes and in the school they are set up via Glow. Each school has a general shared school email account that parents can use to contact the school. Access to these accounts is via a shared login and password. Action Description Education should investigate amending access to the schools’ shared mailboxes so that users are not sharing a login and password. Individual logins and passwords should be used. Risk Leavers or movers continue to have access to shared mailboxes Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.19 Managed by Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education) Assigned to Lynn Taylor, Senior Manager (Resources & Infrastructure) Due Date 31 August 2024 Management Comment EBOs have been asked to investigate amending access to the schools’ shared mailboxes so that users are not sharing a login and password. Individual logins and passwords should be used. Priority Key used in Action Plan 1 (High) Control weakness where there is a material impact on the achievement of the control objectives, generally requiring prompt attention. 2 (Medium) Control weakness which needs to be rectified, but where there is no material impact on the achievement of the control objectives. 3 (Low) Minor weakness or points for improvement. 223
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT PROPERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT Assurance Level: Reasonable Version: Final Date: 10th September 2024 Author: Gordon Swinburne File Ref: 2024-PA-016 Classification: Public 224
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION PROPERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT 1 Background 1.1 Property Management and Investment (PMI) manage the Council’s asset portfolio. 1.2 Scottish councils are required to maintain transparency regarding their assets. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 mandates that local authorities must provide information about their land and buildings upon request. Additionally, following the 2007 Asset Management Review, all Scottish Government organisations are required to lodge an Asset Management Plan (AMP) with Facilities and Estates Services (FES). These plans should outline the organisation’s office requirements and aspirations over a 10-year period. 1.3 The Scottish Public Finance Manual, published by the Scottish Government, stipulates that asset registers are a crucial part of financial management systems and must meet the accounting requirements of the HM Treasury Government Financial Reporting Manual. This ensures that there is a clear record of all assets, which is accessible for audit and public scrutiny. 2 Objectives and Scope 2.1 The objective of this audit was to assess the process surrounding the management of property assets to ensure: • an appropriate control strategy is clearly defined by the Council which is approved and supported by appropriate staffing and budgets • that all assets are recorded and maintenance planning is centrally recorded and monitored • maintenance of properties maximises lifespan of property assets • asset disposal achieves maximum value of property 3 Findings CONTROLS 3.1 Asset management policy documents are current. The Property Asset Management Plan (PAMP) 2023 to 2028 is the key public policy document relating to assets. 3.2 The Computer Aided Facility Management Tribal K2 system records assets. This system is currently being replaced. 3.3 The Service risk register identifies several risks including maintenance compliance, staffing capability, failure to rationalise assets creating a drain on budgets and lack of investment in asset management. To support the management in mitigating these risks, the service uses a monthly budgeting report, using real time financial information to measure all related property running costs. 3.4 The service reports that it hasn’t had a high turnover of staff which supports a more efficient and consistent approach to maintenance and management of assets. 225
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION ASSET RECORDS 3.5 Complementing the PAMP property list, 3 other asset lists were obtained during the course of the audit. Property services provided a Property Inspection Schedule/Asset list. Another copy of the Asset Register was obtained online, and the risk management team provided their asset insurance spreadsheet. Cross referencing the data between all 4 was difficult due to different referencing to index the assets. (Action a) 3.6 The PAMP identified 523 property assets by their Uniclass categorisation. These categories including historic buildings, offices, educational resources, care, cemeteries, commercial sports and traveller sites, public conveniences, 7 of which are Common Good assets. Housing assets are not included in this list. 3.7 Cross referencing the Insurance Assets Uniclass categorisation index there was a considerable difference in assets listed on both registers. A further 8 assets were identified on the Insurance index that were not listed on the PAMP, 1 of which was a Common Good asset. (Action b) 3.8 The property maintenance asset register identified 1,121 properties not including housing stock. 3.9 The insurance register is more comprehensive and in addition to the maintenance register and the PAMP also covers 13,347 housing properties. Cross referencing the information, gaps were identified. 3.10 Each property on the register should be referenced with a variety of unique identifiers. The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) is assigned to every address in Scotland was missing from the registers reviewed. Additional information including geographical northing and eastings settings was incomplete. The service maintenance and asset register had incomplete property index references assigned to assets. MAINTENANCE PLANNING 3.11 Maintenance is tracked on an Excel spreadsheet. Following the COVID period, there is a backlog on completing property inspection schedules. Last inspection dates on the register were incomplete for 861 properties, therefore maintenance compliance cannot be determined from the information provided. (Action c) 3.12 The service manages a range of property performance management risks, including environmental challenges, upgrading and replacing current building stock and plant, and identifying the need to use external consultants. ASSET DISPOSAL 3.13 Properties for sale are advertised on the internet. At the time of the audit, 2 properties were for sale and a further 3 development sites were advertised of which 2 were under offer. 3.14 There were 78 properties identified as surplus. These did not include properties identified in the recent office rationalisation review undertaken by the Council. 226
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION 3.15 Independent third-party overview relating to the disposal of assets is provided by Legal Services. 4 Internal Audit Opinion 4.1 Overall, reasonable assurance was obtained with regard to property asset management with improvements required to the administration supporting maintenance planning. 4.2 Prior to moving to the replacement IT system, all existing records are required to be updated in order for the service to obtain maximum value and usage of the assets and identify cost effective mitigation of older and failing equipment rendering the asset unusable. Definitions of Assurance Levels: Substantial A sound system of governance, risk management and control exist, with internal controls operating effectively and being consistently applied to support the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Reasonable There is a generally sound system of governance, risk management and control in place. Some issues, non-compliance or scope for improvement were identified which may put at risk the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Limited Significant gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance were identified. Improvement is required to the system of governance, risk management and control to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. None Immediate action is required to address fundamental gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance identified. The system of governance, risk management and control is inadequate to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. NB The level of assurance given is at the discretion of Internal Audit. 227
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS AND ACTION PLAN PROPERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT Action a Finding Inconsistent refencing of data is used within different registers. Action Description A consistent referencing format be adopted which allows the service to provide accurate information to all reports that it and other users require. This will also support further extension of the real time information currently provided by the PMI budget monitoring report. Risk The services using the data are unable to get accurate information which may have operational and financial impact on their budgets. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.5 Managed by Laurence Cree, Head of Service (Sustainability, Transport & Corporate Property) Assigned to David Oliver, Team Manager (Assets & Property Rationalisation) Due Date 31st March 2025 Management Comment A review of all property asset lists currently in circulation will be undertaken, which will cross-reference the data and update as required to ensure all asset registers are correct and consistent. Action b Finding Inconsistent register of assets across different reports. Action Description Prior to migration of asset data to the new IT system a data cleansing exercise should be undertaken. If resources are not available to achieve this prior to migration, a planned audit of assets should be timetabled to ensure accuracy of asset register. Risk Gaps in information will lead to inconsistent use of the data over different areas of the Council. Use of data for business information systems will be inaccurate and lead to poor decision planning. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.7, 3.10 Managed by Laurence Cree, Head of Service (Sustainability, Transport & Corporate Property) Assigned to David Oliver, Team Manager (Assets & Property Rationalisation) Due Date 31st March 2025 Management Comment As noted above in Action (a), a review of all asset registers will be completed which will include a full data cleanse exercise to ensure the information held is correct and consistent. 228
