Agenda item

Members were presented with the Quarter 1 report for Performance and Delivery from St Leger Homes of Doncaster (SLHD) which provided feedback on performance against Key Performance Indicators for 2018/19.

Officers provided Members with relevant updates on the issues contained within the report, and the Committee were invited to raise areas of concern in relation to the performance of SLHD. The following issues were raised during the course of the discussions:-

Firstly the key performance elements for the Committee to note included;

• Seven key performance indicators on target (green)
• Three indicators within acceptable tolerance levels (amber)
• Two indicators below target

There was a brief discussion around the following indicators;

Performance Measure: Number of households placed in Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodation (no target):It was commented that this area had experienced a rapid increase due to a number of reasons including complex lives, homelessness and rough sleeping.  Members were informed that there was a great deal of partnership working was being undertaken including that with adult social care commissioned housing related support.  Members were assured that using Bed and Breakfast was only resorted to when no other option was available or when it was not safe to place those individuals into alternative supported accommodation.

Members were assured that actions taken by Peterborough to place individuals who were homeless in Doncaster was not in relation to costs but around supply and the authority meeting their statutory duty.  Members were also informed that there had been no impact on SLDH in that they had not been able to place an individual in the borough (due to the additional numbers of those placed by that of Peterborough).

Performance measure of households maintaining or established independent living (within tolerance – amber); It was explained that this indicator was taken as a snapshot at the end of Quarter 1, when there were 41 households supported to maintain or establish independent living against a target of 46.  It was explained that a staff vacancy in the team during Quarter 1 had presented a capacity challenge.  The vacancy had been since filled and the figure behind the indicator had now risen to 52.

Performance Measures: Scheduled repairs, percentage of promises kept (within tolerance – amber) – Members heard how performance during Quarter 1 continued the improving trend from the previous year, with 99.46% of promises kept against a target of 100%.

Performance Measure: Percentage of Invoices paid within 30 days (within tolerance – amber) -Performance for Q1 was 94.35% against a target of 96.5%  It was explained that a large proportion of relatively few invoices paid late were with a small number of suppliers and work was being undertaken to improve this. 

Performance Measure: Percentage of Local Expenditure (below target – red);It was clarified that this indicator did not take into account the money spent on the number of staff, and £10million nearly of capital work.  It was explained that at the end of Quarter 1, this percentage was down to 40.6%, a fair way off £2 in every £3.  It was recognised that this indicator would struggle to hit that target given that money spent in house was not classed as local expenditure, however, SLHD would look to maximise spend and maintain a stronger focus on expenditure in Doncaster as much as is possible.

Concern was raised that the target around local spend could never be achieved and should be reconsidered.  In terms of reviewing this target, it was clarified that SLHD recommended targets had been agreed by the portfolio holder and that targeting local spend was a mayoral target.

Performance Measure: Anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases resolved as a percentage of all cases completed (no target); It was reported that this was a new key performance indicator for 2018/19 with a view to agreeing a target with the Council in the near future.

Average Days to Relet Standard Properties (Red); – It was outlined that this indicator has been reported on regularly as part of SLHD’s presentation of void rent loss.  It was stated that on average, it took 25.54 days to re-let a property during Quarter 1, against a target of 23 days.  This was a reduction from over 30 days at the end of the previous financial year.

Performance measure: Percentage of Current Rent Arrears against Annual Debit (performing well – green);It was explained that 92% of universal credit cases were in arrears.  It was explained that the vast majority at 82% had been in arrears prior to changing to universal credit and the organisation had changed the way it worked to adapt. It was explained that the number of tenants moving onto UC was impacting on performance, when the target was set we were anticipating 150 tenants a month moving onto universal credit, whereas  (last Quarter) we had seen an increase to 220/230 applicants.  Members were told that rent arrears were increasing significantly, however, benchmarking data for 2017/18 had shown that whilst arrears in Doncaster had increased by 0.2%, SLHD were outperforming benchmarked comparators, who’s arrears on average had increased by 0.5%.

Members enquired about the set criteria set by the Department of Work and Pension for alternative payment arrangements (APA) (30% of UC cases are currently on an APA).  Members were informed that some benchmarking had been undertaken to look at this further.

Reference was made to the work of the Sheffield City Region (SCR) Homeless Network And Temporary Accommodation Board.  It was questioned whether Doncaster, in line with the Government’s Rough Sleeping Prevention Fund, could undertake something similar in Doncaster.

RESOLVED That the Committee note the progress of SLHD performance outcomes and the contribution SLHD makes to supporting DMBC strategic priorities