Agenda item

To consider the monthly summary dated June 2008 and the appendices (attached), including updates on:

• Capita Performance
• Contact Centre Statistics with appendices
• Internal Audit
• Accountancy
• Counter-Fraud Service

The Strategic Board received and considered the performance monitoring reports on the functions carried out by the partnership. 

Vale of White Horse District Council

The Board noted the highlights of performance affecting the Vale.  The number of Council Tax payments made by Direct Debit continued to increase and was fractionally higher than at the same date last year.  Correspondence figures remained low at the end of June with 545 items outstanding.  The Council Tax collection rates for 2006/07 (99.34%) and 2007/08 (98.88%) confirmed the commitment to vigorously pursue arrears.  The June collection figure for Business Rates was 0.2% lower than last year—a small variation that could be explained by the impact of the economic downturn and/or the new inclusion of empty properties. 

The method of reporting performance on changes in circumstances (Best Value Performance Indicator 78b) had changed.  Data required by the Department of Work and Pensions was now recorded over five week periods and therefore this performance indicator was no longer reportable.  It was noted that methods to measure the new National Performance Indicators had not yet been determined. 

South Oxfordshire District Council

The amount of outstanding correspondence was decreasing but was still higher than at the Vale.  Collection of Business Rates was lower than the target.  Two late payments had affected this figure. 

General

Members asked that for future meetings, the performance reports for the two Councils should be amalgamated into one report with a column for each authority and the differences between the Council’s should be highlighted.  Officers were to review the layout to see how comparative performance could most efficiently be reported.  

Members noted the aged debts data.  They asked for the graphs to be made clearer with better scales. 

Capita Contact Centre

It was noted that all statistics within this report were within the service level agreement targets.  However, Members asked that the data should be clearly labelled to show which Council it applied to. 

Internal Audit

It was noted that the Internal Audit team was performing well against its Internal Audit Plan.  It had been only a year since the new Internal Audit Manager had been appointed, yet the team had worked well together, making good progress and introducing new, robust processes.  It was noted that Mazars, a contractor, was undertaking its first planning audit for the Ridgeway Shared Service Partnership.  This was an audit of services provided by SOLL Leisure. 

Accountancy

It was noted that the operation of the accountancy service was settling down.  The managers at South Oxfordshire and the Vale were progressing well and the accounts for 2007/08 had been closed.  Budgets had been uploaded to Agresso.  Both accountancy teams were looking at further harmonisation of the back office elements of the budget setting process for 2009/10. 

Investigations Team

Members noted that a tagging order had been achieved following a benefit fraud case.  The National Fraud Initiative was now in progress to allow matching of data between payroll, benefits, credit, licensing and pension records.  This would extend to Council Tax and electoral register records in 2009. 

It was noted that the team was currently under staffed by 50%.  Members were warned that due to this and other influences such as the economic downturn benefit fraud targets might not be met this year. 

A concern was raised about the accuracy of data from Capita.  This had escalated to a level where the Chief Executives of the two Councils had met with Capita’s director to stress the problems this caused.  Despite contract incentives and penalties being in place to regulate this, problems still occured.  Members expressed concern at this and asked for an update at the next meeting. 

RESOLVED

that the performance monitoring report be received and the actions set out above be approved.