6 - Council Plan Year End 2023-24
North Ayrshire Council · 27 August 2024
Back to Cabinet — 27 August 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 27th August 2024 Cabinet Title: Year End Performance Reporting 2023-24 Purpose: To consider and approve the Council Plan Year End Performance Reporting Recommendation: Cabinet agrees: (i) To approve Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report attached at Appendix 1; (ii) Approve the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix 2 (iii) Note the status of the council’s performance within the LGBF Analysis of 2024 Data Release at Appendix 3 and (iv) Refer this report to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. 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. 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 1.3 Following Cabinet approval, our corporate performance reports are published on our website www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance. 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.
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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).
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 Cabinet agrees: (i) To approve Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report attached at Appendix 1; (ii) Approve the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix 2 (iii) Note the status of the council’s performance within the LGBF Analysis of 2024 Data Release at Appendix 3 and (iv) Refer this report to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. 5 Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 5.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report.
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Human Resources 5.2 There are no human resource implications arising from this report. Legal 5.3 There are no legal implications arising from this report. 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.
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Our Council Plan Six Monthly Progress Report 1 October to 31 March 2024 Appendix 1
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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
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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)
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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)
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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.
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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).
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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North Ayrshire Council Annual Performance Report 2023 to 2024 Appendix 2
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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:
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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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework Analysis of April 2024 Data Release Appendix 3
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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
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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:
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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%.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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