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION Action c Finding Maintenance spreadsheet highlights a high number of outstanding property inspections. Action Description Ensure if maintenance inspections have been completed, that they are recorded on the spreadsheet, if gaps remain then a prioritised regime is introduced to manage the inspection backlog. Risk Failure to maintain a regular inspection regime will impact in the identification of property issues, preventative maintenance and possible long-term loss of the use of the property. Priority (1, 2, 3) 1 Paragraph Reference 3.11 Managed by Laurence Cree, Head of Service (Sustainability, Transport & Corporate Property) Assigned to David Oliver, Team Manager (Assets & Property Rationalisation) Due Date 31st January 2025 Management Comment The Property Inspection Schedule is an in-service document which had been used to monitor all property-related maintenance activities when the document was first introduced. The processes have now evolved, including the creation of a new condition survey programme and so a lot of the information held in the document is no longer relevant or required. As part of the asset register review and data cleanse, the Property Inspection Schedule will be revised to reflect current practices and avoid reporting inaccurate information. Priority Key used in Action Plan 1 (High) Control weakness where there is a material impact on the achievement of the control objectives, generally requiring prompt attention. 2 (Medium) Control weakness which needs to be rectified, but where there is no material impact on the achievement of the control objectives. 3 (Low) Minor weakness or points for improvement. 229
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT HOUSING RENTAL ARREARS Assurance Level: Substantial Version: Final Date: 18th September 2024 Author: Gordon Swinburne File Ref: 2024-PA-015 Classification: Public 230
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION HOUSING RENTAL ARREARS 1 Background 1.1 North Ayrshire Council had 13,329 rental properties at 31st March 2024. 1.2 Failure to pay rent on a property can result in eviction from the property. During the COVID pandemic there was a moratorium on evictions, and with other cost of living increases creating cashflow issues, some clients failed to keep up with their rent payments, creating a rental backlog debt to the Council. 2 Objectives and Scope 2.1 The main objectives of the audit were to ensure that: • changes in the legal and operational environment are managed. • financial risks to the council are identified. • recovery processes are managed. • legal processes are timely. 3 Findings HOUSING ENVIRONMENT 3.1 An updated version of guidance documents relating to housing rent arrears are currently being worked on, reflecting current changes in procedure and updated screens in the Northgate system. (Action a) ACTUAL AND TRENDS 3.2 Sample testing on rent arrears was carried out for the financial year periods 2021 through to 2024. No issues were identified. 3.3 The average 2023/24 weekly rent for North Ayrshire is £82.78 compared to the Scottish average of £84.31. 3.4 Arrears in many cases had increased due to a suspension of evictions during the COVID period, aligned with cost-of-living increases; many chose to avoid paying rent to meet other costs. ARREARS RECOVERY 3.5 Rent is collected on a fortnightly basis which allows at-risk accounts to be identified early and interventions to be made. A wide range of guidance regarding rent arrears and support available is provided in various media both printed and online. 3.6 Housing officers report that contacting clients is, at times, difficult and they are currently trialing the use of texts in the Three Towns Housing Office. 231
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION LEGAL INTERVENTIONS 3.7 Legal Services are instructed by Housing Services, if no repayment plan can be agreed or adhered to, to process evictions through the Sheriff Court. Tracking information is shared between both services using a dedicated Teams group and SharePoint site. 3.8 Considerable changes in the court processes since COVID mean that these processes are now more time consuming. Cases are now submitted to the court on an individual basis whereas prior practice was paper based and allowed multiple applications to be submitted at the same time. The submitting of cases and all subsequent correspondence with the court is via email. 3.9 Value for money of the recovery process requires some cut off limits to be set. The maximum amount that a social landlord can recover through the Summary Cause Recovery of Heritable Property process is £5,000 plus expenses/outlays (if granted by the Sheriff) and any arrears under 4 weeks are not submitted for recovery via the Sheriff Court. 4 Internal Audit Opinion 4.1 Overall, substantial assurance was obtained with regard to management of rent arrears. 4.2 Cost of living costs will continue to impact on renters and early interventions to support them to maintain their homes will be important. Definitions of Assurance Levels: Substantial A sound system of governance, risk management and control exist, with internal controls operating effectively and being consistently applied to support the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Reasonable There is a generally sound system of governance, risk management and control in place. Some issues, non-compliance or scope for improvement were identified which may put at risk the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Limited Significant gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance were identified. Improvement is required to the system of governance, risk management and control to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. None Immediate action is required to address fundamental gaps, weaknesses or non-compliance identified. The system of governance, risk management and control is inadequate to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. NB The level of assurance given is at the discretion of Internal Audit. 232
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PUBLIC INFORMATION PUBLIC INFORMATION KEY FINDINGS AND ACTION PLAN HOUSING RENTAL ARREARS Action a Finding Guidance procedure documents are out of date and currently being updated. Action Description The service should ensure that updates to guidance procedure documents are completed timeously. Risk Localised practices can be established and used to train new starts thereby correct procedural processes are not followed and mitigating remedial action is delayed. Priority (1, 2, 3) 2 Paragraph Reference 3.1 Managed by Yvonne Baulk, Head of Service (Housing and Public Protection) Assigned to Craig Leitch, Area Housing Manager Due Date 31st October 2024 Management Comment The updates to the guidance procedure are in progress and will be completed by 31 October 2024. The guidance procedure will be monitored and reviewed regularly through the rent arrears working group. Priority Key used in Action Plan 1 (High) Control weakness where there is a material impact on the achievement of the control objectives, generally requiring prompt attention. 2 (Medium) Control weakness which needs to be rectified, but where there is no material impact on the achievement of the control objectives. 3 (Low) Minor weakness or points for improvement. 233
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud Action Plans: Quarter 2 update Purpose: To advise the Audit and Scrutiny Committee on the progress made by Council Services in implementing the agreed actions from Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud reports as at 30 September 2024. Recommendation: That the Committee (a) notes the current position with the implementation of Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud actions; and (b) challenges those Services that have not implemented actions within the previously agreed timescales. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The CIPFA document 'Audit Committee Principles in Local Authorities in Scotland' highlights that Audit Committees should monitor and review the progress made in implementing audit recommendations. 1.2 Service managers are responsible for ensuring that agreed actions arising from Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud reviews are implemented. This provides assurance that identified control weaknesses have been addressed and are being managed effectively. 1.3 All actions are monitored on the Pentana system and service managers are responsible for updating Pentana as they progress each action. This enables Internal Audit to monitor progress on a 'real-time' basis and address any delays in implementation. 1.4 This report details the position as at 30 September 2024. 2. Background 2.1 The last report to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee on 29 August 2024 highlighted that there were eight actions outstanding at the end of June 2024: in all eight cases the due date had not yet passed. Agenda Item 14 235
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2.2 In addition to these eight carried forward actions, there have been 24 new actions agreed, giving a total of 32 action points for review. 2.3 Services have completed 20 actions since the last report. All Council Services are required to retain evidence of work carried out in completing their actions and Internal Audit carries out 'spot-checks' on a sample of completed actions on an ongoing basis. 2.4 Of the remaining 12 actions, one had either not started or was only partially complete at 30 September 2024 and the remaining 11 actions were not due for completion until after that date. 2.5 Appendix 1 to this report provides the Committee with full details of the one action that was not completed within the agreed timescales. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee (a) notes the current position with the implementation of Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud actions; and (b) challenges those Services that have not implemented actions within the previously agreed timescales. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 The effective implementation of agreed Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud actions helps to support the efficient delivery of the strategic priorities within the Council Plan 2023-2028. 236
