Annex 2 – Performance – Council Plan Outcomes
1 This report concentrates on the indicators that make up the Council Plan performance framework and does not cover COVID-related activity.
2 It is likely that due to impacts of COVID, a number of the indicators will see a significant change both in terms of their numbers and their direction of travel in future reporting periods. The majority of the performance measures within the Council Plan have a lag between the data being available, and the current reporting period and therefore impacts will not be immediately seen, and may occur over several years as new data becomes available.
3 Within the updates on the Council Plan indicators, are a number of indicators which show the status of economic, community or corporate recovery since the start of the pandemic.
Well paid jobs and an inclusive economy
Business Rates
4 The Government Grant Funded Support schemes for local businesses have now closed. The level of support provided was:
· 2,526 Business Support Grants (value of £108.4m)
· Approx. 1,000 Council Funded Micro Scheme payments (value of £1m)
· 3,192 Business Rate Reliefs 2020-21 (value of £70.228m)
5 There is support for qualifying businesses with their business rates though 2021-22 with 100% relief for the first three months, then 66.6% for the rest of the year. There is also revaluation relief funding coming later in the year to support those businesses who had applied to the VOA for a reduction in their rates, as a result of covid-19.
6 There continues to be ongoing welfare support payments for residents into 2021-22 with a local covid support grant replacing the winter grant scheme, the extension of the isolation grant scheme to June, a further CTS hardship scheme and the YFAS fund. Support provided during 2020-21 includes:
· Over 7,200 CTS customers helped with council tax (£150) with a total value of £1.08m
· 2,091 Winter Support Grants totalling £546.9k
· 500 Isolation Grants totalling £250k
· YFAS Payments totalling 305.5k
· Discretionary Housing Payments totalling £297.9k
· Hub Support including food parcels totalling £79.3k
· Mobile and internet access for digitally vulnerable residents totalling £11k
7 The 2020-21 collection rate for Council Tax up to the end of March 2021 was 96.44% (1.36% below the target collection rate and 1.02% below the collection rate at the same point in 2019-20).
Median earnings of residents – Gross weekly pay
8 In April 2020, the median gross weekly earnings for full-time resident employees in York were £574.90, which is a decrease of 0.8% from £579.90 in 2019. Nationally, median weekly pay for full-time employees fell in the private sector (negative 0.6%) but not in the public sector (positive 2.4%), following four years of higher pay growth in the private sector; this fall reflects the different job types across each sector and the extent they have been impacted because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Data for 2021/22 will be available in November 2021.
% of working age population qualified – to at least L2 and above
9 In 2020-21, 83.6% of the working age population in York were qualified to at least L2 and above (GCSE grades 9-4), which is higher than the national and regional figures (78.2% and 75.9% respectively). This result ranks the city of York third regionally. The 2020-21 figure has remained stable compared to 2019-20 (83%).
% of working age population qualified – to at least L4 and above
10 In 2020-21, 46.4% of the working age population in York were qualified to at least L4 and above (certificate of higher education or equivalent), which is higher than the national and regional figures (43.1% and 37.3% respectively). This result ranks the city of York fifth regionally. The 2020-21 figure is a slight decrease from 2019-20 (49.1%).
GVA (Gross Value Added) per head (£)
11 In 2018-19 (the latest available data), the GVA per head in York was £30,258 which was the second highest figure regionally. Apart from a slight dip in 2015-16, the GVA per head has been increasing annually since 2009-10 where it was £25,976 per head. Data for 2019-20 will be available in June 2021. Based on predicted economic trends nationally, it is expected that there will be a negative impact on GVA values in future years.
% of vacant city centre shops compared to other cities
12 At the end of Q4 2020-21, there were 57 vacant shops in the city centre, which is an increase from 51 at the same point in 2019-20. The number of vacant shops equates to 8.89% of all city centre shops, which is lower than the national benchmark in Q1 2019-20 of 11.7%. Properties in York are owned by different commercial parties and CYC commercial properties have very low levels of vacancies. The York figure has not fluctuated a great deal in the past 10 years, with a high of 9.2% in 2016-17 and the national benchmark figure has remained stable too, with a high of 12.3% in 2013-14. This measure will continue to be monitored along with a number of new measures looking at vacancy rates within secondary shopping centres to broaden the economic picture of the city. At the end of December 2020, the vacancy rates within secondary shopping centres were relatively low (5% at Clifton Moor, 12% at Monks Cross, 0% in Haxby Village and 5% in Acomb High Street).
