Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Llangefni. View directions

Contact: Mrs Mairwen Hughes 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

As noted above.

2.

Declaration of Interest

To receive any declaration of interest by any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Minutes:

Councillor Glyn Haynes declared a personal interest in respect of Item 8 but took part during discussion on the item but did not vote.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 48 KB

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting held on 12 November, 2019.

 

PART 1 – EDUCATIONAL MATTERS – AN INVITATION IS EXTENDED

TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 November, 2019 were confirmed as correct.

4.

Schools' Standards Report (Summer 2019) pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People.

Minutes:

Submitted – a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People in respect of the above.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Education, Youth, Libraries and Culture outlined the recommendations of the report to the Committee and noted that the priorities of the Council is to continue to raise standards in education so as to allow pupils the opportunity to achieve the best possible skills within Anglesey schools.

 

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People gave a detailed overview of the report and said that Welsh Government alongside several partners and experts has undertaken a fundamental review of the accountability system for schools in Wales.    Findings highlighted that the existing system and its use of performance measures has many negative unintended consequences.  A joint communication from Welsh Government, the WLGA and Estyn to Chairs of Scrutiny, Cabinet Members, Directors of Education, Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of Regional Education Consortia, published on 16 July, 2019 was included within the report to the Committee.  He said that national changes in the reporting of teacher assessments has been introduced over the last two years and it supports the key objectives of the Welsh Government document : ‘Our National Mission’, in delivering robust assessment, evaluation and accountability arrangements to support a self-improving system.  There is now a greater focus on the use of data in schools self-evaluation.  In the reformed system, schools are evaluated according to the difference they make to the progress of every child.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People further reported that the main areas of improvement as part of the Level 2 Business Plan was included at page 33 of the report.

 

The Chair welcomed Mr Rhys Williams, Schools Challenge Advisor (Primary) and Mrs Sharon Vaughan, Schools Challenge Advisor (Secondary) to the meeting.

 

The Schools Challenge Advisor (Primary) gave a detailed analysis of the performance data to the Committee. 

 

Foundation Phase

 

·      As with last year, the comparisons of Foundation Phase outcomes in language and mathematics to previous years at school level should be avoided as they are not measured on a comparable basis.  Welsh Government is clear that the focus will be on learner progress from the baseline assessment to end of Key Stage and therefore, for the first time, this will be included at the end of year reporting;

·      Overall, standards in the Foundation Phase in Anglesey are satisfactory.  The percentage of pupils achieving the Foundation Phase Indicator (FPI) is below the national average and has been for the past three years. As widely anticipated, following the implementation of the new Foundation Phase Framework, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected outcomes across Wales decreased in 2018/19.  The Local Authority’s performance reflected this in the FPI and in all areas of learning;

·      The impact of the decrease in Welsh O5+ has had an impact on performance in the FPI.  The number of learners achieving the higher outcomes also decreased nationally and again this was reflected in Anglesey LA schools’ outcomes;

·      The difference in performance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Schools' Improvement Review Panel : Progress Report pdf icon PDF 637 KB

To submit a report by the Scrutiny Manager.

 

PART 2 – OTHER MATTERS – PARTNERSHIP & REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE MEMBERS ONLY

Minutes:

Submitted – a report by the Scrutiny Manager in respect of the progress of the Schools’ Progress Review Panel.

 

The Chair and Chair of the Schools Progress Review Panel outlined the report to the Committee and reported that this progress report contains reference to the three last meetings of the Panel over the period September – December, 2019.

He said that members of the Panel have been shadowing GwE activities within schools and have monitored the challenges within schools. The governance framework for these shadowing arrangements includes arrangements for Members to report back following individual shadowing activities before an invitation is given to Head Teachers and Governing Bodies of schools to address the Schools’ Improvement Review Panel.

 

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People and the Portfolio Holder for Education, Youth, Libraries and Culture said that they welcomed the progress made by the School’s Improvement Review Panel within the Authority’s schools.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People said that he is receiving positive feedback from Head Teachers who have addressed the Panel and especially to the visits by Members of the Panel in shadowing GwE activities within the schools.

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

·      To note:-

 

·      The progress made to date in terms of the delivery of the Schools Progress Review Panel’s work programme which includes robust challenge of individual school performance;

·      The areas of work addressed through the new arrangements introduced during the shadowing of GwE;

·      Outcomes of the recent taking stock and forward planning exercise undertaken by the Panel;

·      The need to revise the Panel’s terms of reference to ensure ongoing alignment with corporate priorities and the outcomes of the taking stock exercise.

·      The robustness of the Panel’s monitoring to date.

 

ACTION: To note the report.

 

6.

Transformation of Learning Disabilities Day Opportunities pdf icon PDF 6 MB

To submit a report by the Director of Social Services.

Minutes:

Submitted – the report of the Director of Social Services in respect of the above.

 

The Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Social Services reported that it is important to note that it is the people who use the learning disabilities day opportunities that are important whilst considering this report and the facilities that they require currently and in the future.   She thanked the Officer for their work in discussions with the service users, families and service providers as to the facilities they wish to see in the future.

 

The Director of Social Services reported that it is necessary to reshape and modernise the day opportunities services in order to develop sustainable opportunities for individuals to achieve their potential and further improve the delivery of the service in the most cost effective way.  He noted that the Council has currently a number of different day opportunities available to people with learning disabilities which some are in-house services run by the Council and some are commissioned externally.  The current in-house provision is afforded at Morswyn, Holyhead, Blaen y Coed, Llangoed, Gerddi Haulfre, Llangoed and Gors Felen, Llangefni.  The Canolfan Byron Workshop is excluded from the transformation of the disability day centres at present but will be reviewed under a separate work stream.   Under the direction of the Adults Service Transformation Board a series of visits to various day centres on the Island were arranged with opportunities for all Elected Members to attend. Workshops were held to undertake the appraisal of the options put forward for the future of the day centres.  He noted that the service is undertaking these changes in order to reflect increase in demand and to ensure sustainability for the future.  Key challenges faced by the current in-house day centres was in included at page 7 of the report.

 

The Director of Social Services further reported that the proposal is to develop a more community based opportunities for people with learning disabilities, extend the provision at Gors Felen and close the services provided at Morswyn, Blaen y Coed and Gerddi Haulre.  The new service would afford flexible opportunities for people with learning disabilities and would meet future demand including people with more complex needs.

 

Members agreed that there is a requirement to review and enhance the day services afforded to people with learning disabilities. However, the discussion with people who use the service and their families need to be incorporated into an honest and informative discussion as regards to the future facilities to be afforded and people with learning disabilities needs to be central to the discussion undertaken.  

 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main matters:-

 

·      Clarification was sought as to the timeframe the Adult’s Services consider, following consultation that may result in possible closure of some the learning disabilities day facilities.  The Director of Social Services responded that consultation will have to be undertaken with services users and any decision to close any learning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Exclusion of the Press and Public pdf icon PDF 25 KB

To consider adopting the following:-

 

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

Minutes:

It was RESOLVED to adopt the following:-

 

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item as it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

 

8.

Waste Contract

To submit a report by the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer and the Scrutiny Manager.

Minutes:

Submitted – a report by the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer in respect of waste collection and cleansing service configuration options in readiness for the final tender.

 

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer said that the Authority is currently in the process of procuring a new waste collection contract and have now reached the end of the first stage within a two stage tendering process.  Before moving on to the final stage and the receipt of final tender submissions from the tenderers who have completed the first stage of the process, reducing the number of costed service options would minimise the financial and service risks. 

 

Following discussions it was RESOLVED that the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee recommends to the Executive the recommendations as noted within the report.