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Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 Council Services are consulted during the completion of each Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud review and have also provided updates on progress made in implementing action points. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk & Insurance), on 01294 324607. Background Papers None. 237
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4 Appendix 1 - Actions due by 30th September 2024 but not started or partially complete Code CFT5457B Description Action Description - A management control should be put in place to check the approved funded placements to prevent any being awarded under incorrect circumstances. Risk - No segregation of duties; Errors, incorrect awards and refusals occurring without detection; Reputational risk to the Council; Lack of control and accountability over the use of public funds. Priority 2 Latest Note The Early Years Senior Manager is undertaking work to explore the possibility of using current systems within the Council. This will be decided in the next month and if unable to use the same systems, there is a plan for an Early Years system to be put in place which ensures that there are stringent Quality Assurance checks and controls at all steps of the process. Expected completion date 30/11/24. Progress Bar Original Due Date 31-Jul-2024 Due Date 31-Jul-2024 Parent Code & Title CFT5457 Falsifying Documents To Obtain A Funded Placement For An Eligible 2 Year Old Managed By Andrew McClelland Assigned To Kathleen McCormick 238
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 31 October 2024 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Strategic Risk Register 2024/25: Mid-year Update Purpose: To provide the Audit and Scrutiny Committee with an update on the progress with actions related to the Strategic Risk Register. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the mid-year update on the 2024/25 Strategic Risk Register. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Council’s most significant risks are identified through the Strategic Risk Register, which is refreshed annually and was last approved by Cabinet in March 2024. 1.2 This report, together with Appendix 1, demonstrates progress made by the Council in mitigating against the potential impact of the strategic risks. 2. Background 2.1 The Council’s most significant risks are identified through the Strategic Risk Register, recognising the challenges facing the Council within the current financial year and demonstrating the arrangements in place for managing those risks. 2.2 The Strategic Risk Register is refreshed annually and was last approved by Cabinet in March 2024; thereafter it was reported to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee in May as this Committee has a remit for monitoring key risks. 2.3 The register is attached at Appendix 1 and provides an update on that approved by Cabinet in March. The next full refresh of the risk register will take place early in the new year, to be taken to Cabinet for approval in March 2025 and thereafter reported to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee. 2.4 Where relevant, key actions from the Council Plan have been linked to the risks and progress shown at the end of September. These actions are more strategic in nature. Some risks are managed as ‘Business as Usual’, through the appropriate operational plans within Services or through current controls. 2.5 Of the eight strategic risks presented to Cabinet in March two have increased in scoring. Inequalities has increased from 16 to 20 due to increasing risk proximity factors around Community Asset Transfer. Financial Sustainability of the Health and Social Care Partnership has also increased from 16 to 20 as a result of increasing financial pressures on the partnership. Agenda Item 15 239
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Very High Risks 2.6 There are five strategic risks classed as ‘Very High’ (scoring 17-25): Financial Environment (risk score 20) – this risk reflects the ongoing financial challenge faced by the Council. Inequalities (risk score 20) – this highlights the socio-economic inequalities faced in North Ayrshire. Financial Sustainability of the Health and Social Care Partnership – this reflects the ongoing financial challenges faced by the Partnership and the risk these present to the Council (risk score 20 - up from 16 in March 2024). Property Asset Risk – This reflects the impact of long-term restricted budgets on the Councils ability to maintain these to a good standard (risk score 20). Community Capacity Building and Empowerment – this highlights the challenges associated with community empowerment (risk score 20 – up from 16 in March 2024). High Risks 2.7 There are three strategic risks classed as ‘High’ (scoring 10-16): Cyber Security (risk score 16) – this reflects the ongoing risk from external cyber-attack which is being faced by all organisations. Climate Change (risk score 16) – this risk has been on the Strategic Risk Register following the declaration by the Council of a Climate Change Emergency during 2019. Transformation (risk score 12) – this reflects the wider risks associated with delivering the current Transformation Programme and developing a pipeline of future initiatives. Longer-term risks and horizon scanning 2.8 The Strategic Risk Register identifies the most significant risks which the Council faces at the present time. 2.9 The Corporate Risk Management Group identifies any new relevant risks though internal reviews and external horizon scanning utilising a number of sources. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that the Committee notes the mid-year update on the 2024/25 Strategic Risk Register. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The Council continues to have a robust long and medium-term financial planning framework. Key strands include development of key transformation 240
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themes and the establishment of an Investment Fund that will generate future savings alongside delivery of a number of key Council priorities. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The risk to the Council is that North Ayrshire residents, and in particular certain groups, will experience increasing levels of poverty and its effects. Current control measures fall into two categories - measures to address the root causes of socio-economic inequalities - income through employment or benefits – and mitigation measures to minimise the impacts of poverty. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The Council has declared a climate change emergency and has in place an Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. Significant work to help mitigate the risk of flooding is included within the Capital Plan. The Council is undertaking an ambitious renewable energy programme. Key Priorities 4.6 A successful risk management framework helps to underpin the delivery of the Council’s strategic priorities in the Council Plan 2023-2028. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The Council has an ongoing commitment to community empowerment and locality partnerships, together with an enabling approach with community partners and support with third sector interface to build capacity and identify opportunities for growth and sustainability. 5. Consultation 5.1 The Strategic Risk Register has been reviewed in consultation with the Executive Leadership Team. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact John McCallum, Senior Manager (Audit, Fraud, Safety, Risk & Insurance), on 01294 324607. Background Papers None 241
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Appendix 1 - Strategic Risk Report 2024/25 Risk Code SRR2425_R01 Risk Title Financial Sustainability Latest Note Date 11-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Mark Boyd Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact The risk is that the level of funding from Scottish Government to local government falls significantly below the level required to operate services effectively. This will require the Council to take increasingly difficult and challenging decisions. The revised 2024/25 local government settlement represents a reduction in core funding of £0.5m (0.15%). This is against a backdrop of significant inflationary cost increases and risks. The North Ayrshire position is further affected by a reducing overall population demographic and a growing elderly population. This will further impact the Council’s share of funding across the short, medium and long term. Although there is a commitment through the Verity House agreement for Councils and Scottish Government to work together there continues to be challenges around the level of flexibility the Council has on key areas of Budget, most notable in areas like HSCP funding and funding for teachers and support staff, where conditions remain. In 2024/25 in-year cost pressures across the Council’s General Fund and the Health and Social Care Partnership present a significant risk to the sustainability of the Council’s finances. The General fund currently projects an in-year overspend of £2m and the HSCP projects a £6.5m overspend. The Scottish Government has passed legislation to give Councils powers to charge additional council tax for second homes. This is an area the Council will consider within the context of local circumstances and island communities. Scottish Government funding to support the Council’s capital programme has also been reduced by almost 10% in the Budget settlement for 2024/25. Set against high inflationary driven construction costs there is a risk that the 10-year capital programme will be unaffordable. This could require projects to be reduced in scale or even ceased. Funding not keeping pace with demand and inflationary cost pressures means that there will be a reduction in some service areas potentially resulting in higher risks for service users. The future delivery of balanced budgets will become increasingly challenging. The capital programme could also be significantly impacted leading to reduced levels of capital investment. Robust monitoring of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets is in place as well as regular reporting of financial performance of the IJB to Cabinet and Audit and Scrutiny. To assist financial planning The Medium and Long- Term Financial Outlook (LTFO) to 2033/34 was approved at Council on 13 December 2023 – this is the cornerstone of the Council's financial planning in the medium to long term. The annual budget process for the General Fund revenue and Capital Programmes and financial performance monitoring process will continue to provide the framework from which control measures will continue in addressing the financial position. Delivery of the Council’s Change Programme is also vital in addressing the Budget challenges and this is being progressed by the Council’s Transformation Board, which is chaired by the Chief Executive. Utilising the Council’s available statutory powers is another important area in addressing the financial challenges. 4 5 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No change Treat Increasing Risk 20 242