13 In the financial year up to the end of March 2021, there were 917 new business start-ups in the City of York Council area. This figure is very similar to that at the same point in 2020 therefore showing signs of recovery.
% of working age population in employment (16-64)
14 In Q3 2020-21 (the latest available data), 78.2% of the working age population were in employment, which is higher than the national and regional figures (75.4% and 74.6% respectively). The York performance gives the city a ranking of second regionally and represents a continued yearly upward trend.
15 At the end of March 2021, there were 13,367 people in York receiving Universal Credit, of which, 7,530 were not in employment. These figures are considerably higher than the same period in 2019-20 (6,535 and 3,773).
Getting around sustainably
P&R Passenger Journeys
16 In 2019-20, there were a total of 3.98 million Park and Ride passenger journeys into and out of the city. This is lower than in 2018-19 (4.24m) and the lowest in the previous seven years (with a high of 4.61m in 2015-16). Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, lower numbers than normal were seen during March 2020, which partly explains the decrease since 2018-19. Data for 2020-21 will be available in June 2021.
Local bus passenger journeys
17 In 2019-20, 11.6 million local bus passenger journeys originated in the local authority area. This is slightly lower than the number of journeys in 2018-19 (12m) but overall, there has been a steady increase over the previous seven years (from 9.7m in 2012/13). Data for 2020-21 will be available in June 2021.
% of ROAD and pathway network that are grade 4 (poor condition) or grade 5 (very poor condition) - Roadways / Pathways
18 In 2020-21, 22% of the road network was classed as in poor or very poor condition. This is a slight increase from 2019-20 (20%) but lower than the two year previous to that. In 2020-21, 3% of the pathway network was classed as in poor or very poor condition. This remains relatively low compared with previous years, with the highest being 6% in 2015-16. Executive will shortly be considering a new Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan, to ensure that investment provides the best possible value for money.
Area Wide Traffic Levels (07:00 -19:00) (Excluding A64)
19 Between 2011-12 and 2016-17, the number of vehicles on the city’s roads increased year on year to a high of 2.2 million. Since then the numbers have slowly decreased to a provisional figure of 2.15 million in 2018-19. This slight decrease in numbers is set against a backdrop of a city with an increasing population. Data for 2019-20 will be available in June 2021.
Index of cycling activity (12 hour) / % of residents actively cycling and national comparisons
20 From a baseline in 2009 (31,587), there has been a 9% decrease in cycling activity in 2020. The highest level seen since the baseline was established was in 2014 where there was a 29% increase above the baseline.
21 Statistics about walking and cycling in England in 2019 were published during August 2020. The data is based on two main sources, The National Travel Survey and the Active Lives Survey. The picture for York residents is a positive one with a higher than average proportion engaging in both walking and cycling (the percentage of adults in York who walk or cycle five times per week (50%) is higher than regional and national averages (34.1% and 35.8%).
22 Community mobility data has been available regularly from Google since the start of the pandemic to track how visits to places such as shops and transit stations are changing. Data is sourced through phone location history where consented and changes for each day are compared to a baseline value for that day of the week taken during January and February 2020. At the end of March 2021, in York, there had been a 46% reduction in retail and recreation activity, a 2% increase in grocery and pharmacy activity, and a 57% reduction in the use of Public Transport. Overall, York has performed better than the national averages.
Index of pedestrians walking to and from the City Centre (12 hour in and out combined)
23 From a baseline in 2009-10 (37,278), there has been a 3% increase in the number of pedestrians walking to and from the city centre in 2020-21. This is 8% lower than in 2019-20 and can probably be attributed to the national lockdowns that have taken place during 2020 and early 2021. Data is gathered on an annual basis over the course of one day; it is a count of pedestrians crossing an inner cordon set just beyond the inner ring road and includes off-road routes such as riverside paths.
% of customers arriving at York Station by sustainable modes of transport (cycling, walking, taxi or bus – excluding cars, lift, motorcycle or train)
24 In 2019 (the latest available data), 75% of customers arrived at York station by sustainable modes of transport which is an increase from 73% in 2018. The data is gathered by an annual survey which takes place for a five- hour period in seven locations around the station. Members of the public are asked how they arrive at the station and the results are flow weighted to take into account the split of people arriving at each entrance. Due to COVID restrictions on movement, the survey did not take place during 2020, therefore data is not available for this year.
