Self-Assessment Report 2024-25 p11

Part 3: Findings

Some key findings and areas for improvement are identified below.

Part 1: Duty to Improve

Arrangements to secure continuous improvement:

The Council’s arrangements to secure continuous improvement were audited by the Northern Ireland Audit Office during 2024/25.
The Local Government Auditor found the Council had discharged its performance improvement and reporting duties and had acted in accordance with the Guidance, the Council is likely to discharge its duties during 2024/25, and had demonstrated a track record of improvement.
No issues were identified requiring a formal recommendation under the Act and there were no proposals for improvement.
Area for improvement:
- Despite an encouraging audit report, the Council’s arrangements to secure continuous improvement (as outlined within our Performance Management Framework) will be subject to review to ensure continued added value and fitness for purpose.

Identifying areas for improvement:

Progress has been made in how the Council identifies areas for improvement.
Despite this, it is acknowledged that we need to do more to enhance how we communicate, engage, consult and work together with our citizens and other stakeholders.
This includes the further development of benchmarking capabilities with other local councils.

Areas for improvement:
- To strengthen stakeholder engagement and partnership working, new roles have been established within the Corporate and Support Services Directorate.
  One of these positions will be tasked with developing a new Consultation and Engagement Strategy for the Council, while two further positions will focus on exploring and developing strategic partnerships with our key stakeholders.
  It is anticipated this work will progress during 2025/26.
- To progress our capability to benchmark with other local councils, we will continue to participate in meetings of the Local Government Performance Improvement Working Group.

Part 2: Performance Assessment

Self-Imposed Indicators and Standards:

Our self-imposed indicators and standards are set out within our Corporate Plan and are included within our annual business plans.
Over a 4-year period, our Corporate Plan helps us work towards achieving our vision for the borough.

Of 61 indicators used to track progress, 74% were achieved or on track (45 of 61), 15% were delayed but progressing (9 of 61), and 11% were not achieved (7 of 61).
Of those ‘not achieved or stopped’, 2 are statutory indicators, and another relates to absenteeism; both of which are discussed later.
Ongoing actions will be progressed during 2025/26.

While we may not have achieved everything we hoped to, it is clear from our analysis the positive impact our officers and our partner organisations have had across the borough.

Improvement Objectives

Our Improvement Objectives seek to improve the quality of life and environment for our citizens and communities through targeted, shorter-term interventions (typically within 1 year).
Three objectives were agreed for delivery in 2024/25.

Of 56 performance indicators used to track progress, 87% were achieved or on track (49 of 56), 9% were delayed but progressing (5 of 56), and 4% were not achieved (2 of 56).
The 2 indicators which were not achieved are statutory indicators and are discussed later in this section.

Ongoing actions from our 2024/25 objectives have not been included within our Improvement Plan for 2025/26.
However, these actions will continue to be progressed and will be reported to the relevant committee, as appropriate.

Benchmarking:

We participate in a wide range of benchmarking and best practice activities to secure continuous improvement in the delivery of our services.

Of the statutory key performance indicators prescribed by the Department of Communities, 5 of the 7 standards were achieved during 2024/25.
Where comparisons can be made, the Council compared favourably with other local councils for ‘the number of jobs promoted through business start interventions’, the ‘average processing time for local planning applications’, and the ‘processing of planning enforcement cases’.
The area positioned 5^th for household recycling performance, slightly exceeding the 50% minimum standard, and 6^th for ‘the average processing time for major planning applications’, where the 30-week standard was not achieved.
Borough ‘waste arisings’ also exceeded our target for the year.

Sickness absence continues to be higher within Local Government in comparison to Central Government.
In 2024/25, there were 17.18 days lost per Full Time Equivalent employee in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council; this is similar to recent years but up 4% on last year at 16.46 days.
In 2023/24, the average number of days lost across all Northern Ireland councils was 16.77 days.
We carried out a scrutiny review into sickness absence during the year.
As a result, a number of targeted actions are being taken to improve employee wellbeing and reduce levels of absence.

In terms of prompt payment performance, in 2024/25, 76% of invoices were paid within 10 working days, exceeding our internal target of 60% and our highest performance within the last 6 years.
A total of 94% of invoices were processed within 30 calendar days, surpassing our target of 80% and our highest result since 2021/22.
Compared with other Northern Ireland councils, our 94% 30-day compliance ranks among the top performers.
Only 6% of invoices were paid outside the 30-day timeframe.
This is a significant improvement on the previous 2 years, reflecting targeted actions taken to enhance our ability to process payments efficiently.

Benchmarking and best practice activities are extensive throughout the organisation.
We are an active member of the Local Government Performance Improvement Working Group and are able to compare our performance with other local councils for statutory key performance indicators, absenteeism and prompt payments.
However, there is scope to enhance our benchmarking capabilities, as recognised by the Local Government Auditor as a previous year ‘proposal for improvement’.

