Rutland County Council has published its Annual Progress Report, detailing how the organisation has performed in the twelve months from April 2023 to March 2024.
The report outlines the Council's performance against more than 130 local and national targets, as well as the priorities set out in its own Corporate Strategy.
Overall, Rutland County Council has met or exceeded 70% of the performance measures for which data is available. This includes several areas where the Council is number one in the Country.
Rutland is top nationally for quality-of-life scores in social care, as well as being first for the number of new businesses still trading after five years. Rutland is also in the top 1% nationally for the level of young people in education training and employment (aged 16-18), while 100% of care leavers remain in contact with the Council and continue to receive support, where needed.
The Council’s Annual Report shows an 11% reduction in fly tipping, compared to the previous year, while 78% of A, B and C roads in Rutland are in good condition. The same percentage of street inspections (78%) achieved an A or B grade for volumes of litter.
Care services in Rutland are also shown to be performing well. Some 93% of adult care service users say those services made them feel safe and secure, while 93% of families who received Early Help support needed no additional referral within 12 months. An Ofsted inspection of Rutland’s services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) gave the Council the highest possible outcome.
As well as detailing numerous successes, the Annual Report highlights areas where Rutland County Council has faced challenges and fallen short of targets. The number of affordable homes being built by developers in the County remains below our assessed housing need. There also remains a shortfall between the average full-time wages earned by Rutland residents and the average wage of jobs inside the County.
The Council needs to marginally increase the percentage of Rutland children in permanent care placements and decrease the number of people living in temporary accommodation due to homelessness. Turnover and vacancy levels among Council staff are also exceeding desired levels, which is affecting the Council’s ability to complete some care assessments for adults and children on time.
While Rutland is an impressive second in the Country for the level of waste it recycles or composts, it is ranked 84 out of 148 reporting authorities for the total volume of residual waste produced by households in 2022/23.
Reflecting on the Annual Report after it was presented to Rutland County Councillors, Council Leader Gale Waller said: “This is an incredibly positive report which shows just how much progress has been made over the past year, despite significant challenges. It’s also a fair report, which gives an honest appraisal of where we want and need to target further improvement.
“On the whole, I hope residents will be pleased with the direction we’re heading in. We’ve had some tough decisions to make since taking office in May 2023 but have also been busy laying a firm foundation for long-term success and sustainability – one that will improve life for people in Rutland. We have a new economic strategy with more support for local businesses and a plan to bring greater investment into the County. We’ve started a new highways contract to maintain and improve local roads. We’ve invested £2million in new vehicles to make sure Rutland has an effective and reliable waste fleet. We’re close to submitting a new Local Plan that’s been developed with input from Rutland’s different political groups. We’re investing in library buildings, so people can access more services out in the community. We also have exemplary social care services that are setting a standard for other local authorities, as evidenced by recent Ofsted inspections and Peer Reviews.
“The future is equally positive and there’s lots more to come. This includes a new Public Realm Strategy and progress towards implementing food waste collections, alongside black, grey and green bins. We’re expanding the County’s network of electric vehicle charging points and developing a new Health and Care Collaboration initiative that will provide targeted support to those who need it. We also want to embark on a shakeup of our public bus services and a further expansion in green and active travel that can support our environmental aims.”
Rutland County Council’s Annual progress report for 2023/24 is available to read here.
You can stay up to date with the Council and all this work by registering to receive its regular YourRutland e-newsletter here.