Good Health and Wellbeing
25 There has been an increasing initial contact demand for adult social care in 2020-21, partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, although this has not yet led to any subsequent increase in care packages. Our Customer Contact Workers record the number of contacts received to ASC, whether made by email, telephone or other methods. During 2020-21 Q4, they received 5,594 contacts, which is over 72% higher than the number received during 2019-20 Q4 (3,257). Around 26% of the contacts during 2020-21 Q4 were resolved using Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), which is lower than the percentage that were resolved using IAG during 2019-20 Q4 (29%); this reflects the increasing complexity of issues that are dealt with by them.
26 There has been a notable fall throughout 2020-21 in the number of individuals in residential/nursing care placements, mainly due to the Covid crisis. At the end of 2020-21 Q4, this number was 538, compared to 609 at the end of 2019-20 Q4. CYC have been relatively successful in ensuring that the number of new admissions to residential/nursing care have been low, partly because of the policy that people should no longer be placed in residential/nursing care directly following hospital discharge. During 2020-21 the number of new admissions of older people to residential/nursing care was 172, a fall by 14% on the 2019-20 figure of 201.
27 The COVID-19 pandemic, particularly since the peak of the “first wave” in May, has led to an increasing demand for home care services. At the end of 2020-21 Q4 there were 726 people in receipt of a home care service; this is 7% higher than the corresponding figure at the end of 2019-20 Q4 (676). This number has risen substantially in the financial year, but fell back during the most recent quarter.
Proportion of adults in contact with secondary mental health services living independently
28 The percentage of all adults in contact with secondary mental health services living independently, with or without support, has fallen over the last year; during 2020-21 Q3 (the latest figures available), 60% of them were doing so, compared with 80% a year earlier. The 2019-20 ASCOF results showed that York is the 18th best performing LA in the country with a performance of 80% in this measure, compared with 61% in all unitary authorities and 63% in its statistical neighbour group.
29 During 2020-21 Q3 (the latest figures available), 16% of all clients in contact with secondary mental health services were in employment – a figure that has consistently been above the regional and national averages. Based on the 2019-20 ASCOF results, York is the 4th best performing LA in the country on this measure, with 22% of all those in contact with secondary mental health services in employment, compared with 10% in all unitary authorities and 9% in its statistical neighbour group.
30 However, NHS Digital have acknowledged that there are issues with the quality of some of its statistics because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is possible that the percentages quoted above may be subject to future revision.
Delayed Transfers of Care (DToC) from hospital which are attributable to adult social care, per 100,000 population
31 There had been a downward trend in the number of days that patients are delayed leaving hospital that are “attributable to adult social care”. In the 12 months to the end of February 2020, which is the latest period for which information has been published by NHS England, there were on average eight beds per day occupied by people subject to delayed transfers of care attributable to CYC’s adult social care. This is lower than in the previous 12-month period (11 beds occupied per day on average).However, reporting on DToC has been stopped since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no decision has been made as to whether it will ever resume. Therefore, information about DToC will no longer feature in this report from the next quarter onwards.
Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support
32 The 2019-20 Adult Social Care User Survey (ASCS) showed that 68% of those who responded stated that they were “extremely” or “very” satisfied with the care and support they received. This is a significant improvement from 2018-19, where 64% gave one of these answers. This performance puts York amongst the upper quartile of local authorities for satisfaction with care and support, above the average of all unitary authorities (66%) and its statistical neighbour group of local authorities (64%). Provisional results from the 2020-21 ASCS suggest that this percentage increased further, which will be confirmed later this year after NHS Digital publish the results for all Las which took part.
33 The Survey also reported that ASC clients felt that their quality of life had improved during 2019-20, a measure that takes into account how they feel about aspects such as their safety, social contact, access to local services and ability to perform household tasks. It has improved to the extent that the quality of life for York’s ASC clients is now comparable with those nationally and in its statistical neighbour group of local authorities. Provisional results for 2020-21 indicate a further improvement in this measure.
34 Additionally, 74% of ASC clients that responded to the Survey and tried to access information and advice reported that they found it “easy” to do so, a percentage which is in the upper quartile of local authorities. It is significantly higher than the average of all unitary authorities (70%) and its statistical neighbour group of local authorities (68%). The provisional results for 2020-21 indicate a slight deterioration in this measure.