Areas for Improvement:
- To support the achievement of the statutory standard for the average median processing time for major planning applications, the Council will continue to progress the establishment of a Pre-Validation Checklist during 2025/26.
- We will continue to actively develop and promote positive environmental practices to increase levels of recycling and re-use and reduce the level of waste arisings in the borough, including circular economy initiatives, education and the Eco Schools Programme.
- A number of actions will be taken during 2025/26 to support employee wellbeing and improve levels of sickness absence.
  These include the delivery of recommendations arising from our scrutiny review into absenteeism, focusing on promoting a strong attendance culture, prevention and early intervention, long-term absence, and measuring and analysing impact.
  There will also be a dedicated focus on compliance with the Council’s absence management policy, including training and more frequent monitoring and reporting to senior management.
  A newly created Employee Inclusion and Wellbeing role will also focus on developing and implementing an employee wellbeing action plan, which will improve the capability of line managers to support people’s mental health and will enhance employee wellbeing support.
- Within the Performance Improvement Working Group, a sub-group had been established to look at benchmarking opportunities.

Part 4: Looking Forward

As we enter a new financial year, we will continue to improve the quality of life and environment for our ratepayers and communities through our Corporate Plan, Belfast Region City Deal projects, Performance Improvement Plan, and other strategies and plans.

Corporate Plan (2024-2028):
- This plan will help ensure value-for-money services, support economic prosperity, develop safe and inclusive communities, and protect and enhance our environment. To find out more, visit our Corporate Plan section on this website.

Belfast Region City Deal:
- The Belfast Region City Deal will focus on long-term economic growth, driving productivity, and creating and sustaining jobs.
  £80m will be invested in Mid and East Antrim through 3 flagship projects, including:
  - The i4C Innovation Centre, Ballymena: An investment of £24m+.
    This project will regenerate the former St Patrick’s Barracks in the heart of Ballymena, creating a total of 300 direct, indirect and induced jobs.
    It will be a major catalyst and enabler of inclusive growth, contributing £11.6m GVA to the local economy each year.
  - The Gobbins Phase 2, Larne: An investment of £13m+.
    This project will establish The Gobbins as one of Northern Ireland’s top paid attractions by 2033, contributing £3.1m GVA to the local economy every year.
    It will create a spectacular staircase structure to link the existing cliff top and coastal paths, as well as a fully accessible 360° virtual reality offering, catering for everyone in all weather conditions.
  - Carrickfergus Regeneration: An investment of £42m+.
    This project will deliver improvements to Carrickfergus Castle, focusing on the visitor hub and historic walls, coupled with a public realm scheme to strengthen the Castle’s connection to the town centre.
    There will be significant job creation, including 160 in attractions and 143 in construction.
Performance Improvement Plan 2025/26
- Our Performance Improvement Plan works alongside the Community Plan, Corporate Plan and City Deal projects to deliver the best outcomes for our citizens, communities, businesses and visitors. Our Improvement Objectives for 2025/26 are:
  - People: We will help to prevent violence against women and girls.
  - Place: We will help boost our local economy and town centres.
  - Planet: We will all play our part in making Mid and East Antrim a great place to live in and visit.

To find out more, visit our Performance Improvement section on this website.

Play Your Part

We want you to help us make Mid and East Antrim the best that it can be.

Here are some of the key things you can do to help:

Shop locally.
Be a responsible pet owner.
Bin your waste.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Donate unwanted items to charity.
Report problems, such as, fly-tipping, dog foul, and anti-social behaviour.
Get involved in community and voluntary work.
Support our older people.
Support people who are vulnerable.
As business owners, offer apprenticeships or work placement opportunities.
Be safe on our roads.
Use public transport when you can.

Part 5: Get Involved

We would like your input, views and feedback.
If you would like to tell us about something that you think needs to be improved, you can do so at any time throughout the year.
Please contact us by any of the following methods:
- Email: performance@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
- Telephone: 0300 1245 000
- Post: Policy and Performance Team, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, BT43 5EJ.
If you live, work or study in Mid and East Antrim you can also submit questions directly to our Elected Members and Officers by completing a short form.
More details can be found on our Public Questions to Council page.

Part 6: Closing Remarks

Our dedication to realising our vision remains steadfast, and we will continue to build on the progress achieved to date.

Looking ahead, we have identified a number of promising and innovative projects, and I look forward to sharing updates on these with you as the year progresses.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to stay connected with us through our website and social media channels where we will be sharing real-time updates and celebrating the work that continues to make Mid and East Antrim a strong, vibrant, safe, and inclusive community for all who live, work and visit here.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Valerie Watts

Interim Chief Executive

Appendices

The appendices for this document can be accessed on the downloadable version. (PDF 1MB)

This is the end of the document.