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• Its performance in previous financial years.
• So far as is reasonably practicable, the performance during that and previous financial years of other Councils.
Benchmarking
a) Its assessment of its performance during a financial year:
b) Its assessment of its performance in exercising its functions during a financial year as compared with:
Self-imposed performance indicators
• Summary AppendicesConclusions
•
Statutory performance indicators
• In meeting its Improvement Objectives which are applicable to that year.
• In discharging its duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement.
1.0 Introduction
•
The Act requires that the Council publish a Performance Improvement Plan by 30 June each year. We must set one or more ‘Improvement Objectives’, and have appropriate arrangements in place to achieve them. The Council must also publish a Performance Self-Assessment Report by 30 September each year.
Performance Improvement Plan 2021 to 2022
•
•
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
| 1 Contents 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Arrangements to secure continuous improvement 3.0 Performance Assessment
Performance audits 4.0 Performance Improvement Plan 2022 to 2023 5.0 Performance
6.0
The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 (The Act) Part 12 put in place a framework to support continuous improvement in the delivery of council services.
The Department for Communities also sets statutory performance targets for Councils in the areas of Planning, Economic Development and Waste.
•
• By reference to the statutory performance indicators and self-imposed indicators which are applicable to that year.
The Act specifies that Council must make arrangements for the publication of:
Update on previous Improvement Objectives
A snapshot of some of our key achievements over the last three years is provided on the opposite page.
4,185 programmesbusinessesengagedBusinessesthroughsupport 290 securedparticipantsprogrammeemployabilityhaveemployment Awarded silver in the ‘UK Council of the Year’ category and bronze in the ‘Community Focus’ category at the iESE Awards Work at St. Patrick’s Barracks continues to progress Diverse Education and ProgrammesTraining delivered Received the APSE ‘Best Service Team’ award for our Scheme’Confidence‘COVID ShopMEA app launched to support local businesses and encourage residents to shop locally #RediscoverMEA launched to bring tourism back to the Borough. transformationDigital of functionskey Good Relations Week continues to make a positive impact in local communities The PEACE programme continues to make a positive impact in the Borough MEA 115k+ tickets sold to strategic visitor attractions Mid and East Antrim Support Hub now in its fourth year of operation Youth Support Hub in its pilot year Pilot Hydrogen Training Academy successfully launched 58,000 trees planted MEA4Treesvia 2 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
improvement remains a key priority for us. We will keep transforming how we do things to make sure that
Key achievements
Continuouspandemic.
This report provides an overview of our performance during 2021 to 2022.
As a Council, we have continued to adapt, respond and work proactively to support our stakeholders, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19
• This process gives staff a ‘line of sight’ as to how their individual objectives contribute to their departmental objectives, the Corporate Plan and ultimately, towards the Community Plan.
• Each year, our Directors and Heads of Service develop business plans, which outline their main focus and objectives for the year ahead. These plans directly align with the strategic plans outlined above.
The framework aligns our corporate planning processes to ensure that performance is measured and managed at all levels, supporting our ‘Duty to Improve’.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council - Performance Management Framework
Corporate Plan
The Council introduced its Performance Management Framework in 2017 to drive continuous improvement within the organisation. Our electronic performance management system is in its fourth year of operation. This system has significantly enhanced our approach to business planning and performance improvement by streamlining our processes and enabling more accurate, efficient and strategically relevant reporting.
We report our performance on a regular basis, and keep the framework under review. A copy is available upon request.
• Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s current Corporate Plan provides strategic direction for the period 2019 to 2023. It has six strategic themes, which align with the Community Plan.
• Council demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement through the development and implementation of our annual Performance Improvement Plan.
These plans are supported by key performance indicators so that we can continually monitor and improve our performance.
Employee DevelopmentPersonalPlan(PDP)
• Council’s ‘Personal Development Planning’ (PDP) process has been implemented across the whole organisation.
Plan
Annual Plans
2.1 Performance Management Framework
• The Community Plan (2017 to 2032) sets out a 15 year vision for improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of our borough.
Performance Management System
2.0 Arrangements to secure continuous improvement
• The Corporate Plan shapes our services and sets the targets against which we measure our success. It drives our business planning processes, so that everything we do is aimed at achieving our vision and objectives for the borough.
ImprovementPerformancePlan
Purpose
A brief summary of the key plans within the Performance Management Framework is provided in the table below.
• This Plan outlines our Improvement Objectives, and aligns with the priorities of both the Community Plan and Corporate Plan.
• This Plan is led by Council and was developed in partnership with a wide range of people and organisations from the borough’s public, private and voluntary sectors.
Annual Business Plans Community Plan | 15-year strategic plan Corporate Plan | 4-year strategic plan Performance Improvement Plan | Annual improvement plan Employee Personal Development Plan Annual plan linked to work objectives and learning and development needs.
Business
Community Plan
4 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 5
The diagram below summarises the key elements of the framework. It shows how the strategic objectives from the borough’s Community Plan and Council’s Corporate Plan cascade through to the Performance Improvement Plan, annual business plans and, ultimately, to each employee’s work objectives.
• Business plan performance
Audit and Scrutiny Committee
The area of Performance Improvement sits within the remit of the Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee.
• Service risk registers
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The Committee has two key functions of ‘Audit’ and ‘Scrutiny’. Its overall purpose and objectives are laid out within a formal Terms of Reference.
6 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 2.2 Governance Various governance arrangements are in place to support the Performance Management Framework and to promote transparency, accountability and improvement across the TheCouncil.arrangements for 2021 to 2022 are provided below. Corporate Plan SMT Every six months Council Every six months ImprovementPerformancePlan SMT Quarterly Audit and Scrutiny Quarterly BusinessDirectoratePlans SMT Every six months Audit and Scrutiny Every six months Plan Council or Committee Reporting Cycle
During 2021 to 2022, within the ‘Scrutiny’ function, the Committee held responsibility for the monitoring, assessment and review of the following areas:
• Business Improvement and Efficiency Strategy (BIES) Performance Improvement Plan
The Committee met six times throughout 2021 to 2022, in April, June, August, September, December 2021 and February 2022.
6. Autism Friendly Mid and East Antrim.
effectivenessStrategic Servicequality availabilityService Efficiency Fairness Sustainability Innovation
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1. Grow the economy and create jobs.
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3.1.1 Improvement Objectives for 2021 to 2022
Following a period of consultation, the Council agreed six Improvement Objectives for 2021 to 2022:
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council use a series of indicators, both statutory and self-imposed, to monitor and measure our performance. This section assesses our progress towards achieving these.
3. Reduce the impact of poverty through the delivery of a Slow Cooker programme.
3.0 Performance Assessment
Of the 21 outcomes defined within the Improvement Objectives, 71% were successfully achieved. 24% were delayed, but progressing. These relate to the continuing historical conservation works within Carrickfergus, 3 on-going digital transformation projects, and work that is underway to determine customer satisfaction levels for the new household recycling centre at Sullatober. 5% were not yet available. These are in relation to recycling data and financial savings achieved at the new household recycling centre at Sullatober, this data will be available in March 2023.
60% were achieved or on track. 16% were delayed but progressing. 12% were not achieved or were stopped. 12% were not due or were not available.
The Audit and Scrutiny Committee were provided with quarterly update reports, in line with agreed governance arrangements. The year-end report was presented to the committee on 16 August 2022, and can be viewed, alongside our other updates, at sectionintoyear’sPlan.performanceSectionwww.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/PIP3.1.1summarisestheCouncil’sindeliveringthe2021to2022Anupdateonsomeofourpreviousobjectivesthatdidnotcarryforwardthemostrecentplanisprovidedin3.1.2.
projects, and data that is currently unavailable to determine customer satisfaction levels at the Sullatober household recycling centre.
12% were designated red. This is in relation to the removal of 2 indicators for the conservation works in Carrickfergus for increased footfall levels and reduced vacancy rates. Given current economic trends and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these performance indicators are no longer deemed to be achievable or realistic. The remaining red indicator relates to the Council missing the statutory target set for the processing times of major planning applications.
We demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement in the delivery of our services through our Performance Improvement Plan, which we publish by the statutory deadline of 30 June each year.
4. Improve customer engagement and service delivery by enhancing our use of information technology.
every improvement we intend to make, but focuses on key areas identified for improvement through Community and Corporate Planning processes, stakeholder engagement and research analysis.
5. Development of Sullatober Household Recycling Centre.
A key element within our Performance Management Framework, the Plan outlines our Improvement Objectives and sets out what we hope to achieve, how we plan to do it and how our citizens will be better off as a result. It does not detail
3.1 Performance Improvement Plan 2021 to 2022
2. Support the communities within the historic conservation area of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy.
The Plan for 2021 to 2022 was aligned with Council’s Corporate Plan (2019 to 2023) and sought to deliver improvement in all seven ‘Improvement Areas’ detailed in the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014:
71% were achieved. 24% were delayed but progressing. 5% were not due or were not available.
21 Outcomes
12% were not yet available. These relate to performance and environmental improvements at the new household recycling centre at Sullatober, this data will be measured in March 2023.
Each of our Improvement Objectives are supported by a Project Initiation Document (PID) which details the outcomes and indicators that we use to track progress. The
‘outcomes’ are statements of what we want to achieve for our citizens. The ‘indicators’ are how we measure success. The results for 2021 to 2022 are summarised below.
Of the 25 performance indicators defined within the objectives, 60% were either complete or on track. 16% were delayed, but progressing. These relate to the continuing historical conservation works within Carrickfergus, on-going digital transformation
25 Indicators
Local Planning applications processed within an average of 15 weeks by March 2022. 9.6 weeks.
125 2022.Innovationjobsknowledge-economycreatedinEcosCentrebyMarch
Green | Achieved or on track
What you will see
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Indicators
By the end of March 2022, 109 jobs were promoted through the programme. A new statutory target of 111 is expected to come into effect within the 2022 to 2023 financial year, pending changes to legislation.
• Director of Development
At the end of March 2022, 109 jobs were promoted and 182 Business Plans finalised through the ‘Go for It’ Programme.
£95,000 in rental income from Ecos Innovation Centre by March 2022.
Why??
Grow the economy and create jobs
Our aim What we delivered
Delivery of an effective and efficient Planning Service to maximise development.economic
• There were approximately 1,300 jobs lost in Mid and East Antrim during 2019.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) sets three statutory planning targets for Councils each year. For the period April 2021 to March 2022, we achieved two of these targets. We were the top performing Council in Northern Ireland for the processing time of local planning applications, and for the percentage of enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks. One Council in the region met the target set for the processing time of major planning applications. We narrowly missed the 30-week target due to the statutory consultation process, with an average processing time of 34.7 weeks. However, we did make a 13% improvement on last year’s average.
The growth of new industry sectors by being a Centre of Excellence for startups, spin-outs and socialeconomy businesses within the Ecos Innovation Centre.
• You told us that ‘investment to grow the economy, create jobs and attract tourists’ was one of the most important forms of investment for Council (Household Survey 2018).
How progressmeasurewe
85 jobs promoted through the ‘Go for It’ Programme by March 2022.
70% of planning enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks by March 2022. 90.5%.
The following pages give a more detailed account of our performance delivering our Improvement Objectives during 2021 to 2022 . We have indicated our progress as follows:
Outcomes
131 jobs created.
Major Planning applications processed within an average of 30 weeks by March 2022. 34.7 weeks.
Amber | Delayed but progressing
By the end of March 2022, 131 knowledge-economy jobs were created at The Innovation Centre at ECOS.
Rental income target achieved.
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The promotion of new jobs in the borough by successfully delivering the ‘Go for It’ Programme.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Red | Not achieved or stopped
Grey | Not due or not available
Who responsible?is
Objective: Support the communities within the historic conservation area of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy
Up to 10 buildings of historical and architectural interest restored (including 8 existing awarded schemes), through the Townscape Heritage Initiative, with Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund grant assistance, by March 2022 or beyond. *¹ *²
Between November 2021 and January 2022, 1,620 visitors attended the Carrickfergus Lego Exhibition, successfully held at Carrickfergus Museum and Civic Centre, alongside the Museum Service.
By July 2022, 10 eligible properties had received Letters of Offer from the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), seven of which are now successfully restored to practical or final completion.
At least 25 construction jobs have been supported through the Townscape Heritage Initiative schemes. The number of jobs created will be established on project completion.
How progressmeasurewe
In March 2022, an archaeological excavation of two test pits at 10 High Street, unearthed early fragments of animal bone and pottery of potential medieval origin. Photographers captured the event and the Council promoted it on social media, highlighting its historic importance. Experts are currently examining the discoveries.
Our aim What we delivered
The National Lottery Heritage Fund approved an extension to 31 March 2023, allowing time to deliver the remaining capital works and close the programme. This objective will remain within the Performance Improvement Plan until that time.
Increased inward investment and local heritagedirectlyopportunitiesemploymentrelatedbothandindirectlytoandtourismgrowth.
We launched the Carrickfergus Gaol booklet in January 2022, funded by the Carrickfergus Townscape Heritage Initiative. This is freely available at the Carrickfergus Museum’s ‘A Most Proper Verdict’ exhibition. We held a ‘hardhat’ tour of the THI properties and commissioned filming to promote the town’s heritage. A catalogue of informative videos are available to watch on our website. We also participated in the European Heritage Open Days in September 2021.
Up to 2 new grants awarded by March 2022 or beyond, to be measured in line with revised timescales.*²programme
Education completedProgrammebyMarch2022. 3 educational programmes have been successfully delivered so far.
Increased town centre footfall by March 2022 or beyond. Despite the approved extension to the scheme’s timescale, these targets are no longer deemed achievable, in light of current economic trends and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These indicators have been removed from the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023.
What you will see
Increasedbeyond.
To date, the total vacant floor space restored and converted for reuse is 249m²: 195m² for retail/commercial use and 54m² for museum or culture space. 10 new ‘top-end’ apartments will be delivered between now and March 2023, or beyond.
Why?? • Carrickfergus Castle is a key landmark and popular visitor attraction. • Significant factory closures, changes in buying habits and proximity to Belfast have led to a decline in Carrickfergus’ traditional town centre economy. Who responsible?is • Director of Development *1 The full impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the programme is not yet known, i.e. project timescales, costs, budgets and grants availability. *2 This key performance indicator will be measured in line with revised programme timescales, if applicable. On completion, a full evaluation will take place and will inform future town centre regeneration initiatives. www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 1312 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
The local community will have a better understanding of built heritage.
By 31 July 2022, 2 additional properties had received a Letter of Offer.
Lower levels of town centre vacancy by March 2022 or floor space for retail, commercial or residential use by March 2022 or beyond.
Indicators
Outcomes
94% said they felt more confident to produce healthy, nutritious meals in a slow cooker.
• Using slow cookers is a simple way to make healthy, nutritious meals at low cost.
“Slow Energy Efficient” cookbook launched by the end of July 2021. We launched our cookbook in August 2021.
• In 2018/19, 16% of NI citizens were living in absolute poverty.*3
6 demonstration sessions by the end of March 2022. We held six demonstrations by March 2022.
