The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee of Wiltshire Council met on 28 January 2026 to review the council's performance and risk monitoring for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The committee also discussed the executive's response to recommendations regarding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and considered a proposal to establish a task group to review the Area Board grant funding model.

Performance and Risk Monitoring Report 2025/26 Q3

The committee reviewed the Quarterly report to Cabinet on the performance scorecard and the strategic risk summary for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Councillor Mel Jacob, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Engagement, and Corporate Services, introduced the report, noting that changes had been made to the scorecard to improve understanding. The committee discussed the formatting of the report, with a commitment to simplifying it further and exploring the creation of a public-facing document. Leisure services were highlighted as a positive area, though questions were raised about whether it was being used as a money-making mechanism and whether KPIs could better reflect leisure's broader aims.

Concerns were raised regarding highway performance, with a perceived discrepancy between the reported high number of pothole repairs and the actual road conditions experienced by residents. The time taken to repair potholes and the impact of seasonal weather were discussed. It was noted that KPIs should be read in conjunction to provide a balanced view of intervention and prevention, and that additional investment had been made in this area. The defect criteria for potholes were discussed at Performance Outcome Boards (POBs) to ensure efficient resource deployment. The role of Parish Stewards in providing temporary repairs and the potential for their data to be incorporated into KPIs was also discussed, with an agreement to investigate whether Parish Stewards had the appropriate tools for repairs.

The committee sought assurance regarding the meaningfulness of the report given data lags and potential obscuring of trends due to methodological changes. Concerns were also raised about recycling and landfill targets being missed, with a discussion on when underperformance would be acknowledged and policies changed. It was acknowledged that targets might need to be adapted to new contracts, and the distinction between changing targets due to poor performance versus strategic choice was debated. The committee agreed that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste would work with the Chairman of the Environment Select Committee on environment-based KPIs.

The trend of 16/17 year olds presenting as homeless was a concern, with analysis underway to identify root causes. A new disadvantaged learner strategy and plan would be brought to the Children's Select Committee. Discussions also touched upon staff sickness absence and call answering times, with work underway to provide further training on absence policies. The potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve customer service was mentioned, with Wiltshire Council trialling a chatbot on the Waste webpage. Cost control measures, staff vacancies, and recruitment were acknowledged, alongside the preference of some residents for human interaction, with services available in libraries and hubs.

Regarding Health Select Committee KPIs, it was clarified that repeated numbers in different sections were due to mapping against Our Wiltshire Plan, and some KPIs lacked arrows due to upcoming changes in national benchmark measuring. The variation in Safer Communities KPIs was attributed to public awareness of reporting antisocial behaviour, legacy issues, and the increasing technical complexity of cases. The committee questioned whether the target for social housing completions should be split between affordable and social housing for greater accuracy. It was noted that the council's policy had shifted focus to social housing and this would be investigated.

Following the discussion, the committee resolved to note the latest performance against selected measures and the Strategic Risk Summary. They also requested that Cabinet ensure all measures in future reports are presented and described as clearly as possible, and noted the commitment to an annual review of Our Wiltshire Plan.

Executive Response to the Report of the Corporate Performance Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Rapid Scrutiny Exercise

The committee considered the executive's written response to the findings and recommendations of the rapid scrutiny exercise held on 3 November 2025. Councillor Mel Jacob, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Engagement, and Corporate Services, introduced the report, acknowledging that such exercises and committee discussions help refine KPIs and inform the annual review. While noting minor disappointment, the committee acknowledged the executive's response, including the lack of immediate plans to expand the list of performance measures beyond those within the council's direct control. The committee requested a written executive response to be provided at their next meeting, including a clear definition of the purpose and scope of the KPIs, and agreed to include consideration of the quarterly performance scorecard reports to Cabinet within their work programme.

Proposal for an Area Board Funding Task Group

The committee considered a request from the Executive to establish a task group to review the grant funding model used by Wiltshire Council's Area Boards. Councillor Mel Jacob explained that this was part of a wider review of Area Boards, focusing on capital funding and the potential use of crowdfunding. The committee clarified that this review would not include Local Highways Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) funding but would focus specifically on Area Board grant funding. The potential for KPIs to measure the input and output of grant funding was also discussed. Several councillors expressed interest in joining the task group, and it was resolved to establish the group, with its membership to be delegated to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the committee, and its terms of reference to be agreed and formally approved at the next meeting.

Management Committee Task Groups

Updates were provided on the progress of two task groups. The Stone Circle Task Group, chaired by Councillor Gerry Murray, has made considerable progress in scrutinising the Development Company's business plans and decision-making. They aim to present a report in March 2026. Perry Holmes, Director of Legal and Governance, agreed to source information on properties owned by Stone Circle for sharing with all members. The MyWilts App Task Group, chaired by Councillor Graham Wright, has also made progress in reviewing the app's user experience and aims to present a report in March 2026. Gratitude was expressed to Councillor Zoe Clewer, the IT team, and officers for their assistance. The task group is considering issues from a public perspective. The committee resolved to note the updates and approve the proposed amendments to the Stone Circle Task Group's terms of reference.

Cabinet Member Update

No verbal updates were received from attending Cabinet Members.

Forward Work Programme

Updates were provided on the forward work programmes of various select committees. The Children's Select Committee will continue to scrutinise the Safety Valve Programme, review reports on primary education outcomes, and consider items such as care leaver council tax, support for care-experienced young people, respite care, and school SEND transport. The Environment Select Committee is scrutinising waste service changes, a rapid scrutiny group is examining proposed Household Recycling Centre closures, and the climate emergency task group continues its work. The Finance & Procurement Select Committee will focus on budget scrutiny and procurement. The Health Select Committee has undertaken rapid scrutiny of urgent care, requested separate reports on prevention in health and social care, and discharge from hospital, and received an update on the unpaid carers' contract. The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee's own forward work programme includes discussions on HR issues, contingency planning, and emergency response. The committee resolved to note these updates and approve the Forward Work Programme.

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee was confirmed for 25 March 2026.