The Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee met to review contract monitoring reports for Customer Services, Exchequer Services, Benefits, and Revenues. The committee also considered the Forward Plan of Key Decisions and was scheduled to conduct pre-decision scrutiny of executive reports.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Executive Reports

The committee was scheduled to review reports prepared for the Executive meeting on 22 July 2026. One of these was an OPR Update concerning the Spitfire Centre & Sunningvale Avenue Children and Family Centre in Biggin Hill.

Policy Development and Other Items

The committee's agenda included several contract monitoring reports:

Customer Services Contract Monitoring Report

This report detailed the performance of the Customer Services contract, provided by Liberata, for the period of April 2025 to March 2026. The contract encompasses the Corporate Contact Centre, Reception Services, the Web Team (Bromley Knowledge), and the processing of Blue Badge and Freedom Pass applications. The report indicated that overall contractor performance was good, with fluctuations in call volumes attributed to seasonal changes and a sustained increase in customer contact via the website since the pandemic. Key performance indicators (KPIs) for call management, email management, face-to-face interactions, switchboard operations, and customer satisfaction were outlined. The report also detailed the performance of the VoiceBot software, which handles basic customer enquiries, and noted improvements made to its functionality. The report indicated that the contractor received seven upheld complaints during the monitoring period, primarily related to call handling issues.

Exchequer Services Contract Performance Report

This report covered the performance of Liberata in providing Exchequer Services from April 2025 to March 2026. The services include Sundry Debts, Accounts Payable, Financial Assessments and Charging, and Appointee and Deputyship. The report noted a collection rate of 82.16% for sundry debts in the year, with an adjusted rate of 86.76% against a contractual target of 92%. The report highlighted that while the out-of-year collection rate was 99.24%, unrecoverable debts continued to affect in-year collections. The Accounts Payable section reported that 98.47% of undisputed invoices were paid within 30 days, exceeding the target of 98%. The Financial Assessment and Charging team maintained a 100% performance rate for completing assessments within 10 working days and producing the charging file monthly. The Appointee and Deputyship team also achieved 100% performance for referring applications to the Panel within 14 working days and raising invoices within two months of the court order anniversary.

Benefits Service Monitoring Report

This report provided an overview of the performance of the Benefits Service, also provided by Liberata, from April 2025 to March 2026. The report indicated that the level of outstanding work was below the target of 5,700 documents, with 2,862 outstanding at the end of March 2026. The average time to process new claims and change events was 6.11 days, below the target of 19.00 days. The percentage of claims processed within 14 days was 86.67%, below the target of 95%. The report noted that delays were typically due to residents requiring more time to submit supporting evidence. Benchmarking data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) placed Bromley joint 8th for new claims and joint 10th for changes in processing speed among Outer London authorities for 2024/25. The error rate remained within the specified tolerance of 4%. A total of 15 Housing Benefit complaints were received, with 8 upheld. The report also detailed the performance of the contact centre, noting initial underperformance but subsequent improvement following the addition of staff.

Revenues Service Monitoring Report

This report detailed the performance of the Revenues Services, provided by Liberata, for the period of April 2025 to March 2026. The report indicated an in-year collection rate of 96.79% for Council Tax, a slight reduction from the previous year. The report noted that collection activity continues beyond the current year, with overall collection expected to exceed 99%. Initiatives to increase collection included debt profiling, automated messaging, and a specialist debt recovery team. The report also highlighted that the number of summonses issued increased by 20% compared to the previous year. For Business Rates, the in-year collection rate was 97.17%, an increase of 0.17% on the previous year. The report detailed increased activity to maximise recovery, including more frequent reminder notices and final notices. The cashier function processed £1.32 million in payments, a decrease of 63% in transactions due to a shift towards online methods. The Pensions Team achieved an average service level compliance of 93.24%, with the Payroll Team maintaining an accuracy rate of 99.90%.

Matters Outstanding and Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its business management, including monitoring progress on actions from previous meetings and developing the Forward Work Programme for 2026/27.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The committee was to consider the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which outlines upcoming executive decisions to be made by the Council. This plan covers the period from July 2026 to July 2027 and includes decisions on the Revenue Budget, Council Tax Support Scheme, and Treasury Management Strategy. It also lists key executive decisions related to property investment, children's centres, and various service contracts.