*3 https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/system/files/publications/communities/ni-poverty-bulletin-201819.pdf
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50 slow cookers provided to vulnerable households by the end of March 2022. 53 *⁵
Given this objective is now fully complete, we will continue to deliver and report on it as ‘business as usual’. It will not form part of the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023.
By March 2022, 53 vulnerable households had received a slow cooker.
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The Council successfully launched its “Cook Slow, Eat Well” cookbook in summer 2021. It is available on our website and in hard copy. So far, we have distributed 98 copies and received 1749 views online (in the UK and internationally).
Reduce the impact of poverty through the delivery of a Slow Cooker programme.
*5 A figure of 43 was previously reported against this target in error.
A “Slow Energy Efficient” cookbook for households to prepare low cost enjoyable and nutritious meals.
Outcomes
Who responsible?is
What you will see
• 3% of NI households had not eaten a substantial meal at least one day in the last fortnight due to a lack of money.*4
progressmeasurewe
Indicators
• Director of Community
At least 70% of attendees state that they are now confident to produce healthy, nutritious meals using a slow cooker.
• Households experiencing food poverty often struggle to access a nutritionally adequate diet, which impacts on health and wellbeing.
*4 Department of Health, 2018
Why??
By May 2022, 11 demonstrations were held.
Delivery of free slow cookers to vulnerable households.
How
Our aim
What we delivered
We promoted the cookbook through our social media and in the Community Health and Wellbeing e-zine. We also made it available to other organisations to support their activities.
A series of fun and interactive demonstrationvirtualsessions for using a slow cooker.
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Why??
A new automated customer call system has been running successfully in the Council’s Waste department since June 2021, with very positive results.
• Automated Customer Call System.
Our aim What we delivered
2 of 5 projects are fully complete:
• In our Household Survey (2018), 39% of residents said they would like to be able to report a problem online, 37% would like to book activities, 27% would like to buy tickets and 22% would like to pay bills.
Indicators How progressmeasurewe
• Director of Corporate Services
A minimum of 5 digital Marchcompletedprojectsby2022.
• Digital Transformation will lead to improved management reporting and will support better and more informed decisionmaking.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
The procurement of a network service provider was conducted as a joint exercise with other NI councils. When finalised, the sites will be available for use. *⁶
Who responsible?is
Deliver ‘Community Centre FullConnectivity’DigitalviaFibreNI.
Improve customer engagement and service delivery by enhancing our use of information technology
The final configuration and implementation of the Council’s new Finance system faced delays, which impacted the delivery timescale of the Procurement Tenders portal. Now the procurement contract management module is up and running, implementation will proceed. *⁶
Outcomes
What you will see
16 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
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• Digital transformation of at least one customer facing service.
The specification for the Council’s corporate website and ‘The Braid’ is approved. Phase 2 will complete within 2022 to 2023. *⁶ System.CustomerAutomatedCall
Due to the delay of fibre installations during the COVID 19 pandemic, all Councils involved in the Full Fibre NI project faced delayed implementations. 100% of the sites submitted by us are now installed and testing is complete.
• Our services will be more effective and efficient, providing greater satisfaction and value for money for ratepayers.
Implementation of our Digital Transformation Strategy, to include:
transformationDigital of at least one customer facing service.
A redesign of the Council two).feedbackuserdevelopedwebsitefromexperience(Phase
ProcurementCouncil Portal.
*6 Updates will continue to be provided within the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023 progress reports, where relevant.
A new ‘Visitor Pass’ system was successfully implemented in our ‘Ardeevin’ building in September 2021, and is continually being reviewed to identify improvements.
• Sullatober Household Recycling Centre (HRC) has been identified as a site in need of redevelopment.*7
A customer satisfaction survey took place during the summer of 2022 *⁸. Customer complaints will be monitored throughout the year, and will be compared against the 2019 to 2020 baseline by March 2023.
Financial savings by compacting waste and reduction in fuel consumption.
Development
Due to the revised opening date, this data should be available for reporting in September 2022. *⁸
• 91% of residents say that recycling is either very or fairly important to them (Residents Survey 2018).
Objective:
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
The new Sullatober Household Recycling Centre (HRC) opened to the public on Monday 16 May Performance2022. data will be available within the 2022 to 2023 financial year, as detailed below.
Increase recycling by 23.2% by March 2022.
• Improved infrastructure will increase waste segregation and quality of materials collected to support local processors and the circular economy of Northern Ireland.
Our aim What we delivered
Why??
• The new site will increase recycling, improve efficiency of waste compaction and haulage, introduce new material streams for recycling and re-use and reduce the carbon footprint of the site.
50% reduction in containers hauled per new customerIncreasedbyReduce2023.materialscompactedbyMarchtC02eby800March2023.rateofsatisfaction.
A larger site with improved infrastructure and accessibility to maximise re-use and recycling.
Indicators
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Outcomes
of Sullatober Household Recycling Centre *7 WRAP - HWRC Improvement Recommendations Report - Mid and East Antrim (June 2018) *8 Progress will continue to be measured and reported in the Performance Improvement Plan 2022 to 2023 progress updates, as appropriate. 18 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
An additional 1,046 tonnes of recycled materials and 12 tonnes of re-used materials by March 2023.
This outcome is being measured using data relating to ‘containers hauled per newly recycled compacted material’ and ‘tCO2e’, and will be available in March 2023.
• Director of Operations
How progressmeasurewe
What you will see
Who responsible?is
A more effective and efficient service with increased ratepayers.valuesatisfactioncustomerandformoneyfor
Survey results will be analysed during the summer of 2022, and complaints will be measured in March 2023. *⁸
These targets are not due for measurement until March 2023. *⁸
Who responsible?is
• Improving people’s health and wellbeing (and reducing health inequalities) is one of residents’ top five priorities for making the local area a good place to live (Household Survey 2018).
Since launching in June 2021, we delivered 8 awareness-raising sessions. We also worked with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) to deliver a consistent promotional campaign, highlighting ‘World Autism Acceptance Week’ in March 2022.
The sensory garden and trail is complete and has attracted attention from other Councils. We have been sharing details as an example of good practice.
Outcomes
*9 Autism NI *10
How progressmeasurewe
Sensory garden and sensory trail launched by September 2021.
Indicators
Our aim What we delivered
An awareness raising programme to develop the borough as an autism friendly place.
3 ‘Autism Friendly’ public awareness sessions held for businesses, Council staff members and the local community, with at least 70% of attendees reporting that their knowledge of autism has increased following training.
Autism Friendly Mid and East Antrim
6 Council venues received the ‘Autism Impact Award’ for creating accessible and autism-friendly environments. Actions included staff training and adjustments to improve accessibility and customer experience, such as pre-visit guides and ‘quiet spaces’. The Council also introduced a ‘quiet hour’ at the Carnfunnock Country Park Halloween event, prior to public opening. We attended a cross-Council meeting to share best practice and our work was used as a best practice case study in the T:BUC Urban Village Consultation Report on Autism.
‘JAM’ awareness training commenced in June 2021. 203 staff members have now completed this training.
• In Northern Ireland, 1 in 30 children have a diagnosis of Autism. *10
Commitment to become a ‘JAM friendly’ organisation, as this will allow people with a learning difficulty, autism or communication barrier to tell others they need ‘Just A Minute’ discreetly and easily.
A further 3 Council venues will be accredited with the Autism NI Impact Award by June 2021, including Carnfunnock Country Park, The People’s Park and The Gobbins.
Development and launch of sensory garden and sensory trail at Ecos.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Objective:?Why?
A further 6 staff members and 3 Elected Members will be trained as ‘Autism Champions’.
• Autism is a lifelong disability that affects the way an individual relates to people, situations and the immediate environment.*9
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• Director of Community.
The sensory garden and trail at Ecos Nature Park, Ballymena, launched on 23 June 2021. Prevalence of Autism in School Age Children in Northern Ireland Department of Health.
2019,
What you will see
8 public awareness sessions were held for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), The Gobbins catering franchisee, Tesco Community Champions and Libraries NI Community Planning Leads. 3 were held in 2020 to 2021 for Carnlough Spar, Elected Members and the Raglan Development Project. 100% of attendees reported that their knowledge of autism had increased.
We will secure ‘Autism Friendly’ organisation status as a potential model for other Community Planning Partners.
6 venues received the award in June 2021 (Carrickfergus Amphitheatre, Larne Leisure Centre, Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Carnfunnock Country Park, The Gobbins and The People’s Park).
41 people have now attended IMPACT Training, 16 achieved the accreditation and are now Autism Champions. Of the three Elected Member Champions targeted, one attended the Autism NI course, the others underwent awareness raising training.
Increased growth.heritageandrelatedopportunitieslocalinvestmentinwardandemploymentbothdirectlyindirectlytoandtourism
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 23 3.1.2 Previous Performance Improvement Plan Objectives 22 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Lower levels of town centre vacancy by March 2022 or Increasedbeyond. floor space for beyond.Marchresidentialcommercialretail,oruseby2022or
section provides an update on any Improvement Objectives that were not taken forward into the next year’s Performance Improvement Plan, some of which had outstanding deliverables. 2021
Up to 2 new grants awarded by March 2022 or beyond, to be measured in line with timescales.programmerevised
A full update is provided in section 3.1 of this report.
This to 2022
This indicator forms part of the thisisarrangements.linemonitored2022ImprovementPerformancePlanforto2023andwillbeandreportedinwithagreedgovernanceAfullupdateprovidedinsection3.1ofreport.
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status
In light of current economic trends and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these two indicators are not attainable.
They do not form part of the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023.
We have indicated our progress as follows: Green | Achieved or on track Amber | Delayed but progressing Red | Not achieved or stopped Grey | Not available or not due You can view our previous Performance Improvement Plans www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/performanceat
Support communitiesthe within the historic conservation area of localsustainabilitycontributingCarrickfergus,totheoftheeconomy.
Up to 10 buildings of historical 2022assistance,HeritageNationalwithHeritagetheschemes),8restoredarchitecturalandinterest(includingexistingawardedthroughTownscapeInitiative,CouncilandLotteryFundgrantbyMarchorbeyond.
This objective is ongoing. It is included within the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023, and will be monitored and reported in line with agreed governance arrangements.
Increased town centre footfall by March 2022 or beyond.
2021 to 2022
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status
A redesign of the Council developedwebsitefrom user experience feedback (Phase two).
Delivery of free slow cookers to households.vulnerable
50 slow households.vulnerableprovidedcookersto
This objective is included within the outstanding2022ImprovementPerformancePlanforto2023.Thesedeliverables will continued to be monitored and reported within quarterly update reports, as appropriate. A full update is provided in section 3.1 of this report.
Improve technology.usebyserviceengagementcustomeranddeliveryenhancingourofinformation
A series of fun and interactive sessionsdemonstrationvirtualforusing a slow cooker. 6 slow usingnutritiousproducemorestatingdemonstrationsof70%person).2022completeddemonstrationscookingbyMarch(virtuallyorinofattendeesslowcookingtheyareconfidenttohealthy,mealsaslowcooker.
24 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 25
Reduce the impact of poverty through the delivery of a Slow programme.Cooker A “Slow nutritiousenjoyableprepareforEfficient”Energycookbookhouseholdstolowcost,andmeals.
Deliver ‘Community Centre Connectivity’Digitalvia Full Fibre ProcurementCouncilNI. Portal.
Cookbook launched by the end of July 2021. This objective is successfully complete, and does not form part of the Performance Improvement Plan 2022 to 2023. It will continue to be delivered and reported as ‘business as usual’. A full update is provided in section 3.1 of this report.
A minimum of 5 digital 2022.completedprojectsbyMarch
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status (continued)Centre.HouseholdofDevelopmentSullatoberRecycling
26 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 27
2021 to 2022
A customer satisfaction survey took place during the summer of 2022.
6500m2 by 31 March 2022. The new recycling centre opened in May 2022.
Increased rate of satisfaction.customer
A larger site with recycling.maximiseaccessibilityinfrastructureimprovedandtore-useand
Reduce tCO2e by 800 by 31 March 2023.
12 additional tonnes of reused materials by 31 March 2023.
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status Centre.HouseholdofDevelopmentSullatoberRecycling
This data is not yet due. Progress updates will be provided within the 2022 to 2023 asImprovementPerformancePlanreports,appropriate.
1046 Marchmaterialstonnesadditionalofrecycledby312023.
This data is not yet due. Progress updates will be provided within the 2022 to 2023 asImprovementPerformancePlanreports,appropriate.
Financial savings by compacting waste and reduction in fuel consumption. 50% reduction in bycompactedhauledcontainerspernewlymaterial31March2023.
A more effective and efficient service with increased ratepayers.valuesatisfactioncustomerandformoneyfor
Robust recycling data will be available by September Progress2022. updates for the remaining outcomes and indicators will continue to be measured and reported in the providedAappropriate.toImprovementPerformancePlan20222023updates,asfullupdateonthisisinsection3.1.
Increase recycling rate by 23.2% by 31 March 2022.
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status
There was a greater balance between enforcement and education during 2021 to 2022, with an increase in the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued on the previous year. This resulted in a 25% reduction in dog foul complaints.
2021 to 2022
14 community groups are now participating in the Green Dog Walkers Scheme.
A marketing and behaviours.andchallengecampaignpromotionaltoattitudeschange
New themed signage has been displayed throughout the borough, and regular social media messages have been posted to promote the scheme and to target dog foul. The Council presented to the Outdoor Recreation NI Webinar in February 2022 as a best practice showcase. New video content is also in development.
At least 1,500 active Green Dog Walker Pledges by March 2021.
Objective Outcome Key IndicatorPerformance Status
WalkerstheandparticipationthroughdogResponsibleownershipincreasedsupportofGreenDogScheme.
A further committedorganisations2to taking action by March 2021.
A reduction in the number of residents perceiving dog fouling to be an issue in our local areas.
Encourage people to value our Scheme.GreenpromotionthroughenvironmentnaturaltheoftheDogWalkers
The Council’s current focus is on reducing dog foul and building Committee.Council’sThisenvironmental2022)Footprint’PerformanceannualwillAnparticipation.communityupdateontheschemebeprovidedinthe‘EnvironmentalandCarbonReport(2021toasanexampleofaninitiative.willbereportedtotheDirectServices
A cleaner borough. A 10% reduction in the number of dog fouling complaints by March 2021.
28 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 29
A Green Dog Walkers Facebook page has been set up as a key engagement tool. Focus groups will be organised for community participants by the end of this year.
Encourage people to value our Scheme.GreenpromotionthroughenvironmentnaturaltheoftheDogWalkers
The COVID-19 pandemic affected pledge numbers greatly, as the Council were unable to attend road shows and promotional activities were restricted. The number of active pledge numbers at March 2021 was 1160.
PerformanceStatutory Indicators
Council
3.2
TheManagement.Department for the Economy, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) collate this information and publish the results on their websites. and East Antrim Borough also publish this information, and have summarised our performance over the following pages.