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 11-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Regular financial monitoring of Revenue and Capital Budgets. 09 February 2024: Ongoing monitoring. 11 September 2024: Ongoing financial monitoring process across capital and revenue, including identification of measures to address in-year position 31-Mar-2025 Mark Boyd Maintain Financial Governance Arrangements for IJB. 09 February 2024: Under ongoing review. 11 September 2024: New Finance Working Group set up to address in-year and medium-term pressures. Includes representation from the HSCP, Health and the Council, Main focus is on development of a finance recovery plan. 31-Mar-2025 Mark Boyd Progress dialogue via COSLA with Scottish Government on a range of areas including fair funding, multi-year settlements, reduction in levels of ring-fenced resources, true costs of SG policy areas, financial flexibilities and a New Deal partnership with SG and local government. 09 February 2024: Ongoing discussions via COSLA around the Verity House Agreement and the need for maximum financial flexibility for Councils. 11 September 2024: Discussions ongoing, however, SG have just announced £0.5Billion of cuts Further dialogue being progressed around teacher number restrictions and areas of revenue generation. 31-Mar-2025 Mark Boyd Develop the 2025/26 to 2027/28 revenue budget (medium-term financial strategy) and capital programme taking account of all pressures and savings via Directorates and Transformation programme. 09 February 2024: Options to address the £16m Budget gap for 2024/25 have been developed for elected member consideration at Council Meeting on 28 February 2024. Following this, require to develop a more detailed programme of options to address the structural funding challenges over the medium and long-term. 11 September 2024: The 2025/26 Budget process has commenced earlier, in view of the current financial challenges. Special Council meeting arranged for 9 October, 2024 to set out the financial outlook and outline initial proposals as part of a community engagement programme to commence from 10 October, 2024. 26-Feb-2025 Mark Boyd 243
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Risk Code SRR2425_R02 Risk Title Inequalities Latest Note Date 19-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Caroline Cameron; Sam Anson; David Hammond Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact North Ayrshire residents, and in particular certain excluded groups, will experience increasing levels of poverty and its effects, as a result both of the economic situation and further public sector funding challenges. Health inequality is closely linked to poverty, employment and people's earliest experiences as children, and will increase. The population of North Ayrshire is projected to fall over the next 10 years but there will also be a larger proportion of the population considered dependent (not economically active). The impact on specific risk groups is greatest for our children, young people and families, unemployed people and those in in-work poverty and people exposed to the risks of drug and alcohol addiction. Demand for HSCP and Council Services will increase. As reductions in resources increase, early intervention and prevention activities are at risk, thus increasing the potential for an increase in costly crisis interventions. The local economy will be impacted by reduced spending power by economically inactive residents. The HSCP re-affirmed its commitment to Tackling Inequalities by continuing to consider it a key priority with the Partnership’s Strategic Plan. Through the HSCP strategic plan, the Partnership sets out actions to tackle inequality through its Partnership Pledge and across its strategic priorities. Tackling inequalities is addressed across HSCP service areas. An example of actions to help address local inequalities include: Establishing the Money Matters service in 9 GP practices and 7 local schools in the more deprived areas of North Ayrshire. This will improve accessibility of the service to those who would benefit most. Building on this approach through the launch of the Financial Inclusion Partnership bringing a range of key partners and stakeholders together to improve access and support for the most vulnerable NA residents. Increase the number of employability mentors in Justice Services, to support those with experience of the justice service into meaningful employment or training opportunities and to help divert away from criminal behaviours. Working closely with Housing colleagues to support transitions from care and ensuring care experienced young people can access a positive and stable housing destination. In our Drug and Alcohol Services, we are implementing actions to reduce the number of local drug and alcohol related harms and deaths. This includes implementing the national MAT (Medicated Assisted Treatment) standards and increasing the number of ABIs (Alcohol Brief Interventions) delivered across North Ayrshire. Through the Caring for Ayrshire programme, we have set out a phased approach to improve local primary care premises (GP Practices and Health Centres). This will improve overall professional capacity within GP practices for Multi- Disciplinary Teams, ensuring the right support is available for local people with health concerns. Investment in early intervention teams and approaches in Children’s Services to support vulnerable families, including in Child Protection and Whole Family Support. The Council considers reducing inequalities to be at the heart of its work. The Communities & Housing Directorate leads the Community Planning Partnership for the Council and the CPP has recently developed a new Local Outcomes Improvement Plan, the purpose of which is reducing inequalities. The themes are Wellbeing, Work and World, the latter addressing climate change and fuel poverty. Locality Planning priorities and Community Investment Fund funded initiatives are also focused on a range of inequalities, including poverty, age-related inequalities and digital inequalities. Recent CIF-funded projects have focused on employability, addictions and community food. Sam Anson, Executive Director (Education) and David Hammond, Executive Director (Communities & Housing) lead the work of the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board, chaired by the Council Leader. The five strategic themes of the Board to date have been: • No Wrong Door – access to services • Employability • Food • Islands • Childcare Work to address child poverty and the Cost-of-Living crisis includes a range of employability initiatives to support parents and people with disabilities, each of whom are Scottish Government priority groups. Progress has been made with partners to undertake a review of the Child Poverty & Cost of Living approach, with recommendations being finalised for consideration by the Board.. This is supported by the data and Single Shared Assessment projects being developed by the Transformation team, to provide holistic support for residents who need it most. Confirmation was received in September 2024 that the Council will be supported with additional Scottish Government funding for Fairer Futures project funding which will enable the creation of three additional posts to provide strategy capacity to support the CPCOL Board. The Child Poverty Early Intervention Fund is being used to address gaps in current planning and provision. Recent funding decisions have been made, as a consequence of the mini-enquiries - to support employability and travel, childcare developments and support for care experienced young people and families. Further allocations are currently under consideration with the Board. The Scottish Government has provided a second year of funding to address inequalities on the islands. This has been used to fund energy support, welfare advice and support, third sector interventions and school activities. The commitment to reducing inequalities is also reflected in the following plans: 5 4 244
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• The Educational Service Improvement Plan • Connected Communities strategic plans and • Facilities Management plans. Examples of actions to reduce inequalities: • Deployment of Scottish Attainment Challenge funding to reduce the poverty related attainment gap in schools • Use of the Pupil Equity Fund to ensure equity of pupil experience in schools, at the discretion of head teachers • Cost of the School Day actions to reduce, for example, the cost of school uniforms and clothing, food and outings • Support for care experienced young people, both in schools and through youth services • Additional national and local investment in Active Schools to focus on inequalities and equity • The Fairer Food Network, with 14 community larders which support the needs of individual communities • A network of warm spaces and events to mitigate energy use and social isolation • Work to support “New Scots,” in schools, with families and in community settings through language support and capacity building, including women’s groups • LGBT support groups for young people and those over 18 • Mentoring support for young people in secondary schools through a partnership with MCR Pathways Participation strategies for children and young people and adults to ensure our strategies and investment are informed by as wide a range of views as possible. Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No Change Treat Stable 20 245
