Barnsley’s libraries continue to attract visitors, with 13% more visits than the same time last year. Alongside our regular craft activities, the Summer Reading Challenge attracted 1,271 children to participate at their local library.   

This is just one example of how ongoing refurbishments and flexible space helps our libraries go from strength to strength.  

65% of care leavers continue to engage in education, employment and training. This is higher than the national average and other similar councils. In this quarter, two people have enrolled in university, while others are participating in other higher education, employment and training programmes. This successful collaboration between the education sector, the care leavers service and the targeted information and advice service has played a crucial role in helping our care leavers make informed choices. 

These are just some of the fantastic achievements highlighted in our latest performance report, which shows our progress between July and September 2024.   

Some other highlights from the report include:   

Healthy Barnsley   

• Adult Social Care has also achieved success, with less people waiting for a review of their care and support making sure people in Barnsley have the right care and support they need.   

Learning Barnsley    

• The take-up of childcare for eligible two-year-olds has exceeded targets for the third quarter, helping families access the scheme and removing barriers to employment by supporting parents with childcare.   

Growing Barnsley    

• We’ve seen less anti-social behaviour incidents per 1,000 population this quarter as well as a reduction in those incidents that happen in our town centre.  

Sustainable Barnsley    

• We’ve seen an increase in household waste recycling this quarter moving from below target to above. A positive change in contractors at HWRC sites and the changes they have implemented, including the amount of recyclable materials accepted at sites.  

Our report also highlighted areas needing more attention. Placements to temporary accommodation have increased by 26 placements, this increase is being seen nationally and although Barnsley performs well in this area, we are not exempt from the same pressures. Several initiatives are being implemented as part of a local action plan to address this issue.    

Cllr Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services, said: " As we approach the end of the year, we have so much to celebrate, reflecting the dedication and hard work of our employees and partners who truly make a difference for our residents.  

“We’ve seen some great results for our communities, with people embracing opportunities to develop their skills, talent and creativity, helping them to reach their full potential and explore exciting prospects.   

“We know that there’s lots more we can do, and these reports are a great way to make sure we’re on track to achieve our ambitions for the borough, enabling everyone to be the best they can be.”    

Our latest performance report will be discussed at Cabinet on Wednesday 11 December. You can learn more about the progress we’ve made in making sure we’re on track to achieve our ambitions for the borough and areas for improvement on our web page.    

You can find out more information about the report in the cabinet papers on our website.