In the year 2021 to 2022, these were set in the functional areas of Economic Development, Planning and Waste
Mid
The Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 sets out statutory performance indicators and standards for each Council in Northern Ireland. Status Trend Achieved or on track Performance has improved Delayed but progressing Performance is similar Not achieved or stopped Performance has declined significantly The Council’s performance is indicated using ‘Red, Amber, Green’ (RAG) status 30 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 31
A suite of business support programmes has been developed under ‘Amplify’, the integrated economic strategy for the borough, to encourage entrepreneurship, provide guidance at pre-enterprise stage and raise awareness of the various types of support in place.
Council officers are working very closely with Enterprise NI and local delivery agencies to build a dynamic small business base within the borough.
32 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 33 4.2.1 Economic2018Development/192019/202020/21 2021/22 Ref IndicatorStatutory resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- Standard councilsotheragainstPosition targetagainst% averageNI Status Trend ED1 The number of activitystart-upbusinessthroughpromotedjobs 124 122 94 109 85 5 128% 124%
Jobs promoted by Council 2021 to 2022 (actual vs. target) Antrim&NewtownabbeyArds&NorthDownArmagh,Banbridge&CraigavonCausewayBelfastCoast&GlensDerry&StrabaneFermanagh&OmaghLisburn&CastlereaghMid&EastAntrimNewryMidUlsterMourne&Down Target Annual jobs promoted 200100500150250300350JobsofNumber Target Number of jobs promoted through business start-up activity Achieved 2001501000 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 148 193 140 124 122createdJobs 85 94 20-21 21-22 109
Duringregion.
It is anticipated that the statutory target will increase to 111 during the 2022 to 2023 financial year, pending changes to legislation.
The chart opposite highlights the year-end performance for the ‘Go for It’ Programme for each Council in Northern Ireland from April 2021 to March 2022.
2021 to 2022, 182 business plans were approved and 109 jobs were promoted through business start-up activity, 28% over the current statutory target of 85 and a 16% increase on the previous year.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has exceeded the statutory target every year since 2015 to 2016, and has consistently been one of the top performing Councils across the
34 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 35 4.2.2 Planning2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Ref IndicatorStatutory resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- Standard averageNI councilsotheragainstPosition Status Trend P1 The applications.planningtimeprocessingaverageofmajor weeks43.2 weeks42.4 weeks39.2 weeks34.7 30 Weeks weeks49.8 4 P2 The applications.planningtimeprocessingaverageoflocal weeks7.8 weeks7.6 weeks10.4 weeks9.6 15 Weeks weeks17.2 1 P3 percentageThe weeks.withinconcludedcasesenforcementof39 88.2% 89% 82.6% 90.5% 70% 70.4% 1 P1: The average processing time of major planning applications The statutory target for the processing of major planning applications (from the date valid to decision issued or withdrawal date) is an average of 30 weeks.
We were the fourth top performing Council in Northern Ireland in 2021 to 2022, during which time only one local authority met the statutory target. Our comparative performance with other NI Councils is outlined in the chart opposite, as published by the Department for Infrastructure.
During 2021 to 2022, the Council experienced two applications requiring multiple consultation processes, resulting in the target being narrowly missed. However, at 34.7 weeks, this was a 13% improvement on the previous year’s figure of 39.2 weeks, and our third consecutive improvement since 2018 to 2019.
2021/22 30 wks 2020/21 Antrim & ArdsNewtownabbey&NorthDown Armagh City, Banbridge & CraigavonBelfast Causeway Coast & Glens Derry City & Strabane Fermanagh & Omagh Lisburn & Castlereagh Mid & East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne & Down 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Average processing time of major planning applications by Council ireland-planning-statistics-april-2020-march-2021https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/northernWeeks Average processing time for major planning applications TargetAchieved 4020060 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 21-22 30 80 36.8 67.9 29 43.2 42.4 39.2 34.7 Weeks
Major planning applications require approval from multiple statutory consultees, including but not limited to, the Rivers Agency, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and Transport NI. There are occasions when consultees are unable to provide feedback within the allocated timeframe, which can delay the approval process. Delays can also happen when applications have inaccurate or insufficient detail. On resolution, the application must go through the consultation process again.
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Derry
& Down 70%0 20 40 60 80 100 2021/22 2020/21 Antrim & ArdsNewtownabbey&NorthDown Armagh City, Banbridge & CraigavonBelfast Causeway Coast & Glens Derry City & Strabane Fermanagh & Omagh Lisburn & Castlereagh Mid & East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne & Down 15 wks 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Average processing time of local planning applications by Council articles/planning-activity-statisticshttps://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/ The percentage of enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks by Council ireland-planning-statistics-april-2020-march-2021https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-36 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 WeeksPercentageTargetAchieved4020060 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 10080Percentage 85.9 88.1 88.2 8986 70 82.6 90.5 20-21 21-22 TargetAchieved100515 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 15 20 14.2 9 9.6 7.8 7.6 Weeks 10.4 9.6 20-21 21-22
In 2021 to 2022, we were the top performing Council for the percentage of enforcement cases progressed to target conclusion within 39 weeks, achieving 90.5% against the 70% target. This was a 7.9 percentage point improvement on 2020 to 2021, at 82.6%.
Armagh City, Banbridge
Mid
Mid
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
P3: The percentage of enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks
& CraigavonBelfast
Fermanagh & Omagh Lisburn
Our performance has been relatively consistent and above target since 2015 to 2016. 70.4% of enforcement cases were concluded within 39 weeks across the NI Councils during 2021 to 2022, an increase from 69.9% the previous year. Eight Councils met the target compared to six last year, as illustrated in the chart opposite.
Causeway Coast & Glens City & Strabane & Castlereagh & East Antrim Ulster Mourne
P2: The average processing time of local planning applications
2021/22 2020/21 Antrim & ArdsNewtownabbey&NorthDown
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has consistently been a top performer for the processing time for local planning applications, ranking first in the region again this year.
Newry,
In 2021 to 2022, our average was 9.6 weeks, 56% below the target of 15 weeks and a 4% improvement on 2020 to 2021. We were the top performing Council and only one of two local authorities to meet the target.
TargetAchieved 4020060 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 Percentage 42.9 45.3 52.4 51.452.8 50 20-21 21-22 50.8 51.9
For the percentage of household waste that is sent to recycling, Mid and East Antrim have achieved a rate of 51.9%. This figure is a 1.1 percentage point increase on the previous year, and the highest percentage achieved by us since 2018 to 2019. We have exceeded the 50% household recycling target for the last five years.
Between March 2021 and April 2022, the Council ran a number of programmes, designed to actively promote recycling and positive environmental practices.
38 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 4.2.3 Waste2018/19 /202019 /212020 2021/22 Ref IndicatorStatutory resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- resultendYear- Standard averageNI CouncilsotheragainstPosition Status Trend W1 The percentage of recycling.thatbywastehouseholdcollectedcouncilsissentfor 52% 51.40% 50.80% 51.90% 50% 2022by 50.74% 5 W2 The amount thatMunicipalCollectedLocalbiodegradableofAuthorityWasteislandfilled. tonnes14,444 tonnes13,684 tonnes14,508 tonnes14,528 tonnes16,387 N/A N/A W3 The arisings.MunicipalCollectedLocal(tonnage)amountofAuthorityWaste tonnes73,032 tonnes73,797 tonnes78,986 tonnes76,689 standardNo N/A N/A www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 39 W1: Percentage of household waste collected by Council that is sent for recycling (including waste prepared for reuse) *8 *9 402010030506070 &Antrim Newtownabbey &Ards DownNorth Armagh, Banbridge Craigavon& Belfast Causeway Glens&Coast &Derry Strabane Fermanagh Omagh& &Lisburn Castlereagh East&Mid Antrim UlsterMid Newry Mourne Down& 2020/21 2021/22 Target2018/19 2019/20
The Council were also shortlisted in two categories at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management, and the Council’s Climate and Sustainability Manager was recognised with the Local Authority Individual of the Year Award.
Percentage
*8NotesThe final Waste figures for 2021/22 will be audited and publicly released by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in December 2022. They can be used as a strong indicator of performance and are unlikely to change, but cannot be published anywhere in advance of their release by the NIEA.
*9 The data contained within this chart is the household figure, which is the statutory indicator.
The 2021 to 2022 results for the three statutory waste management indicators will be audited and verified by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in December 2022, the figures which follow are provisional.
W1: Percentage of household waste collected by Council that is sent for recycling (including waste prepared for reuse) *8
In 2021 to 2022, the amount of collected municipal waste arisings fell by almost 3% to 76,689, from 78,986 in 2020 to 2021. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) do not set a statutory target for this indicator; therefore, we set our own internal target. In 2021 to 2022, we were slightly over our target and have indicated our performance as ‘Amber’. However, the figure is an improvement on the previous year.
During 2021 to 2022, the Council saw a slight increase in the amount of biodegradable waste collected that is sent to landfill, at 14,528 tonnes.
For the seventh consecutive year, we have collected less than the allowance set by the Northern Ireland Landfill Allowance’s Scheme (NILAS).
W3: The amount of Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste arisings (tonnage) *8 W2: The amount of biodegradable Local Authority Collected Municipal waste that is landfilled (tonnage) *8 80,00060,00050,000070,00090,000 Achieved 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 Tonnage 75,541 75,188 72,404 73,032 73,797 78,986 76,689 20-21 21-22 Target 18,00012,0006,0000 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 21-22 22,000 20,115 19,563 18,515 17,451 16,387 16,387 16,38719,009 19,161 14,221 14,444 13,684 14,508 14,528 Tonnage Achieved
In 2021 to 2022, we used 88.66% of our allocated allowance, a slight increase from 83.5% in 2020 to 2021.
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The 3 KPIs showing red relate to:
3.3 PerformanceSelf-imposedIndicators
13 (65%) targets achieved or on track.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
During 2021 to 2022, an absence figure of 15.21 days was recorded. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including the direct and indirect effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the delays in staff being able to access suitable treatment for ongoing health issues, with record waiting lists having a particular impact. Ongoing employee relations matters have also led to higher than average levels of absence in some areas.
3 (15%) targets not achieved or stopped.
42 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Good Health and Wellbeing Ensure absence levels do not exceed an average of 10 days per employee per annum.
The Council’s second Corporate Plan was launched in July 2019, and sets the strategic direction for the 2019 to 2023 period. The Plan was developed with extensive stakeholder engagement, and aligns with the Community Plan for the borough “Putting People First”.
To ensure the full delivery of the Corporate Plan, 25 corporate objectives underpin its six strategic themes. A suite of 20 key performance indicators (KPIs) ensure that progress can be continually monitored and measured on a timely basis, and appropriate action taken, where
Learning for Life A minimum of 3 days per employee spent on training.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, 160 hate crime incidents were recorded in the borough. The Council continues to work with members of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership to raise awareness of the impact of this type of crime.
Community Safety and Cohesion Reduce the number of hate 2021fromincidentscrimerecordedthe2020tofigureof123.
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Mid and East Antrim will be a strong, vibrant, safe & inclusive community, where people work together to improve the quality of life for all. HighPerformingCouncil licnuoCgnimrofrePhgiH licnuoCgnimrofrePhgiH High Performing Council HighPerformingCouncilJobsSustainableandTourism Community Safety and Cohesion LearningforLife Good Health and Wellbeing EnvironmentOur £
The Plan is being delivered under six strategic themes, as shown in the diagram on the right. We adopted the same vision as the Community Plan, located at the centre of the diagram, with all parts of the organisation working together to achieve it.
Elected Members were provided with update reports in December 2021 and July 2022. These can be viewed corporateplanwww.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/at
Wenecessary.useour electronic performance management system to monitor and report on progress.
3.3.1 Corporate Plan (2019 to 2023)
Between April 2021 and March 2022, an average of 1.36 days were spent on employee training. Due to ongoing public health related restrictions, the vast majority of training provided was online and delivered remotely. As a result, recorded training time was reduced. Council are transitioning towards a more agile approach to learning and development, which will take the form of a Learning Platform.
During 2021 to 2022, the Council also used a wide range of selfimposed indicators to track our performance in delivering key documents within our Performance Management Framework, including, the Corporate Plan, annual Business Plans and the Performance Improvement Plan (discussed in section 3.1).
For the period April 2021 to March 2022, our performance against the Corporate Plan KPIs is as follows:
4 (20%) targets delayed but progressing.
Since 2019, each Business Plan is held on our electronic performance management system. We use the system to monitor our performance using ‘Red, Amber Green’ or ‘RAG’ status, with Directorate Plans scrutinised by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee throughout the year. The system is also used to support an approval process, allowing the Chief Executive a formal means of approving Directorate Business Plans, and Directors to approve Departmental Business Plans.
High CouncilPerforming Conduct a satisfactionstaffsurvey.
The chart below shows that the majority of the 133 KPIs within the Directorate Business Plans for 2021 to 2022 were achieved or on track. This total also encompasses our 20 Corporate Plan KPIs, as well as our 7 statutory indicators (discussed in section 3.2).
Target of forrepurposingtoinvestment£300,000committedsupportactivityTownCentres.
3.3.2 Annual Business Plans
King William PierComplete business case for planned works in 2022 to 2023.
The 4 amber indicators relate to:
Preparations continue for the survey. It is expected that it will be conducted during the 2022 to 2023 year.
The 7 KPIs showing red relate to the 3 red Corporate Plan KPIs detailed on page 43, and the following:
The percentage of people in the borough reporting that fear of crime has a minimal impact on their quality of life has fluctuated, but remains a considerable majority.
The planned work at King William Pier was not taken forward as the Capital Plan was reprioritised. A review is underway of existing conditions to assess whether further work is necessary.
15% (20) were delayed but progressing.
Good Health and Wellbeing Reduce the gap in life expectancy between the most deprived areas in the borough and the borough as a whole.
TourismJobsSustainableand
Since 2014, there have only been slight changes in the life expectancy gap for both males and females. The data for 2018 to 2020 was published recently, but has not been broken down to Local Government District level yet.
80% (106) were achieved or on track.
CouncilPerformingHigh
Community Safety and Cohesion Increase percentagetheof people reporting that fear of crime has a minimal impact on their quality of life.
Statutory audit to have zero ‘Priority 1’ audit points.
Ballylumford Harbour - Submit business case for Council approval.
44 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 45
Our Environment Secure or maintain a minimum of 14 awards
The Council’s Performance Management Framework guides the annual business planning process for each Directorate and Department. Each plan has clearly defined outcomes and indicators that are used to monitor and measure progress, which align with the Corporate Plan’s strategic themes. This process supports performance management and drives continuous improvement in all service areas.
The planned work at Ballylumford Harbour was not taken forward as the Capital Plan was reprioritised. Short term remedial works have been carried out by the Council’s Facilities Maintenance team.
5% (7) were not achieved or stopped.
One statutory “Priority 1” audit point was received in relation to the percentage of Agency Staff engaged by Council. This was due to a delay in unified Terms and Conditions, which have now been agreed. The transfer of Agency Staff to Council employees is ongoing.
We achieved 13 awards. The Council’s Gold Anchor status at Carrickfergus Marina will be reassessed on completion of dredging works.
