Agenda item

To submit a report by the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report of the Deputy Chief Executive detailing the initial approach to early recovery planning was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Chair reported that decisions have been made recently to ease lockdown measures and to begin to reopen society. It is now the Council’s statutory duty to lead the Island’s recovery and it is committed to planning for and undertaking this role fully whilst continuing to collaborate effectively with its regional partners.  As such, the Council will focus on local needs and will use its voice to influence the regional recovery process in a way that meets those needs. Outlined in the report presented are the regional structures in place to plan for the recovery phase along with the local and internal structures and the reporting and accountability arrangements. The scale, continued uncertainties and challenges associated with the coronavirus emergency has led to a parallel approach meaning that response and recovery planning are currently operating in tandem at regional and local levels in what can be described as a transitional phase.

The Chair referred to the enormity and complexity of the recovery phase which is made more challenging by the uncertainty and by the risk of a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases. A regional Recovery Co-ordinating Group (RCG) has been established to work alongside the regional Strategic Co-ordinating Group (SCG) which has been responsible for the emergency response phase in North Wales to ensure an aligned and co-ordinated strategic regional approach to recovery planning which mirrors that during the emergency period. The RCG’s early recovery planning is centred on three thematic areas – Health and Care recovery; Economic recovery and Community Resilience recovery each with its dedicated group with oversight and co-ordination provided by existing regional and local structures. Track, Trace and Protect has been lately added as a thematic area.

At a local level, it is proposed that the structures and working relationships established with Menter Môn and Medrwn Môn, with local community delivery and strong volunteer networks, are reinforced and maintained where possible for the recovery period. A positive outcome of the crisis has been the community response and particular thanks are due to all the volunteers who have supported the Council during this difficult time. Economic recovery for all sectors is recognised as especially important and the Council will need to determine how it can deliver services differently to enable economic development and job creation whilst at the same time playing its part in a “green recovery”. The importance and value of the tourism and hospitality sector cannot be underestimated and the Council will seek to maximise the opportunities that exist as part of the new normal to reinvent the Island as a tourist destination. Social Services will continue to safeguard the citizens of Anglesey both within the community and in residential settings. Consequently the resilience in the staffing of Social Services will have to be considered and managed to ensure business continuity.

In terms of internal structures and governance arrangements, consistency and alignment with the regional co-ordination structures is important, whilst also ensuring that local delivery plans are established, prioritised and resourced. The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will be responsible for recovery planning and delivery with the Executive providing oversight for the recovery planning and delivery efforts and making decisions on resource allocation and/or redirection as appropriate. The SLT will engage and fully utilise the two Programme Boards (recently expanded to include the four political group leaders) to influence and inform the recovery planning progress. The political groups and Scrutiny Committees as they return to business will need to consider the recovery plans. The recovery work will be phased in gradually as the Council eases through the unlocking period safely.

The Deputy Chief Executive in advising on the detailed substance of the report highlighted the following points-

•           Although the outlook in terms of moving towards recovery appears promising the situation can change suddenly and rapidly. The Council must be prepared for such a scenario and be ready to take a step-back and amend plans where necessary.

•           Local work in terms of establishing where the Council is at currently and the direction in which it wants to go has begun some weeks ago, and whilst some elements of recovery will be within the control of the Council, most aspects will be dependent on the resource and policy interventions of Welsh Government and to a lesser extent, Central Government. In drawing up its recovery plans therefore, the Council will seek to establish at an early stage the areas where it can take action itself either through expenditure or by doing things differently, and those areas where the decisions fall within the domain of national or central governments. Regional co-operation will be key in successfully bringing influence to bear on the interventions to ensure they are timely and meet the needs of the Island.

•           One of the key messages from the crisis is that when decisions are made in a timely way and, where it has a role to play, they are made in conjunction with local government, then it has been possible to address the challenges that exist be they within the community, the economy or elsewhere.

•           That for the present, the Council will continue to focus on dealing with the crisis whilst keeping an eye on the recovery process. Whilst it is recognised that recovering from the crisis will pose many challenges, the recovery process also offers opportunities deriving from the good practices that have been developed during the crisis period for example working collaboratively with partners and volunteers, working remotely and making use of digital tools thereby saving on time and resources and reducing carbon. The Council will need to review the opportunities that are available to it and assess how it can best act on those opportunities to work more effectively and efficiently in future.

•           The Council will have to prioritise the use of time and resources which are limited, and this will be challenging. Also, the recovery process should not be seen as something separate or detached but needs to be integrated within and become a natural part of services’ plans and day to day work over the course of the next eighteen months in much the same way as information technology, equality and Welsh language requirements have become embedded in the Council’s daily business over time.

•           Recovery is also as much about how the Council does business as what it does and provides an opportunity to develop the Council and to bring forward and accelerate planned changes in terms of making the Council more energy and carbon efficient for example. Throughout the focus will remain local, and whilst the Council is committed to collaborating and to working alongside its partners in the region, it will prioritise the Island and seek to make a difference where it can.

The Executive welcomed the report as informative and highlighted the key principles informing the initial approach outlined in the report  – taking a measured and proportionate approach to thematic work; working flexibly but not slavishly, within the Government’s recovery strategy; using the existing regional partnership frameworks to the full; balancing regionalism and localism in planning and action; avoiding the creation of bureaucratic machinery and empowering regional leaders to give political strategic direction – as providing a sound and sensible steer to the recovery process.

Members of the Executive referred to the following as key messages they had taken  from the response to the pandemic crisis thus far –

•           The importance of maintaining and building on the excellent community and volunteer response to the crisis which has provided valuable support for the Council’s own community and emergency response efforts.

•           The importance of making more use of digital democracy methods - virtual meetings and remote working - to save time and resources and to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint. This will require investment in IT services.

•           The importance of using the Council’s ability to adapt to new risks, challenges and demands as demonstrated by its response to the crisis, to implement lasting improvements to services and processes.

•           The importance of collaborating regionally to bring influence to bear on Westminster and Welsh Government interventions to ensure that the needs of the region and in particular the needs of Anglesey, are met.

The Vice-Chair noted the intention to reinvent the Island as a destination and requested a report on how this aspiration might be achieved. The Chief Executive in confirming that such a paper was already in the offing said that it was also the intention to develop concrete action plans under each thematic heading to publicise what will happen in a practical sense under each theme. A further progress report will be made to the Executive’s August meeting which will set out those plans more fully. She echoed the Deputy Chief Executive’s comments about the challenges ahead agreeing that there would also be opportunities for the Council borne out of the good practices applied as part of the emergency response. The Council will be taking advantage of the new ways of working developed during the crisis whilst also retaining many of the established processes.

It was resolved to endorse the Council’s approach to early recovery planning with priority and focus given to local delivery and achieving positive outcomes.