% of reception year children recorded as being obese (single year)
35 Although the NCMP programme for 2019-20 was discontinued in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the data submitted for children measured prior to lockdown has been published with appropriate local data quality flags. The coverage rates for York for 2019-20 were 38% for year 6 pupils and 57.2% for reception (coverage rates are usually in excess of 95%). As a result of this, the York values have been flagged as ‘fit for publication but interpret with caution’.
36 The 2019-20 NCMP found that 7.6% of reception children in York were obese, which is significantly lower than the England average (9.9%). The York figure has fallen from the 2018-19 level (9.5%). Of Year 6 children in York, 22.1% were found to be obese in 2019-20, which is not significantly different from the England average (21.0%). The York figure has increased from the 2018-19 level (15.1%). There is a wide variation in obesity rates at ward level, and there is a strong correlation between obesity and deprivation at ward level.
37 For the 2020-21 measurement year, a minimum 10% representative NCMP sample will be screened, which, in York, equates to 5 schools.
Healthy Life expectancy at birth – Female/Male (slope index of inequality)
38 Average Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy for males in York (80.2 years and 65.8 years) is above the England average (79.8 years and 63.2 years). Average Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy for females in York (83.7 years and 66.4 years) is also above the England average (83.4 years and 63.5 years).
39 The inequality in life expectancy for men in York for the measurement period 2017-19 is 8.3 years. This means there is around an 8-year difference in life expectancy between men living in the most and least deprived areas of the City. This inequality for men has improved (fallen) for two successive periods.
40 The inequality in life expectancy for women in York for the measurement period 2017-19 is 6.2 years. This means there is around a 6-year difference in life expectancy between women living in the most and least deprived areas of the City. The figure is the same as in the previous period 2016-18.
41 This inequality in York is below the national average for men (9.4 years) and for women (7.6 years).
% of adults (aged 16+) that are physically active (150+ moderate intensity equivalent minutes per week, excluding gardening)
· 66.7% of people in York did more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week compared with 61.4% nationally and 59.8% regionally. There has been no significant change in the York value from that 12 months earlier.
· 21.7% of people in York did fewer than 30 minutes per week compared with 27.1% nationally and 29.2% regionally. There has been no significant change in the York value from that 12 months earlier.
A Better Start for Children and Young People
43 The number of children in care has been stable throughout 2020/21, with between 278 and 281 children for 11 months of the year. The number of children in care remains above the expected level for York, the increase during 2019/20 reflected recalibration within children’s services as progress was made to improve and strengthen practice. As improvement work continues we would expect a second recalibration where the number of children in care reduces.
44 The number of children subject to a child protection plan steadily decreased throughout 2020/21, with 124 plans at the end of the year. The ongoing improvement work in children’s services is a key factor. During 2019/20, we saw a predicted increase in the number of children who were the subject of a plan. The second phase of improvement work is contributing to performance levelling off.
45 The number of referrals to children’s social care dropped significantly during the initial phase of COVID-19 lockdown. This matched the experience seen nationally and regionally. Referrals peaked in September, exceeding historical monthly averages. The most recent national lockdown contributed to a drop in referrals, but we are seeing a swifter return to expected levels than we saw last year.
46 The number of contacts to Early Help increased significantly throughout the initial lockdown phase in response to COVID-19. Whilst the number of contacts to Early Help reduced over Q2, they increased again in Q3 with October being the busiest month since April. Q4 saw a similar trend to children’s social care, with an initial reduction, followed by a swifter recovery. Work is progressing within the MASH and with the safeguarding partnership to ensure a city-wide and multi-agency response to the increased demand.
Voice of the Child
47 Advocacy casework for children and young people who are in care or leaving care, going through the child protection process or wanting to make a complaint, has continued to be provided throughout this period. Between January and March 2021, Speak Up received a total of 19 referrals for advocacy; 6 referrals for children and young people in care, 7 referrals for young people subject to a Child Protection Plan, 4 referrals for care leavers and 2 referrals for young people falling solely under the remit of making a complaint.
