Making the most of our assets
The Council has continued to take a balanced commercial approach to meeting its budgetary pressures and maintained an appropriately prudent approach to managing its finances. In 2019/20 this included measures such as renting out further space within its Friargate building, generating further rental income and acquiring the largest private commercial waste operator in the city to complement the Council’s existing commercial waste service. This approach has helped the Council to avoid some of the worst effects of budget cuts experienced elsewhere across the country in recent years.
Council workforce
Further slight increase in full-time equivalent employees
There were 3,952 full-time equivalent (fte) employees in the Council at the end of March 2020, an increase of 122.55 fte compared to a year ago. This continues last year’s increase in fte numbers following many years of reducing numbers.
Increase in sickness absence
In 2019/20, 12.71 days per FTE (excluding schools) were lost due to sickness absence. The top reason for absence was stress, depression, and anxiety, followed by musculoskeletal problems. A number of measures are being taken to reduce the rate of absence such as a targeted action plan, increased health and wellbeing measures and revising the absence management policy. As well as being remedial measures, these actions are designed to address the causes of absence.
Workplace wellbeing
Improving equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for our workforce is a key priority for the Council and to aid in this a new EDI policy has been created.
Making savings to support frontline services & addressing our environmental footprint
36% of transactions completed online or by self-service
A new programme of digital change has just been launched called Digital First which will see an increased focus on providing opportunities to engage with the organisation’s services through self-service channels. Greater consideration will be given to the customer experience through user-friendly and customer feedback will be utilised to progress a programme of ongoing improvement.
Improved capture rate
The percentage of customer telephone contact answered [capture rate] improved from 84% in 2018/19 to 91% in 2019/20. New technology, improved performance management routines and recruitment prioritisation have seen significant improvements in this area. Importantly, greater emphasis has also been placed on the achievement of quality outcomes and general feedback from the public is positive.
Further reductions in carbon emissions
Emissions from Scopes 1 and 2 in 2019/20 have decreased 7.56% since 2018/19 and 62% from the 2008/09 baseline. This reduction is partly attributable to a significant reduction in liquid fuel use as Friargate is now connected to the Heatline. Although this data only accounts for Scopes 1 and 2 emissions, the Council are further developing our reporting of Scope 3 data by ensuring we record and calculate additional Scope 3 emissions to be used in future reports. The following defines what is meant by Scopes 1, 2 & 3.
Scope 1 - All Direct Emissions from the activities of an organisation or under their control. E.g. fuel consumption on site such as natural gas and fleet fuel.
Scope 2 - Indirect Emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation.
Scope 3 - All Other Indirect Emissions from activities of the organisation, occurring from sources that they do not own or control.
Please note that the increase in Scope 3 emissions this year is a result of us evolving the methodology used to calculate the Scope 3 emissions. In previous years, Scope 3 emissions were limited to business travel (associated with Expense and purchasing card data), district heat loss and electrical transmissions and distributions. In order to be as transparent as possible, we have begun the process of expanding the reporting of Scope 3 data this year. We have added liquid fuel, gas, and electricity consumption of Scope 3 buildings, which includes schools and other Council owned properties, to the Scope 3 calculations. Over the next few years, we will continue developing a procedure to record more Scope 3 building data and other areas which we have not been able to capture data for previously. We anticipate the improved capture of Scope 3 data will show an increase in emissions, although that would not be reflecting the reality of the situation, but rather an increase in the data reported.
Please also note that some reductions in Scope 1 and 2 may be a result of Council owned buildings being outsourced over the year, this will cause a reduction in Coventry City Council GHG emissions. As a City Council, we have made considerable progress in carbon reduction since first publishing a Climate Change Strategy in 2012. However, we recognise there is still lots more to do. The WMCA has set a target of carbon neutrality for the region by 2041, although the Council at this stage has not identified a target such as this. However, with the Council’s current Climate Change strategy set to expire by the end of 2020, this provides a perfect opportunity to launch a more ambitious and inclusive climate change strategy, which works for the whole City. The Council with the support of the WMCA and funding from the UK Government’s Innovate UK has set up a Regional EnergySystems Operator (RESO) Project to look at the most environmentally sound ways of generating and supplying heat and power across the City. The outcomes of this action research will provide vital information which builds upon our record in addressing Climate Change within the organisation. The City Council intends to establish an independent Commission of stakeholders to mobilise businesses, communities, and voluntary organisations across the City into developing a new Citywide Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan. The Plan will build upon the great work currently happening throughout the City and will ensure Coventry is a leading driver for Sustainable growth and employment, urban innovation and creating a green healthy environment.
Regenerating the economy
£102m of bid-for external grant funding has been used to fund the Council’s Capital Programme in 2019/20.