Agenda item

Active Torridge

To review the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Minutes:

Sean Kearney (Director of Community & Place for Torridge District Council and Board Member/Director of Active Torridge) introduced Judith Gentry (Non-Executive Director), and Chris Keeble (Chief Operating Officer). The Non-Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer went on to deliver a detailed presentation for members on Active Torridge and KPI outcomes.

 

A summary of the journey since Active Torridge was established in 2022 was provided and the links to the previous agenda item was noted, in terms of community health and  wellbeing and plans for the old Bideford Library site. The process of agreeing the business plan and the agreement of the contract extension were highlighted, and the agreed performance indicators that came and were agreed by External Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 2025. An update was provided in terms of data collation and the impact of the liquidation of  Active Nation, who was the back-office service provider in charge of collating this information.

 

The Non-Executive Director reminded members of the strategic aims of Active Torridge and their relevance in terms of the KPI framework:

 

1.    Make a positive difference to people's lives, health, and well-being.

2.    Enhance enjoyment and participation in services.

3.    Build a trusted, value-for-money, community-focused brand.

4.    Invest in, review, and grow leisure services sustainably.

 

The five KPIs approved by the board:

 

1.    Financial

2.    Visitors

3.    Customer Satisfaction

4.    Community Impact

5.    Operational Compliance

 

The Non Executive Director provided Members with the rationale for these 5 KPIs and how they linked to the strategic aims, what was being measured and where the information was sourced from, and how it could be used and measured. It was explained the KPIs were a mix of "hard" (numbers-driven, externally verifiable) and "soft" (mood-dependent, internal) measures, all linked to the strategic aims.

 

The Chief Operating Officer then went on to review the KPI data, providing further detail and context on the findings. Members asked questions during the presentation and the review findings and subsequent discussion is summarised below.

 

  1. Financial KPI:

o    Objective: Reduce management fee and core costs to TDC, provide accessible/affordable leisure and sport facilities, manage non-profit budget whilst maximising resources.

o    Performance: It was confirmed the management fee to TDC had reduced 2022/23 to 2025/26. This reduction had been achieved by budget management benchmark against other providers, further reductions were forecast via plans to maximise resources and extend provision and reach further people in the District.  branching out /becoming more accessible to the community. The role of Bideford Library site in relation to this was noted for members.

o    Discussion: It was suggested that clearer differentiation between historical outcomes and future projections on presentation graph would be useful.

 

  1. Visitors KPI:
  • Activity Breakdown: Swimming activities account for the largest percentage of usage, followed by gym-related activities, and then dry activities (Holsworthy Ports Hall and Victoria Park activities).
  • Performance: Visitor numbers are slightly behind target for the current year. This was primarily attributed to the closure of Holsworthy Leisure Centre's swimming pool from April to August 2025 for decarbonisation works and facility improvements. Members were advised there had been a positive impact and numbers were now catching up.
  • Discussion: Suggestions were made for clearer graph presentation. The Chief Operating Officer noted that new IT providers from April would enable more detailed demographic data collection.

 

  1. Customer Satisfaction KPI:
  • Measures: Mystery visitors, member retention levels and user surveys.
  • Mystery Visits Analysis: Overall score of 69%. Email inquiries scored 100%, telephone calls 53%, visits 71.7%. Follow-up scores were low, identified as an area for improvement, with training already implemented.
  • Member Retention: Since September, new members joining have exceeded leavers. Prepaid memberships show a steady monthly increase.
  • Discussion: Members asked about feedback from leavers. The Chief Operating Officer advised common reasons include financial affordability, relocation, and shift changes, it was also explained flexibility of the membership offer also had an impact.
  • Members raised a lack of quantitative data for mystery visit results (e.g., how many emails were sent, how many follow-ups were missed), suggesting that percentages alone could be misleading. The Non-Executive Director clarified that KPIs are strategic-level for the Board and Committee, with detailed operational data available internally.

 

  • Following a Member request, it was confirmed that presentations from the Committee would be shared following the meeting.

 

  1. Community Impact KPI:
  • Measure: Community Impact focuses on who Active Torridge were attracting from around the District to use services and the health and wellbeing benefit this had. Active Torridge work closely with One Northern Devon and the NHS on this.
  • Health Memberships: 100 active members on the Active Health membership; 56 members currently in the GP referral scheme, with a waiting list of approximately 80.
  • Geographic Reach: A map demonstrated customer distribution, with a high percentage from EX39 (Bideford/Northam), but also significant numbers from Holsworthy (EX22, EX23, EX21) and Torrington (EX38), and wider district coverage. It was noted that more of the rural communities are accessing the services than the percentage of people in the urban area.
  • Discussion: Members asked about employer engagement  - corporate memberships are offered but not widely exploited and data  for monitoring limited.
  • Following a question on the GP referral scheme it was confirmed this was funded from Active Torridge's budget, with no NHS funding. The impact was felt by Health Practitioners and the benefits well recognised, though hard to quantify for the meeting.
  • Capacity constraints (limited qualified staff and facility space) restrict the number of referrals that can be taken and therefore there was  a waiting list. The proposed new facility at the old Bideford library was highlighted as crucial for expanding health memberships.
  • The importance of showing impact on the general population, not just specific health schemes, was noted.
  • Staff retention after specialist training (e.g., for GP referrals) was recognised as a challenge.
  • During discussion Members were advised that over time Committee would be able to further scutinise the KPI figures and review trends overtime using historic data.
  • Members took an opportunity to thank the Board Members and Chief Operating Officer for their work and the positive outcomes achieved.

 

  1. Operational Compliance KPI:
  • Measured via: Internal and external auditors.
  • Performance: Statutory inspections (electrical, boilers, asbestos, fire safety) achieved 100%, a significant improvement from the previous provider. Industry best practises (pool testing, dosing) and internal site inspection completion also scored 100%. Staff training and inductions scored 92%, with specific areas for improvement identified in National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) training, covering all the first aid requirements. Some context was provided in terms of staff training and the commitment of Active Torridge to ensuring a rolling programme.
  • Discussion: The committee congratulated Active Torridge on achieving 100% in statutory inspections, noting the poor state of facilities inherited from the previous provider. The issue of staff retention post-training was discussed, with Active Torridge confirming repayment clauses are in place, but these do not always deter staff from leaving for better opportunities or personal reasons.

 

Members thanked and congratulated Active Torridge members, and the Non Executive Director summarised the feedback that would be taken from the Committee.

 

 

Supporting documents: