The Cabinet will meet on August 14 to discuss a number of performance related topics which are falling below target. A report released by the council shows a scorecard on the council’s performance during the first quarter of this year (April-June). The report provides an outline of the progression of Brent’s Borough Plan and the Brent 2020 vision.

A number of priorities within the plans were found to be well below target. Ten of Brent 2020’s 29 priorities have been graded red, meaning they are falling significantly below target. The Living Room employment outcomes (actual YTD 6, target 10) and Brent Works apprenticeship outcomes (actual YTD 3, target 10) are both currently significantly below target whilst the number of empty properites bought back into use (YTD 6, target 25), the amount of looked after children placed with foster carers (YTD 71.8%, target 75%), reports of fly tipping (4,568 incidents, target 3,000), and the percentage of care leavers in employment, education or training EET (YTD 47% target 58%) have all been rated as red.

The Borough Plan, which contains 36 outcomes, found a number of recommended improvements. Violent crime within Brent has increased as have domestic abuse offences. Affordable housing has not beem delivered to as many residents as hoped. The gap between employment rate and average income in Brent and London has widened and an inspection into children’s services carried out by Oftsed was released last month and they too found a number of significant weaknesses.

The report shows priorities which are above target and have been rated as green, including a substantial improvement in reducing the timescales for placing a child in care with their new adoptive family. The 3 year average position at the end of Q1 was 376 days, compared with the target YTD of 550 days. Achievements within the Borough Plan include additional school places at reception addressing demand, a higher proportion of safeguarding outcomes for adults being met, increased participation in sport and a significant increase in the number of voters registered under the individual voter registration scheme, particularly in 2017.