There have been 69 enquiries received to date resulting in 16 applications. 7 applications were successfully approved, however, 1 application was withdrawn, meaning the Council’s current commitment is for 6 projects totalling £164,130. 7 applications were not funded as they either did not score highly enough or did not meet the criteria. 2 further applications were withdrawn by the applicants prior to assessment. The scheme is still open and further PR activity is planned to encourage applications in order to commit the £300k funding.
The Directorate Business Plan KPIs are explored in more detail in the pages that follow, which summarise some significant achievements for each strategic theme during the year and a more detailed analysis of the Corporate Plan’s KPIs.
• The Invest MEA website was launched in May 2021 to help boost investment in the Mid and
Number of jobs promoted through business start-up activity
We promoted 109 jobs through the ‘Go for It’ Programme between April 2021 and March 2022.
3 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 47
1. Grow, support and sustain new and existing businesses through council and other initiatives.
2. Position MEA as a dynamic, outward-looking region which welcomes and supports inward investment.
46 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Between April 2021 and March 2022, we engaged with 761 businesses against a target of 647.
3. Enable entrepreneurs to deliver economic growth through partnership and other supports.
Number of businesses engaged across business support programmes
39,055
funding from the Tourism NI Market Led Recovery Programme.
Performance Summary:
This included participants on our Amplify Business Escalator, NIBSUP, Yes You Can, Enterprising Women, SPARK, Digital Boost, Bid2Win, SPROUT and Fresh Start Over 50s
• Working alongside The Gallaher Trust and the Northern Regional College, we have established a Manufacturing Excellence Academy The Academy, the first of its kind, will see individuals boost their skills and help secure potential employment with local manufacturing companies, helping to secure the future growth of manufacturing in the borough.
• The Council, in partnership with LEDCOM, launched the 50+ Fresh Start Programme. The programme aims to provide support to those aged 50+ who want to explore the opportunities available to them through entrepreneurship and selfemployment.
Key IndicatorsPerformance
1. Carrickfergus Regeneration Programme
761 businesses engaged
4. Attract more visitors to stay longer and spend more through the delivery of our tourism strategy.
• The Council’s Economic Development team successfully delivered 61 workshops and webinars to over 960 participants.
• In February 2022, we launched the Hydrogen Training Academy The Academy is a public-private investment of £700K from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, the Department for Communities Covid-Revitalisation Fund and EP UK Investments.
Key achievements
from the COVID-19 pandemic, we exceeded our current statutory target of 85 for the period April 2021 to March 2022.
• The must-have ShopMEA app launched in October 2021 and has been downloaded more than 2,750 times. Funded by the Department for Communities’ COVID-19 Recovery Revitalisation Programme and launched by Council’s Town Centre Recovery Group, the app forms part of the joint strategy for supporting local businesses to grow by providing users with exclusive deals, rewards and event listings from across the borough.
Visitors at strategic tourist attractions
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the Council supported over 760 local businesses across a range of business support programmes, delivering over 6,400 hours of bespoke one-to-one mentoring with an estimated value of £296,000.
Despiteprogrammes.ongoingchallenges
•
• Over 40 new tourism experiences were developed across the Borough as a result of £230k of
3. i4C Innovation and Cleantech centre
AchievedTarget 2001000 16-17 17-18 18-19 21-22 109193 140 124createdJobs 122 94 19-20 20-21 85
20 targets achieved/on track. 3 targets delayed but progressing. 1 target not achieved. Title
1 2
We recorded 39,055 visitors between April 2021 and March 2022 against a target of 38,000.
This indicator counts the number of visitors at The Gobbins, Carrickfergus Castle, Arthur Cottage, Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Museum. ticket sales
5. Create a compelling tourism and economic proposition by developing and investing in our unique heritage and assets.
• Almost 2,380 young people were engaged with via a range of enterprise, skills and careers activity.
East Antrim Borough. Aimed at maximising opportunities to push the fast-forward button on economic prosperity in the Borough, the website sets out to potential investors the Borough’s compelling proposition as a destination in which to live, work, learn, visit and invest in. It includes information on major investment sites and opportunities, as well as details of wider economic initiatives, such as BuySupplyNI.
JobsSustainable&Tourism
Led by Council, it is a first-of-itskind project enabling NI to fully maximise opportunities associated with hydrogen as the emerging leading sustainable energy solution, as well as supporting the development of a dynamic and skilled workforce.
• In December 2021, the Council signed the Belfast Region City Deal, securing more than £60m of investment for the Borough. The Council has three projects under the City Deal:
2. The Gobbins development
Chart
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
• The Council continues to be accredited to ISO 14001:2015 International Environmental Management Standard across all services. This ensures that the Council reduces the impact of its services on the environment and improves its performance year on year.
up effective management systems. Council’s catering department have successfully eliminated the use of Single Use Plastics.
3. Encourage people to value our natural environment and built heritage, by enhancing responsible access to it and promoting the benefits it offers for our health and wellbeing.
• In 2019, the Council committed to planting 58,000 trees by 2023 as part of the MEA4Trees initiative. This ambitious target was surpassed within just 28 months, with the 58,000th tree planted at Diamond Jubilee Wood Whitehead on Friday 8 April 2022.
13/14
• The Council are now Engaged Members with the Responsible Plastic Management Program, who will help us to identify and reduce problem plastics and set
1. Deliver high quality places where people want to live, work and invest, using the Local Development Plan, regeneration and excellence in leadership.
• The Council were shortlisted in two categories at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management. Council’s Climate and Sustainability Manager was recognised with the Local Authority Individual of the Year Award
The Council scored 76% for the period between April 2021 and March 2022, against a target of 66%. This is a 7% improvement on the previously recorded score.
• The new Household Recycling Centre at Sullatober has been officially opened. This will help improve our recycling efficiency by 20%, divert 1,000 tonnes from landfill and will decrease our carbon emissions by 800 tonnes per year.
We achieved 5 Green Flag awards in October 2021 at Bashfordsland Wood and Oakfield Glen, Carrickfergus Mill Ponds Shaftesbury Park and Marine Gardens, Diamond Jubilee Wood, Dixon Park and The People’s Park. In June 2021, 3 Seaside Awards at Ballygally, Brown’s Bay and Carnlough were retained. ISO 14001 accreditation was maintained across all services in August 2021. In June 2021, 3 Blue Flag awards at Carrickfergus, Portglenone and Glenarm were retained. The NI Benchmarking Survey was completed in November 2021. The Council’s Gold Anchor status at Carrickfergus Marina will be reassessed on completion of dredging works.
• The Council have appointed a Sustainable Food Coordinator to deliver the Action Plan in order to help us in our bid to becoming a Sustainable Food Place
EnvironmentOur
4. Lead by example and reduce the impact of council services on the environment.
Major awards secured and maintained
Performance Summary:
‘Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’ Cleanliness Index
• Council secured funding from the DAERA Environmental Challenge Fund and completed restoration works on site at Keeran Moss in Carrickfergus in partnership with RSPB NI. The restoration works will ensure the peatland is restored and protected so that it can provide a home to many priority species.
Level of external investment secured per annum for regeneration projects
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
• The Council has developed a new Climate and Sustainability Policy, which gives a commitment we will carry out our activities and functions in a manner which avoids any potentially negative environmental impact.
The Pat’s Brae public realm works were completed, for which £280k funding was secured from the Department of Communities. In addition, the Council have secured over £1m for subsequent public realm schemes at Castle Street Ballymena and Point Street Larne. 23 targets achieved/on track. 3 targets delayed but progressing. Title 1 2
£280,000 investmentcompleted £
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• The Council were named as one of Northern Ireland’s most sustainable organisations after being recognised with the Platinum Award at the Business in the Community Northern Ireland Benchmarking Survey.
• Three Little Seed Libraries have been installed at Greenisland, Eden and Larne allotment gardens. Green fingered enthusiasts or newbies alike can use the libraries to swap packets of seeds that they can then plant or grow in their own gardens. This great initiative helps protect biodiversity,
2. Improve and sustainably manage our environment, protecting it for future generations.
Chart
76% score (69% 2021)
In 2021 to 2022, we monitored the achievement of the following environmental awards: Green Flags, Seaside Awards, ISO 14001, Blue Flags, Gold Anchor Awards and NI Environmental Benchmarking.
Key IndicatorsPerformance
• Mid and East Antrim has been awarded the prestigious Fairtrade Borough status by the UK Fairtrade Foundation and Fairtrade Ireland. This includes the three main towns of Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne in recognition of commitment to Fairtrade principles.
Scores closer to 100% indicate better performance and 66% is the point at which performance is considered acceptable.
48 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Key achievements
• By signing up to the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration during COP26, Council has joined local, regional and national governments across the world in the call to tackle the climate and nature emergency through integrated food policies.
keeps locally adapted varieties going, provides social opportunities and helps gardeners save money.
feeling a sense of belonging to their area in 2018-20 was 88.7%. Although this
a
for all. 89.2% 2015-17 88.7% 2016-18 93.1% 2017-19 88.7% 2018-20 74% 2018/19 68% 2019/20 Number
1. Encourage good relations by creating vibrant, shared, and cohesive communities within the borough.
2. Improve community safety and confidence to enable people to feel safe and have a sense of belonging to their area.
• The Mid and East Antrim Support Hub is now in its fourth year of operation and continues to provide a vital service to our communities. The multi-agency group focuses on vulnerable individuals across the Borough, with regular sharing of information between the partners in order to develop appropriate support.
result, the target
• As part of the Council’s continued efforts to make the borough more accessible and inclusive for all, we delivered a series of specialised Autism Awareness training sessions. Each session shone a light on autism, working to increase understanding and awareness of the issues impacting those with an autism diagnosis and their families. Particpants were given materials to promote that their staff had received the training and are going that extra mile to assist those with more complex needs. To date, eight training sessions have been successfully delivered to businesses across the borough.
1 2 3 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 51
but
88%
not
still achieved.
vision, the
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
The figures are based on annual data published by the PSNI. Between April 2021 and March 2022, 160 hate crime incidents were recorded in the borough. The Council continue to work with members of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership to raise awareness of the impact of hate crime. 200100500150 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 160 156 167 124 2020/21 123 2021/22 160 2021/22 3,945 Chart
4. Work with partners to provide support to vulnerable people who need it.
In response to the crisis in Ukraine, the Council began managed the Ukrainian Assistance Centre in association with the Department of Finance and a number of other community partners. The centre has been vital in assisting many Ukrainian refugees who are settling into the local area, as well as providing essential support to host families.
83% 2015/16 70% 2016/17 69% 2017/18 4,0002,0001,00003,0005,0006,000 2016/17 4,179 2017/18 3,857 2018/19 3,745 2019/20 3,600 2020/21 5,308 2
SafetyCommunity&Cohesion
The Policing and Community Safety Partnership Working Group continues to meet regularly, with a key focus on mapping anti-social behaviour
• The Council’s Christmas Toy Container Project saw 2 tonnes of toys diverted from landfill and donated to local charities, as well as being directly gifted to residents in our community.
% of people reporting that fear of crime has a minimal impact on their quality of life
Performance Summary:
• The third RAPID (Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs) bin in Mid and East Antrim was successfully launched in the Asda store in Larne. The initiative is aimed at helping to remove prescription and illegal drugs from our streets by providing drug disposal bins. Two other RAPID bins are located in Ballymena Health Centre on the Cushendall Road and Tesco on the Larne Road, Ballymena.
•
• Council’s Support Hub Vulnerability Navigator continues to support the most vulnerable, signposting them to relevant support services, such as mental health support, drug and alcohol support, Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership, food banks and other services bespoke to individual requirements.
1
These figures are based on annual data published by ARK via the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. The percentage of people in the reported was slight decrease on the 2017-19 of was As is our Council are continually working to and community of incidents recorded with a hate crime motivation Title
50 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Key IndicatorsPerformance
The figures are based on annual data published by the PSNI. 2021 to 2022 saw a reduction of 1,363 from the previous year.
schemes and levels of funding available in 2022 to 2023.. The aim of the grants scheme is to provide financial support for organisers of events, as well as community groups, sports clubs and arts groups in the borough undertaking projects of benefit to all citizens within the council area.
borough who
hotspots and putting direct interventions in place.
Key achievements
track. 1
inclusive
3. Build the capacity of local communities to become resilient and self-sustainable.
The figures are based on annual data published by the Department of Justice via the Northern Ireland Safe Community Survey (previously known as the Northern Ireland Crime Survey). Between 2015/16 and 2019/20, the percentage of people in the borough reporting that fear of crime has a minimal impact on their quality of life has fluctuated, but remains a considerable majority. The Council seeks to reduce the impact of fear of crime through supporting the most vulnerable members of the community via partner organisations such as the Support Hub and the Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership. Community safety and cohesion strategies are a high priority and are addressed in collaboration with the PSNI via the Policing and Community Safety Partnership. targets achieved/on target delayed progressing. target achieved. of people with a sense of belonging to their area
• In December 2021, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim welcomed, as part of a new Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) initiative, a number of Speed Indicator Devices (SID) which were installed across the borough. These devices promote a pro-active approach to road safety and target hotspots where speeding is a concern.
• Good Relations Week, co-ordinated by the Community Relations Council, was successfully held in September 2021, with a mix of arts, history, music, sport and culturebased events from a diverse range of organisations across the region.
• The Council continues to make significant progress delivering the Good Relations Action Plan and the Policing and Community Safety Partnership Action Plan
• The Council’s Grants Team hosted a number of Grants Information Sessions to advise of the various
%
Number of anti-social behaviour incidents
provide a strong, safe, vibrant
Performance Summary:
1. Work in partnership with the private and community sector to develop the skills needed to support sustained economic development in the borough.
• In November 2021, the Council teamed up with Young Enterprise NI to mark Global Entrepreneurship Week, rolling out online challenges to spark creativity and influence the next generation of budding business minds. More than 800 primary 6 pupils took part in an exciting online masterclass, which highlighted what business is, and how to communicate with customers through product packaging and branding.
• The “Little Free Library” continues to be successfully rolled out across the borough with five libraries now installed. The scheme is a worldwide phenomenon aimed at inspiring a love of reading, building communities, and sparking creativity by fostering neighbourhood book exchanges around the world.
3 targets achieved/on track. 1 target not achieved. Title 1 2
Chart
25
• The Council, in collaboration with Northern Regional College and Tourism NI, delivered free Level Two Tour Guide Training to keen residents of Whitehead, Islandmagee, Glenarm and Carnlough. The training was funded by Tourism NI’s COVID Market Led Product Development Programme 2021-22 and aimed to boost tourism across the borough.
Number of participants securing employment as a result of programmesemployability
Between April 2021 and March 2022, an average of 1.36 days were spent on employee training against a target of 3 days. Due to ongoing public health restrictions, the vast majority of the training provided was online and delivered remotely. As a result, the recorded training time was reduced. The Council are transitioning towards a more agile approach to learning and development, which will take the form of a Learning Platform.
forLearninglife
Number of education and training programmes delivered by Council programmes delivered
• The HGV Driver Training Academy was launched to address skills shortages and improve employment opportunities within the borough. Participants undertake training to gain an HGV Category C license and receive employability support. The Council are also working with local transport companies to ensure that participants are offered an interview for an appropriate role when they have completed the training.
