Agenda item

To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

Submitted – a report by the Chief Executive in relation to the Council’s response to date to the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with its responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 in relation to emergency preparation and response co-ordination at local level.

The Chief Executive reported that the response to the pandemic is still ongoing and   uncertain and challenging times for all concerned will be experienced. Although the Council has been primarily focused on responding to the Covid-19 emergency it has in recent weeks planned for a programme of recovery and a gradual opening of public services. The Chief Executive referred to the excellent work undertaken by the staff, elected members and partner’s organisation within the communities.

The Deputy Chief Executive gave a detailed report in respect of the Council’s response to the pandemic and the joint working with the third sector.  He refer specifically to :-

·           Governance Arrangements – emergency planning governance arrangements were put in place nationally, regionally and locally to lead the response to the pandemic. On a regional level, this has been lead and co-ordinated by the Local Resilience Forum (where the public sector works collaboratively) through the emergency Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG).  The Council has fully contributed to work of specific thematic sub-groups reporting to the SCG on Health and Social Care, Excess deaths, Media and PPE. 

·           Key Risk Areas – a specific emergency risk register was created at the outset and has been reviewed and updated weekly. The key risks have been prioritised in terms of time and effort and these have included care homes, contact tracing and testing, personal protective equipment, dealing with outbreaks, supporting vulnerable families, the impact on the Council’s finances and the impact on the Council’s workforce.

·           Outputs of the Community Workstream (including inputs from Medrwn Môn and Menter Môn

All services within the County Council have worked well together to meet the needs of the residents of Anglesey during the pandemic; however, the needs of residents have varied throughout the pandemic.  The co-working between key services has been outstanding during this period and this has included creative and different service delivery. On Anglesey, a partnership was established to provide support for vulnerable persons in the communities within the first weeks of the pandemic. 

The Council set up a dedicated emergency response phone line and was open 7 days a week.  Information, advice and assistance within the local communities was available via a Single Point of Access in the community facilitated by Medrwn Môn and support from Local Asset Co-ordinators (community agents who connect individuals to community assets and services).  During the lockdown period two pop up foodbanks were established on the Island, one in Llangefni and the other in Menai Bridge through the food work stream which included Housing Services, Anglesey Food Bank and CAB.  The additional foodbanks worked in conjunction with the established foodbanks operating at Holyhead and Amlwch.  During the lockdown period and up to the 28^th of July a total of 742 food packages were distributed from the 4 foodbanks operating on the Island.  Menter Môn in conjunction with Dylan’s Restaurant established the Negas project which distributed food packages to individuals during the period.  Also, Medrwn Môn run a Voluntary Sector Point of Access and Social Prescribing Programme called Môn Community Link which was used to co-ordinate the community support element of the response. 

The outcome of the partnership working between the Isle of Anglesey County Council and Medrwn Môn can be viewed at 5.1.3 of the report. 

·           Collaboration in terms of Testing and Test, Trace, Protect Strategy (TTP

The Council recognised it had a key role to play in mobilising local tier activity in line with National Guidance.  The Authority reviewed the Strategy and liaised with other local authorities, Public Health Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to establish a Contact Tracing pilot project on the Island to inform the development of the Regional TTP approach.  An employed team is now in place to ensure the Contact Tracing process is effectively delivered until March 2021.   It was noted that the 2Sisters outbreak at its Llangefni Poultry factory was effectively managed and it did not spread into the community. 

·           Lessons Learned and Way Forward

In dealing with any emergency and ensuring the Council develops further there need to reflect and learn and capture key information to inform future planning. An initial reflection and learning exercise was undertaken in late June 2020.  This took the form of a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) which was completed individually by members of the management team within the service areas and collated into a single submission by the Heads of Service/Directors. 

The Chair welcomed the Chief Officer of Medrwn Môn to the meeting and she was asked to comment as regards to the joint working with the Authority during the pandemic.

The Chief Officer, Medrwn Môn said that the excellent partnership working with the Authority over the years has benefited the work undertaken during these uncertain time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  She outlined the joint working as regards to the Place Shaping, Community Links and the Good Turns Scheme within the local communities and the work in partnership with Menter Môn.  