48 Participation work opportunities have continued to be delivered remotely, with young people being engaged virtually via Zoom meetings. Our Children in Care Council (Show Me That I Matter) and Care Leavers Forum (I Still Matter) have continued to meet each month and discussed topics including how the process for accessing case files could be developed, life story work, stigma, celebrating foster carers and the views/experiences of young parents. The groups have also continued to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people with SMTIM additionally being involved in consultation for the Virtual School regarding the support they feel is needed from education moving forward. Members of the Care Leaver’s Forum have also taken part in national discussions with Article 39 and the Department for Education regarding the national review of advocacy provision. A number of young people also took part in personal strengths and confidence sessions virtually as part of the Bright Futures Project.
49 York Youth Council (YYC) meetings have continued to be delivered during this period on a remote basis as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. In Q4, fortnightly meetings have taken place via Zoom and the youth council have focussed on online campaigns and projects. Since January, formal meetings have taken place on themes such as Rights of the Child, Quizzing the Councillors and Young People’s Voice. This quarter, YYC have created and completed a survey of young people and children in York asking them about their rights based on the UNCRC. The data and results will be used in upcoming work. This quarter’s sessions have included guests and consultation work such as North Yorkshire Police to discuss Knife Crime and working with partners on the Make Your Mark results led by the British Youth Council. Some of our YYC members have coordinated, organised and facilitated a virtual Youth Hustings event leading up to the May election for York and North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. This work was led by the North Yorkshire Youth Work Unit and facilitated by YYC staff.
50 YYC have started to plan their future work including re-freshing their Minding Minds award in the autumn term 2021. This scheme was created by YYC members centred around recognising schools that prioritise and invest resource in the mental health of young people and their students. This ties in to their agenda of youth voice and young people’s human rights. Mental Health was one of the top issues voted by the UK Make Your Mark youth consultation of 185,000 young people aged 11-18 in the United Kingdom and over 100 young people who voted in York. YYC will look to continue their work on the top 6 Make Your Mark results which were as follows: Support our Mental Health; Take Action on the Climate Emergency; Free University; Domestic Violence; Homelessness and Access to Training and Jobs. YYC are looking forward to working with partners on these topics and are creating awareness resources and a ‘where to go for help’ information sheet. Young people in YYC are looking forward to building a stronger working relationship with the City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership (CYSCP).
51 Representatives from YYC have continued to take part in a number of virtual regional workshops, conferences and meetings, mainly facilitated by British Youth Council and the Steering Group, enabling them to communicate with different MPs from across the region about current issues, as well as other Youth Councils. This also includes the recent Making A Bigger Mark Event which included the guests Baroness Barron, Young Minds UK, National Union of Students, the Speaker of the Commons, and Friends of the Earth + Greenpeace.
Secondary school persistent absence rate
52 The May 2020 pupil census was cancelled by the Department for Education due to COVID-19. National and local schools attendance data has not yet been released by DfE. It is anticipated that DfE will release a version of the standard attendance performance but the details are not known yet.
% of children who have achieved a Good level of Development (GLD) at Foundation Stage
53 There will be no data available for 2019-20 as the tests were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Education Progression (Average Progress 8 score from KS2 to KS4)and GCSE Results (% of pupils achieving 9-4 in English and Maths at KS4)
54 Progress 8 is a measure of the progress made by pupils between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4. A positive score represents progress above the average for all pupils and a negative score progress below the average for all pupils.
55 The KS4 landscape is particularly complicated for 2020 due to COVID-19. In 2020, all GCSE, AS and A level exams were cancelled and replaced by a combination of teacher assessment, mock exam results, course work and a standardised calculation.
56 The Department for Education are not planning on releasing data for 2019-20 due to the way in which Key Stage 4 results were calculated due to COVID-19.
% point gap between disadvantaged pupils (eligible for FSM in the last 6 years, looked after and adopted from care) and their peers achieving 9-4 in English and Maths at KS4
57 The DfE are not planning on releasing data for 2019/20 due to the way in which Key Stage 4 results were calculated due to COVID-19.
58 Reducing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is a key priority in all phases of education across 0-19 years. In 2019, the attainment gap narrowed slightly to 29.4%, against the national average of 27%.
% of 16-17 year olds who are NEET who do not have a L2 qualification
59 The proportion of 16-17 year olds in York who are NEET remains at a similar level to historical trends and there is a correlation with disadvantage, with the majority of young people that are NEET being from the wards with the highest levels of deprivation. At the end of March 2021, 89.4% of young people who were NEET did not have a Level 2 qualification.
