Positive progress has been made in delivering first class services for people and places in South Ayrshire. The Council's latest performance report highlights that a majority of public services are seeing improvements, while also highlighting areas where further work remains to be done.
Of the 24 measures reported to Councillors as part of the 2016-18 Council Plan, 63% improved, 25% reduced and 11% maintained their performance.
Among the highlights from 2017/18 were: more jobs safeguarded and created (1,455 which is more than double the 600 target); an improving employment rate (up 0.3% to 72.3%); increased spend by visitors to South Ayrshire (4.4% increase to £6.7 million); increased recycling rates (up more than 5% to 55.2% from 49.9%); and improved street cleanliness (95% on the street cleanliness index against the Scottish average of 93.9%).
The figures come as the Council changes its focus to align with the new 2018-22 Council Plan and its six strategic objectives:
- Effective leadership that promotes fairness
- Reduce poverty and disadvantage
- Health and care systems that meet people's needs
- Make the most of the local economy
- Increase the profile and reputation of South Ayrshire and the Council
- Enhanced environment through social, cultural and economic activities.
Councillor Peter Henderson, South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Performance and Resources said the latest figures provided a solid base to build from, "There's a lot to celebrate in the latest positive figures but there are also areas where we can and must do better.
"To do this, we're refreshing our priority areas through the new Council plan which clearly states our priorities through our programme for governance and lays out an ambitious vision for our public services.
"We're firmly focused on creating jobs, building careers, delivering a first-class education and reducing inequality – an approach that I believe will leave a lasting legacy for our communities including those most in need of support."
The paper also noted areas for improvement including: reducing the attainment gap; support for carers and the creation of more affordable homes; all of which are areas the Council is actively working to address.
The full paper '2017/18 Performance against the former Council Plan' can be found here.