1

Cost of Delivering Local Services

2010-18 SPI2 Report Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Councils have a duty under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to make appropriate arrangements to report publicly their performance in delivering their functions and services. The Accounts Commission has a statutory power to define the performance information that local authorities must publish and does so in its annual Direction. The Improvement Service leads on the Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) that came into effect for reporting in 2013/14, and requires for PIs to be benchmarked against other relevant bodies and compared to other accounting periods. While the data allows comparison of indicators it should be noted that each local authority sets its own priorities. Outcomes do not differ solely on performance but as a result of how each local authority organise their services to meet the needs of their communities. This means that what is suitable for one area may not be suitable somewhere else.

The 32 Scottish councils have also been divided into four LGBF Family Groups of eight councils. The core purpose of the Family Groups is to make comparisons between similar councils to identify strengths and weaknesses, to learn from councils who seem to be doing better and to improve local performance. The benchmarking data by Local Authority and by Family Group was extracted from the Improvement Service’s online LGBF Public Dashboard. There are two family groups:

1. People Services - for Children’s Services, Adult Social Care Services and Housing Services indicators, with similar councils grouped by their level of deprivation; and

2. Other Services - for Corporate Services, Economic Development, Environmental Services and Culture and Leisure Services, with similar types of councils grouped by their population density.

The Improvement Service publishes a national benchmarking overview report each year which focuses on three areas:

1. Trends across Scotland for the service groupings and key indicators since the base year;

2. Factors shaping these trends across Scotland; and

3. Identification of areas where unexplained variation exists and significant improvement might be achieved.

The seventh overview report was published 6 February 2019 and compares costs with services provided by Scotland’s 32 councils for the period 2017/18. The full report can be accessed, at: http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/benchmarking/.

Unless advised otherwise, the base year target in each table below is the same as the actual result, thereafter the target is the previous year’s actual result for year on year comparison. The data is also provided over time in a line chart with the comparable figure for Scotland. The 2017/18 data for similar councils is shown in the LGBF Family Group charts.

2

KPI: ECS008: (LO7) SPI3: CHN1 - Cost per Primary school Pupil Responsible Officer: Iain G Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 8,231.17 8,416.04 Target is previous year actual result.

In comparison to 2010/11, the proportion spent on primary schooling increased 3.95% and moved down one place to 32 out of 32 councils, which is also the same as 2016/17.

Costs increased in line with inflation. The school roll had a slight increase of 8 pupils, but as this was not significant, there was an overall increase in the cost per pupil.

Mar-12

£ 8,416.04 8,760.68

Mar-13

£ 8,760.68 8,515.63

Mar-14

£ 8,515.63 9,518.77

Mar-15

£ 9,518.77 8,128.96

Mar-16

£ 8,128.96 8,091.98

Mar-17

£ 8,091.98 8,394.10

Mar-18

£ 8,394.10 8,748.69

3

KPI: ECS010: (LO7) SPI3: CHN2 - Cost per Secondary School Pupil Responsible Officer: Iain G Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 9,619.18 9,752.01 Target is previous year actual result.

In comparison to 2010/11, the proportion spent on secondary schooling increased 14.74% and, although the ranking is the same at 31 out of 32 councils, it is down one place in comparison to 2016/17.

Costs increased in line with inflation. The school roll decreased slightly by 9 pupils, but this was not significant.

Mar-12

£ 9,752.01 9,347.44

Mar-13

£ 9,347.44 9,651.06

Mar-14

£ 9,651.06 12,587.17

Mar-15

£ 12,587.17 10,139.33

Mar-16

£ 10,139.33 10,270.01

Mar-17

£ 10,270.01 10,769.65

Mar-18

£ 10,769.65 11,189.13

4

KPI: ECS009: (LO7) SPI3: CHN3 - Cost per Pre-School Education Registration Responsible Officer: Iain G Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 4,639.58 4,639.58 Baseline In comparison to 2010/11, the proportion spent on pre-

school schooling increased 45.51% and moved down two places to 31 out of 32 councils. The Comhairle was ranked 29 in 2016/17.

