Public performance reports

South Lanarkshire Council’s Plan Connect 2022-27 is the strategic document that explains how the council will use its influence and deliver services, acting on the issues that matter to our residents and communities. From this, each Resource produces an annual Resource Plan to support the delivery and achievement of the council plan. IMPROVe is the council’s performance management system which enables the progress of the actions detailed in the Council Plan and the Resource Plans to be tracked. Resource Plan performance is monitored, reported, and scrutinised by Resource Management Teams on a quarterly basis and by Committees throughout the year. The Council Plan performance is monitored, reported, and scrutinised by the Corporate Management Team and the Performance and Review scrutiny Forum at the end of Quarter 2 and Quarter 4.

The performance management reporting system uses a traffic light format with the following definitions to give a status report on each measure:

In the monitoring reports measures that are classified as ‘red’ are considered in detail and key achievements for the reporting period are listed.

Self-assessment and the improvements arising from self-assessment are key elements of Best Value. In 2016, the council adopted a new approach to the council-wide self-assessment and improvement programme, developed to better target improvement activity through a proportionate and risk-based methodology. The cornerstone of the approach is an annual horizon-scanning exercise carried out by each Resource which looks to identify service areas or activities which may benefit from further examination and self-assessment and to build up a picture of the council's self-assessment profile, providing assurances of the council's continuous improvement and Best Value commitments.

We review our procedures regularly and seek to expand and improve the information gathered in the horizon-scanning exercise to ensure it is as comprehensive as possible. For example, in consultation with all Resources, we recently added the following sources of self-assessment/improvement activity to the scope of the exercise:

• Consultations/surveys: the findings often result in changes/improvements to services or policies
• Complaints: we listen and act on complaints. This is evidenced in the ‘you said, we did’ examples published annually on the council’s website: Complaints performance

Our current and ever-evolving horizon-scanning exercise is evidence that this risk-based continuous improvement and self-assessment activity is embedded in the culture and activities across SLC Resources and services, and that updates are reported appropriately. It should also be noted that where applicable, the PSIF approach (checklist, consensus, and improvement sessions) will continue to be considered for self-assessment on services/functions identified for improvement – it is an efficient, effective, and inclusive model, resulting in clear measures of success and actions to deliver meaningful change, is tried and tested within South Lanarkshire Council and throughout many Scottish Local Authorities and the Police, Fire, and Integrated Joint Board communities.

Finance and Corporate Resources: areas for review, which arise throughout the year, are selected as part of the Transformational Programme, and are progressed by individual review groups, looking at future efficiencies to benefit customers and organisations as well as budget pressures. Update reports are presented regularly to Corporate Management Team efficiency meetings. Their conclusion will be presented to Committee, as appropriate.

During 2022-23, the following council-wide reviews were carried out:

• Overtime
• Procurement
• Management Structure
• Charging – (Roads, Transportation and Fleet)
• Office accommodation
• SLLC

Social Work Resources provide regular updates to Committee on the progress of their Transformation and Service Improvement Programme. In 2022-23 this was in relation to the following services:

The Promise, produced by the Independent Care Review in 2020, set out a new approach to supporting children, young people, and families. In South Lanarkshire, a Champions Board has been established to listen to the voice of those who are care experienced as well as a Community Planning Partnership Promise Board to drive forward the work of The Promise.

An Executive Committee 1 March 2023 report titled ‘Family Support Strategy and Whole Family Wellbeing Funding’ was presented and endorsed in March 2023. The report provided background to the development of a Family Support Strategy and updated the Executive Committee on the national and local drivers informing the Strategy including the Keeping the Promise implementation plan. The Promise identified the need to significantly upscale family support services nationally and identified whole family support as a priority in the plan. By supporting families at their time of need rather than at crisis point will enable them to flourish and reduce the chances of family breakdown and of children entering the care system.

