Council plan overview report - Quarterly updates on key performance indicators

The result is measured against a target. 

It is usually related directly to a council service and an indicator of service effectiveness, efficiency or success.

The result is measured against a forecast. 

It is usually outcome focussed and often not fully in the council’s control. 

Contextual indicators are included as they may impact service delivery, demand and the achievement of wider council goals.

This figure of 10,966 tickets sold does not include an additional 1,575 tickets issued to school children for group visits, 1,076 toddler day admissions, and 192 tickets for home-educated children.

The ticket sales for this quarter are noted to be lower than equivalent ticket sales in the same period of previous years.

Economic uncertainty and reduced capacity for discretionary spending continue to impact the number of local day trips. 

Efforts remain focused on enhancing marketing strategies, diversifying site offers and reviewing pricing structures to increase future visits and engagement.

Quarterly 'targets' for the year based on monthly average since January, when new system installed at Bucklers Forest site. 

However, this first year is establishing a baseline only, true performance targets will be set from 2025 to 2026.

There continues to be a slowly improving picture for our young people - those in education, employment and training are increasing due to work by Personal Advisors to focus on their goals and find opportunities. 

At the end of quarter 3 there were 64 care leavers (19-21 yrs) recorded* of which 30 were not in education employment or training (NEET) (53.6%). This is compared to 45 recorded at the end of quarter2, of which 29 were NEET (62.5%). Of those reported as NEET at the end of quarter 3, 18 were unable to access EET due to reasons including health, parenting or accommodation.

Actions to support care leavers, include:

• monthly multi-agency Life Chances meeting now focused on Child(ren) Looked After or Care Leavers 16+ and NEET
• continued work with John Lewis Partnership for work experience and supported work opportunities
• increased participation opportunities within the council to build confidence, skills and strengthen CVs for our young people

We are updating the Corporate Parenting Strategy and a key component is the support we as a whole council can support care leavers to become EET.

*Numbers of NEET appear to have increased but this is not an accurate picture. In line with the Department for Education's reporting requirements, the data is gathered on a young person’s birthday, therefore is not 'live'. The overall picture around care leavers continue to slowly improve through engagement from the leaving care team, work experience opportunities from the council and the council considering care leavers for all roles graded.

A total 284,730 visits were made to Everyone Active Leisure facilities during October to December 2024 which is broadly in line with the total at the same time last year.

Quarterly targets have been applied equally throughout the year, although there are seasonal factors that influence visits. 

Year to date 1,014,851 visits have been made, slightly under the year to date target of 1,023,750. 

Visitor numbers for the period can be broken down as below:

• Bracknell Leisure Centre: 188,222 visits - there was a slight increase in visits compared to the same period last year at the leisure centre and the biggest uplift was seen in soft play attendance which recorded 12,000 visits during the period
• Coral Reef: 72,719 visits - attendances continue to be a challenge with discretionary leisure spend under pressure nationally - a reduction in seasonal opening hours and peak timetable has resulted in reduced availability of community spaces availability and adopt a school places
• Downshire Golf Complex: 23,789 visits - a significant increase in visits (58% like for like), as a result of less closures compared to the same period last year and the addition of the new Trackman Range

There were 179 net completions during October to December (quarter 3). These comprised of 180 dwelling completions on large sites and a loss of 1 dwelling on a medium site, as follows:

• 1 dwelling at the Hideout, Bracknell 
• 5 dwellings at Beaufort Park (The Evergreens), Bracknell
• 18 dwellings at Coopers Hill, Bracknell (site now complete)
• 63 dwellings at the former Transport and Research Laboratory (TRL) (Bucklers Park), Crowthorne (Phase 3b) (site now complete)
• 23 dwellings at the former TRL (Bucklers Park), Crowthorne (Phase 4a)
• 7 dwellings at the former TRL (Bucklers Park), Crowthorne (Phase 4b)
• 8 dwellings at the former TRL (Bucklers Park), Crowthorne (Phase 5a)
• 20 dwellings at Warfield Area 2 (Phase 10)
• 30 dwellings at Warfield Area 1 (Parcel 4 of 20/214/OUT)
• 5 dwellings at Warfield Area 1 (Parcel 3 of 20/214/OUT)
• demolition of 1 dwelling at Highveld, Winkfield

Completions within quarter 3 were above the forecast for the period. However, at the end of September (quarter2) only 108 net completions had been recorded compared against a cumulative forecast of 242. By the end of December, the total has increased to 287 completions compared to the cumulative forecast of 363. 

The number of dwellings currently under construction has now increased to 1,383 and 848 of those are on large sites. However, as indicated previously, it is difficult to predict how many of those will be completed by 31 March 2025 due to a multitude of factors beyond the control of the council.

There has been an increase in the unemployment figure from reporting in the previous quarter and for the second quarter in a row. 

Nationally and regionally there has been a slight decrease in unemployment figures. If the trend in Bracknell Forest continues in the current direction, there is a risk we will not achieve the target figure. 

Work with the Bracknell Forest Skills Hub and the creation of the Bracknell Forest Economic Partnership has started and will seek to address this matter over the coming 12 months.

This data is provided by a third party and is unavailable at the time of the report.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) did not issue any final decisions following an investigation in quarter 3, so the year to date figure is unchanged.

The LGSCO considered 3 complaints in the quarter which they did not investigate. One was a premature complaint which had not completed the council's process, one did not indicate significant personal injustice and one did not show sufficient evidence of fault by the council to justify an investigation.

The LGSCO is selective in the complaints it investigates and has said it is less likely to carry out investigations on 'borderline' issues. This leads to a naturally high percentage of complaints being upheld.

Whilst savings opportunities are starting to be identified by the Neighbourhood Regeneration and Assets and the Digitalisation and Efficiency programmes, the majority of these will not be delivered in year one of the programmes.

As such, the financial savings targets will not be met this year, but will be rolled forward to next year. The Workforce Retention and Recruitment programme is on track to exceed its £1 million savings target, but as this is cost avoidance rather than revenue savings it will not contribute to the overall business change savings target.

We will be promoting opportunities during National Apprentice Week 10 to 16 February for existing council employees who may wish to undertake an apprenticeship as part of their development and training.

There are a number of agency Educational Psychologists still engaged.

We have now successfully recruited to our vacancies.

These agency workers will be leaving in quarter 4.

The number of staff declaring is still low and more needs to be done to encourage staff to self-declare they have a disability.

We have included this in a couple of staff newsletters in January to encourage staff to record their disability. There is also now a staff disability and neurodiversity forum which we will liaise with over ways to encourage staff to record the fact they have a disability.