Costs in this service increased in line with the introduction of the Early Learning Childcare Expansion and an increased provision of 1,140 hours began in some nurseries. Additional funding was received from Scottish Government to cover these costs.

Mar-12

£ 4,639.58 4,435.56

Mar-13

£ 4,435.56 3,423.36

Mar-14

£ 3,423.36 4,390.14

Mar-15

£ 4,390.14 4,843.14

Mar-16

£ 4,843.14 5,408.58

Mar-17

£ 5,408.58 5,313.37

Mar-18

£ 5,313.37 6,751.11

5

KPI: FCR026: (LO7) SPI3: CORP4 - The cost per dwelling of collecting Council Tax Responsible Officer: Jenny Macleod

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 22.15 22.15 Baseline The cost of collecting council tax is measured on a per

property basis to standardise the measure across councils. The Comhairle has reported the highest cost of council tax collection for the past six years. Over the eight-year period from 2010/11 to 2017/18 the cost increased by 22% from £22.15 to £27.02, in comparison to a Scottish average reduction in costs of 52.4% from £15.46 to £7.35. The Improvement Service advise that a key factor driving the reduction in costs is the continued digital transformation and shift to embrace new technology and automation.

The range between the 32 councils however varies significantly from £2.78 to £27.02, with smaller sized and island councils tending to report higher costs. The Comhairle’s increase in cost of collection per dwelling is mainly as a result of a change in the allocation of support service costs.

Mar-12

£ 22.15 19.50

Mar-13

£ 19.50 29.23

Mar-14

£ 29.23 23.20

Mar-15

£ 23.20 25.83

Mar-16

£ 25.83 24.98

Mar-17

£ 24.98 25.05

Mar-18

£ 25.05 27.02

6

KPI : IJB030 (SCS014): (LO7) SPI2: SW5 - Net Cost of Residential Care Services per Older Adult (+65) per Week Responsibility: Ron Culley

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 604.05 604.05 Baseline It is important to note that the figures for 2012/13 to

2017/18 have in agreement with the local government Directors of Finance excluded a support cost component which was included in 2010/11 and 2011/12, and therefore a direct comparison with costs from earlier years is not possible.

Although the Comhairle has reported the third highest cost over the six years for which we have comparable data, there has been a 19% reduction in unit costs from £657 to £531. The reduction in cost is mainly due to increased income in 2017/18 which partially represents a catch-up of historic and backlog financial assessments.

Mar-12

£ 604.05 665.38

Mar-13

£ 665.38 656.52

Mar-14

£ 656.52 625.43

Mar-15

£ 625.43 612.61

Mar-16

£ 612.61 612.45

Mar-17

£ 612.45 650.00

Mar-18

£ 650.00 531.28

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KPI: IJB029 (SCS010): (LO7) SPI3: SW1 - Older Persons (Over 65) Homecare Costs per Hour Responsible Officer: Ron Culley For comparison, the base year target is the same as the actual result, thereafter the target is last year's actual.

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 25.15 25.15 Baseline Council spend on home care services has been

standardised around home care costs per hour for each Scottish council. This includes expenditure across all providers.

Over the eight year period, the Comhairle moved from the 5

th highest to the 2

nd highest homecare costs per

hour amongst Scottish councils. Although the expenditure and hours of care delivered are broadly in-line with the previous year, when compared to 2010/11, there has been an increase of 64% in spending per hour on home care for people over 65 across the Western Isles. This reflects an overall 1.5% increase in gross expenditure and 40% decrease in the number of hours delivered during this period, although movement between years has fluctuated.

Mar-12

£ 25.15 25.02

Mar-13

£ 25.02 23.27

Mar-14

£ 23.27 24.28

Mar-15

£ 24.28 26.62

Mar-16

£ 26.62 31.79

Mar-17

£ 31.79 42.15

Mar-18

£ 42.15 41.24

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KPI: ECS094ii: (LO7) SPI3: C&L1 - Net cost per attendance at Sports facilities (including swimming pools) Responsible Officer: Tony Wade

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 2.11 2.11 Baseline Over the eight year period, the Comhairle moved down 12

places from eight to 20 out of 32 councils, and down four places in comparison to the previous year and the unit cost increased 37.5%.

