PERFORMANCE information published this week by the Welsh Government has identified areas where Monmouthshire County Council has made progress where it has to work to improve services.

The measures released by the Welsh Government cover some of the most important service areas delivered by the council and allow people to compare performance across Wales. 

Public services are at the heart of local communities and over the past year the council has devoted much of its time and resources engaging with residents and businesses about the things they value.

The council has continued to prioritise its resources on three areas; education, the protection of vulnerable people and promoting enterprise.  Examining performance within these areas is particularly important to assess achievements.

In 2013/14 the council made measurable improvement to the percentage of pupils achieving the Key Stage 2 Core Subject Indicator, reaching the highest in Wales, while the Key Stage 3 Core Subject Indicator is also improving.

The percentage of pupils aged 15 who achieved the Level 2 threshold including a GCSE grade A*-C in English or Welsh first language and mathematics improved and is in the top quarter for Wales.  However the council acknowledges that it needs to work hard to improve exam results further and narrow the attainment gap, but urge recognition that results for this year have vastly improved

The council has also been working closely with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to integrate front-line health and social care services.  Delayed transfers of care from hospital are half the Welsh average and despite an ageing population the council has reduced the numbers of people requiring long term support by concentrating efforts on work in the community.

 Monmouthshire has the lowest level of older people in Wales needing long term residential or nursing care. In addition to this, Monmouthshire's residents have helped the council to improve recycling rates to the second highest in Wales and well above Welsh Government targets.

There has also been a significant increase in visitors to leisure centres and the number of visitors to Monmouthshire's six libraries has remained consistently among the highest in Wales. But despite these successes, the council fully recognises there are areas that can be improved and that progress in improving some services has not been as fast as expected.   For example, the council prioritises the safeguarding of vulnerable children and young people and over the past year it has made limited improvements to key processes which are reflected in key performance indicators.  However, the council acknowledges that much more can be done and pledges to improve further in the coming year.   Commenting on the published performance, Council Leader Peter Fox said, "While I am pleased that the Welsh Government data highlights some of the improvements that have been made in services delivered by the council I know that there is more work that we can do.  Our work is set against significant budget reductions and this brings with it pressures in service delivery.  I want to stress that we know where we need to improve and are working hard with officers to ensure that performance in this year will be better.   "We have made good progress in our core priorities of education, supporting vulnerable adults and enterprise, along with other key service areas, but recognise that there are some areas, particularly in children's social services that need to improve.   "The impact of the budget reduction will continue so the need to understand the impact on performance of services delivered to our citizens is essential - we use this data along with a range of other information to help us do this.  We are committed to showing that a small, well-connected organisation can be among the most efficient when it comes to service delivery.   "When we assess our performance we don't just look at national performance indicators.  We use a variety of measures that are relevant to what we are trying to achieve.  Our Improvement Plan sets out what the council aims to do in the year ahead to prioritise resources to ensure improved services for the benefit of the people and places of Monmouthshire". The council's performance bulletin is available online at monmouthshire.gov.uk/improvement provides the full analysis.