Agenda item

The Committee received a report which provided Members with an overview of progress towards achieving the key outcomes of the council’s corporate performance framework and highlighted key messages to inform strategic priorities and work programmes. The report covered performance in and to the end of quarter two 2022/23, July to September 2022 (for copy see file of minutes).

A Harrington, Strategy Team Leader presented the report and highlighted the five thematic areas that performance was reported against. She explained that performance was reported on an exception basis and concentrated on things that were going well such as increased activity of the Stop Smoking Service and the re-establishment of face to face breastfeeding support groups, and areas that required attention such as the increased suicides, admissions under the Mental Health Act and the decline in leisure centre visitors. She also noted that the indicator for Adult Social Care users receiving a review / assessment in the last 12 month had continued to decline, and the latest data (58.5%) was the lowest ever recorded but advised that the Adult Care Service had provided further resource to address this issue and performance was expected to improve during 2023. The Strategy Team Leader informed the Committee that the Corporate Affairs team was now under a new Head of Service and reported directly to John Hewitt.

Councillor Quinn advised that she had recently attended an event in Bishop Auckland called Time to Talk which had been positive and suggested the event be delivered throughout the County. She commended the work of Durham County Council in keeping people well stating their efforts encouraged people to take ownership of themselves and not become the victim.

The Strategy Team Leader welcomed this feedback and agreed to feed this back to the team.

With regards to gym memberships being below target with cancellation rates higher than quarter one, Councillor Robson asked if the decline was due to issues with finance. The Strategy Team Leader advised that it was a combination of factors such as poor weather, finance, and possibly the reluctance to be close to people post-pandemic. She advised that leisure centres were trying to gain feedback from customers to ascertain the reason for cancellation. 

Councillor Sutton-Lloyd noted that several gyms had opened in his area but felt that people may be struggling to establish a good exercise routine post-pandemic.

Councillor Kay advised that a lot of people who had gym memberships had found an alternative way of keeping fit during the pandemic and had continued with this alternative form of exercise post-pandemic. 

Councillor Lines further advised that a lot of people had discovered that many local community sports groups existed within the County and stated that the cost of these groups were less in comparison to a gym membership.

The Strategy Team Leader valued the feedback from Members and noted  that although gym memberships had declined, it was reassuring to hear that people had found alternative ways to keep active.

Resolved

That the report be noted.