The Policy and Performance Review Board (PPRB) met to review the council's mid-year corporate performance for 2025/26 and to discuss the approach to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the future. The board noted the overall positive performance, with 83% of indicators on target, and discussed proposals for streamlining the KPI framework, incorporating the new Local Outcomes Framework, and enhancing performance visualisation tools.

Corporate Performance - Mid-year (Quarter 2) 2025/26 Results

The board received an update on the council's performance against its Corporate Plan actions and key indicators for the mid-year point of 2025/26. Overall, 83% of the council's key performance indicators (KPIs) were on target, with 51% showing an improvement compared to the previous year.

Areas of particular strength highlighted included:

• Adult Social Services, Health and Housing: Significant improvements were noted in the number of people quitting smoking, the percentage of carers receiving an assessment, the removal of serious hazards in private sector dwellings, the prevention of homeless cases, and the completion of major disability adaptations. The percentage of children looked after receiving annual health assessments was a concern, however, with 78.9% achieved against a target of 89%.
• Education and Children's Services: Improvements were seen in the percentage of children looked after receiving return home interviews, care leavers aged 19-21 in employment, education or training, and the percentage of initial child protection conferences held within statutory timescales. However, referral decisions made within 24 hours had decreased, and the percentage of children looked after in foster placements with in-house foster carers had fallen. The attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils at Key Stage 4 had also widened.
• Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sport: Positive performance was reported in the processing of planning applications, library site visits, and library issues. Inspections of new massage and special treatment premises were now being carried out within the required timeframe, a significant improvement from the previous year. However, the rate of non-collection of bins was a concern, and the percentage of public streets meeting acceptable litter and detritus levels after cleansing was below target.
• Transport and Air Quality: Improvements were noted in the percentage of primary schools operating school streets and the number of schools engaging with the School Travel Plan initiative. However, the percentage of monitoring locations achieving Nitrogen Dioxide air quality objectives was off target, and the number of new and improved pedestrian crossings had decreased.
• Finance, Policy and Resources: Performance was strong across all RAG-rated KPIs, with notable improvements in the number of people offered advice through Citizens Advice Bureau and positive outcomes for domestic abuse and sexual violence cases. Richmond maintained the lowest overall crime rate in London.

Areas of underperformance were discussed, including the percentage of children looked after with an annual health assessment, referral decisions made within 24 hours, and the percentage of children looked after in foster placements with in-house carers. The attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils at Key Stage 4 was also highlighted as an area for concern.

The board noted the progress on Richmond Corporate Plan actions and the performance against key indicators.

Richmond KPIs – Review of Performance Management Approach

The board discussed proposals for the future of Richmond's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), aiming to streamline the framework and align it with national developments.

Key points from the discussion included:

• Volume of KPIs: Councillors raised concerns about the current number of Corporate Plan KPIs (104), which is higher than the average for London boroughs (79). A proposal was made to reduce this number in the 2026 review, taking into account the new Local Outcomes Framework (LOF) metrics. There was a suggestion to target a range of 70-80 KPIs, with some councillors advocating for a slightly lower target of 70-80 to allow for future additions.
• Local Outcomes Framework (LOF): The board was updated on the government's LOF, which sets out 16 priority outcomes and associated metrics for local areas. While the LOF aims to provide a national benchmark, concerns were raised about the control councils have over some of the proposed metrics, particularly those related to air quality and road safety. Richmond Council's initial analysis suggests it is a top performer in London against the provisional LOF metrics.
• RAG Rating Thresholds: The current Red, Amber, Green (RAG) rating system, in place for eight years, was discussed. While generally considered effective, there was a suggestion to review the threshold levels to provide a more proportionate assessment of performance. A proposal to consider moving to a 5% threshold for a green rating and a 10% threshold for a red rating was put forward, though some councillors expressed concern that this might lead to more green ratings and fewer red ratings. The consensus was to retain the current system but ensure future targets are more challenging.
• Direction of Travel (DoT): The current approach of using arrows to indicate direction of travel was generally supported, but it was acknowledged that the narrative explaining its use could be improved to avoid confusion, particularly when dealing with indicators where higher or lower values are desirable. The principle of comparing performance year-on-year was deemed important to maintain.
• Publication Format: The board discussed the move towards more interactive performance visualisation tools, such as Power BI dashboards, to present performance data more intuitively. While Richmond's current comparative performance tool is seen as a strength, there was support for exploring further enhancements to trend charts and visuals.

The board provided feedback on the proposed elements for the 2026 KPI review, agreeing to note the report and that an extensive KPI review would be undertaken as part of the new Corporate Plan production in 2026.

Policy & Performance Review Board - Work Programme

The board reviewed its work programme and noted three new items for future discussion:

• A referral from the Education and Children's Services Committee regarding whether care-experienced young people could be prioritised in the housing allocations scheme.
• A second referral from the Education and Children's Services Committee concerning the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children and young people.
• A suggestion to add an item on regulating smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to the work programme.

The board also discussed the potential for future items on weed killer trials and a review of the council's partnerships.

The next meeting of the Policy and Performance Review Board was scheduled for July 2026, as the April meeting was cancelled due to the election period.