A Greener and Cleaner City
Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting
60 The latest provisional data of 43% in Q3 2020-21 shows that the amount of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting has increased slightly from 42% in the same period in 2019-20. In 2019-20 York performed in the middle quartile compared to other Unitary Authorities (ranked 22nd out of 56 Unitary LA’s).
Residual household waste per household (kg/household)
61 Latest provisional residual waste (i.e. non-recyclable) per household data shows a decrease from 128 kg in Q3 2019-20 to 121kg in Q3 2020-21. In 2019-20 York performed in the middle quartile compared to other Unitary Authorities and is ranked 26th out of 56 Unitary LA’s.
Incidents - Fly tipping / Rubbish / Cleansing (includes dog fouling, litter and all other cleansing cases) / Graffiti – On Public/Private Land
62 The number of service calls received during 2020-21 due to fly-tipping and graffiti have increased since 2019-20 (fly-tipping from 1,960 to 2,277 and graffiti from 385 to 479) whilst calls received due to cleansing (including dog fouling and litter) have decreased since 2019-20 (from 2,578 to 1,990).
Air Quality
63 All locations in York met the health based air quality objectives for both nitrogen dioxide and articulate matter. Gillygate was equal to set objectives and higher concentrations were recorded on Rougier Street. Although these results will have been affected by the Coronavirus lockdowns, the results indicate a continuing improvement in air quality in York. A full report on air quality in York in 2020 will be provided in the Air Quality Annual Status report, due for submission to DEFRA in June 2021.
64 During 2020-21, CYC launched its DEFRA funded Low Emission Taxi incentive scheme which offers financial support for eligible CYC registered taxi drivers to upgrade their vehicles to low emission vehicles. A quarter of all York’s taxis are now low emission electric hybrids. £21k has been awarded through the scheme to date and another £84k is available until March 2022.
65 Following £300k of DEFRA funding, work has begun on plans for a feasibility study and subsequent pilot scheme to reduce emissions relating to deliveries in York.
Trees Planted
66 During 2020-21, there were 271 trees planted, including 250 whips on Bootham Stray in February and larger trees in streets and parks in March.
% of Talkabout panel who think that the council and partners are doing well at improving green spaces
67 Throughout 2020-21, engagement with residents was replaced with Our Big Conversation (OBC), a wider consultation programme to connect with local communities and gain feedback on residents experiences throughout the pandemic.
68 The results for Q2 2020-21 (the latest available data) showed that 44% of respondents agreed that the Council and its partners are doing well at improving green spaces, an increase from 42% in 2019-20 and from 38% in 2018-19. Whilst the Council would like this percentage to be higher, the question in the survey is around improving green spaces, rather than maintaining them. In 2020-21, 48% of survey respondents thought that the Council and its partners are doing well at improving the quality of streets and public places, and 63% agreed they were doing well conserving York’s heritage.
69 Preparations are now underway to resume the resident satisfaction surveys which ask for views on life in York, local area satisfaction, problems faced by residents and opinions on different services delivered by the council. The recruitment of new members to the Talkabout panel has continued to take place and with additional signposting through the OBC initiative, 178 new members signed up compared to 44 in 2019-20.
70 The next Talkabout survey will be sent to the Talkabout panel in the usual formats during May 2021 and includes all ongoing questions which have been monitored through KPIs since 2016 to track changes in opinions and also includes two additional questions which focus speicifcally on the councils response to the pandemic. The results of the next survey will be shared in the next version of the Monitor.
Creating Homes and World-class infrastructure
New Additional Homes Provided
71 Between April and September 2020 there were 182 net additional homes completed. This represents a lower level of completions than anticipated earlier in the year and can largely be attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on new working practices and building material supply. Of these additional homes:
· 90.1% were completed on housing sites;
· 10.4% were a result of an off-campus privately managed student accommodation block at York Dance Works;
· Changes of use of existing buildings to residential use and conversions to existing residential properties accounted for 13.7% of all completions;
· 22% were on individual sites that saw the construction of five or less dwellings;
· Development sites including Germany Beck, the provision of a new apartment block at Tower Way and the Former Del Monte Site in Skelton all provided notable completions over the year.
72 Data for the full 2020-21 year will be available in June 2021.
Net Housing Consents
73 Between April and September 2020, there were 950 net housing consents. This represents a continuation of significant levels of housing consents that have taken place over the previous three full years. Levels of consents can fluctuate based on the approval of large developments. Of these consents the most significant approved sites included;
· 607 consents on the Former Gas Works, Heworth Green;
· 62 on the Vacant Site, Eboracum Way.