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 19-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Global and national conditions which affect the cost-of-living and poverty continue to undermine the effectiveness of local control measures. Substantial work continues to mitigate inequalities but child poverty data, for example, continues to show an increase. National data collection methodologies have changed which explains the change in part, but North Ayrshire continues to have c. 29% of children living in poverty. Although unemployment has reduced, it continues to be a driver of poverty, with in-work poverty a key factor. Access to benefits is a key driver of poverty and the range of strategies described above continues to ensure we are maximising access to entitlements. The Single Shared Assessment work will improve this. 19 September 2024: The wide range of strategies and initiatives described above, being further developed and implemented, is anticipated to make a significant contribution to a range of inequalities. The review of the CPCOL Board, Child Poverty & Early Intervention Fund, Fairer Futures funding, and single shared assessment project are designed to help ‘shift’ the dial in tackling inequalities. Actions are being progressed and remain within the target dates for completion. 31-Mar-2025 Caroline Cameron 246
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Risk Code SRR2425_R03 Risk Title Financial Sustainability of the Health and Social Care Partnership Latest Note Date 18-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Caroline Cameron Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact Resources have not kept pace with the demand for and cost of social care services. The budget settlement for 2024-25 is extremely challenging with a gap of over £10m across the IJB. Financial modelling suggests significant ongoing challenges across the medium-term. There is no certainty around future funding against growing demand, increasing costs and demographic pressures, with one-year budget settlements remaining in place. The ongoing work to review the Integration Scheme and to develop new risk-sharing arrangements between the Council and Health Board in relation to the acute set aside and primary care prescribing present a financial risk to the Partnership. The Partnership is projecting an overspend of £6.7m in 2024/25, reduced to £3m following the identification of cost reduction measures and the utilisation of the remaining general balance of £0.357m. Funding levels could result in savings being made that are not in alignment with the strategic plan. This could impact on the future demand levels e.g. reduction in early intervention and prevention means that future demand is increased. An in-year overspend position impacts on financial reserves and ultimately poses a financial risk to the Council and NHS Board as funding bodies. Funding levels increase the requirement to transform services at scale and pace. The IJB actively monitors the financial position with regular detailed reporting. Directors of Finance of the Council and Health Board have oversight and regular updates are provided to the Council's Cabinet. There is an integrated approach to managing the totality of NHS and Council resources delegated to the IJB. A three-year Medium-term Financial Outlook is updated on a rolling basis each year. Previous financial settlements have seen both partners meet the Scottish Government settlement conditions with any additional resources passed to the IJB. The Partnership has developed a new 3-year Transformation Plan 2024-2027 which will be approved by the IJB in March 2024. There is £2.2m of earmarked reserves set aside to support service change and re-design. 4 5 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach Increase from 16 to 20 Treat Increasing risk 20 247
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 18 Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Budget Monitoring - Regular budget monitoring reports to IJB are effective. 06 February 2024: Budgets are closely monitoring by the finance team in conjunction with budget holders to enable corrective action to be taken and regular in-year budget monitoring reports are presented to the IJB. 18 September 2024: Strengthen support from Finance Team to front line services and increased engagement with Heads of Service and Senior Management Teams, including line by line reviews of all budget areas. Review and enhancement of frequency and level of financial information provided to support oversight and decision making in line with financial constraints, with an added focus on areas of underspend to maximise opportunities to delay or stop spend and contribute to the overall financial challenge. 31-Mar-2025 Caroline Cameron; Paul Doak Corrective Action – Transformation Board is effective 06 February 2024: A three-year Transformation Plan covering the period 2024-2027 will be approved by the IJB in March 2024. This focusses on addressing the future financial challenge in a sustainable way, as well as reviewing service delivery models and implementing local and national priorities. 18 September 2024: A three-year Transformation Plan covering the period 2024-2027 was approved by the IJB in March 2024. This focusses on addressing the future financial challenge in a sustainable way, as well as reviewing service delivery models and implementing local and national priorities. 31-Mar-2025 Caroline Cameron; Paul Doak Enhanced Financial Controls 18 September 2024: Establishment of a Budget Working Group to facilitate increased oversight and scrutiny of the financial position and transformation programme as well as detailed budget planning for future financial years. The first meeting took place on 9th September. Review of expenditure authorisation levels across the Partnership and escalate specific decisions to senior officers. Staff communication in relation to discretionary/non-essential spend. Review of temporary posts and robust vacancy management/approval – only essential frontline posts will be approved for recruitment. Strengthen across services the existing approval and prioritisation approaches for new care requests, which will be approved in line with resource availability. A new group has been established to sign off all higher value care packages (Over £40k) 31-Mar-2025 Caroline Cameron; Paul Doak 248
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Risk Code SRR2425_R04 Risk Title Cyber Security Latest Note Date 13-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Fiona Walker Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact The potential compromise of business operations or a data breach orchestrated via either digital channels or the IT infrastructure. This can include targeting of the user base. Risk derives from both Council operations and those of its supply chain. The increasing importance of delivering services through digital channels and maximising efficiency through effective and secure use of technology. This includes a growing adoption of cloud-based computing resources which extend processing capabilities, and associated risks, beyond the Council’s network. Hybrid remote and mobile working is now the normal working practice for over 3,000 staff. Such a distributed work force increases the complexity of protecting against cyber and data protection risks. Failure by Services to adopt and comply with strategies, policies and procedures may result in a failure to adequately ensure the desired levels of cyber-security required to maintain and protect council systems and data. There may be a significant impact on the authority through the release of personal and/or sensitive information resulting in a loss of public confidence and significant financial loss incurred through fines and service disruption. A successful cyber-attack (malicious external or internal action) on the Council’s IT environments could also result in significant service disruption, loss of income streams and possible data loss/exposure. Impacts of a cyber-attack could include economic (i.e. inability to collect online payments), societal disruption (i.e. loss of diaries and client appointments), and reputational damage (i.e. loss of public confidence in digital services). It is recognised that it is not possible for any organisation to expect to be completely protected against continually evolving cyber threats. A threat actor with sufficient motivation, resource and capability will be able to compromise the most secure system. The Council takes a sociotechnical approach to reducing risk by continually developing protective measures through technical, organisational and people-focused controls. Technical controls are implemented in areas such as network defences, secure configuration of systems, user authentication, malware protection, and vulnerability management. These are based on best practice and independently tested on an annual basis to confirm their effectiveness in accordance with compliance schemes. The Council maintains a comprehensive set of policies, standards, guidelines, metrics and reporting mechanisms as part of its information security governance structure. A comprehensive training and awareness programme is delivered to nurture a cyber- aware workforce and culture. 4 4 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No change Treat Stable 16 249