The increase in the net cost of attendance from 2016/17 to 2017/18 at Sports Facilities is partially due to a review of support service costs coupled with a 1% reduction in the attendance.

Mar-12

£ 2.11 3.57

Mar-13

£ 3.57 3.01

Mar-14

£ 3.01 2.87

Mar-15

£ 2.87 3.39

Mar-16

£ 3.39 3.00

Mar-17

£ 3.00 2.72

Mar-18

£ 2.72 2.90

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KPI: DD045ii: (LO7) SPI3: C&L2 – Net Cost Per Library Visit Responsible Officer: Kathleen Milne

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 3.95 3.95 Baseline The Comhairle is ranked 31 out of 32 councils, which is

down two places in comparison to the previous year and 10 places in comparison to 2010/11.

There is a 30% increase in the net cost per library visit since 2010/11 and a 23% increase in comparison to 2016/17, this is partially due to a review of the support service costs.

An audit has recently been undertaken across Scottish libraries which indicate that different sets of statistics are used to identify visits in each authority. For example, some libraries include Facebook visits to their count whereas CnES libraries have not, thereby impacting on the ranking of the data. From 2019/20 greater efforts will be made to ensure that there is more standardisation amongst authorities to make the comparisons between them more reliable.

Mar-12

£ 3.95 3.71

Mar-13

£ 3.71 3.18

Mar-14

£ 3.18 2.98

Mar-15

£ 2.98 3.04

Mar-16

£ 3.04 3.29

Mar-17

£

3.29 4.17

Mar-18

£ 4.17 5.14

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KPI: DD046ii (SCS003): (LO7) SPI3: C&L3 – Net cost per museum visit Responsible Officer: Nick Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 4.27 4.27 Baseline Over the eight year period the cost per museum visit

increased 25% and the ranking fell 7 places from 15 to 22 out of 32 councils. The cost peaked in 2015/16 due to the relocation and temporary closure of Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway), which is now located in a modern purpose built extension at the restored Lews Castle and opened on 14 July 2016.

2017/18 was the first full year of operation for Museum nan Eilean and, in comparison to the previous year, the Comhairle moved up five places from Rank 27 to 22 and costs fell 18%. The decrease in the net cost per museum visit is partially due to a review of support service costs coupled with a 38% increase in the number of visits.

Mar-12

£ 4.27 2.55

Mar-13

£ 2.55 3.16

Mar-14

£ 3.16 3.58

Mar-15

£ 3.58 6.61

Mar-16

£ 6.61 8.50

Mar-17

£ 8.50 6.53

Mar-18

£ 6.53 5.33

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KPI: ECS095ii: (LO7) SPI3: C&L4 - Net cost of Parks & Open Spaces per 1,000 Populations Responsible Officer: Iain GG Campbell

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 3,436.43 3,436.43 Baseline Although there has been no change to the ranking

position for the Comhairle as the council with the least costs of parks & open spaces over the eight-year period, spend has reduced by 74%. The year on year reduction is mainly due to Elected Members allocating more of their Ward Priority Fund to Parks and Open Spaces in 2016/17 than in 2017/18.

The Comhairle understand that it is important that the local authority provide some outdoor play provision but with diminishing resources, it is not possible to provide the level and extent of provision we would like. The challenges faced by CNES include limited capital and revenue funding, poor condition of equipment and maintenance of play parks as well as limited availability of adult volunteers or appropriate community based organisations. As such, a survey was undertaken in July 2017. The responses helped to provide a prioritised list of play areas across the Western Isles for retention and maintenance when additional funding is available and in partnership with community groups as appropriate.