• The Council have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance cooperation and collaboration with the Northern Regional College over the next 10 years. Led by a newly formed joint Enterprise and Innovation Cooperation Steering Committee the Council and College will work together to create an enhanced enterprise and innovation ecosystem in the borough.
Key achievements
Council accommodated a total of 8 work placement/work experience opportunities. We continue to engage with the Belfast City Deal Apprenticeship Challenge and explore options to formalise our Placement and Internship opportunities.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the Council supported the delivery of a number of employability programmes helping the unemployed and most vulnerable to receive personal and skills development support and assistance to enter the workplace. A total of 171 participants secured employment as a result of employability programmes.
Number of days per employee spent on training
Key IndicatorsPerformance
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• The Council actively promoted the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Carbon Literacy Training to local community groups, schools, Elected Members and Council staff throughout 2021 to 2022.
• The Energy Detectives Initiative continues to raise awareness of energy usage and how to avoid waste. Delivered to 150 pupils across four primary schools, this very popular partnership project enables pupils to share their learning with their families, which is more important than ever as households struggle to pay rising energy bills.
• We worked in partnership with Sentinus, the home of STEM, to deliver a Climate Change Educational Programme to 20 primary schools across the borough. The Programme delivered a mixture of classroom learning and practical activity focusing on climate change.
• We continue to promote the Eco Schools Education Programme across the borough, informing schools of the many campaigns currently being delivered, including the Wheelie Big Challenge, the Big Spring Clean, Young Reporter for the Environment, Clean Coast Programme, Adopt a Spot and Tackling Textile Waste. All 76 MEA schools are engaged in the Eco Schools Programme.
171 participants
1.36 days Number of opportunitiesplacement/workapprenticeship/workexperiencedeliveredbyCouncil 8 placements facilitated
4. Enhance opportunities for volunteering, work experience and apprenticeship programmes to develop social and employment skills.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the Council delivered 25 education and training programmes. These included programmes for businesses and schools, as well as autism awareness sessions and slow cooker demonstrations.
2. Encourage our people to realise their potential through awareness, training and lifelong learning.
3. Develop a joined-up approach to the delivery of education and training programmes in schools and in the wider community.
52 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
4. Lead by example to ensure that our workplaces are for health as well as wealth.
Gap in life expectancy between the most deprived areas in the borough and the borough as a whole
Since 2014 to 2016 there have only been slight changes in the life expectancy gap for both males and females. The data for 2018 to 2020 has recently been published, but as yet has not been broken down to Local Government District Level.
% of awardedSchemeGrantavailableSupportfunding
Key achievements
1 2 3 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 55
introduced to a range of American sports, including, ‘Jag Tag’, a simplified tag version of American Football created by the Jacksonville Jaguars, rodeo bull riding, basketball and hip-hop dance.
Good Health & Wellbeing
54 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
1. Deliver a joined-up approach to improve physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
• The Council marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities by delivering a range of sport and physical activity programmes across the borough.
• We continue to partner with Live Active NI on the Get Out Get Active programme. This programme supports disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together and is funded by Spirit of 2012. Several established groups are now up and running throughout the borough under this initiative, including the Better Connected Over 50s class, Boccia and the Pawsitive Walks & Talks dog walking group. Most recently, a Nordic walking group has been established.
• Community Fridges continue to support local families in need. The fridges are a platform for sharing surplus food within a community to reduce food waste going to landfill. They are not means tested and are open to all. Community Fridges differ from the vital role Food Banks play, but can often be a complementary provision.
• The MEAqua Swim Academy was successfully rolled out across the Borough, expanding swimming provision by over 100% in the first nine months. Title
Key IndicatorsPerformance
During 2021 to 2022 an absence figure of 15.21 days was recorded. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a delay in staff being able to access suitable treatment for ongoing health issues, with record waiting lists having a particular impact. Ongoing employee relation matters have also led to higher than average levels of absence in some areas.
• The Council were successful in bidding for additional funding from the Public Health Agency to source additional heaters for the emergency heater lending service. The rising cost of energy has placed additional demands on vulnerable households, with the Council noting an increase in demand for emergency heating. We were able to use the funding to build on the success of the initial scheme introduced in 2020. The Council now have a total of 160 energy efficient heaters available to lend to householders without heat.
• Residents of the borough continue to benefit from the Chatty Cafe initiative. Chatty Cafés encourage venues to designate a ‘chatty table’ where customers can sit if they are happy to talk to other customers. The scheme, being rolled out by Mid and East Antrim’s Loneliness Network, part-funded by Council and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, aims to tackle loneliness and reduce isolation by creating opportunities to talk and interact. The initiative followed the success of the Chatty Benches scheme, which saw bright yellow benches in public spaces create an opportunity for conversation in the outdoors.
• In March 2022, the Council were successful in their application to become a member of the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities. We join the growing movement of communities across the UK making places good to grow old in, by reducing inequalities and acting in partnership to enable long and healthy lives.
The Council received 321 applications between April 2021 and March 2022, and 92% of the available Grant Support Scheme funding was awarded. Some of the projects that were supported included major events like the ISPS Handa World Invitational and the Antrim Coast Half Marathon. Funding was also awarded to support local community groups in re-opening as COVID-19 restrictions eased and also to support centenary celebrations.
20100515 2016/17 18.32 2017/18 17.08 2018/19 14.05 2019/20 10.64 2020/21 4.69 2021/22 15.21absentdaysAverage 05Gap 2014-16 2015-17 2016-18 2017-19 Male Female 92% 14 targets achieved/on track. 3 targets delayed but progressing. 1 target not achieved. Chart
3. Enable older people to be active, respected and supported in their community.
Performance Summary:
• The Council were proud to celebrate the American Sports Programme touching down in Mid and East Antrim. Almost 200 young people with all abilities and backgrounds from across the borough were
• In March 2022, Sunnylands and Woodburn Community Development Group, in association with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, hosted their Annual Health Fair. Funded by Areas at Risk, through the Department for Communities, this event aimed to educate people so that they could make positive choices around their own health and wellbeing by engaging in complimentary therapies, arts and crafts, massage, health screenings, relaxation sessions and informative workshops.
Employee attendance
2. Play our part in enabling people to live longer and healthier lives, reducing health inequalities and social isolation.
4. Embed our values to ensure that our employees feel supported and motivated to realise their potential.
• We successfully produced the second Statement of Progress against ‘Putting People First’, the 15-year Community Plan for the Borough. ‘Putting People First’ was launched in 2017 outlining how Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, alongside a range of partners, would work together to improve the lives of everyone who lives or works here.
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We commissioned Investors in People to run an online staff engagement survey in Spring 2018.
Staff satisfaction
3. Be recognised as a leading council, delivering excellent services and facilities through collaborative working, innovation and continuous improvement.
Net cost of council services per head of population
10 targets delayed but progressing. 3 targets not achieved. Title 2 3
Average escalation rate of complaints
44 targets achieved/on track.
Our aim is to resolve any complaints received at the earliest point of contact in line with good practice.
• Statistics released by the Department for Infrastructure show Mid and East Antrim to have the shortest turnaround time for local planning applications out of all 11 local authorities.
56 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
High CouncilPerforming
A Working Group has been established to progress the survey. Terms of reference for the survey are currently being developed in conjunction with Trade Unions.
A further Household Survey will be carried out during the summer of 2022. This survey will measure satisfaction levels across the borough. 88% residents satisfied
Performance Summary:
In Autumn 2018, the Council carried out a comprehensive survey of 775 local householders.
This indicator is reported annually to the Association of Public Sector Excellence. £301 2020 to 2021 figure
WhatObjectives:wewill do by 2023
2. Increase customer satisfaction with our services by being a listening and responsive council.
• The Council’s Learning and Development Manager organised a series of training programmes to develop our staff. These included, Management Development Programme for Line Managers, Digital Skills Programme and Charter for Domestic Violence (Platinum).
Preparations continue for the survey to be carried out during 2022 to 2023.
• The team behind MEABC’s innovative COVID Confidence Scheme received the Best Service Team accolade at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) awards ceremony in September 2021.
• The Council received silver in the Council of the Year category at the iESE Awards, which celebrate and share the most innovative practice in transforming local public services. The award is presented to Councils that are deemed outstanding in terms of transforming their services and creating opportunities. Mid and East Antrim was also the bronze winner of the Community Focus Award for our Community Hub.
1. Take the lead on delivering both the Community Plan and the Local Development Plan, working effectively with our partners.
Key IndicatorsPerformance
1
• The Council continues to build on a digital-first approach to communications, ensuring information is circulated to residents and businesses in a timely, effective and efficient manner, the Council has more than 28k Facebook followers, more than 7k Twitter likes, more than 4k Instagram followers and more than 2.3k LinkedIn connections. On Facebook alone last year, the Council reached more than one million people with its posts.
• In February 2022, it was announced that Councillors in Mid and East Antrim achieved below inflation changes to business and domestic rates next year, aimed at minimising the impact on local ratepayers while delivering significant investment and improvements in the community.
Key achievements
Despite the sustained financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis and rising inflation, the Council remains committed to growing the local economy by investing in ambitious and innovative projects to drive and sustain the future of the area in key growth sectors, such as renewable energy and digital technologies. This vital work is aimed at improving skills, creating jobs and boosting our economy.
The figure for 2021 to 2022 will be reported to the Council when the figures have been audited.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the Council resolved 90% of complaints informally, exceeding the target of 70%.
resolved% 100500 Informal stage Formal internal stage External stage 70 90 20 9 10 1 Target Actual Chart
• Mid and East Antrim were the first local authority in Northern Ireland to introduce a Contact Centre System powered by Amazon Connect. The system has been implemented as our customer contact solution for Waste Services. The Waste Helpdesk receives an average 108 calls per day, the LEX bot has addressed almost 14% of all calls. The helpdesk team are answering 60% of calls within 20 seconds. The live chat function receives an average of 153 chats per month and 52% of all chats are addressed by the automated BOT.
Customer Satisfaction
76%
We commissioned a household survey in 2018 to determine the satisfaction levels of our residents and to inform the Corporate Plan for 2019 to 2023.
The data gathered provided a valuable baseline to monitor the Council’s performance over the lifetime of the current Corporate Plan.
believe that the council helps to make the borough a good place to live.
think Council shows good leadership.
of residents are satisfied with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
trust Council.
82%
3.3.3 Household Survey
said that Council provides good value for money.
88%
of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live.
73%
75%
feel Council treats people fairly.
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A representative sample of 775 people were interviewed across the borough, with some of the key results outlined below.
75%
We commissioned a new survey during 2022, which is being undertaken over the summer months. The feedback received will help guide the direction for Council over the period of our new Corporate Plan (2023 to 2027).
90%
In addition to the methods outlined previously, the Council also utilises various types of benchmarking to assess our performance.
Source: Unaudited data from NIAO Annual Audit Letters and 2020-2021 Self-Assessment Reports Benchmarking
3.4
Our Attendance Policy continues to be implemented by line management, under
Days 20100515 10.28 days
In 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018, we recorded the highest absenteeism rate of all the Councils in Northern Ireland.
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60 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Absenteeism benchmarking
&Antrim Newtownabbey &Ards DownNorth Armagh, Banbridge Craigavon& Belfast Causeway Glens&Coast &Derry Strabane Fermanagh Omagh& &Lisburn Castlereagh East&Mid Antrim UlsterMid Newry Mourne Down& 2016-17 2017-18 2020 - 2021 average2015-16 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
In the year 2020 to 2021, we experienced our lowest recorded figure to date at 4.69 days, and were the top performing Council in the region. During this time, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of staff who were on long term sick leave were furloughed, resulting in a pause on their absence.
We also developed and delivered a number of proactive initiatives to support
During 2021 to 2022 an absence figure of 15.21 days was recorded, a significant and steep rise on the previous year. As discussed on page 43, this can be attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, delays in treatment access and employee relation matters within some service areas.
3.4.1 Absenteeism
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council - Annual tracking of prompt payments Prompt payments
The percentage of payments made by the Council within 10 working days has improved for the fifth consecutive year to its highest recorded figure of 68%. For the average percentage of payments made within 30 working days, the Council achieved 95% during 2021 to 2022, its best performance in recent years, and higher than the NI Council average of 90%.
In line with guidance from the Department for Communities, in late 2017, the Council implemented an Electronic Purchase Ordering system to enable the processing of payments as quickly as possible. This system was replaced in November 2021 with a new financial system, and following an initial bedding in period, is now fully operational. We are already seeing improvements in how quickly we can process invoices.
3.4.2
2019/202018/192020/212021/222017/182016/172015/16 Within 10 days Within 30 days (but more than 10 days) Outside 30 days 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of payments within 30 days across the last four years %Percentages &Antrim Newtownabbey &Ards DownNorth Armagh, Banbridge Craigavon& Belfast Causeway Glens&Coast &Derry Strabane Fermanagh Omagh& &Lisburn Castlereagh East&Mid Antrim UlsterMid Newry Mourne Down& 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 100804020060 62 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
• Building Control
• Planning
• We performed below the NI average in 44% (40 indicators).
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the Council were unable to take part in as many best practice visits, as in previous years.
• Street Cleansing
3.4.4 Benchmarking (Internal)
Council Officers and Elected Members traditionally participate in a range of best practice visits with other Councils and external organisations. This takes place across a range of service areas, and is in addition to the APSE NI Benchmarking Project.
• Environmental Health
The APSE NI Benchmarking Project is now in its seventh year, having commenced in 2015 to 2016. There have been several amendments to the agreed performance indicators over that time, and as the project develops and the indicators stabilise, the data will become more useful for year on year trend analysis and for cross-Council
templates have been developed for 11 service areas:
The latest data available is for the 2020 to 2021 year, when there were 179 performance indicators in the APSE benchmarking framework, of which Mid and East Antrim submitted data for 134 indicators.
• We were the top performing Council in 19% (17 indicators).
• Refuse Collection
Annual comparisons are made for the Council’s Corporate Plan indicators, as detailed in section 3. Our individual service areas also conduct comparative assessments to inform improvements. An example from within our Health and Safety Department is provided below.
• Economic Development
64 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
• The Council’s performance improved for 57% (39 indicators).
3.4.5 Best Practice Research
• Our performance deteriorated for 43% (30 indicators). This was due to a number of factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent ‘lockdown’ periods.
• Periodic meetings between the Council’s Communications Team and the NI Public Sector Communications Forum to share experiences and knowledge.
3.4.3 Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)
• The Planning and Building Control team regularly attend the Northern Ireland Building Regulations Advisory Committee. The Committee facilitates debate and development of proposed revisions to Building Regulations and allied legislation.
• The Town Centre Taskforce regularly meets with relevant stakeholders to drive the local Foreconomy.afullcomprehensive list, please see Appendix 4.
Health and Safety accidents 2021 to 2022
0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 1 6/ 17 17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 accidentsofNumber
• Corporate Services (OD/HR, ICT, Registration Services, Training & Learning, Finance & Financial Services, Legal Services, Democratic Services, Complaints and Cost of Services)
As well as benchmarking with external bodies, we undertake internal year-on-year benchmarking.
