Agenda item

The interim Revenues and Benefits Service Manager gave a presentation on each section of her draft service plan for 2007/08:

Section 1 – Setting the Scene: following gateway review 1, this section had been updated for all services and key partners had been expended to include internal stakeholders. The panel focussed on the element of the fraud & enforcement service relating to publishing results of benefit fraud detection. This would be achieved with press releases. One member commented that Sleaford press seldom published articles relating to the district, even though this would often be relevant. The portfolio holder offered to look into this.

Section 2 – Where are we now?: updates in this section were outlined and discussed by the panel. A seminar was being attended by officers in December on the pending legislation. Following questions at the last gateway review, the officer explained that information on ethnicity was not recorded and therefore it was not easy to monitor applications from migrant workers. Work on this, however, was being carried out county-wide. Service comparisons were discussed, although the panel found that the performance graphs lacked clarity.

Section 3 – Where do we need to be?: the SWOT analysis was complete and the service aimed to achieve “excellence” by the end of 2008/09. The service weaknesses and threats, and how the service intended to address these, were scrutinised by the panel.

Section 4 – How do we get there?: the action plan set out objectives relating to access/modernisation, the Welfare Reform Bill and the annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment. The officer clarified various related matters for the panel.

Section 5 – Gershon & Efficiency: the proposed savings, and the previously declared savings deleted or amended from the current year’s schedule, were identified and explained. The issue of double accounting was also raised here and members were reminded to ensure that this did not occur.

Section 6 – Financial Summary: an updated summary was circulated, although the officer explained that further work to finalise the revenue estimated was required. No capital spend was envisaged for the service.

Section 7 – Risk: several risk factors were identified relating to the Lyons review, the pending legislation and training resources.

Conclusions:

Having reviewed the 2007/08 service plan for Benefits and Revenues Services against the Gateway Review 2 checklist, the Resources DSP found that:

1.      All budget figures for the current year and future years had been identified in the service plan.

2.      All staffing resources had been identified and costed in the service plan.

3.      All other relevant costs had been identified and included in the service plan.

4.      There was clear quantification of how the service contributed towards the council priorities.

5.      Any relevant inflationary increases had been absorbed.

6.      The balanced score card was complete and evidenced.

7.      Any relevant income streams had been reviewed and inflationary increases applied, although there may be an increase in NNDR collection due to economic growth, although this income was passed on to central government.

8.      Gershon efficiency savings had been identified and evidenced.

9.      Risks had been identified and actions for mitigation applied.

10.Any major deviations to the current budget had been identified.

11.No issues requiring equality costs had been identified.

12.Section 4 of the service plan had been adequately completed and resources costs identified.

13.The SWOT analysis had been completed.

14.The PESTLE analysis had been completed.

15.The financial summary had been completed, but further refining was required for the revenues estimates.

16.The major procurement proposal for the next three years had been identified and costed.

17.Service staff had been consulted on compilation of the service plan. 

18.There were no capital projects identified for the next 3-5 years.

Other observations made were:

The portfolio holder be tasked with looking into the forwarding of press releases to media in Sleaford.

The portfolio holder be asked to report on why there had been no progress made with partnership working.

The Resources DSP to receive an update on awaited legislation at its meeting on 18^th January 2007.