SALFORD CITY COUNCIL

ENVIRONMENTAL SCRUTINY COMMITTEE	15TH JANUARY 2001	PART 1
(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC	
		ITEM NO	

SUBJECT:	MISSED BIN ANALYSIS	
PERFORMANCE REVIEW MATTER

REPORT OF:	THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 	
FOR CONSIDERATION

1.0	BACKGROUND

1.1	Scrutiny Committee requested, that a report be prepared on the reasons for missed collections of domestic bins, which occur during normal refuse collection service provision. A period of three months was felt appropriate for the study.

1.2	As a result of this request the Directorate has had to develop new monitoring programmes on its FLARE computerised complaints monitoring system, and arrange for appropriate training of those officers who would be requested to investigate complaints of missed bins.

1.3	This investigatory work could only be begun during the second week of December 2000. This delay was due to an external IT problem which had prevented a link being established between Crompton House and Turnpike House for the introduction of FLARE for Windows, the software package used by the Directorate to receive and monitor requests for service.

1.4	It was felt vital that specialist training time also be expended in order to develop a quantity monitoring system, as this would lead to data production vital to future improvements in service provision.

1.5	Monitoring began on the 11th December 2000.

2.0	Results

2.1	Figures are now available for the period 11th December 2000 – 9th January 2001.

2.2	Table 1 shows the results of investigations made by Environmental-Co-ordinators during this period

TABLE 1

Reason for non-collection
	Complaints	
	JUSTIFIED	NOT-JUSTIFIED	
No Access to bin		13	
Late Collection		12	
Roadworks Preventing Access		8	
Other Reason		5	
Bin Not Put Out For Collection		4	
Overloaded Bin		3	
No Reason Given		3	
Missed By Collector	2		
	2	48	

2.3	As is apparent from the figures shown in Table 1 the first months returns show of the complaints investigated, only 4% of complaints received about missed bins, were purely attributable to the crew itself missing bins, the remaining 96% of complaints, were due to problems beyond the control of the refuse collection crew.

2.4	It should be noted that the period 11/12/00 – 09/01/01 covers the Christmas holidays and as such the level of complaints about missed bins tends to be high, e.g. actual number of missed bin complaints received totalled 403.

2.5	Bearing in mind the above figure i.e. actual numbers of complaints regarding missed bins, the fact only 50 were investigated is a reflection of the fact officers have only recently been trained. In future, all complaints about missed bins will be investigated giving a much clearer indicator of crew missed bin levels.

2.6	This sort of analysis will prove vital in Best Value reviews, as for the first time truly accurate figures can be given on the performance of the City’s refuse collection crews.

2.7	A more detailed report will be provided at the April meeting covering the full 3 months Scrutiny Committee requested to be reviewed.

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