A further report to SWR Committee 6 March 2024 outlined progress of South Lanarkshire’s implementation of the Whole Family Wellbeing Strategy.  The model is progressing well to build capacity to improve preventive services and early support to families ensuring connectivity to other relevant policy areas such as community access to mental health, child poverty, alcohol and drug whole family support and shaping places for wellbeing.

Education Resources Committee: The overall aim for education is to achieve excellence and equity. In summary, this includes improving the attainment of young people, particularly those from backgrounds of disadvantage, tackling poverty, improving literacy and numeracy and supporting learners to develop their skills for learning, life and work.  We will ensure that Strategic Equity Funding is used to deliver targeted activities, approaches and resources which are clearly additional to universal local improvement plans in line with the aspirations of the Scottish Attainment Challenge Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress and our own Equity Strategy. Housing and Technical Resources carried out a number of reviews:

Property Services Review – ongoing service review being undertaken.

Temporary Accommodation Review - Temporary Accommodation Strategic Plan developed and shared with elected members and teams during 2022-23

Housing Support/Central Homeless Team Review - review complete and actions being implemented.

Medical Assessment Review – ongoing review currently being undertaken.

Community and Enterprise Resources: During 2022-23, Community and Enterprise Resources in conjunction with North Lanarkshire Council, undertook a service review of Business Gateway which covers activity in both North and South Lanarkshire.  This service is currently carried out by an external provider with the contract due to come to an end at the end of February 2024.  Following the service review, it has been agreed that the service will now be brought in-house and hosted by North Lanarkshire Council on behalf of both local authorities.  The new service will commence on 1 March 2024. 

A service review was also undertaken of the Council’s Employability activity which since 2018 the management, and delivery of services together with compliance activity has been split across separate teams in Finance and Corporate Resources and Education Resources. Operational delivery has included a blend of in-house and procured activity, with a significant proportion of delivery contracted to Routes to Work South (RTWS), an arm’s length external organisation. Following this review Employability activity will transfer to Community and Enterprise Resources (Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service) from 1 April 2024. 

A review of the waste services began to consider options for the kerbside collection service; the provision of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and opportunities for depot improvements.

Although no formal reviews were undertaken, Roads, Transportation and Fleet continued to review local processes to improve efficiencies. This included vehicle utilisation across the council fleet and an operational review of winter maintenance.

Our external auditors, Audit Scotland, report annually on how well the council is complying with BV responsibilities, namely, ‘using resources effectively and continually improving services’: Auditors Report 2023 (Section 4)

The key judgments from this report are:

• The Council’s vision is supported by clear priorities. The Council Plan demonstrates a clear commitment to empowering local communities and continuing to develop partnership working with them.
• The Council approved its new Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy 2022-2027 in June 2022. The new strategy aims to tackle climate change over the medium-term and provides a broad strategic direction for longer-term planning.
• A Best Value Assurance Report on South Lanarkshire Council was published in March 2019, containing ten improvement recommendations. The Council has concluded these have now been addressed.

Previously, Audit Scotland highlighted an area of good practice: ‘South Lanarkshire Council has worked collaboratively with the Local Government Improvement Service to achieve the most value from the Local Government Benchmarking Framework, by developing a subset of indicators which align with the Outcomes detailed in the new Council Plan, in a way that helps drive improvement, based on its strategic priorities.’

There are a number of external regulatory, scrutiny, or inspection organisations for local government, including:

• Audit Scotland
• Education Scotland
• Care Inspectorate
• Accounts Commission | Audit Scotland
• The Scottish Housing Regulator
• His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
• His Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• The Scottish Government
• SOLACE

Note: The Care Inspectorate (CI) reports are published in partnership with the local authority. The CI is responsible for follow-up action.

Examples of activities during 2022-23 include:

Social Work Resources

The Care Inspectorate resumed inspection activity during 2021-22 with one Care at Home inspection in the Hamilton area and 8 inspections across residential services for older people and children’s houses. 