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 13-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Incident Detection and Response – Recent cyber-attacks on public sector organisations highlight the need for robust incident detection and response procedures and technologies. The current response procedures been shown to be effective based on incidents experienced so far, however detection capabilities will need to be reviewed and improved. 17 January 2024: A joint procurement of a Managed Security Operation Centre (SOC) service with other local authorities is being taken forward by the Digital Office. This has however been delayed due to resource challenges and to date no procurement timescales have been set. Given the delays to the national SOC procurement project, the Council will consider other SOC alternatives and Manage Detect & Response (MDR) services. 13 September 2024: Progress on the Digital Office joint procurement exercise has remained extremely slow, as a result the Council have opted to procure a SOC/MDR service independently. The procurement exercise is now progressing. 31-Mar-2025 Fiona Walker Training and Awareness 17 January 2024: Cyber Security in person training has resumed with multiple sessions being organised to tackle the backlog incurred due to the pandemic. The Cyber Security Essentials E-Learning course is a mandatory training requirement for all staff with access to Council digital resources. Staff are also encouraged to complete this annually. In addition, the course has been converted into a briefing to provide as a toolbox talk to reach all of our workforce. Phishing simulations continued to be hosted to test the effectiveness of training and raise awareness. 13 September 2024: Cyber Security training continues to be delivered; however this is now a Teams delivered course to maximise the attendance numbers. The Cyber Security Essentials E-Learning course continues to be available for 2024 and is undergoing a full re-write for 2025 to ensure this remains current. This training is being supplemented with a programme of awareness raising initiatives including educational staff news items and webinars. Phishing simulations have continued in order to assess the effectiveness of existing training and further increase awareness. Ongoing Fiona Walker 250
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Risk Code SRR2425_R05 Risk Title Transformation Latest Note Date 11-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Mark Boyd Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact There is a risk that transformation and change activities, which are core to the future delivery models and long-term financial sustainability of both the Council and Health and Social Care Partnership, fail to deliver at the level of scale and pace required. Failure to deliver transformational change will impact on the Council’s financial sustainability, effectiveness of service delivery and delivery of the outcomes set out in the Council Plan 2023-28 and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). Failure to deliver the HSCP Transformation programmes across the Partnership, involving North Ayrshire Council (NAC) and NHS Ayrshire & Arran (NHSAA) services may lead to the identified outcomes not being delivered; resulting in financial instability, reduced performance, deteriorating patient outcomes, and reputational damage within North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (NAHSCP). Failure to embed cultural transformation activities may lead to difficulties in building future workforce capacity and in ensuring we have an engaged, skilled and knowledgeable workforce to meet service demand. The transformation programme aligns to the Council Plan and is monitored via the Transformation Board. The Board is chaired by the Chief Executive. Workstreams have been developed across Transport and Travel, Digital, Land and Property assets, Sustainability, Financial Inclusion as well as ongoing reviews across Waste Services, ELC, Learning Resources and Housing. HSCP have an established Transformation Board to closely monitor progress with plans, regular updates on programme to the IJB and regular meetings with the Chief Executive and S95 Officer to review progress and mitigation plans. Cultural transformation activities continue to evolve to support the Council’s transformation and improve effectiveness and capability. This includes sharing learning and skills, engagement, design experiments and a whole systems approach to transformation and change. Our workforce planning approach utilises a variety of tools and techniques, such as career development, succession planning, vacancy management, redeployment and early release schemes to ensure our workforce requirements for the future, in terms of skills and capabilities, are planned. Each Head of Service has a workforce plan, and these are monitored six-monthly with continued HR support and guidance to ensure service review and redesign of the workforce is on track. 3 4 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No Change Treat Stable 12 251
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 11-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Existing project level governance and controls remain effective and are constantly reviewed. 25 January 2024: Progress on Transformation projects continues to be governed and monitored via the Transformation Board which is chaired by the Chief Executive. Meetings held quarterly Workstreams have been fully developed and progress and all actions tracked. Financial efficiencies across commercial property, waste review, learning resource review, ELC review and the sustainability programme have been fed into the Council’s Budget programme for 2024/25 to 2026/27. 11 September 2024: Programme continues to be developed and work being progressed to feed a pipeline of financial efficiencies into the Budget programme for 2025/26. Quarterly Mark Boyd / Chief Executive and Executive Directors Review current governance arrangements and project delivery in view of land and property workstream to seek optimal delivery aligned to the council’s net zero ambitions. 25 January 2024: Key progress made around Irvine Based locality property Review. Next stages to present Cabinet Paper in March 2024 to consider plans. 11 September 2024: Governance arrangements in place and property programme being progressed. This will feed into the 2025/26 Budget programme. 26-Feb-2025 Mark Boyd / Chief Executive and Executive Directors 252
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Risk Code SRR2425_R06 Risk Title Climate Change Latest Note Date 20-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Russell McCutcheon Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact Climate change is expected to continue and worsen in the future if no action is taken, with increases to mean global temperatures, sea level rises and the increasing frequency and severity of weather events such as floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms. More frequent and intense heavy rainfall events increase the risk of soil erosion and flooding. Rises in mean sea level increases risks of coastal erosion, flooding, saltwater intrusion and soil salinisation (risk to agricultural land and freshwater habitats). Severe weather is already affecting public services across Scotland, with operational, reputational, financial and legal consequences. There is also an ongoing impact of severe winter weather including snowfall and freezing temperatures which impact service delivery and the integrity of our roads open space and buildings infrastructure. This shift in weather patterns caused by climate change is also affecting biodiversity across Scotland. Increased frequency of severe weather conditions and flooding events may lead to more instances of damage to Council infrastructure and property, interruptions to service delivery and increased demands on services, often with little notice. Risk to life, transport disruption and pollution to the local environment, as well as impact adversely on the local economy if businesses are unable to operate. Council requirement to provide immediate response and manage the adverse effects of more frequent and severe weather emergency situations, including support to local communities and businesses. The Council is required to comply with the ‘Public Bodies Climate Change Duties’ under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. These duties require the Council to assess the risks, threats and opportunities associated with climate change and identify actions to increase resilience to climate change. North Ayrshire Council declared a Climate Emergency in June 2019, committing to act on climate change and reduce carbon emissions. In January 2020 the Council approved the target to become net-zero carbon by 2030, for both Council estate emissions and area-wide emissions. Following implementation of the Council’s third Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy (2021-23), Cabinet approved the new Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy (2024-27) in December 2023. This strategy provides a road map to achieve the net zero carbon emissions by 2030 target. There are 5 workstreams within the Sustainable North Ayrshire strategy, namely Energy, Nature, Transport, Waste and Adaptation. We continue to utilise Adaptation Scotland’s Capability Framework to ensure North Ayrshire takes a strong, proactive approach to adapting to climate change. Officers are participating in the Sustainable Scotland Network’s ‘Adaptation Scotland Benchmarking Group’ to learn and share best practice with other local authorities. Adaptation actions are identified within the Ayrshire Flood Risk Management Plan (2021), the Ayrshire Local Flood Risk Management Plan (2022), the Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan and in the Adaptation Capability Framework. Flood studies are undertaken to help the Council identify areas that are at risk of flooding and to appraise options to reduce flood risk to communities and infrastructure. In addition, actions to mitigate Climate Change risk are held within strategies such as the Core Paths Plan, Outdoor Access Strategy, Local Biodiversity Action Plan, and Weather and Winter Emergencies Plan. Asset management plans are in place which are regularly reviewed for our Roads, Fleet, Housing, Property and Open Spaces. Furthermore, through the Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team there are emergency planning arrangements in place in the event of severe weather and flooding conditions causing major disruption and damage to the area or to individual communities within it. 4 4 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No change Treat Stable 16 253