Mar-12

£ 3,436.43 4,639.57

Mar-13

£ 4,639.57 1,850.51

Mar-14

£ 1,850.51 583.94

Mar-15

£ 583.94 1,027.52

Mar-16

£ 1,027.52 960.47

Mar-17

£ 960.47 2,230.48

Mar-18

£ 2,230.48 890.54

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KPI: TS004: (LO7) SPI3: ENV1a - Net cost of Waste collection per premise Responsible Officer: David A Macleod

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-13

£ 55.30 55.30 Baseline Over the six year period (2012/13-2017/18), the net cost

of waste collection per premise increased 20% and the council moved down seven places from 14 to 21.

The 2013/14 figures included a significant sum for Revenue contributions to capital, which is not applicable in later figures.

There is considerable although narrowing variation between councils for 2017/18 in relation to waste collection costs, ranging from £38.63 to £109.67. In the past, waste collection costs varied systematically with deprivation, with areas of higher deprivation spending more. As per the National Report, the data no longer reveals this pattern. During the same period, the Comhairle’s cost per premise increased 6%, mainly due to higher transport costs for the service and the council moved down four places to 21 out of 32 councils.

Mar-14

£ 55.30 83.15

Mar-15

£ 83.15 58.16

Mar-16

£ 58.16 58.24

Mar-17

£ 58.24 62.73

Mar-18

£ 62.73 66.36

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KPI: TS006: (LO7) SPI3: ENV2a - Net cost per Waste disposal per premise Responsible Officer: David A Macleod

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-13

£ 155.37 155.37 Baseline Over the six-year period (2012/13 to 2017/18) the net

cost of waste disposal has increased by 4.85%. Across this period, there has been a 4.3% increase in the number of premises served accompanied by a 9.3% increase in net expenditure.

The range in disposal costs across councils was £70.81 to £185.28 in 2017/18. The Comhairle had the second highest costs per premise in Scotland, behind Argyll & Bute. It is also significantly higher than the Scottish average (£98.42). The Comhairle also has the additional costs associated with the maintenance of a landfill site and net costs in 2017/18 have increased mainly due to higher landfill tax expenditure.

Although Island councils typically face higher costs due to the geography of the island communities, the National Report advised that variation has narrowed in recent years, with analysis revealing no clear relationships to rurality, deprivation or demography.

Mar-14

£ 155.37 166.72

Mar-15

£ 166.72 159.14

Mar-16

£ 159.14 165.42

Mar-17

£ 165.42 155.94

Mar-18

£ 155.94 162.91

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KPI: TS007: (LO7) SPI3: ENV3a - Net cost of street cleaning per 1,000 population Responsible Officer: David A Macleod

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 19,663.99 19,663.99 Baseline The cleanliness of Scotland’s streets remains a priority

for councils both in terms of improving the appearance of our streetscapes but also in terms of environmental improvements in the quality of people’s lives. The revised Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (Scotland) came into force in 2018 and may affect both costs and standards going forward.

The Comhairle’s net cost of street cleaning has fallen significantly (42%) since 2010/11 which is slightly lower than the Scottish average of £15,551. These efficiencies have been achieved through the review of staffing and the use of mechanical equipment to sweep the pavements. The Comhairle also moved up 7 places from 21 to 14 out of 32 councils.

The increase in cost in 2016/17 was due to unexpected vehicle costs. 2017/18 costs are similar to previous years costs.

Mar-12

£ 19,663.99 16,909.51

Mar-13

£ 16,909.51 16,872.28

Mar-14

£ 16,872.28 12,226.28

Mar-15

£ 12,226.28 11,706.42

Mar-16

£ 11,706.42 11,082.38

Mar-17

£ 11,082.38 13,011.15

Mar-18

£ 13,011.15 11,391.47

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KPI: TS009ii: (LO7) SPI3: ENV4a - Cost of maintenance per kilometre of roads (both capital and revenue costs) Responsible Officer: Calum MacKenzie

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 7,764.71 7,764.71 Baseline Rank number 1 is given to the council with the lowest

value for this indicator. Out of the 32 Scottish councils, the Comhairle is ranked 3, in comparison to 10 in 2010/11. % Value Change 2010/11-2017/18: -34.33. % Value Change 2016/17-2017/18: +10.87.