• Cemetery and Crematorium Services
• Community Development
• Arts and Heritage
• Parks, Open Spaces and Horticultural Services
Detailed analysis was completed internally by the Council and included comparisons between figures submitted for the borough and the NI average, and identified any improvement or deterioration from 2019 to 2020 (where data was available).
• The Council’s Performance team are active members of the Local Government Performance Improvement Working Group, which acts on behalf of SOLACE NI.
Benchmarking supports the development of a culture of continuous improvement, and allows us to compare our performance with other Councils in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council participates in the APSE ‘NI Benchmarking Project’, alongside a number of other Northern Ireland Councils.
• We were better than the NI average in 56% (51 indicators).
Some of the visits that did take place include:
There were 91 indicators in which our performance could be compared to that of the other participating Councils. Of these:
Databenchmarking.collection
• We were ranked lowest for 20% (18 Ofindicators).thedatasubmitted by us for 2020 to 2021, 69 indicators were analysed against the previous year. Of these:
As a result of the audit, the LGA believes the Council has discharged its duties in connection with (1) improvement planning and (2) publication of improvement information in accordance with section 92 of the Act and has acted in accordance with the Department for Communities’ guidance sufficiently.
• Improvement assessment
The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) carries out an audit and assessment of Council’s arrangements to secure continuous improvement each year, in accordance with section 93 of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014 and the Code of Audit Practice for local government bodies.
3.5 Performance Audits
No recommendations were made under section 95(2) of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 2014. The LGA was not minded to carry out a special inspection under section 95(2) of the Act.
A second internal audit conducted during 2019 to 2020 focused on Council’s data collection and validation processes. The auditor assessed a sample of seven of Council’s key performance indicators, six from our Corporate Plan and one from our Performance Improvement Plan. The auditor gave a ‘Satisfactory’ level of assurance and proposed three recommendations for improvement (January 2020). A follow-up review determined these as implemented (April 2021).
The auditor gave a ‘limited’ assurance rating and proposed 13 recommendations for improvement (September 2017). In a follow up review, 12 of these were determined ‘implemented’ and one ‘partially implemented’ (June 2019). The remaining recommendation related to the timing of the business planning approval process, which we implemented during 2021 to 2022.
3.5.1 External Audit - Northern Ireland Audit Office
In 2017, we appointed an independent organisation to undertake an audit of our Performance Improvement arrangements, with the aim of determining the adequacy and effectiveness of Council’s control framework.
The LGA made one new proposal for improvement, which represents good practice and should assist the Council in meeting its performance improvement responsibilities. This is outlined within Appendix 2, alongside an update on some of the NIAO’s previous audit findings.
The latest audit took place during January and February 2022. The Local Government Auditor (LGA) certified the improvement audit for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council with a standard, unqualified opinion in February 2022. The LGA found:
• Improvement planning and publication of improvement information
• Other matters
• Proposal for Improvement
In light of the impact of COVID-19 on Council services, the LGA was unable to assess whether the Council has discharged its duties under Part 12 of the Act and has acted in accordance with the Department for Communities’ guidance sufficiently during 2021 to 2022. An assessment was not conducted to determine whether the Council is likely to comply with the requirements of Part 12 of the Act in subsequent years, but will keep the need for this under review as arrangements become more fully established.
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3.5.2 Internal Audit
• Emails from our Acting Chief Executive to Elected Members and staff requesting their views via the survey.
Given the level of support indicated through the survey, all six Improvement Objectives were included in the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023.
Following approval from Council, we held a public consultation on the draft plan for eleven weeks, from 8 March 2022 to 24 May 2022, that included:
• Growing the economy and creating jobs (81% said ‘yes’).
There was a reasonable level of support for the following objectives:
The Development Process
1. Growing the economy and creating jobs.
We started the development process in November 2021, when the Senior and Operational Management Teams identified key performance improvement areas for the Weyear.drafted a plan, which aligned with the Community Plan for the borough, Council’s Corporate Plan, and the investment and improvement priorities identified through our Residents’ Survey (2018).
• Improving infrastructure to encourage electric vehicle uptake in the borough to reduce emissions and protect the environment for future generations
Supporting the communities within the historic conservation area of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy.
6. Improving customer engagement and service delivery by enhancing Council’s use of information technology.
• A consultation document published on the Council’s website, with a link provided to an online survey.
68 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
Our Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023 sets out six Improvement Objectives for delivery up to March 2023, and beyond.
Survey Results
• Improving customer engagement and service delivery by enhancing Council’s use of information technology (57% said ‘yes’, 19% said ‘no’). Respondents were generally supportive of this objective; however, it was highlighted that Council must take account of and support the needs of all members of society in its implementation.
Despite a reduction in support for the objectives relating to conservation in Carrickfergus and the Council’s use of information technology, these projects are ongoing from previous years. From an accountability and audit perspective, it is important that the Council continue to report on the endeavours to achieve the remaining outcomes before removing them entirely from the Plan.
4.0 2022ImprovementPerformancePlanto2023
Improving customer engagement and service delivery by enhancing Council’s use of information technology.
0% Yes No Don’t know 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
3. Supporting MEA citizens’ health and wellbeing by providing quality, inclusive play and recreation facilities, and promoting safe and responsible outdoor recreation.
4. Improving infrastructure to encourage electric vehicle uptake in the borough to reduce emissions and protect the environment for future generations.
(59% said ‘yes’, 24% said ‘no’). Whilst there was support for this objective in terms of satisfying a need within the borough, concerns were raised about the cost of electric vehicles, the scale of the project and its potential to make an impact.
Supporting MEA citizens’ health and wellbeing by providing quality, inclusive play and recreation facilities, and promoting safe and responsible outdoor recreation. Improving infrastructure to encourage electric vehicle uptake in the Borough to reduce emissions and protect the environment for future
• Supporting MEA citizens’ health and wellbeing by providing quality, inclusive play and recreation facilities, and promoting safe and responsible outdoor recreation (81% said ‘yes’).
• The Council’s social media platforms.
Growing the economy and creating jobs.
2. Supporting the historic conservation of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy.
• A hard copy summary document provided at key Council reception areas. We promoted the survey through:
• Emails to local businesses and community groups that engage with the Council.
We asked “Have we got these Improvement Objectives right?” The 59 survey respondents said:
Friendly Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
• Local press coverage.
Creatinggenerations.anAutism
• Creating an Autism Friendly Mid and East Antrim Borough Council (74% said ‘yes’).
5. Creating an Autism Friendly Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
• Supporting the communities within the historic conservation area of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy (53% said ‘yes’, 20% said ‘no’). The main point raised was that this objective appeared to have a narrow geographic focus. The Council later updated the wording to better reflect its intent, to read, ‘Supporting the historic conservation of Carrickfergus, contributing to the sustainability of the local economy’.
The implementation of the new Northern Ireland Planning Portal for Mid and East Antrim.
*¹⁶
The Plan prioritises all seven ‘Improvement Areas’ specified within the Local Government Act (NI) 2014 (Strategic Effectiveness, Service Quality, Service Availability, Fairness, Sustainability, Efficiency and Innovation).
March
Creating an Autism Friendly Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
The Improvement Objectives and the key outcomes for our citizens are outlined below.
• A series of pre-employment programmes to upskill and enable residents to access employment opportunities that provide a progressive career pathway.
• Increased inward investment and local employment opportunities related both directly and indirectly to heritage and tourism growth.
• The delivery of four replacement Play Parks across the borough.
• A communication and awareness campaign to influence behavioural change towards electric vehicle use.
By when
• An effective and efficient Planning Service to maximise economic development.
• Up to 10 buildings of historical and architectural interest restored (including eight existing awarded schemes), through the Townscape Heritage Initiative, with Council and Heritage Lottery grant assistance, by 31 March 2023.
Supporting MEA citizens’ health and wellbeing by providing quality, inclusive play and recreation facilities, and promoting safe and responsible outdoor recreation.
*¹⁶
• The continued rollout of an awareness raising programme.
• A programme of training and development opportunities for people to take part in safe and sustainable outdoor recreation.
Supporting the historic conservation of localsustainabilitycontributingCarrickfergus,totheoftheeconomy.
The Council agreed the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023 on 6 June 2022, and published it on the corporate website on 8 June 2022.
• Additional Council staff recognised as ‘Autism Champions’, to advocate on behalf of individuals with autism within Council venues and events.
4.1 Our Published Plan
• The continued rollout of ‘Just A Minute’ (JAM) Awareness Training to Council staff.
ObjectiveImprovement What you will see
March 2023
A redesign of Council’s website, developed from user experience feedback (Phase 3).
We welcome ongoing feedback on our Performance Improvement Plan. If you would like to make any comments, our contact details are on our website www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/PIP Timelines are subject to change. Subject to a successful funding application.
• Additional Council venues becoming ‘Autism friendly’ places.
The digital transformation of at least one customer facing service. 2023
What you will see
*¹⁶
• The continued implementation of Council’s Agile Framework, through delivery of a number of citizen focused projects to include:
Improving infrastructure to encourage electric vehicle uptake in the Borough to reduce emissions and protect the environment for future generations.
• A target of three ‘rapid’ electric vehicle chargers (50kW, 80% charge in 20 minutes) installed at strategic locations in the borough by December 2023, as part of the cross-border FASTER project.
An expansion of the Automated Customer Call System into an additional service area.
March 2023
*¹⁷
• The promotion of new jobs in the borough by successfully delivering the ‘Go for it’ Programme.
March 2023
Growing the economy and creating jobs.
• Three new or upgraded Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) or ‘kick about’ areas.
By when
• A minimum of 12 ‘fast’ chargers (22kW, charge in 1 to 2 hours) installed throughout the borough by September 2023, as part of the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) *¹⁷.
70 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
March 2023
• The local community will have a better understanding of built heritage.
December2023
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 71
ObjectiveImprovement
Improving technology.useenhancingserviceengagementcustomeranddeliverybyCouncil’sofinformation
One proposal for improvement was identified by the auditor, which the Council have accepted and will address during the upcoming financial year.
• The Council developed and published its Performance Improvement Plan for the 2021 to 2022 financial year before the statutory deadline of 30 June 2021. The Plan for 2022 to 2023 was developed and published before the statutory deadline of 30 June 2022.
The table below summarises the Council’s performance for all previous sections of this report.
• The Council’s arrangements to secure continuous improvement are outlined within our Performance Management Framework, which has been in place since 2017. The framework sets out the process for managing and continually improving performance within Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. It outlines our key strategic documents, and their reporting and governance arrangements. It enables the Council’s corporate objectives to be cascaded to all employees, so that we are all working towards common goals. The framework was delivered as business as usual during the 2021 to 2022 financial year, following the adoption of a more flexible approach the previous year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
• We continued to implement the Personal Development Planning (PDP) process during 2021 to 2022, with a 2.3 percentage point improvement on the previous financial year. Despite achieving a lower completion rate than our target of 90%, this remains a significant achievement, with many staff working remotely, the closure of some facilities and changes to working practices during the pandemic.
Area Strengths
Arrangements to secure improvementcontinuous
• Our governance arrangements operated as normal during the year for both Audit and Scrutiny Committee and Full Council reports. Outlined in Section 2.2, these help ensure transparency, accountability and continuous improvement across the organisation.
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• We facilitated the annual improvement audit by the Northern Ireland Audit Office during January and February 2022. The Local Government Auditor certified the improvement audit for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council with a standard, unqualified opinion in February 2022. The auditor found, the Council has discharged its duties in connection with (1) improvement planning and (2) publication of improvement information in accordance with section 92 of the Act and has acted in accordance with the Department for Communities’ guidance sufficiently.
Areas for improvement
• The Council did not undertake an internal audit of its performance arrangements during the 2021 to 2022 financial year. We have implemented all previous findings.
Area Strengths
• The DevelopmentPersonal Planning document has been reviewed and revised for the 2022 to 2023 financial year. The annextcompletionwellbeingdevelopmentidentifyingnewassistyear’sreflectionisitsPlanthegreaterteaminperformanceencouragingtodocumentredesignedaddsvaluetheprocessbyatwo-wayconversationsettingindividualandobjectives.ItensuresalignmentwithCouncil’sCorporateandincorporatescorevalues.Theregreaterscopeforonthepreviousperformancetointhesettingofobjectives,andinlearningandandoverallneeds.Thetargetforthe12monthsremainsatambitious90%.
Areas for improvement
• The Council’s electronic performance management system is in its fourth year of operation, and continues to enhance our approach to business planning and performance management. The system streamlines our planning processes, supports the setting of clear objectives, key performance indicators and targets, and allows for more accurate, strategically relevant, timely and visually impactful reporting.
Arrangements to secure improvementcontinuous
• The business planning process proceeded as normal during the 2021 to 2022 financial year. The system is now equipped with a quarterly assurance system to improve the validation of data, as well as a function that allows for the formal approval of business plans by the Chief Executive and Directors, as relevant. Quarterly reports were provided to Directors and Heads of Service throughout the year.
• The Northern Ireland Audit Office made a new proposal for improvement in its report dated February 2022. As a result, within section 3.1.2 of this SelfAssessment Report, the Council has clearly stated the reasons for not carrying forward any incomplete, forward.settinghave,on,measuredifImprovementpreviousObjectives,theywillcontinuetobeandreportedandtheeffectitwillifany,onthetargetprocessgoing
5.0 Performance Summary
In 2021 to 2022, we used 88.66% of our allocated allowance, a slight increase from 83.5% in 2020 to 2021.
2. Statutory Indicators
• The statutory target for the processing time of local planning applications is 15 weeks. In 2021 to 2022, the Council’s average was 9.6 weeks, 56% below target and a 4% improvement on 2020 to 2021. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council were the top performing Council, and 1 of only 2 local authorities to meet the target. The Council has consistently been a high performer for this indicator.
• During 2021 to 2022, the household recycling rate was 51.9%, up 1.1 percentage point on the previous year, and the highest percentage achieved since the 2018 to 2019 financial year. The Council have exceeded the 50% household recycling target for the last 5 years. We implemented a range of programmes during 2021 to 2022 to promote positive environmental practices.
• Of these, 71% of outcomes and 60% of indicators were successfully achieved.
• 5% of outcomes and 12% of indicators were not yet available. These are in relation to environmental improvements and financial targets for the new household recycling centre at Sullatober, this data will be available in March 2023.
Assessment
• For the current statutory target of 85, set by the Department for the Economy, the Council promoted 109 jobs through business start-up activity in 2021 to 2022, a 16% increase on the previous year and 28% over target. The Council has exceeded the target every year since the 2015 to 2016 financial year. We continue to work closely with Enterprise NI and local delivery agencies to build a borough that has a dynamic business base.
Areas for improvement
Areas for improvement
3.2.1.Performance:ofImprovementObjectivesStatutoryIndicatorsSelf-ImposedIndicators
• The Council will strive to complete the outstanding outcomes and indicators from the ImprovementPerformancePlanfor 2021 to 2022. Progress updates will be provided in the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023 quarterly reports, as relevant.
• Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Performance Improvement Plan for 2021 to 2022 set out six Improvement Objectives with clear outcomes, KPIs and targets.
• The amount of collected municipal waste arisings fell by almost 3% to 76,689 in 2021 to 2022, from 78,986 in 2020 to 2021. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs do not set a statutory target for this indicator; therefore, the Council set our own internal target. In 2021 to 2022, we were slightly over our target; but made an improvement on the previous year.
Area Strengths
• The Council achieved 2 of the 3 statutory planning targets set by the Department for Infrastructure.
• At the end of the financial year, 24% of outcomes and 16% of indicators remained in progress. These relate to the continuing historical conservation works within Carrickfergus, three ongoing digital transformation projects, and work that is underway to determine customer satisfaction levels at the new household recycling centre at Sullatober.
and/or indicators from previous Performance Improvement Plans continue into the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023, or will be reported within its quarterly update reports, as appropriate.
• The Council remains within target for all 3 statutory key performance indicators for Waste.
3.2.1.Performance:ofImprovementObjectivesStatutoryIndicatorsSelf-ImposedIndicators
• For the period April 2021 to March 2022, the Council successfully achieved 5 of the 7 statutory indicator targets.
Area Strengths
• During 2021 to 2022, the Council saw a slight increase in biodegradable waste collected sent to landfill at 14,528 tonnes. For the 7th consecutive year, we have collected less than the allowance set by the Northern Ireland Landfill Allowance’s Scheme (NILAS).
• 12% of indicators were either not achieved or
1. Improvement Objectives
• The Council are delivering the Green Dog Walkers and Slow Cooker objectives as business as usual.
2021 to 2022
• The statutory target for the average processing time of major planning applications is 30 weeks. Having improved our performance on last year, we narrowly missed the target due to the required statutory consultation process, with an average processing time of 34.7 weeks. Only 1 Council met the target during the year, with an NI Council average of 49.8 weeks.
•Previousstopped.objectivesOutstandingobjectives
• During 2021 to 2022, of the 8 NI Councils that met the target, we were the top performing Council for the percentage of enforcement cases progressed to conclusion within 39 weeks, achieving 90.5% against the 70% target. This was a 7.9 percentage point improvement on 2020 to 2021.
74 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 75
Assessment
The Council will continue to work with members of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) to raise awareness of the impact of hate crime.
Benchmarking is an important part of the Council’s continuous improvement arrangements, as discussed in Section 3.
• The Council were shortlisted in two categories at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management. The Climate and Sustainability Manager for Council was also recognised during the year, receiving the ‘Local Authority Individual of the Year’ award.
• During 2021 to 2022, 65% of KPIs were achieved or on track, 20% were delayed but progressing and 15% were not achieved or stopped.
Areas for improvement
Through a Learning Platform, the Council will transition towards a more agile approach to learning and development.
• Four indicators were marked as ‘amber’. The 2 indicators that the Council can directly impact will progress during 2022 to 2023, including the reassessment of Carrickfergus Marina for ‘Gold Anchor’ status, and the delivery of a staff survey.
• Benchmarking: 1. Comparisons with previous financial years
Area Strengths
• To address the ‘priority 1’ audit point received, the transfer of agency staff to Council employees will continue.
• The Council has consistently exceeded the statutory ‘jobs promoted’ target every year since 2015 to 2016. In 2021 to 2022, our performance improved by 16% on the previous year, following a dip due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• For the percentage of household waste sent for recycling, at 51.9%, this was the highest achievement since 2018 to 2019. Despite a slight increase in landfill tonnage from 2020 to 2021, for the seventh consecutive year the Council has collected less than the allowance set by the NI Landfill Allowance Scheme (NILAS). Waste arising also fell during the 2021 to 2022 financial year, when a previous rise in waste was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
• Absenteeism levels within the Council have been high in recent years, most notably in 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018, when the rate was the higher than all other NI Councils. A drop in absenteeism levels to 4.69 days in 2020 to 2021, was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent working practices, as well as proactive mental health and wellbeing initiatives delivered by the Council. The comparison data for the 2021 to 2022 year is not yet available by Council area. However, the average absenteeism levels within Mid and East Antrim Borough Council rose to 15.21 days in 2021 to 2022, far exceeding our target of 10 days. This is addressed above, and noted as an ‘area for improvement’.
The Council’s Self-Imposed objectives and indicators will be reviewed as part of this process.
2. Comparisons with other IrelandNorthernCouncils
• Of the 7 indicators not achieved, 3 relate to the Corporate Plan indicators mentioned above. Of the remaining 4, one relates to investment to support repurposing activity in town centres, which is still progressing. Two relate to planned works at King William Pier and Ballylumford Harbour, which have been reprioritised. The remaining indicator relates to the Council having zero ‘priority 1’ audit points. The Council received one ‘priority 1’ audit point in relation to the percentage of agency staff engaged by the Council. This was due to a delay in unified Terms and Conditions, which are now agreed.
• The Corporate Plan, aligns with the Community Plan for the borough, and through 6 priority themes, sets the strategic direction for the organisation. Underpinned by 25 corporate objectives and 20 key performance indicators, the Council continually monitors its performance in delivering the plan.
• The Council used a wide range of self-imposed indicators to track our performance during 2021 to 2022.
• During 2021 to 2022, the Council also made improvements on previous years against 2 of the 3 statutory waste indicators, with similar performance against the remaining indicator.
• Despite not meeting the target set for the processing time for major planning applications, we made an improvement on the previous year. Processing times were impacted by the requirement for multiple consultation processes.
• For the Corporate Plan indicators still in progress, the Council will continue to contribute towards improving wider indicators in relation to ‘fear of crime’ and the ‘gap in life expectancy’, and will actively work towards achieving ‘Gold Anchor’ status at Carrickfergus Marina, and delivering a staff satisfaction survey during 2022 to 2023.
• The Council will take steps to address the 3 Corporate Plan KPI targets not achieved between April 2021 and March 2022:
• The annual business planning process cumulates into 133 corporate level key performance indicators across the whole organisation, and encompasses both statutory and self-imposed indicators.
To support staff and address absenteeism, the Council will continue to deliver proactive mental health and wellbeing initiatives, and implement the Attendance Policy.
• The Council has performed consistently well in achieving the statutory planning indicators. In 2021 to 2022, the Council improved its performance in all three indicators on the previous year.
• Where possible, the Council’s corporate indicators have baselines and targets to provide trend analysis; this has strengthened as the years have progressed.
3.2.1.Performance:ofImprovementObjectivesStatutoryIndicatorsSelf-ImposedIndicators
1. Year on year comparison
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Areas for improvement
3. Self-Imposed Indicators
Assessment
Corporate Plan
Annual Business Plans
• The Council are working to address the indicators showing red. These indicators relate to the 160 hate crime incidents recorded in the borough during 2021 to 2022, an increase of 37 on the previous year, as opposed to a targeted decrease. The Council’s average absence target per employee of 10 days was exceeded during 2021 to 2022, when an absence figure of 15.21 days was recorded. This was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, waiting times for treatment and employee relations matters. The Council did not achieve the targeted 3 training days per employee during 2021 to 2022, when an average of 1.36 was recorded. Most of the training was delivered remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in a reduction in recorded training times.
• During 2021 to 2022, 80% were achieved, 15% were in progress and 5% were not achieved or stopped.
Area Strengths
• The development process for the new Corporate Plan for the period 2023 to 2027 will commence during the 2022 to 2023 financial year. This will be supported by an up to date residents survey.
Comparisons with other IrelandNorthernCouncils
• The corporate approach to benchmarking will be developed in line ActthethroughCommunitiestheconjunctionWorkingPerformancetherecommendationswithfromLocalGovernmentImprovementGroup,inwithDepartmentforandtheNIAO,awiderreviewofLocalGovernment(NI)2014.
Areas for improvement
• The Council will continue to avail of best practice opportunities.
• The Council’s prompt payment performance was similar to the other NI Councils during 2021 to 2022. Our rate was higher than the 90% average for payments made within 30 working days and slightly higher than the 66% average for payments made within 10 working days.
• We continue to participate in the APSE NI Benchmarking project and await the publication of comparative results for the 2021 to 2022 financial year.
• For prompt payment performance, the percentage of payments made by the Council within 10 working days has improved for the fifth consecutive year to its highest recorded figure of 68%. For the average percentage of payments made within 30 working days, the Council achieved 95% during 2021 to 2022, its best recorded performance since local government reform.
Area Strengths
2. NI Council comparison
• The Council has consistently been one of the top performing local authorities in the region for meeting the target set for ‘jobs promoted through business start-up activity’, positioning 5th during 2021 to 2022.
1.
2.
• In 2021 to 2022, the Council were the top performing Council in the region for the percentage of enforcement cases concluded within 39 weeks. We were 1 of 8 local authorities to meet the target.
• The Council continued to participate in best practice research and visits during 2021 to 2022, where COVID-19 restrictions permitted.
78 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022
• The Council was the top fourth performing Council for the processing times for major planning applications. Only one local authority met the target during 2021 to 2022.
•
Benchmarking:
• The Council was the top performing local authority in NI for the processing times for local planning applications during 2021 to 2022. We were 1 of only 2 local authorities to meet the target during the year.
• The APSE NI Benchmarking Project continues to be reviewed and improved in each financial year, working alongside other local authorities.
Comparisons with previous financial years
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Performance Self-Assessment Report for 2021 to 2022 provides an assessment of the Council’s performance in:
The Council is required to publish a Performance Self-Assessment Report by 30 September each year in order to fulfil statutory requirements. This is the sixth year that we have been required to do so.
6.0 Conclusions
• Discharging its duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement.
• Exercising its functions compared with its performance in previous financial years, and so far as is reasonably practicable, the performance during that and previous financial years of other Councils.
With some immediate areas for improvement highlighted within the report, continuous improvement will remain a key priority for the Council. We will continue to transform how we do things to make sure that we can meet the needs of local communities, employees, businesses and visitors, both now and in the years ahead. The development process for the Council’s new Corporate Plan will commence in autumn 2022 and will be a valuable part of this process.
Data indicates that performance has remained strong during the year, despite many challenges, with significant progress made towards achieving the Council’s objectives, key performance indicators and targets.
• Meeting its Improvement Objectives, statutory performance indicators and selfimposed indicators.
The Council has continued to embed and improve the implementation of its ‘Performance Management Framework’ throughout 2021 to 2022.
APSE Association for Public Service Excellence BIES Business Improvement and Efficiency Strategy CCTS Complete Construction Training Services CIM Chartered Institute of Marketing CIPR Chartered Institute of Public Relations DAERA Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs DfC Department for Community DfE Department for the Economy DfI Department for Infrastructure FODC Fermanagh and Omagh District Council HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle HRC Household Recycling Centre HTA Hydrogen Training Academy JAM ‘Just a Minute’ KPI Key Performance Indicator LEDCOM Local Economic Development Company LGA Local Government Auditor MEA Mid and East Antrim MEABC Mid and East Antrim Borough Council MOU Memorandum of Understanding MUGA Multi Use Games Area NCAP National Communications Advisory Panel NCP North Channel Partnership NHSCT Northern Health and Social Care Trust NI Northern Ireland NIAO Northern Ireland Audit Office NIBSUP Northern Ireland Business Start Up Programme NIEA Northern Ireland Environment Agency NIFRS Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service NIHE Northern Ireland Housing Executive NILAS Northern Ireland Landfill Allowances Scheme NIO Northern Ireland Office NISRA Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency OMT Operational Management Team ORCS On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme PDP Personal Development Planning PID Project Initiation Document PIP Performance Improvement Plan PCSP Policing and Community Safety Partnership PIWG Performance Improvement Working Group PSNI Police Service of Northern Ireland RAG ‘Red, Amber, Green’ (status) RAPID Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs (Bin) RSPB NI Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Northern Ireland SAR Self-Assessment Report SID Speed Indicator Device SOLACE NI Society of Local Authority Chief Executives Northern Ireland SMT Senior Management Team STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths T:BUC Together: Building a United Community THI Townscape Heritage Initiative WRAP Waste Resources Action www.midandeastantrim.gov.ukProgramme|8180 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 Appendices: Appendix 1 Performance Planning Cycle Appendix 2 External Performance Audit - Northern Ireland Audit Office Appendix 3 Internal and External Benchmarking Appendix 4 Best Practice and Benchmarking Visits Abbreviations:
1.0 One objective from the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in 2020 to 2021 was not carried forward into the Performance Improvement Plan for 2021 to 2022, despite elements of the objective being marked in the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) for the year as ‘delayed but progressing’.
When an objective is not carried through into the next Performance Improvement Plan and has not been fully marked as ‘complete’, the Council should clearly state within the Self-Assessment Report the reasons for not carrying forward, if it will continue to be measured and reported and the effect this will have, if any, on target setting process going forward.
82 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 83 Appendix 1
External Audit (update July 2022) - Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO)
The table below illustrates the typical annual cycle for planning and review (excluding the Community Plan) for key elements within the Performance Management Framework. The exact dates may vary depending on operational circumstances.
Whilst all planned outcomes were achieved, there were outstanding key performance indicators within this objective. The Council did provide an explanation as to the various factors impacting upon the achievement of these targets within the Self-Assessment
TheReport.Council provides an update on previous objectives, which have not been carried forward into the next year’s Performance Improvement Plan within the Performance Improvement Plan year-end report and reportcommunicatedspecificreportingHowever,Self-AssessmentPerformanceReport.theintendedfutureprocessonthisobjectivehasnotbeenwithintheitself.
We achieved all 3 planned outcomes for this objective, but did not achieve 3 key performance indicators (KPIs). We communicated the influencing factors in our reporting, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review of Corporate Plan Council July and December Review of Performance Improvement Plan Audit and CommitteeScrutiny Quarterly Business Planning process issued PerformanceCorporate and DepartmentImprovement November Directorate and Department Business Plans drafted (including Team Planning days) SMT/OMT November – January Draft Performance Improvement Plan launched for consultation PerformanceCorporate and DepartmentImprovement March Department Business Plans to Director OMT February Directorate Business Plan to Chief Executive SMT March PDPs agreed (draft) Line EmployeesManagers/ April – June Performance Improvement Plan published on website PerformanceCorporate and DepartmentImprovement By 30 June Annual Self-Assessment Report PerformanceCorporate and DepartmentImprovement By 30 September Updates on Annual Business Plans SMT/OMT Quarterly Appendix
Milestone Who When 2
Council accepts this proposal for improvement. In future, Council will clearly state within the Self-Assessment Report, the reasons for not carrying forward any incomplete, previous objectives, if they will continue to be measured and reported and the effect it will have, if any, on the target setting process going forward.
The Local Government Auditor made one new proposal for improvement in February 2022, which represents good practice and should assist the Council in meeting its performance improvement responsibilities. Issue Proposal Improvementfor
CommentManagement
The issue related to the Improvement Objective to ‘Encourage people to value our natural environment through the promotion of the Green Dog Walkers Scheme’.