In 2023 two residential inspections took place within one older people’s residential care home and one within a children’s house.  Both expressed positive feedback for the warm care received. 

Inspections of South Lanarkshire Adoption Service and South Lanarkshire Fostering Service concluded in March 2023.  The Adoption Service was found to have significant strengths with children experiencing a high standard of care within stable home environments, whilst the Fostering Service report highlighted positive outcomes experienced by children with high standards of care and opportunity for children to develop meaningful and trusting relationships.

Overall, the inspection reports highlighted clear strengths across each of the services and improvement plans are in place to address priority areas identified by the inspection teams.  Grades are reported nationally on the Care Inspectorate website for public information.  Care Inspectorate Datastore

Education Resources

In 2022-23 the Accounts Commission reported on the progress made on the delivery of 1140 hours expansion of early learning and childcare (ELC).  The focus of the assessment was based on:

• What progress the Scottish Government and Councils had made in addressing the main risks to expanding funded ELC;
• And what progress the Scottish Government had made with planning how to assess the effectiveness of the expansion.

The outcomes can be found here 

During 2022-23, 13 South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) establishments were inspected by Education Scotland:-

• 7 primary schools experienced the full model for inspection; 4 of those primary schools with nursery classes
• 4 primary school inspections experienced the short inspection model; 1 of those primary schools with nursery classes
• 1 secondary school
• 1 standalone early years establishment
• 5 schools visited as part of Education Scotland thematic reviews

Education Scotland school inspection reports are presented to the respective Area Committee and an improvement plan is prepared to take forward the findings and build on identified key strengths. 

The Standards and Quality Report for Education Resources provides an update on our performance and achievements over 2022-23 against our 5 strategic priorities along with some examples of good practice.

24 inspections were carried out in local authority nurseries by the Care Inspectorate during the period from April 2022 until March 2023. Positive outcomes from inspections are showcased and shared as examples of good practice. Where necessary targeted support is provided to individual establishments and there is relevant engagement with the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Childcare Improvement Programme.

Housing and Technical Resources

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) is an independent regulator of Registered Social Landlords (RSL) and local authority housing services in Scotland.

The SHR monitor, assess, report and intervene (as appropriate) on Landlords performance of housing activities. This means how they deliver services to:

• tenants;
• people who are homeless;
• Gypsy/Travellers who use official sites provided by these landlords; and
  factored owners.

All social landlords must provide the SHR with information on their performance in achieving the outcomes and standards in the Charter by completing an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). The SHR uses the landlords' ARC to report on progress in achieving the Charter outcomes and standards and use this information to inform their regulatory assessments.

Each year landlords must also assess their performance and provide an update to the SHR by submitting and Annual Assurance Statement, giving assurance against the following: -

• The regulatory requirements
• All relevant standards and outcomes
• All relevant legislative duties

The Care Inspectorate carried out inspections in relation to:

- Housing Support Service for homelessness

- Sheltered Housing Services

South Lanarkshire Council continues to engage with the Care Inspectorate on a regular basis in relation to a range of Registered housing support services, submitting regular updates as required, attending information sessions in relation to the relatively new assessment framework, and seeking advice as we complete the self-assessment process against the framework.

Community and Enterprise Resources

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) carried out an audit in February 2023 and provided South Lanarkshire Council with the audit report in August 2023. The report advised FSS was reasonably assured that the council‘s food law controls were adequate and highlighted areas where procedures could be improved. Environmental Services has been progressing the audit action plan during 2023-24.

An annual review is carried out by Good Governance lead officers across the council in line with the national framework resulting in a Statement of Assurance which is approved and reported to the Corporate Management Team, Risk and Audit Scrutiny Committee, and Executive Committee.  Improvement actions/measures are included in Resource Plans, as appropriate.

Following their review in 2023, Audit Scotland concluded that ‘governance arrangements (in South Lanarkshire Council) are appropriate and operate effectively’.