Figures are representative of the available capital and revenue budgets for road maintenance rather than that required for condition improvement. The inclusion of the winter maintenance costs also introduced an element of variability into annual costs dependent on weather conditions.

Best value is demonstrated in the delivery of these services by utilising a combination of in-house resources and contractors selected through competitively tendered framework agreements.

Mar-12

£ 7,764.71 6,084.69

Mar-13

£ 6,084.69 5,899.98

Mar-14

£ 5,899.98 6,002.29

Mar-15

£ 6,002.29 6,450.56

Mar-16

£ 6,450.56 5,332.40

Mar-17

£ 5,332.40 4,598.94

Mar-18

£ 4,598.94 5,099.06

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KPI: DD003: (LO7) SPI3: ENV5a - Cost of Trading Standards per 1,000 population Responsible Officer: Colm Fraser

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-13

£ 11,901.02 11,901.31 Baseline

Trading standards costs include the Comhairle’s contribution to the Western Isles Citizen’s Advice Service. There is no significant change in this service.

Since 2012/13, the cost of these services per 1,000 population increased overall by 6.3%, which includes a slight (0.7%) increase in costs in the past 12 months. Alongside Shetland Islands council, the Comhairle has fluctuated between having the most expensive or second most expensive costs out of the 32 councils and is currently ranked at 31 out of 32 councils.

Mar-14

£ 11,901.31 12,518.25

Mar-15

£ 12,518.25 11,853.21

Mar-16

£ 11,853.21 12,523.09

Mar-17

£ 12,523.09 12,565.06

Mar-18

£ 12,565.06 12,653.06

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KPI: DD002: (LO7) SPI3: ENV5b - Cost of Environmental Health per 1,000 population Responsible Officer: Colm Fraser

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-13

£ 21,444.12 21,444.12 Baseline In comparison to 2012/13, the cost of

Environmental Health per 1,000 population increased overall by 4.7%. However, in the past 12 months, the cost of the service increased 5.8%. The 2016/17 – 2017/18 increase in costs is mainly due to an increase in direct employee expenditure following a review of the service.

There is significant variation across councils which has widened in the past 12 months, with costs ranging from £6,849 (East Renfrewshire) to £35,441 (Shetland Islands). As per the National Report, rurality has a systematic impact on the cost of environmental health, with rural councils reporting significantly higher costs than urban or semi-rural authorities (£20,033 compared to £15,309 and £12,357 respectively).

The Comhairle currently sits at 28th

out of 32 councils for costs, 3 places down in comparison to 2012/13.

Mar-14

£ 21,444.12 22,919.71

Mar-15

£ 22,919.71 22,055.05

Mar-16

£ 22,055.05 22,349.46

Mar-17

£

22,349.46 21,226.77

Mar-18

£ 21,226.77 22,448.98

18

KPI: DD060: (LO2) SPI3: ECON2-Cost per Planning per Application

Responsible Officer: Joe MacPhee

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 3,213.09 3,213.09 Baseline Although spend on planning accounts for a relatively small

amount of overall spend, this is a strategically important area in terms of the future development and use of land nationally in our towns, cities and countryside. An efficient and well-functioning planning service plays an important role in facilitating sustainable economic growth and delivering high quality development in the right places.

The Comhairle’s cost of planning per application has increased 7.8% since 2010/11. Although there have been fluctuations across the period, the trend represents a 15.9% reduction in gross expenditure and a 22% reduction in planning applications since 2010/11. The number of planning applications can vary from year to year; there was a reduction of 2.5% from 2016/17 to 2017/18, which represents 9 applications.

The Comhairle’s cost per case is in the lower range (7 out of 32 councils) when compared across Scotland and an element of that is due to the small staff complement in the planning service (as posts removed as savings when officers retired/left). Despite that the planning service are still managing to keep up reasonable performance against targets.

Within the LGBF, expenditure on planning includes spend on building control, development control, planning policy and environmental initiatives.