The Committee considered the report and made the following points:-

·           Questions were raised whether the Council has prioritised and managed its resources effectively in response to the emergency.  The Deputy Chief Executive responded that the Authority needed to address the emergency response and to continue to be able to afford essential services to the residents of the Island.  He noted that at the beginning of the pandemic undertaken to secure PPE was paramount for the staff of the authority and the volunteers who were supporting the Council.  Work was also undertaken with local businesses to enable support with essential provisions to enable the work with the third sector in their work within the local communities.  He further said that the Council established its own Track and Trace Programme which has now been afforded nationally.  He was of the view that the Council has prioritised and managed its resources effectively;

·           Questions raised whether the Council would have responded differently to support the communities and local business during the emergency situation.  The Leader of the Council responded that it was important to communicate nationally and to learn lessons from each local authority.  The Chief Executive said that it was important to monitor the data from Public Health Wales and to challenge the data received nationally and to challenge data which has been delayed;

·           Reference was made to community tensions as regards to tourist visiting the Island. Clarification was sought as to the joint working with the Police to alleviate these community tensions.  The Deputy Chief Executive responded that there is a 3 tier process as regards to address the emergency.  The Police Service chairs the Response Group and work has been undertaken regionally within the group.  Work has been undertaken to share information as regards to policing the Island through the local Police Station in Llangefni  and the Public Protection Department has also work closely with the police in visiting businesses on the Island to make sure that they conform to pandemic rules within their premises;

·           Reference was made that at the beginning of the pandemic that the local health board was under pressure to assure relevant number of beds available to address the pandemic.  It was expressed that a number of people were discharged from local hospitals back into residential homes without been tested for the virus between March and April.  The Leader of the Council said that the concerns as regards to people been discharged from hospitals was raised at the WLGA Leaders Group and political pressure was put to change the policy of testing people before discharging from hospital back into residential and care homes.  She noted that the Social Services Department established a procedure to meet with the residential and care homes regularly and a Team was established to support the Homes to enable appropriate regular testing.  The Interim Director of Social Services said that data from the Homes was received in the beginning on a weekly basis to ascertain where people were moving from the hospital to the Homes;

·           Questions were raised as to what process is in place to safeguard the most vulnerable persons within the Island who did not take advantage of the food banks and help with collecting prescriptions.  The Interim Director of Social Services expressed that not all the people who received shielding letters were people who had previously required support from the Social Services Department and a procedure needed to be put in place, with the support of Medrwn Môn, to contact all the people on the Island who had received a shielding letter to ascertain their needs.  Reference was made that the furlough scheme will also be coming into an end in October and there is a possibility of more people needing support for services afforded by the Council.  The Chief Executive responded that around 29% of the population of Anglesey are on the governments furlough scheme and it is of deep concern as to what the Government intends to support these people when the scheme comes to an end.  The Deputy Chief Executive expressed that it is of concern that people might face deprivation not only to individuals put to the whole family including children.  The Authority through its services can support these people but it is a matter for Welsh Government and Central Government to put in place another scheme to support people who have been on the furlough scheme or to invest in other schemes available;

·           Questions raised as to the robustness of the Council in planning for Recovery,  The Deputy Chief Executive responded that during the summer work to prepare  Recovery Plans was put in place but since the last two weeks it is likely that a second wave of the pandemic is faced.  He further said that a mature draft of the Economic Recovery Plan and a Tourism Recovery Plan has been produced. Current efforts are focussed on the emergency and business as usual.

The Committee wished to thank the Council’s Officers on the way that they have dealt with the pandemic and praise also for the organisational response in terms of the support provided to businesses and communities.  The Committee also wished to thank the Leader of the Council for her hard work.

It was RESOLVED:-

·           To note the Council’s response to the pandemic thus far;

·           To agree its priorities for scrutinising areas of Council’s response to the emergency during 2020/21 and beyond;

·           To recommend to the Executive that the Programme Boards submit regular progress reports to both scrutiny committees on recovery planning and delivery for the next norm.