Contact your Parish Council

Action Status

Cancelled

Overdue;

Unassigned; Not Started; Check Progress

Resuming; In Progress; Assigned

Completed

Objective 002 Monitoring effectiveness of counter fraud partnership with Tunbridge Wells

CIP 002.01

Provide the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee with an update on the operation of the counter fraud partnership

31 Aug 2010

Steve McGinnes

A joint report is planned for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in September, with a further report planned for the Audit Committee.

Objective 003 Addressing the outstanding learning and development issues from the IIP reassessment and equality impact assessments

CIP 003.01

Create action plan of outstanding L&D issues to be implemented before reassessment

31 Jan 2011

Claire Hayes

Against Indicator 4 - MKIP Management Development Programme has been devised and delivered through 2010 with new dates for 2010/11. Indicator 5 - restructures are still taking place, will commence work on this at a later period. Indicator 10 - Workforce Plan will include skills matrix

CIP 003.02

Undertake child protection training

30 Apr 2010

Claire Hayes

This has been added to Ivy learning and is now a requirement for all staff to complete.

CIP 003.03

Include Transgender training on the new corporate training calendar

30 Jun 2011

Claire Hayes

Sessions added in quarterly for 2010/11

Objective 004 Improve areas of weakness where Audit reports have shown a level of assurance lower than substantial one area remains outstanding since March 2009: Aspects of section 106 Agreements

CIP 004.01

Undertake  six monthly follow-up review by Internal Audit on these areas to ensure recommendations have been implemented

30 Sep 2010

Brian Parsons

This is an ongoing process. All reports are followed-up after six months. Where action has not been taken, the Head of Service is made aware in a report, with a copy to the Director and the Chief Executive. If this occurs in an area where only limited control assurance was in place at the time of the original audit, the lack of action will be reported to a meeting of the Audit Committee.

Objective 005 Further work is required to build on work currently undertaken by the Council with partners on delivering outcomes for the public.

CIP 005

Further work is required to build on work currently undertaken by the Council with partners on delivering outcomes for the public.

30 Sep 2010

Zena Cooke

The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) has been significantly strengthened in terms of representation and governance arrangements. The Safer Maidstone Partnership is now formally part of the LSP and its priorities and objectives are being aligned to ensure consistency in delivering outcomes. The LSP has commissioned a resource mapping exercise to identify the total public sector spend in Maidstone with a view to redirecting resources in line with service priorities and areas of greatest need. The LSP has also agreed a work programme for tackling key challenges, such as Domestic Violence, Road Safety, Worklessness, Child Poverty and Community Engagement. The Sustainable Community Strategy is also due to be “refreshed” by March 2011 to define the key LSP priorities and the associated measures to monitor performance and delivery.

Objective 006 Develop and implement a Waste and Recycling Strategy

CIP 006.01

Research existing strategies, particularly amongst waste partnerships

30 Apr 2010

Jennifer Gosling

Existing strategies have been researched and reference visits to Southend on Sea and Tunbridge Wells have been undertaken to learn about different recycling strategies. Maidstone's Waste and Recycling Strategy has now been drafted and links with the existing Kent Waste Strategy and Sustainable Community Strategy.

CIP 006.02

Develop a short strategy for the Cabinet Member for Environment to approve

30 Apr 2010

Jennifer Gosling

A draft Strategy and accompanying Cabinet Report has been written and is due to go to Cabinet for approval on 15th September 2010. It was delayed due to new information provided by Central Government.

CIP 006.03

Implement Waste and Recycling Strategy

31 May 2010

Jennifer Gosling

The Waste and Recycling Strategy is due to go to Cabinet on 15^th September

Objective 007 Ensure that the finance section has the appropriate skill mix to meet the more challenging reporting requirements of IFRS.

CIP 007.01

Annual Training Programme of Seminars and Workshops

31 Mar 2010

Claire Hayes; Paul Riley

The training programme will be finalised once the structure of the team has been established.

CIP 007.02

Undertake Internal Development of team members through cross training

30 Jun 2010

Claire Hayes; Paul Riley

Internal development has taken place and will continue on an on-going basis.

CIP 007.03

Enhance team through filling vacancy

28 Feb 2010

Paul Riley

This objective has been achieved, but there will now be a vacancy due to an external promotion. The current structure will be reviewed to ensure the skill mix of the team is appropriate.

Objective 008 Implement strategies for managing the expectations of consultees

CIP 008.01

Review of consultation handbook and toolkit carried out as part of communication strategy

31 Dec 2009

Roger Adley

Review was completed in December 2009 and the revised handbook and tool-kit has been rolled out to staff.

CIP 008.02

Present handbook and toolkit to members and officers

31 Mar 2010

Roger Adley

The revised consultation handbook and tool-kit have been rolled out. A presentation on the handbook has been given to section managers and was also undertaken with the staff forum.

CIP 008.03

Actions developed to manage the expectations of consultees

31 Jul 2010

Roger Adley; Angela Woodhouse

Update to follow

Objective 009 Demonstrating improved service delivery and customer satisfaction from Council initiatives (e.g. Gateway)

CIP 009.01

Evaluate results from the 2009 mystery shopping exercise

30 Jun 2010

Sandra Marchant

The results from the 2009 Mystery Shopping programme have been analysed and a report was submitted to Corporate Management Team and agreed on 3 August 2010.

CIP 009.02

Undertake mystery shopping exercise and evaluate results

30 Jun 2011

Sandra Marchant

The 2010 Kent wide Mystery Shopping exercise is due to start in September 2010 with the final report expected mid 2011.

CIP 009.03

Benchmark performance of Contact team through KCSNG

31 Oct 2010

Sandra Marchant

A Measurement and Benchmarking exercise was carried out across all Kent Authorities in March 2010 looking at the number and type of calls handled by Contact Centres. A similar exercise was carried out in July 2010. No formal comparison report has been published across Kent.