74 Data for the full 2020-21 year will be available in June 2021.
Number of homeless households with dependent children in temporary accommodation
75 The number of homeless households with dependent children in temporary accommodation remains at a lower level to that seen in previous years. The latest available data shows that there were 19 households with dependent children in temporary accommodation at the end of Q3 2020-21 compared to 27 at the end of Q2 2020-21. It should be noted that these figures are snapshot figures.
Average number of days to re-let empty Council properties (excluding temporary accommodation)
76 The average number of days to re-let empty Council properties (excluding temporary accommodation) increased from 37 days at the end of 2019-20 to 67 days at the end of 2020-21. The increase in days during 2020-21 was mainly due to the repairs team being unable to repair vacant properties due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Energy efficiency – Average SAP rating for all Council Homes
77 The provisional average SAP rating for all Council homes in 2019-20 is 70.6, which is the same as in 2018-19. At the point of reporting, the Building Services team were in the process of establishing a new method for calculating the SAP figure using a combination of the stock condition data and bulk data from the Landmark EPC register. The figure reported for 2019-20 therefore, was the same as the figure from the stock condition survey carried out in 2019. Data for 2020-21 will be available in November 2021.
Number of new affordable homes delivered in York
78 The number of new affordable homes delivered in York remains high, with 83 delivered during the first six months of 2020-21 (compared to 33 during the same period in 2019-20).
Superfast broadband availability/Average broadband download speed (Mbs)
79 In 2020-21, 94.13% of properties in York had access to superfast broadband, which compares to 94.91% nationally. The average broadband download speed in York in 2020-21 was 147.1Mb/s, which compares to 56.1 Mb/s in 2019-20. This increase can be attributed to the Council’s continued work with service providers to improve infrastructure. The national benchmark download speed is 68.92 Mb/s in 2020-21. This data is provided by an Ofcom panel of consumers so should be treated as an indication rather than actual figures. Data for 2021-22 will be available in December 2021.
Safe Communities and culture for all
% of Talkabout panel satisfied with their local area as a place to live
80 Results from the Q2 2020-21 Talkabout survey (the latest available data) showed that 86% of the panel were satisfied with York as a place to live (a decrease from 88% in Q1 2020-21) and 85% with their local area (a decrease from 87% in Q1 2020-21). Satisfaction for local area continues to perform well against the latest national figures of 76% (Community Life Survey 2019-20) and 87% (Local Government Association Poll June 2020).
81 The next Talkabout survey will be sent to the Talkabout panel in the usual formats during May 2021 and the results will be shared in future Monitors.
All Crime per 1000 population
82 Overall crime levels in York have remained stable during 2020-21 with 11.7 crimes per 1,000 population during Q4 2020-21. Figures for the whole of 2020-21 show that there were 52.4 crimes per 1,000 population, compared to 66 in 2019-20. This figure for 2020-21 is the lowest recorded annual number of crimes per 1,000 population since 2015-16.
Number of Incidents of ASB within the city centre (Alcohol Restriction Zone)
83 The number of incidents of anti-social behaviour within the city centre during 2020-21 (1,410) is a reduction on the number of incidents reported during 2019-20 (1,689) and is the lowest number of reported incidents since data has been collected.
Visits - All Libraries / YMT
84 Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, all libraries in York closed at the end of March 2020 and continued to be affected by national lockdowns during the rest of 2020-21. Across the year, there were 183,706 visits to libraries compared to 1,023,034 during 2019-20. Libraries fully re-opened during April 2021 so visits should start to increase during 2021-22. More positively, due to the library closures, there has been a significant increase in the number of e-books borrowed. During 2020-21, 363,844 e-books were borrowed compared to 45,147 during 2019-20.
% of Talkabout panel who agree that they can influence decisions in their local area
86 The next Talkabout survey will be sent to the Talkabout panel in the usual formats during May 2021 and the results will be shared in future Monitors.
% of Talkabout panel who give unpaid help to any group, club or organisation
87 The councils ‘Our Big Conversation’ survey asks residents if they have given unpaid help to any group, club or organisation within the last 12 months. Responses from the two surveys carried out over the first national lockdown and following summer months both reflect that York has seen an increase in volunteering. The results of the latest survey showed that 71% of the respondents give unpaid help to a group, club or organisation which is 4% higher compared to before the pandemic started. The national figure for unpaid help pre-pandemic taken from the government’s Community Life Survey 2019-20 was 64%.
