Agenda item

To receive a written report from the Executive Member for Corporate Services and to question the Executive Member thereon, provided any such questions are registered in accordance with the timescales and procedures set out in Standing Order 8(2)(a). 

To date, notice has been received of the following questions:

(i)         From Cllr Holvey:

“Could the Executive Member provide more information on the turnaround time for processing new benefits claims?”

(ii)        From Cllr R Watson:

“How has the York Contact Centre improved the services it provides over the last year?”

A written report was received from Cllr Jamieson-Ball, the Executive Member for Corporate Services.

Notice had been received of five questions on the report, submitted by Members in accordance with Standing Orders.  The guillotine having fallen at this point, Members agreed to receive written answers to these questions.  The questions and the written responses, as circulated to Members after the meeting, are set out below:

(i)         From Councillor Holvey

“Could the Executive Member provide more information on the turnaround time for processing new benefits claims?”

            Reply

“Based on new figures made available this week, I am delighted to be able to announce that the average time for processing new benefits claims between April 2007 and March 2008 was 29 days.  Not only does this better both the Council’s own target of 32 days and the national standard of 30 days, but it is also the fastest average processing time the Council has ever achieved.

I am sure all Members of Council will join me in thanking the staff involved in turning around a service that, 4 years ago, was taking some 73 days to process new benefits claims.

Furthermore, the provisional result for 2007/08 indicates that the Council is now averaging 13 days to process charges in circumstances notified by benefit claimants.  Again, this figure betters the Council’s performance last year of 15 days and its own target of 14 days.

The improvements seen in both the time taken to process changes in circumstances and new benefits claims was acknowledged by the independent District Auditor, who noted in his Annual Audit Letter that, for the 2006/07 year, the benefits section showed significant improvement in its performance.

I believe that the achievements of the 2007/08 year in the benefits section demonstrate the continuation of this significant improvement.”

(ii)        From Councillor R Watson

“How has the York Contact Centre improved the services it provides over the last year?”

target?”

            Reply

“As noted in the report, the York Contact Centre is providing a significantly improved service to that which it was providing a year ago. 

For example, in March 2007 the percentage of calls answered in 20 seconds was only 46%.  Over the last few months this has been averaging in the high 90s %. The overall percentage of calls answered has also significantly improved from the low 80% mark to average over 99% in the last three months – which included the peak period of Council Tax billing.  Effectively, this means that the vast majority of the 1,000s of calls the Contact Centre receives each month are being answered quickly, with only a tiny number of customers abandoning their call.

This has been achieved through the introduction of new technology – like the voice recognition software – and changes to processes, such as identifying peaks and troughs in customer demand and tailoring work patterns around that.  For the first time this year the Council was able, through the Contact Centre, to provide extended opening hours to manage the Council Tax billing process.”

(iii)       From Cllr Looker

“Has the Executive Member for Corporate Services been entirely satisfied with the new system for tracking Members’ queries in the light of the training recently received by many Members?”

Reply

“Legitimate concerns have been raised about the new system, but I do remain satisfied that this is the right approach to take in dealing with Member enquiries.  The implementation of the system has highlighted the need for all Member enquiries to be handled in a consistent fashion across all directorates, whereas the new system was only really designed to manage the services that have already been through the easy@york programme.  As such, expectations for the new system could have been managed better.”

(iv)       From Cllr Looker

“Could the Executive member comment, now that the 'Corporate Property Data Base' has gone live, whether the useage of the Barbican Auditorium is recorded in it and if not whether those leasing the premises will be required in future to provide that information, such as usage and opening dates, as a matter of public record?”

Reply

“In order to set the answer to this question in its full context, it is important for Members to understand that the Technology Forge Database is intended for use as the Council’s Corporate Land and Property Asset Register.

As such, it will record the following information:

·        The Council’s property ownership – including leases

·        Capital valuations

·        Ownership details

·        Estate management information, including all leases – in and out

·        Condition surveys

·        Asbestos surveys

·        Links to maps and Autocad drawings – including floor plans (incomplete)

Because the Barbican Auditorium will be on a long lease the Council is only likely to hold limited  information relating to the Council’s remaining responsibilities.

In future, it may be possible to look at developing a module for the Technology Forge Database to record information such as usage.  However, the level of detail about usage has to be balanced with our ability to collect and maintain such information.  The costs could be prohibitive.”

(v)        From Cllr Looker

“Can the Executive Member for Corporate Services explain what is the up to date situation as regards sickness levels and are we expecting to see a real improvement?”

            Reply

“It is anticipated that sickness absence levels in the Resources Directorate will be around 10.5 days for 2007/08 once March’s figures have been included.  This is an unconfirmed provisional figure so must be treated with a degree of caution.  Short term sickness is down to under 5 days for the first time in the last few years.  The overall figure, therefore, is down to the number of long term absences within the department. Most of these are the result of serious illness amongst a small number of staff.”