A) NIAO ‘Proposals for Improvement’ (2020 to 2021)
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Performance Planning Cycle
The longer-term approach to benchmarking will continue to be developed by the working group, in conjunction with the Department for TheCommunities.DfChavestated
The Council should continue working with other councils and the Department to agree a suite of self-imposed indicators and standards. This will enable meaningful comparisons to be made and published in line with its statutory responsibility.
Approval was granted from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to extend the programme to 31 March 2023, allowing adequate time to successfully deliver capital works and close the programme.
3.0 Performance Objectives
An initial meeting was held with the Department for Communities in December 2019 and a number of actions were agreed. However, the impacts of COVID-19 have delayed the delivery of these actions.
The target of restoring up to 18 properties has been revised to the restoration of up to 10 properties by December 2020 in the 2019/20 Performance Improvement Plan and a further extension has now been granted until March 2021.
2.0 A number of Proposals for Improvement from prior years are still in progress and have not been fully implemented.
Issue Proposal Improvementfor Management Comment
2018
Issue Proposal Improvementfor Management Comment
2019 to 2020
Atachieve.thetime of audit, 2 properties were completed and the revised target of restoring up to 10 properties may be seen to be ambitious.
84 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk | 85
Council should consider in detail all relevant issues that could impact on the achievement of this revised target of restoring up to 10 properties, given the continued economic problems and town centre vacancy with little or no return on investment, which could impinge heavily on the third party investors needed for this scheme to proceed.
7 buildings of historical and architectural interest have been successfully restored to practical or final completion, with the restoration of a further 2 sites underway.
1.0 One of the key outcomes relating to the Carrickfergus Townscape Heritage Initiative performance objective was the restoration of up to 18 properties by December 2020.
The restoration of up to ten buildings by March 2023 is included as an objective in the Performance Improvement Plan for 2022 to 2023.
B) Prior year Proposals for Improvement
As of July 2022, 10 eligible properties have successfully received Letters of Offer from the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI).
For the purpose of this report, only those proposals deemed still in progress are noted below.
The Council should prioritise prior year Proposals for Improvement and take steps to address them.
Council have, and will continue to actively work towards the full implementation of prior year proposals for improvement, as outlined below.
Through SOLACE, our Chief Executive chaired the Performance Improvement Working Group (PIWG), which brings together Performance Officers, the Department for Communities (DFC) and the NIAO. The Group has been working to ensure a consistent approach to performance and has identified a need to clarify benchmarking requirements.
that there will be a wider review of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 2014 that will likely include Performance. They have committed to working with local Councils as part of this process.
The Council and the Townscape Heritage Initiative Project Board has encountered various owner / proposer difficulties which left many of them unwilling or uncertain in the take-up of grants and the proposed original target has therefore proven difficult to
• Northern Ireland Leisure Managers Forum
• Monitoring and reporting against i4C Innovation Centre proposals
• Tourism NI Visitor Attractions Group
• APSE Network Query participation
• Internal Audit Practitioner Group
• Membership of Building Control Northern Ireland Standards Panel
• Membership of Building Control Northern Ireland Committee
• Business in the Community NI, Environmental Benchmarking Survey
• Membership of key communications bodies in NI, inc. CIPR and CIM
Internal and External Benchmarking
• Continual review of internal procurement guidelines
• ICT Managers Working Group
• Local Government Performance Improvement Working Group
• Member of NI Council’s Electric Vehicle consortium group
• BIG Spring Clean
• TripAdvisor Reviews
• DAERA Annual comparisons of dog fouling complaints across councils
www.midandeastantrim.gov.ukStatistics | 87
• Monthly Capital Plan reporting
• Social Media Analytics
• Quarterly liaison meetings with Department of Finance
• ISO14001:2015 International Environment Management System
• Engagement and registration figures from online webinars
• Regular monitoring and reviewing of stakeholder engagement
• COVID-19 Town Centre Recovery Group
• APSE Annual Benchmarking Survey across 11 Service Areas
• Visitor Numbers
• ISO14001 International Environment Standard accreditation
• Service Reviews and Transformation
• Annual Carbon Footprint Report
• Monitoring and tracking of BuySupplyNI subscribers
• Membership of APSE Energy
• Monthly Absence Reports
• Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful – Cleanliness Index, BIG Spring Clean, Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme, Eco Schools (Green Flag assessment)
• Membership of Building Control Northern Ireland Training and Communications Panel
• Continual review and monitoring of external communications and public image
• Performance Self-Assessment Report
• Tascomi System
• Submission to the APSE Awards
External Benchmarking
• Belfast Region City Deal Communications Forum
• Regional ICT Managers Group
• Participation in Digital Surge Programme
86 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 Appendix 3
• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Group
• Member of Climate NI
• DAERA NI Landfill Allowance Scheme
• Member of NI Council’s Recycling Officers Forum
• EPIG review of Council’s COVID-19 response
• Household Recycling Centre performance monitoring
• Statutory Key Performance Indicators
• Heads of Procurement Working Group
Internal Benchmarking
• Continual monitoring of engagement figures using various Council CRM systems
• Membership of Building Control Northern Ireland Fire Safety Panel
• Member of Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Forum Group
• Membership of Local Authority Building Control (UK mainland based)
• APSE Annual Service Awards
• NI All-Party Working Group on Climate Change (NI Executive Level)
• Customer Satisfaction Survey within Sullatober Household Recycling Centre
• North Channel Partnership
• Monitoring of performance during staff meetings
• Participation in Bid to Win Programme
• Participation in Mid and East Antrim Innovation Partnership
• In-house Performance Monitoring System
• NISRA Visitor Attractions Statistics
• DAERA Audit Policy and Procedures (Rural Development and TRPSI)
• Monitoring of awards won – Green Flags, Britain in Bloom, Ulster in Bloom, Seaside Awards, Blue Flags, Gold Anchors
• Engagement with Stormont and UK Government campaigns teams for effective activation of the key national messages
• Climate and Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan
• Annual Business Plan
• Facebook Visitor Attraction Reviews
• Tourism NI Visitor Information Centre
• Member of National Communications Advisory Panel (NCAP)
• Local Government Procurement Officers Group
• Arc21 Steering Group
• Household Survey 2018
• Membership of the regional Environmental Health NI including subgroups.
• Membership of Sustainable NI Forum Group
• Internal review of Strategic Communications Plan
• NIAO Annual Reports inc. financial indicators, absenteeism and prompt payments
Participation in debate and development of proposed revision to legislation.RegulationsBuildingandallied
Shared learning opportunities on how best to respond in an emergency.
Town TaskforceCentre
Regular engagement, balanced representation from key sectors, shared learning and collaboration to drive cut-through in campaign delivery.
Tourism Taskforce Ongoing Communications Regular meetings with relevant stakeholders to jointly drive the local economy, by delivering a collaborative approach to attract tourists and drive spend in the borough. Regular engagement, balanced representation from key sectors, shared learning and collaboration to drive cut-through in campaign delivery.
The below table highlights the Council’s best practice and benchmarking activities over the last financial year.
APSE 2022March Planning and Building Control Working Group Meeting to review, provide and compare performance based statistics and most appropriate statistics to use for Building Control Departments within Councils in NI.
Information communicated to staff. Participation in construction process from a much more joined up approach, based on the ‘golden thread’ approach.
Belfast Region City Deal Ongoing Communications Regular meetings to discuss and DealthecommunicationsplanaroundBelfastRegionCityproposals.
Group//LocationCouncilWorking
Shared learning and networking opportunities have been key to establish strong relationships with key public sector colleagues.
Zero-Carbon
Submission statistics revised and 2021/22 submission made.
Shared learning and a collaborative approach to communications. Signposting of Council staff to key resources beneficial to the fulfilment of their duties. Key messages were delivered simultaneously to maximise impact.
Multi-agency exercise to prepare for return of cruise ships to NI ports and procedures to be activated in event of notification of COVID-19 cases on board.
Agreement with other NI Councils on performance indicators for benchmarking.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC)
Ongoing Communications Regular meetings with relevant stakeholders to jointly drive the local economy, by delivering customer and business improvements in town centres and campaigns to drive further footfall and spend.
Meetings take place periodically and all staff have learned best practice from experienced and respected communications experts. Learnings have been implemented into day-today roles and good relationships have been built with industry colleagues. multi-agencyGroupPreparednessEmergency–
Ongoing PerformanceCorporate
Virtual ExerciseSirius 7 May 2021
Building ExpertNorthernProgrammeSafetyforIrelandPanel
ExecutiveStormont
Northern Ireland Public
Ongoing Communications This body includes NIO, NI Councils, PSNI, Fire and Rescue Service and a range of other statutory bodies.
Contingency plans updated to reflect public health response.
WorkingImprovementPerformanceGovernmentLocalGroup
Bus Tour MEABCNILGA
A 100% electric bus stopped at sites across the UK, including Mid and East Antrim, to capture best practice and showcase at COP26.
Group//LocationCouncilWorking
The group is acting on behalf of SOLACE NI and is made up of Council Performance Officers.
The group meet regularly to review and improve performance matters across the region.
The Carbon Stories provided ongoing training to staff, residents, businesses and other stakeholders across Northern Ireland and beyond.
WellbeingHealthProtection,Public&
Building Control Structure reviewed. Responded to Central Government Consultations from an informed position on behalf of Council.
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Follow up from visit / lessons learnt / actions taken
Various APSE working groups to review indicators for comparisons within NI Benchmarking project.
Ongoing Planning and Building Control
Follow up from visit / lessons learnt / actions taken
APSE 2021March
Dates Department Area of Service / Purpose of Visit
CommitteeAdvisoryRegulationsIrelandNorthernBuilding
May 2022 Planning and Building Control The Local Development Plan Team met with their counterparts in FODC to discuss the best practice approach for preparing for the Local Development Plan Examination.Independent
Ongoing Planning and Building Control Participation in debate and development of a Building Safety Programme delivery framework for Northern Ireland following the Grenfell Fire and resulting report.
2021September Climate Sustainabilityand
Dates Department Area of Service / Purpose of Visit
Preparation work for the Independent Examination commencing in June was streamlined, and lessons learned from FODC’s previous experience was shared throughout the team.
Ongoing Communications representativesCommunicationsare in regular contact with the Stormont deliveryjoint-upkeyCommunicationsExecutive.tosharelearningsandensureaapproachontheofkeycampaigns.
ForumCommunicationsSector
Ongoing Communications This is a body made up of managerscommunicationsfromacross the public sector in Northern Ireland.
The Association of Town and City Management was formed to offer representation at various levels of Government and to provide a forum to support best practice and networking to support healthy high streets.
Group//LocationCouncilWorking
Learnings from engagement with a range of private and public sector partners, both as trainees on the HTA and as prospective users of the H2 Gas Safe lab, has helped to inform the technical requirements and the commercial approach to the future of the Hydrogen Training Academy.
Association of Town & ManagementCity
Alumni network formed following the programme with aftercare support from the programme facilitator.
Dates Department Area of Service / Purpose of Visit
North GallowayDunfriesProgrammeAcceleratorFoodPartnershipChannelandDrinkwithandCouncil
Industry has helped to shape the training materials at Level 3, with academic partners developing and accrediting the courses. This ensures industry alignment and ‘buy-in’ from the private sector for the HTA, and as courses are mainstreamed, beyond the initial pilot period.
Northern Ireland Freeports
Ongoing DevelopmentEconomic A collaborative approach with other NI Councils, Invest NI and Airports and Ports within NI to shape the proposal and offering for an NI Freeport collective proposal.
HR AcademyTraining Ongoing
& Place
Freeports have already been allocated on GB Mainland and the allocation process is underway in Scotland. The collaborative working will help to support and strengthen NI’s bid.
Follow up from visit / lessons learnt / actions taken
Dates Department Area of Service / Purpose of Visit
Follow up from visit / lessons learnt / actions taken
Ongoing DevelopmentEconomic Joint Council partnership initiative between Mid and East Antrim and Dumfries and Galloway Council as part of the North Channel Partnership. New business programme developed (Food and focuscapability,commercialbusinessesEastandtoAcceleratorDrinkProgramme)supportbothDumfriesGallowayandMidandAntrimfoodanddrinktoincreasebusinessupskillandonsustainability.
Group//LocationCouncilWorking
–DevelopmentEconomicInvestment
The H2 Training Academy works with partners in Further Education, Higher Education and private sectors to develop and establish a unique training academy in Northern Ireland in lab.HTAdirectionisSafefeedbackbenchmarkingCCTSDfE,Firmus,GasfromIndustryacademiccoursetestingWrightbusindustryhasH2hasFollowthrougheconomiccoursesdeveloptrainingplacebenchmarkinggrowthgreenneededattechnology.hydrogenThisisaimeddevelopingtheskillstopromotetheeconomyandgreenagenda.Significanthastakenwithhydrogenproviderstooptimumtrainingtomaximisepotentialbusinessgrowth.upbenchmarkingbeencompletedasthePilotTrainingAcademystarteddelivery,withpartnerssuchasandTranslinknewlydevelopedmaterialswithpartners.representativescompaniessuchasNetworksIreland,Energia,NIHE/PhoenixGasandhavealsoprovidedandontheH2Gastraininglab,whichinformingthefutureoftravelfortheandtheH2GasSafe
MEA businesses introduced to networking with similar food and drink businesses from Dumfries and Galloway, CommonalitiesScotland.identified and shared learning facilitated in terms of issues experienced for example logistics, packaging and Brexit.
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Collaboration on the project from across the education spectrum has provided our bid with a unique offering, providing training from level 3 through to level 7. We have also established strong working relations with the University of Birmingham who are the UK leaders in hydrogen teaching and Enterprise Skills Partnership (ESP) in Scotland who hope to work alongside our consortium going forward.
Ongoing DevelopmentEconomic Council is an active member of the Association of Town and Management.City
92 | Performance Self-Assessment Report 2021 to 2022 Group//LocationCouncilWorking Dates Department Area of Service / Purpose of Visit Follow up from visit / lessons learnt / actions taken BuySupplyNI Ongoing PlaceInvestmentDevelopmentEconomic&
The tourism potential of both areas has increased through collaboration on campaigns, as well as potential opportunities for Clean Growth.
The relationship has also provided opportunities for shared learning.
The Partnership will continue to meet regularly virtually to review progress, share knowledge and develop plans.
North PartnershipChannel(NCP) Ongoing departmentsVarious The North CouncilElectedtheTheTourism.onwithWestmutuallydevelopGallowayAntrimtogetherPartnershipChannel(NCP)bringsMidandEastandDumfriesandCouncilstoaneffectiveandbeneficialEast-economiccorridor,aparticularfocusCleanGrowthandNCPisattendedbyChiefExecutive,MembersandOfficers.
The Council were able to access examples of best practice when implementing agile working practices.
iESE Various A webinar was hosted by the Chief Executive of iESE and included guest speakers from award winning Councils, such as Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Council.
BuySuppyNI portal was set up to assist companies in the chainIrelandthroughoutengineeringconstructionmanufacturing,andsectorsNortherntocreatesupplyconnections.
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2021November
A link has been made with all Councils to promote and link with potential events etc. This has been facilitated through joint procurement events, attendance at meet the buyer events, newsletters, E-zines, PR coverage etc.