Parliament Street Footfall & Secondary Centre Footfall
88 Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, restrictions were placed on movement during 2020-21 and leisure and the vast majority of retail businesses were closed at various points during the year due to national lockdowns. This had a severe impact on the number of visitors to the city centre which mirrored the situation countrywide. Footfall in Parliament Street has decreased from 7,873,858 in 2019-20 to 3,875,940 in 2020-21. With the easing of lockdown restrictions from April 2021 onwards, it is hoped that footfall will increase during 2021-22.
89 Hotel room occupancy rates during Q3 2020-21 were 41%, which are much lower than the levels usually seen in Q3 (79-82%). Visits to large attractions in York during Q3 2020-21 numbered 114,928, again, which are much lower than visits normally seen in Q3 (between 500-700,000).
An open and effective Council
Average Sickness Days per FTE - CYC (Excluding Schools)
90 At the end of March 2021, the average number of sickness days per FTE (rolling 12 months) was 8.81 days compared to 11.56 at the end of March 2020. Full details of activity to tackle sickness are within main report.
Customer Services Waiting Times (Phone / Footfall / Webchat etc)
91 Our customer centre is the main point of contact for residents and business visitors. During Q4 2020-21, the number of calls received increased to 44,615 (43,698 in Q3 2020-21), with 76.8% of calls answered within 20 seconds. In addition, approximately 1,232 people contacted Customer Service for support due to the impact of COVID-19.
92 During Q4, 2 customers required an appointment with Customer Service at West Offices (prior to the introduction of national restrictions) and a further 74 ‘dropped by’ between 3 and 11 January and received support. This figure includes Probation Services, Registrars and Blue Badge assessments. The majority of people ‘dropping in’ can access services without having to come to West Offices. In addition to speaking to customers over the phone, the customer service team also responded to 12,876 e-mails (a decrease from 13,968 in the previous quarter). Customers are now opting to access services using alternative means:
· 1,925 customers made payments using the auto payments facility
· 16,079 people used the auto operator
· 63% of street lighting and street cleansing issues were reported by customers on-line
· There were around 2 million pages of the CYC website reviewed
·
Web
chat is now available for Council Tax customers, with 2,510
customers using the chat service during Q4, 96% of customers waited
no more than 20 seconds for their chat to be answered and 87% said
they were satisfied with the service.
Number of days to process Benefit claims (currently Housing Benefit)
93 Due to improvements in digital processes, performance in this area remains consistently strong in York, with the average number of days taken to process a new Housing Benefit claim, or a change in circumstance, being just over four days during Q2 2020-21 (the latest available data). York performance is higher than the national average of 6.9 days (Q1 2019-20). Performance has deteriorated since the end of Q4 2019-20 where HB claims took 1.7 days on average to process, but due to the global coronavirus pandemic, changes to ways of working have been implemented which have impacted on timescales. Compared to other Unitary Authorities, York performs in the top quartile and is ranked 2nd best out of 56 Unitary LAs.
% of complaints responded to within timescales
94 In Q4 2020-21, the council received 100 stage 1 complaints and responded to 94% of complaints within five days. This shows a significant and maintained improvement in the timeliness of responses to stage 1 complaints received during the reporting year (an increase from 69% in Q1 2020-21), especially given that there has been resources diverted due to contingency plans for responding to COVID-19. From April 2021, the team are working to new corporate procedures for complaints, concerns, comments and compliments – the 4Cs.
CYC Apprenticeships
95
The
number of CYC apprenticeships has remained fairly stable over the
past few years and the council has continued to actively recruit
new apprentices into the organisation and has been more diverse
with the types and levels of apprenticeships offered. This has
included encouraging higher level apprenticeships and
standards.
FOI & EIR - % In time
96 In Q4 2020-21, the council received 503 FOIs (Freedom of Information requests) and EIRs (Environmental Information Regulations requests) and 30 SARs (Subject Access to records requests). CYC achieved 83.5% in-time compliance for FOIs and EIRs and 90% for SARs. This shows a significant improvement in the timeliness of SAR responses from Q1 2020-21 which was 63%, and reflects the successful work done with service areas to improve compliance with response timescales.