In South Lanarkshire, we try to make sure all of our policies and services meet people's needs. To help us achieve this, we need to know the views of people who use or might use our services and so we use Consultations.

Education Resources: Participatory Budgeting - 40,106 pupils (12,000 more than the previous year) and 9,689 parents and carers (525 more than the previous year) took part in consultation activities on their schools use of Pupil Equity Funding.

Housing and Technical Resources: 

• Annual rent consultation
• To meet the requirements of the Scottish Social Housing Charter, Housing and Technical Resources are required, on a 3 yearly cycle, to carry out tenant satisfaction surveys: these surveys are now complete.
• Customer Involvement Strategy (2024-29) – The consultation process and review is now complete and new strategy will be presented to Committee in February 2024.

Finance and Corporate Resources: Annual budget consultation

Community and Enterprise Resources: During 2022-23, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services commenced with the preparation of a masterplan for East Kilbride Shopping Centre.  This masterplan was prepared in conjunction with the asset managers appointed by the administrators of the shopping centre which seeks to bring about transformational change for the centre.  An extensive 6-week consultation exercise was undertaken in September 2023 which included a ‘consultation shop’ being established in the shopping centre with officers and design team members in attendance over a 3-week period.  A dedicated website was established together with a video, scaled model and questionnaire.  In excess of 3,000 residents/shoppers engaged with the consultation, including local school children.  This masterplan is now being refined to take on board comments, where possible, and is moving toward the delivery stages. 

As part of our drive to improve active travel infrastructure, a programme of Active Travel Studies (ATS) for our towns and villages took place throughout 2022-23.  This involved direct engagement with communities seeking their views on priorities and opportunities in relation to new walking and cycling infrastructure.  This programme of ATSs continued into 2023-24 and is shaping our programme of investment going forward.

Work commenced in relation to the development of the revised Local Transport Strategy during 2022-23 with formal consultation scheduled for 2023-24.

Social Work Resources:

• Care at Home South Lanarkshire wide service user annual survey.
• South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership successfully launched Care Opinion across all Adult and Older People, Children and Justice services in 2023. Care Opinion is a non-profit, independent feedback website that helps service users share honest and anonymous stories about their experiences using our health, care and social work services. The process provides an evaluation tool specifically designed to consult and engage with service users promoting a culture of transparency, whilst feedback will give services a deeper understanding of the views and perspective of service users;  support self-evaluation; assist in the design of services; and sharing of good practice.

The council’s Annual Report and Accounts contain very detailed financial information but also a summary of highlights of the year from the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive Officer. This is audited by our external auditors Audit Scotland and we obtained a ‘clean’ audit certificate. This audit opinion and other judgments on the council’s financial sustainability and management, governance, transparency, and Best Value are included in the Annual Auditor's Report (AAR).

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Annual Report 2023 outlines the work and highlights the financial information for the Leisure Trust which delivers all leisure and cultural activities on behalf of the council.

Resource Plans are prepared each year by all council Resources to outline the key developments they intend to take forward in the year. Performance and actions relating to Assets can be found in the following Resource Plans:

• Finance and Corporate Resource Plan
• Community and Enterprise Resource Plan
• Education Resource Plan
• Housing and Technical Resource Plan
• Social Work Resource Plan

Further information can also be found in the Improvement and how we compare page on the council's website.

Twice a year, performance reports are presented to council committees on progress against the Resource Plans. In addition, reports detailing progress against the Council Plan Connect Outcomes are prepared. See Quarter 2 (September) and Quarter 4 (March - year end) performance reports for further information.

More information on our outcomes can be found in the Council Plan Connect and also the Annual Performance Spotlights.

Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) allows councils to work together, to use performance information in a way which will help understand variations, share knowledge, expertise and good practice, with a view to making improvements. For more information and links relating to this framework go to the 'Benchmarking' paragraph on the Improvement and how we compare page on our website.

The information contained within this report reflects the position based on the data available at the time of publication (March 2024)