Performance

Achievement of objectives and key performance indicators

The VTS business plan outlines the vision and objectives for the organisation. The Board and the sponsor team receive a performance report quarterly at meetings.  This report is aligned to our objectives and details our performances in each of the key strategic areas, namely:

  • support the VTE in providing independent, open, fair and impartial hearings;
  • keep people fully informed and enable them to resolve their disputes as quickly as possible;
  • adopt high standards of behaviour and always strive to improve, by listening and responding to feedback;
  • use consistent, proportionate, cost effective procedures that give value for taxpayers’ money;
  • collaborate effectively with stakeholders and deliver Ministers’ priorities.

Of the 21 objectives set in 2015-16, 15 were fully achieved. More details are shown in the VTS Annual Report. Eight of these objectives were set as key performance indicators and four were met or exceeded. These were selected as being important for us as a service delivery organisation and derived from stakeholder expectations and requirements made known, for example, in responses to our tribunal user surveys.

Performance measure 2015-16 target 2015-16 performance 2014-15 performance
Hearing lists that result in twp or more fully heard cases 77% Exceeded. 80% 74%
Tribunal decisions for council tax banding appeals issued within one-month of the hearing date 87% Exceeded. 95% 89%
Tribunal decisions for non-domestic rating appeals issued within one-month of the hearing date 87% Met. 87% 82%
List council tax banding and liability appeals to a hearing date that is within 4 months of receipt 85% On track. 85.3% of appeals received April to December 2015 95% 51%
Decisions on reinstatement requests issued within six weeks of receipt 80% Not met. 76% 91%
Overall sickness absence per employee below public sector average (CIPD’s Absence Management: Annual Survey Report 2015) below 7.9 days Not met. 13.6 days. There were 7 cases of long-term sickness absence in the year. Through effective absence management, only 1 remains. Excluding these, average sickness absence was 4.2 days; 54% of staff took no sick leave. 6.1 days
Provide a new hearing date that is within six weeks of a postponed hearing for non-domestic rating appeals that are ready for hearing 80% Not met. 8%. Established as a measure to drive forward ‘Chancellor’s target’, fewer listed cases from April and the pressure of maintaining a focus on new appeals meant reduced capacity for appeals to be relisted within 6 weeks n/a
Spend on external hearing venues reduced by 10% Not met. 8% n/a