Issue - items at meetings - Annual Progress Update of the Local Area Agreement (LAA) 2008/09

Report of the Acting Director of Strategy & Governance (copy circulated separately).  

1.     That Cabinet notes the good progress against the LAA outcomes in Appendices 1 & 3.

2.     That Cabinet notes the actions outlined in the Exception Report in Appendix 2 to address areas not meeting the agreed targets.

3.     That Cabinet agrees to ask Cabinet Members to review any areas of poor performance in greater detail at future Cabinet Members Meetings and/or discusses with the relevant leading partnership progress on the action plans.

4.     That Cabinet notes the targets for the Local Area Agreement were negotiated in 2007 before the impact of the economic recession on the achievements particularly for employment and housing outcomes was fully appreciated. Nationally, it has been agreed that the specific economic indicator targets for 09/10 & 10/11 will be reviewed in light of the impact of the recession. The finalised revised targets will come back to a future LSP and Cabinet.

51.1       That Cabinet considered a report of the Acting Director of Strategy & Governance updating Members on progress made against the Local Area Agreement (LAA) outcomes and information on indicators that were significantly off target at the end of the 08/09 (for copy see minute book).

51.2       Councillor Randall stated that he was concerned about the ‘rate of hospital admissions per 100,000 for alcohol related harm’ and felt that the increase in establishments selling alcohol had contributed to this. He also noted that more needed to be done to combat the ‘proportion of children living in poverty’. He was pleased to see positive information in relation to ‘engagement in the arts’, ‘community engagement in local libraries’ and ‘number of school age children in organised school visits to the museums’; he hoped that the council could build on this by using art and music in working with re-offenders.

51.3       The Head of Performance & Improvement explained that in future a breakdown of hospital admissions could be provided to show reasons for admission and where patients are from. She noted that improved reporting by the Primary Care Trust was likely to result in an increase in numbers.

51.4       RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:

(1)       That the good progress against the LAA outcomes in Appendices 1 & 3 be noted.

(2)       That the actions outlined in the Exception Report in Appendix 2 to address areas not meeting the agreed targets be noted.

(3)       That Cabinet Members to review any areas of poor performance in greater detail at future Cabinet Members Meetings and/or Cabinet discusses with the relevant leading partnership progress on the action plans.

(4)       That it be noted that the targets for the Local Area Agreement were negotiated in 2007 before the impact of the economic recession on the achievements particularly for employment and housing outcomes was fully appreciated. Nationally, it had been agreed that the specific economic indicator targets for 09/10 & 10/11 would be reviewed in light of the impact of the recession. The finalised revised targets would come back to a future LSP and Cabinet.