Mar-12

£ 3,213.09 3,039.73

Mar-13

£ 3,039.73 3,212.36

Mar-14

£ 3,212.36 3,268.62

Mar-15

£ 3,268.62 3,441.93

Mar-16

£ 3,441.93 3,917.98

Mar-17

£ 3,917.98 3,386.11

Mar-18

£ 3,386.11 3,464.39

19

KPI: DD073 ECON6 - Cost of Economic Development & Tourism per 1,000 Population

Responsible Officer: Joe MacPhee

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 288,660 288,660 Baseline

As with other service areas, the LGBF now includes an

indicator to capture the amount that each council is

spending per capita. This will provide important context

when considering performance outputs and outcomes. This

SPI provides a measure of each council’s investment in

economic development and tourism services, both in terms

of capital projects and revenue costs.

There has been a reduction of 16% in the Comhairle’s

economic development and tourism investment between

2010/11 and 2017/18. This reflects a reduced gross

expenditure of 13.6%, against a population growth of

2.9%. There is no change in rank (31) over the period.

The increase from 2016/17 to 2017/18 is partially due an

increase in Capital Grants to third parties of over £400k,

coupled with increased LEADER grant payments of over

£500k. There was also increased expenditure in Training

and Human Resource development.

Mar-12

£ 288,660 230,867

Mar-13

£ 230,867 209,289

Mar-14

£ 209,289 241,861

Mar-15

£ 241,861 147,376

Mar-16

£ 147,376 177,466

Mar-17

£ 177,466 191,636

Mar-18

£ 191,636 242,263

20

KPI : ECS003: (LO4) SPI2: CHN8a - The Gross Cost of "Children Looked After" in Residential Based Services per Child per Week Responsible Officer: Iain G Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 3,901.71 3,901.71 Baseline The 2017/18 data on looked after children will be

published in March 2019 therefore is not included within this analysis. The Benchmarking Framework will be updated to incorporate these figures at that time. As such, the comments below are based on the 2016/17 data.

The Comhairle is ranked 25 out of 32 councils, which is up 4 places in comparison to the previous year and up 2 places in comparison to 2010/11.

Over the seven year period (2010/11 – 2016/17), the gross cost per child increased 3.9%, which reflects a 30.7% decrease in the gross costs of the service and a 33% decrease in the number of children looked after in a residential based service.

The type and profile of placements within residential based services was different in 2016/17 resulting in a lower cost per child.

Mar-12

£ 3,901.71 2,868.88

Mar-13

£ 2,868.88 1,732.25

Mar-14

£ 1,732.25 1,945.51

Mar-15

£ 1,945.51 2,517.63

Mar-16

£ 2,517.63 5,080.77

Mar-17

£ 5,080.77 4,054.49

21

KPI : ECS001: (LO4) SPI2: CHN8b - The Gross Cost of "Children Looked After" in a Community Setting per Child per Week Responsible Officer: Iain G Smith

PERIOD PERFORMANCE UNIT TARGET ACTUAL TREND 2017/18 COMMENT

Mar-11

£ 191.47 191.47 Baseline The 2017/18 data on looked after children will be

published in March 2019 therefore is not included within this analysis. The Benchmarking Framework will be updated to incorporate these figures at that time. As such, the comments below are based on the 2016/17 data.

The Comhairle is ranked 5 out of 32 councils, which is up 13 places in comparison to the previous year and up 10 places in comparison to 2010/11.

Over the seven year period (2010/11 – 2016/17), the gross cost per child decreased 10.3%, which reflects a 20% decrease in the gross costs of the service and a 10.9% reduction in the number of children looked after in the community.

In 2016/17, the type and profile of placements within Community Setting based services was different in 2017-18 resulting in a lower cost per child.

Mar-12

£ 191.47 345.71

Mar-13

£ 345.71 276.44

Mar-14

£ 276.44 353.95

Mar-15

£ 353.95 215.93

Mar-16

£ 215.93 280.65

Mar-17

£ 280.65 171.67