NEWPORT council needs to take action to keep up with a series of aims it has set to improve itself.

Earlier this year, the council set out ten objectives for it to achieve in its improvement plan for 2013/14.

A report on the council’s performance for the first quarter of the year says that while good progress is being made in a number of areas that shouldn’t be overlooked, a number of key measures are falling below target and action needs to be taken to address them.

The council's cabinet will discuss the report when it meets on Monday.

The authority is on track to meet its target to provide an enhanced programme of disabled facilities grants (DFGs) with the aim of reducing the average time it takes for them to be paid from the date of the first contact.

Officers also believe they are working well towards other aims, including for young people to achieving a good range of qualifications at Key Stage 4, enhancing the cultural offer of the city and increasing participation in sports and leisure opportunities.

The council is also on track to meet the council’s objective to improve its understanding of the needs of service users, and making the city’s streets safer through effective management of the Streetscene department.

Telecare, according to the improvement plan, will enable frail and disabled people to live as independently as possible – but while some aspects of this are progressing well the report says there are issues with the take up and the numbers of Telecare users reflects this.

Employment programmes falling short of targets for the end of the first quarter meant that the council is deviating from its plan to enhance the city’s skill base and increase potential for local employment.

However, it said the council’s city enhancement scheme was on target to deliver improvements to a range of properties through the city centre area.

The council’s aim to meet Europe and Welsh Government waste and recycling targets is progressing well with all but one of actions on track at the end of the first quarter, the report said.

Two measures have fallen below target in integrated family support services as well, although the council says all planned actions are on track and a quarter new members of the team have been appointed.