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 20-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Reducing Carbon Emissions: North Ayrshire Council declared a Climate Emergency in June 2019, committing to act on climate change and reduce carbon emissions. In January 2020 the Council approved the target to become net-zero carbon by 2030, for both Council estate emissions and area-wide emissions. The Council has taken action against climate change since our first Carbon Management Plan in 2006/07, by working to reduce emissions associated with Council services, and using the baseline year of 2005/06 from which to measure progress. Since the baseline year of 2005/06, Council estate emissions have reduced by 67%, from 63,334 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) to 20,745 tCO2e. Area-wide emissions are published by BEIS. Current records show total emissions have reduced across North Ayrshire by 42.6%, from 1,454 kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide (ktCO2) in 2005 to 835 ktCO2 in 2019. To ensure North Ayrshire Council can develop a leading, cross- sector and community led approach we established a Climate Change Steering Group (CCSG) in 2021. The CCSG is chaired by the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, and brings together young people, local businesses and community organisations from across North Ayrshire. Existing controls remain effective and are under review as our response to climate change develops and we progress towards achieving net zero by the 2030 target. 8th February 2024: Implementation of the Sustainable North Ayrshire strategy, which includes 9 strategic principles and 46 actions under the 5 workstreams of Energy, Nature, Transport, Waste and Adaptation. The 9 strategic principles which are being implemented are: 1.We will take a whole system approach (including behaviour change) to tackling climate change as far as possible, including identification of optimal approaches to achieve social and economic benefits alongside environmental ones. 2.We will continue to clarify and report transparently on our emissions so that the North Ayrshire emissions baseline is clearly understood. 3.We will complete a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy to help understand where efforts to reducing emissions and reducing fuel poverty are best focused. 4.We will prioritise actions in relation to two of the biggest emissions sources where have the most influence, commonly referred to as ‘heat and fleet’, including through project pathfinder approaches for decarbonisation of domestic and non-domestic buildings and vehicles to bring scale and pace to emissions reduction. 5.We will work with stakeholders, including the Scottish Government, to articulate the potential costs and skills requirements to meet our net-zero aspirations. 6.We will expand on the need for adaptation measures, recognising mitigation alone will not combat the impacts of climate changes on communities. 7.We will identify opportunities for expansion of carbon sinks and other carbon capture technologies, which are expected to be an essential element of our net-zero strategy to mitigate residual emissions by 2030. 8.We will seek to expand the remit and membership of the CCSG to enable us to work more closely with communities, taking account of outcomes from recent projects such as Climate Action Towns and Carbon Neutral Islands. 9.We will explore the potential for carbon accounting, including carbon budgets for Council services, to support our journey to net-zero. Updates on progress are provided through the Council’s performance reporting system, Pentana, on a quarterly basis, and governed through the Sustainability Board. Actions are designed to be directly and indirectly responsible for carbon reduction and deliver other socio-economic benefits. 20 September 2024: Actions detailed within the Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy continue to be implemented, with progress monitored through the Council’s corporate performance management system for example: • Participation in the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service to expand action on and monitor area-wide emissions. • Publication of North Ayrshire’s first Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and progression of initial actions from Delivery Plan. • Development of two solar PV farms on former landfill sites. • Completion of feasibility study for the decarbonisation of built assets. • Progression of green hydrogen generation study. • Development of North Ayrshire Nature Network strategy to address statutory requirements to tackle the nature crisis. • Partnership working with Ayrshire Roads Alliance to undertake Electric Vehicle Infrastructure project 31-Mar-2027 Russell McCutcheon 254
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 20-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG • Successful realisation of £725,998 external funding for domestic energy efficiency measures through ECO4 Flex partnership. Flood Risk Management Plan: Cycle 2 of the Ayrshire Local Flood Risk Management Plan has been developed and was published on 31st December 2022. Studies and modelling will be undertaken to identify and prioritise vulnerable areas where financial damage and risk to life are most likely. There is an ongoing programme of monthly inspections of debris screens which have been installed to prevent vulnerable culverts from blocking and causing flooding. CCTV inspections of culverts are also undertaken to identify blockages and deterioration of assets that might cause flooding. This has been effective in reducing flooding, although there are capacity issues h that this process cannot address. The Upper Garnock Valley FPS has been completed and is currently providing flood protection. Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan: The Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan will be replaced with a Coastal Change Adaptation Plan. The adaptation plan will enable the Council and other stakeholders to effectively plan our future 22 February 2024: 1. We will undertake the actions outlined in cycle 2 of the Ayrshire Local Flood Risk Management Plan. 2. We will continue to look for opportunities to implement Natural Flood Management and we will develop a range of further flood protection measures, which can be put forward as schemes for inclusion in cycle 3 of the Ayrshire Flood Risk Management Plan and the Ayrshire Local Flood Risk Management Plan. 3. We will complete the Millport Coastal FPS and the Mill Burn FPS. 4. We will continue to Inspect culverts, screens and watercourses for clearance and repair work in accordance with the published schedule and prioritise maintenance works that would substantially reduce flood risk. Efforts will be made to continue to identify unknown culverts and add these assets to the ongoing inspection and maintenance process. 5. We will develop the Ayrshire Coastal Change Adaptation Plan in partnership with South Ayrshire Council and other stakeholders. 20 September 2024: 1. The Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme is 99% complete and we will commence a further flood protection scheme at the Mill Burn, also in Millport. 2. The Three Towns flood study is underway. This study will confirm flood risk from the Stevenston Burn & the Stanley Burn. The impacts of climate change will be evaluated. 30-Jun-2028 Thomas Reaney 255
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 20-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG actions whilst allowing for flexibility in response to future changes. It will incorporate recent international and UK advances in adaptation and shoreline management planning to allow for local interpretation and involvement. Where flood risk is confirmed, scoping of the next steps will be completed and this will inform the second stage of the study. 3. The North Ayrshire Water Body Clearance & Repair Schedule has been updated to include details of the planned assessment of various water bodies. Where these assessments find that the condition of the water bodies would or could contribute to significant flood risk, then the necessary clearance and repair work will be scheduled and completed. 4. Storm Gerrit brought widespread flooding to North Ayrshire on the 27 December 2023. Emergency repairs to culverts in Millport and Kilbirnie have now been completed. 5. In April 2024, a blockage in the Minister’s Cast culvert increased flood risk to roads and properties in Irvine including The Circuit leisure facility and Woodlands Primary School. The clearance and repair framework was used to commission emergency works that restored the performance of the culvert. 6. A draft coastal management study at Irvine & Stevenson is complete and was subject to public consultation in September 2024. When finalised, the study will help to inform a local Coastal Change Adaptation Plan. This plan will set out triggers for when the coastal erosion and flood risk adaptations identified in the management study should be implemented. 256
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Risk Code SRR2425_R07 Risk Title Community Capacity Building and Empowerment Latest Note Date 19 Sept 24 Risk Owner Rhonda Leith Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact Unrealistic timescales for progressing of aspects of legislation of the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015, such as Community Asset Transfer. Pressure to support community capacity building and the variation of needs within a reducing workforce. Duplication of effort across HSCP and Locality Partnerships to foster community participation and deliver engagement activities. Complying with the complex and resource intensive consultation legislation in service redesign. Rising energy and utility costs relating to property management. Budget savings and pressure on property maintenance budgets. Where the risk is not managed effectively the potential benefits of community capacity building and empowerment may be lost. Widening inequality gap between those communities where levels of capacity and engagement with the empowerment agenda are high and those with less social capital where interest remains low, which constrains the ability to influence the planning and delivery service. Any disconnect between the Council’s aspirations, community appetite for increasing ownership of assets and what communities themselves feel able and prepared to commit to can result in community assets reverting back to Council. Accelerating asset transfer risks losing services and facilities and risks the ability to plan, connect and deliver strategic services. Over-engagement carries disengagement and engagement fatigue. Increased property costs can be a deterrent for organisations engaging and completing the CAT process. Lack of budget to undertake proactive maintenance is resulting in NAC buildings falling into disrepair detracting organisations from progressing to lease and or ownership of NAC assets. Ongoing commitment to community empowerment and locality partnerships from CPP. Six locality partnerships and alignment with HSCP locality arrangements. Leadership of the CPP Senior Officers’ Group. Enabling approach with community partners and support with third sector interface to build capacity and identify opportunities for growth and sustainability. Reviewed guidance and processes relating to community empowerment functions. Participatory budgeting approach local grants, commitment to PB with partners and leading practice in mainstreaming participatory approaches External funding bid help for groups through regular meetings with third sector, funders and funding officer. Membership of The Consultation Institute. Investment from Community Asset Transfer Start Up Fund, prioritising additional staffing capacity to support CAT in TACT. A collaboration and shared resource approach across Connected Communities Teams will be taken to ensure the Service deliver on this priority. 5 4 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach Increase from 16 to 20 Treat Increasing 20 257
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Strategic Risk Action Plan 19-Sept-24 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG Implementation of Community Empowerment Act: Existing controls remain effective and are kept under review. 05 February 2024: Strategic CLD Plan 2021-2024 identifies priorities for capacity building and the programme of community support is addressing needs. No further update at this time. 19 September 2024: New Strategic CLD Plan 2024 – 2027 in final stages of development and continues to identify priorities and support available. 31-Mar-2025 Rhonda Leith 05 February 2024: Post implementation the plan will be monitored and reported as per statutory timescales. 19 September 2024: Linking with National partners i.e. Scottish Government to ensure timely communication to any changes relating to national legislation and allow preparations to be in place. 31-Dec-2024 Rhonda Leith Staff capacity: Existing controls remain effective however forthcoming VER structure changes will result in a reduction of CLD professional staff and risks further pressures on staff to deliver effectively to key outcomes. 05 February 2024: CLD service redesign will be implemented from 1st of April with a 6-month review date. The redesign in light of VER impacts has resulted in the loss of the Capacity and Empowerment Team, all key priorities of the team will be embedded in the newly formed localities Contact agreement established with key 3rd Sector organisations This will mitigate the impact on developments of the key outcomes as detailed in the CLD plan. The CLD plan review will commence in April, following guidance due to be issued by the Scottish Government which will be informed by the National Review Of CLD. 19 September 2024: Function review within the CLD team underway to assess capacities and impact following the service redesign. Focus will be on assigning resource to key priorities. 31-Dec-2024 Rhonda Leith Duplication of effort: Clearly defined roles and lean processes are reviewed and maintained to avoid duplication of effort and minimise time and resource wastage. The team foster open communication channels with both staff and key stakeholders. 05 February 2024: Existing controls are effective but remain under proactive review. 19 September 2024: The aim is to capture and address issues through the review of functions underway within the CLD team. 31-Dec-2024 Rhonda Leith Consultation: Existing controls remain effective. Existing controls remain effective and hybrid engagement models have been implemented post covid to encourage and provide greater access to participation. 05 February 2024: Proactive review 6 months post VER restructure to assess the effectiveness of CLD support for community engagement and consultation. No further update at this time. 19 September 2024: Cross Service support for consultation and engagement is being further developed with the promotion of existing tools and supports across all Council services to encourage ownership over service engagement. 31-Mar-2025 Rhonda Leith Increased property costs and lack of investment in community assets. 05 February 2024 A collaborative approach involving PMI and CC is being used to survey and evaluate community buildings that require investment. CAT funds have been identified for corrective actions, which will involve incorporating green investments to support future CAT and Service development initiatives. 19 September 2024: Matter escalated through a range of mechanisms including Health & Safety, PMI/Risk meetings and reporting systems as well as more frequent management on-site building visits to assess building condition and escalate accordingly. A strategic plan is in the early stages of development to address identified condition issues in buildings earmarked for potential Community Asset Transfer (CAT). Specific investment funds have been allocated to support this initiative. 31-Mar 2025 Rhonda Leith 258
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Risk Code SRR2425_R08 Risk Title Property Asset Risk Latest Note Date 13-Sep-2024 Risk Owner Russell McCutcheon Risk Proximity Factors Consequences / Impact Existing Risk Control Measures Likelihood Impact The long-term impact of restricted budget availability for investment in the Council’s property assets means these assets are in declining condition and have greater long term investment needs. Systemic building safety issues have been evidenced by issues such as national high profile safety issues, and the presence of RAAC through the public sector property portfolio. These have highlighted the substantial increasing burden of property asset management. There have been a number of near misses or critical failures of aging heating plant and equipment which the council cannot afford to replace on a programmed basis. Inflationary pressures, and on-going volatility in the construction & related activities sphere, place further difficulties in the ability of restricted budgets to address all priorities. Maintenance issues and failure of building components are increasingly likely to result in disruption to service delivery. There is also an increasing risk of health and safety and statutory compliance obligations not being achieved. Property events requiring significant interventions leading to service disruption, closure of facilities, decant etc. are in increasing in frequency and often over-lapping (often coinciding with weather events). Property condition information is gathered and recorded within the Council’s electronic asset management system, providing a baseline to measure building element lifecycle replacement requirements across the corporate estate. The limited investment available is therefore targeted on priorities. Reactive maintenance, and statutory compliance are also undertaken corporately by PMI, by appropriately trained / experienced staff. There is an on-going Transformation programme workstream focusing on property rationalisation as a means of reducing the financial burden of the estate through reducing overall area occupied (aligned to carbon reductions). Post Incident reviews and lessons learned exercises with actions undertaken where feasible to do so. Risk based property reviews are underway to examine, on a property by property basis, where property risks have the potential to impact service delivery. The information gathered influences both investment plans and business continuity plans. This work is on-going in respect of the school estate and is being rolled-out to other services’ assets. 4 5 Status Risk Score Heat Map Change in Score Approach No Change Treat Stable 20 259
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Strategic Risk Action Plan Date Updated 13-Sep-2024 Analysis of Effectiveness of Controls Further Action Required Target Date for Completion Officers Responsible Current Status: RAG CC&M team within PMI managing reactive maintenance and statutory compliance. Team resources stretched; however, restricted budgets are principal risk. 13 September 2024: Team resources remain stretched, presently exacerbated by recent staff departure, recruitment exercise currently on-going. Ongoing Russell McCutcheon Asset management team within PMI collecting asset condition information and leading prioritisation of lifecycle investment. Improved asset management system is being investigated; however, restricted budgets are principal risk. 13 September 2024: Work continues in relation to the new asset management system, including bench-marking and information sharing with other authorities. Ongoing Russell McCutcheon Property rationalisation programme Locality based property review work currently underway to increase scale and pace of implementation. 13 September 2024: The Irvine Property Accommodation programme received Cabinet approval in March 24 and is progressing to programme. Ongoing Russell McCutcheon Risk based property review process Requires up to date property information, including client information and cross service buy-in to be effective. 13 September 2024: The Education Estate has been reviewed in its entirety and quarterly meetings have been established to continue this work on a priority-basis. The approach has also been utilised in respect of the communities estate. Ongoing Russell McCutcheon 260