Agenda item

The Mayor agreed to admit this report as urgent business. The report was not available at the time of the despatch as it was still being compiled in order to ensure that the most up to date information was available

The Leader reported that the Council had a successful year in 2005.  For the second year running Haringey had improved its rating in the annual Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).  In the service block assessment in December 2005 Haringey achieved a ‘good’, three star rating, even though the test had been made harder this year.  (The Council was rated as ‘fair’ in 2004, improving from ‘weak’ in 2003).

The following were some of the highlights of last year:

Nearly 75% of performance indicators have been maintained or improved.

As part of the CPA all the higher weighted services scored 3 out of 4; these were Adult Social Services, Children’s Services and the Use of Resources.

In the annual Direction of Travel statement, the Audit Commission have rated the council as ‘improving well’ which is the third highest of the four categories.  The Audit Commission states:  ‘this year has seen positive outcomes in services for children and young people and for vulnerable adults. 

In 2005 the council was awarded beacon council status, an award for excellence and innovation in the 'getting closer to communities' category. The council's achievements highlighted in the beacon award included; the seven area assemblies and their popular 'making the difference budgets' for local people, Local Partnership Boards and youth forums and the Neighbourhood Resource Centre at Northumberland Park.

The new Children’s Service has been successfully established to provide social care and educational services for children and young people.

The percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs grade A*-C improved from 43% in 2004 to 48% in 2005.  The greatest improvement had been seen in the schools in the east of the borough.  Good progress had also been made by black and minority ethnic pupils.

The results at Key Stages 1 and 2 in Haringey have been improving and at Key Stage 3 the progress was well ahead of the national figures. 

Attendance at primary schools continues to improve (absences 6.5% in 2005) and low numbers of secondary school children were excluded from school.

The assessment of Adult Social Services by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) in 2005, awarded the service two stars, improving from one star last year.   The judgement stated that most people were ‘well served’ and the service had promising prospects for improvement.

The Performance Review Report highlighted improvements in Adult Social Services including; improved services for carers, better partnership working, more people helped to live at home and improved take up of direct payments.

Continued investment through the Better Haringey campaign with an additional £6.5 million spent in the last year to clean up the borough.

In Environment Services achievements included:

-          95% of residents had access to recycling services

-          80% of Haringey schools now recycle

-          18% of rubbish recycled in 2005, compared with 9% in 2004

-          no children were killed on Haringey roads during 2004/05

-          cleaner streets and less litter

-          50,000 square metres of graffiti removed

-          top quartile performance in planning with 78% of major applications dealt with in 13 weeks.

The council was continuing to make improvements in the time taken to carry out urgent repairs to council properties, with 99% completed within the specified timescales.

Regeneration programmes were transforming the east of the borough. Working with partners the council had secured £5.5m of Local Development Agency (LDA) resources to support regeneration activity in the Upper Lee Valley and the sub region.  The key sites programme continued to progress, having secured £1.8 million for the regeneration of Tottenham High Road.

Funding in excess of £1.3 million had been allocated to the safer communities' agenda and the council was working with partners to make Haringey safer. We are providing extra funding for anti social behaviour and more CCTV around the borough.

Car crime had reduced by 13% and crime committed by young people was down by 4.1%

Library opening hours have been extended.  More people visited the libraries during 2005.  Internet facilities in the libraries have increased with 185 PCs providing free Internet access.   All our Libraries now have Wi-Fi internet access which allows people to use the internet from their lap tops free of charge.

The Leaders report contained greater detail of the achievements outlined above.  This highlighted not only the wide-ranging and important services provided to our community but also the continuous improvements being made to them by our three star Council.      

The Leader of the Opposition spoke in response. 

 RESOLVED:

That the Leader of the Council’s State of the Borough report be received and agreed.

The Mayor agreed to admit this report as urgent business. The report was not available at the time of the despatch as it was still being compiled in order to ensure that the most up to date information was available

The Leader reported that the Council had a successful year in 2005.  For the second year running Haringey had improved its rating in the annual Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).  In the service block assessment in December 2005 Haringey achieved a ‘good’, three star rating, even though the test had been made harder this year.  (The Council was rated as ‘fair’ in 2004, improving from ‘weak’ in 2003).

The following were some of the highlights of last year:

Nearly 75% of performance indicators have been maintained or improved.

As part of the CPA all the higher weighted services scored 3 out of 4; these were Adult Social Services, Children’s Services and the Use of Resources.

In the annual Direction of Travel statement, the Audit Commission have rated the council as ‘improving well’ which is the third highest of the four categories.  The Audit Commission states:  ‘this year has seen positive outcomes in services for children and young people and for vulnerable adults. 

In 2005 the council was awarded beacon council status, an award for excellence and innovation in the ‘getting closer to communities’ category.  The council’s achievements highlighted in the beacon award included; the seven area assemblies and their popular ‘making the difference budgets’ for local people, local partnership boards and youth forums and the neighbourhood resource centre at northumberland park.

The new Children’s Service has been successfully established to provide social care and educational services for children and young people.

The percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs grade A*-C improved from 43% in 2004 to 48% in 2005.  The greatest improvement had been seen in the schools in the east of the borough.  Good progress had also been made by black and minority ethnic pupils.

The results at Key Stages 1 and 2 in Haringey have been improving and at Key Stage 3 the progress was well ahead of the national figures. 

Attendance at primary schools continues to improve (absences 6.5% in 2005) and low numbers of secondary school children were excluded from school.

The assessment of Adult Social Services by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) in 2005, awarded the service two stars, improving from one star last year.   The judgement stated that most people were ‘well served’ and the service had promising prospects for improvement.

The Performance Review Report highlighted improvements in Adult Social Services including; improved services for carers, better partnership working, more people helped to live at home and improved take up of direct payments.

Continued investment through the Better Haringey campaign with an additional £6.5 million spent in the last year to clean up the borough.

In Environment Services achievements included:

-          95% of residents had access to recycling services

-          80% of Haringey schools now recycle

-          18% of rubbish recycled in 2005, compared with 9% in 2004

-          no children were killed on Haringey roads during 2004/05

-          cleaner streets and less litter

-          50,000 square metres of graffiti removed

-          top quartile performance in planning with 78% of major applications dealt with in 13 weeks.

The council was continuing to make improvements in the time taken to carry out urgent repairs to council properties, with 99% completed within the specified timescales.

Regeneration programmes were transforming the east of the borough. Working with partners the council had secured £5.5m of Local Development Agency (LDA) resources to support regeneration activity in the Upper Lee Valley and the sub region.  The key sites programme continued to progress, having secured £1.8 million for the regeneration of Tottenham High Road.

Funding in excess of £1.3 million had been allocated to the safer communities’ agenda and the council was working with partners to make haringey safer.  We are providing extra funding for anti social behaviour and more cctv around the borough.

Car crime had reduced by 13% and crime committed by young people was down by 4.1%

Library opening hours have been extended.  More people visited the libraries during 2005.  Internet facilities in the libraries have increased with 185 PCs providing free Internet access.   All our Libraries now have Wi-Fi internet access which allows people to use the internet from their lap tops free of charge.

The Leaders report contained greater detail of the achievements outlined above.  This highlighted not only the wide-ranging and important services provided to our community but also the continuous improvements being made to them by our three star Council.      

The Leader of the Opposition spoke in response. 

RESOLVED:

That the Leader of the Council’s State of the Borough report be received and agreed.