CIP 009.04

Undertake benchmarking with the national one stop shop benchmarking group

28 Feb 2011

Sandra Marchant

Data for the annual National One Stop Shop (NOSS) benchmarking exercise was submitted in June 2010 for the year 2009 to 2010. No results have been published to date.

CIP 009.05

Review customer care charter

30 Apr 2010

Sandra Marchant

A Customer Care Charter has been drawn up but still requires agreement from the Head of Communications and then reported to Management Team for final approval.

Objective 010 Ensuring evolving partnerships maintain principles of good governance

CIP 010.01

Carry out assessments of key partnerships

30 Apr 2010

Sarah Robson

To coincide with the recently appointed role of Community Partnerships Manager, an assessment of key partnerships with the Borough Council and LSP will be undertaken in the second half of the financial year (2010/11)

CIP 010.02

Review partnership protocol

30 Sep 2010

Sarah Robson

To be reviewed by Community Partnerships Section.

Objective 011 The council considers and tracks with its significant partners the impact on users when making decisions on reducing costs.

CIP 011.01

Work with KCC to coordinate the effects of savings on inter-organisations

31 Oct 2010

Paul Riley

Further information required from KCC, due date may need to be extended to allow for the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review and Local Government Finance settlement.

CIP 011.02

Expand the consultation on the budget strategy and the MTFS to include the impact of the  identification savings with partners

31 Dec 2010

Paul Riley

Budget strategy consultation is being expanded to include a range of consultation approaches and is on target to be delivered by the due date.

CIP 011.03

Work with the LSP on the resource mapping project and feed into the MTFS

31 Dec 2010

Paul Riley

LSP resource mapping project on track, initial results received, further work progressing.

Objective 012 Progress and monitor action plans to improve satisfaction on those services where one in five people were dissatisfied with the service.

CIP 012.01

Assess the possible use of mosaic to raise satisfaction

30 Sep 2010

Georgia Hawkes

Mosaic databases for key services completed.  Research and prioritisation of options to improve some take up in progress

CIP 012.02

Continue to monitor the action plans and present reports to Cabinet

31 Oct 2010

Angela Woodhouse

Action plans are in place and are being monitored accordingly.

CIP 012.03

Assess the appropriateness of the actions within action plans in relation to 2010 results

30 Jun 2011

Angela Woodhouse

The Place survey is no longer a requirement. Discussions are taking place about how to collect this information if it is deemed necessary.

CIP 012.04

Identify any patterns or tends following the completion of the second survey

30 Sep 2011

Angela Woodhouse

The Place survey is no longer a requirement. Discussions are taking place about how to collect this information if it is deemed necessary.

Objective 013 The authority has made a commitment to carbon reduction and has established a Climate Change Strategy.  Ensure that the Strategy is successfully implemented over the next three years.

CIP 013.01

To develop the Carbon Reduction Action Plan in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust One-to-One Programme

30 Apr 2010

Jenny Hunt

The Carbon Reduction Action Plan is being held until a suitable replacement Climate Change Strategy / Framework is written which replaces the old one which ran from 2005 - 2010. Until this is written it is felt that the Carbon Reduction Action Plan would not have suitable context on its own.

CIP 013.02

To implement the actions of the Carbon Reduction Plan and report back progress and update the action plan annually

30 Mar 2011

Jenny Hunt

Work is underway and is on track to meet the deadline

Objective 014 Seek technical advice when accounting for complex capital transactions, discuss proposed action with the external auditor early on so that the accounting treatment can be agreed prior to productions of draft financial statements

CIP 014.01

Ensure that all future quarterly review meetings with Auditor include an agenda item on issues that may involve complex accounting transactions.

30 Mar 2011

Paul Riley

This has now been achieved

Objective 015 The Council should review asset valuations at each year-end considering both impairment and other material changes in asset values

CIP 015.01

Request, as part of annual review of 20% of assets, an assessment of material changes in all asset values.

31 May 2010

Chris Finch; Paul Riley

All assets are revalued on a 5 year cycle. The valuer will give his opinion outside of this cycle where an asset has undergone significant change e.g. Mote Park Leisure Centre or where outside influences such as recession may require all assets to be revalued.

Objective 016 Once the Council has taken a decision to dispose of an asset this should be re-categorised from operational assets to non-operational assets, surplus for resale, and revalue to market valuation obtained prior to sale in accordance with the SORP

CIP 016.01

Identify process in closedown procedure and formally reconcile actions with asset sales detailed in usable capital receipts / cabinet member decisions

31 May 2010

Paul Holland; Gill West

This work is complete.

Objective 017 Prime council tax records should be retained until completion of the annual audit, and otherwise in accordance with the Council’s document retention policy.

CIP 017.01

Set up share point site accessible to revenues team to hold records of VO balancing

28 Feb 2010

Steve McGinnes

An area has been created within the existing Revs and Bens team site to provide a full audit trail.

Objective 018 Promoting the role of the Audit Committee in ensuring action plans are implemented and contributing to risk identification

CIP 018.01

Consideration given to a review being carried out across the four MKIP authorities of the audit committees.

30 Mar 2010

Brian Parsons

Peer review agreed by all four MKIP authorities. This will take place in September 2010

CIP 018.02

Commission the IDeA to carry out a review of the Council’s Audit Committee The role of the Committee in ensuring action plans are implemented and risk identification will be considered as part of the review.

30 Jun 2010

Brian Parsons

The IDeA commissioned via proposal in August 2010

CIP 018.03

Present findings to the Audit Committee on the options for future development.

30 Jun 2010

Brian Parsons

Awaiting review in September 2010, report will go to December Audit Committee