Agenda and minutes

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

No declaration of interest was received.

To present the report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard for Quarter 3 2022/23 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The scorecard report portrayed the Council’s position against its wellbeing objectives at the end of Quarter 3, 2022/23.

Councillor Llinos Medi, Leader and Portfolio Member for Economic Development in presenting the report said that with 97% of the Council’s Performance Indicators performing well overall this represents the best performing third quarter against the performance management section target since the creation of the scorecard report. She referred specifically to the performance against the three well-being objectives highlighting that only three PIs are underperforming the reasons for which are documented in the report as are the proposed improvement measures. The report also provides a number of examples of notable performance against the well-being objectives including in Adults’ Services, Housing Services with regard to homelessness and the number of empty homes brought back into use; waste management, and in the Learning Service in relation to the percentage of pupils assessed in Welsh at the end of the Foundation Phase which stands at 100%. Although the Council’s attendance PI is Amber against its target at this stage the data does include coronavirus related absences for the first time without which the performance would have been ragged Yellow. Also, Quarter 3 which covers the months leading into winter can be a challenging period.

·      The Committee welcomed the encouraging picture at Quarter 3 and wanted to know what arrangements were in place to recognise the successes. The Committee was advised that as well as monitoring underperformance, the Strategic Leadership Team also recognises areas of good performance. Y Ddolen – The Link is used for internal messaging including promoting good practice and communicating successes and as regards reporting to a wider audience, Elected Members have a role to play in publicising the Council’s achievements and what it is doing well so as to provide assurance to the Island’s residents that improvements are being made.

·      The Committee in noting that some indicators were underperforming at the end of Quarter 3 sought further information about the progress monitoring arrangements for those indicators to bring performance back on track. The Committee was advised that the Council has well-established and proven performance management arrangements; this includes the Corporate Scorecard and associated report   which consist of a combination of locally and nationally set indicators. The scorecard highlights how the Council’s day to day activities are being delivered and provides the intelligence to enable a proactive approach to be taken to performance management including mitigating actions agreed by the Strategic Leadership Team to deliver improvement. Additionally, Heads of Service monitor performance within their service on an ongoing basis.

·      The Committee noted that the Council’s performance against the attendance at work performance indicator was Amber at the end of Quarter 3 and queried how this compares with the Council’s previous performance. The Committee was advised that the performance for the quarter is a decline on that of the last three  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

To present the report of the Head of Housing Services.

The report of the Head of Housing Services incorporating the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan 2023-2053 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

Councillor Gary Pritchard, Portfolio Member for Children, Youth and Housing Services presented the Business Plan as reflecting the Council’s vision that “everyone has the right to call somewhere home.” The HRA finances all of the Council’s operations in its role as registered social landlord and provides a financially viable plan for the Council’s housing stock. An important element of the HRA is the commitment to expanding the Council’s housing stock to meet differing housing needs across the Island which as the Portfolio Holder he was proud to endorse.

The Head of Housing Services advised that the Council is required to submit its application for Welsh Government’s Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) along with the 30-year HRA Business Plan to Welsh Government by 31 March in order to secure the annual MRA which for 2023/24 is £2.688m. The Plan forms the primary tool for financial planning of the delivery and management of the Council’s housing stock and demonstrates how the Council brings all its stock to Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS); how it intends to maintain and work towards the new WQHS to be shortly agreed by Welsh Government and the investment needed to finance the Council’s new council house development programme. The Council is committed to continuing with its energy efficiency and decarbonisation work with £1m earmarked to target a further 250 multiple Solar OV system installations. In addition, £8.749m has been budgeted for in 2023/24 for the development programme of new council housing and acquisition of former council housing on the Island. The Business Plan assumes a development programme of 45 units in 2023/24 and throughout the period of the Plan. The Business Plan has been stress tested to take account of risks both individually and collectively and it remains viable over the 30-year period of the plan.

The Committee considered the contents of the HRA Business Plan and the following issues were discussed –

·      The ways in which the proposed strategy enables the Council to realise the strategic priorities in the Council Plan for 2023-28. The Committee was advised that the vision at the heart of the HRA Business Plan is ensuring that everyone has the right to call somewhere home which accords with one of the strategic objectives in the Council Plan. Essential to realising this vision is ensuring the development of the right homes in the right place and in the right numbers which it is believed the Strategy enables. In response to questions about the reacquisition of former council houses that are now being used as holiday homes, the Head of Housing Services confirmed that the Council seeks to reacquire at least 15 former council houses per annum and will buy back in excess of that number if opportunity and resources allow. However, whilst the Council cannot buy private properties for council housing purposes as they would not meet WHQS standards, it does  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To present the report of the Director of Social Services.

The report of the Director of Social Services setting out the latest progress and developments within Adults’ and Children and Families’ Services was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

Councillors Alun Roberts and Gary Pritchard, Portfolio Members for Adults’ Services and Children’s Services respectively provided a summary of the progress highpoints within the two services as outlined in the report and made particular reference to Care Inspectorate Wales’s Performance Evaluation Report of Social Services on Anglesey which was published in December, 2022 and which summarised the findings from the Inspectorate’s inspection of Anglesey Adults and Children and Families’ Services carried out in October, 2022. The report reflected positively on several areas and identified a number of strengths as well as areas for improvement. An internal working group has been established to address those areas. Recruitment challenges remain and are replicated nationally especially with regard to residential care home staff and domiciliary care workers. The Service continues to work closely with Coleg Menai and with colleagues within the Authority’s HR function to attract people to the social care profession in Anglesey’s Social Services.

The Director of Social Services provided information about the context of the progress report that has been presented to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Executive in the last few years firstly on a quarterly basis and latterly every six months saying that it was to provide assurance about the progress of Children and Families Services’ performance following a critical CIW report back in 2016, and lately the performance of Adults’ Services as well. The assurance which those progress reports as well as the Director of Social Services’ annual report have provided about the improvement journey of Children and Families’ Services has now been reinforced by the recent Care Inspectorate Wales report which also comments positively about Adults’ Services. Both Children and Families’ Services and Adults’ Services are now producing new Service Development Plans consolidating and building on the progress made and these will be presented to and scrutinised by the Social Services Scrutiny Panel.

In considering the report, the Committee discussed the following –

·      The arrangements in place to monitor progress against areas that need attention. The Committee was advised of the multiple ways in which progress is tracked and assurance provided including through the close and constant relationship the Service has with regulators; through corporate and democratic processes including Scrutiny and the Executive, through the Strategic Leadership Team which provides high level oversight, and through regular meetings, audit reviews, and performance monitoring internally within the service itself. Social Services also collaborate closely with partners in Health and other areas to identify challenges.

·      The priority work streams for the Social Services Scrutiny Panel over the next period. The Committee was advised that these will be driven by the Care Inspectorate Wales report with regard to the areas identified for continued focus and by the Children and Families’ Services and Adults’ Services Service Development Plans.

·      The intention not to report progress on Social Services improvements to the Corporate Scrutiny  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager incorporating the Committee’s Forward Work Programme to April 2023 was presented for consideration.

The Scrutiny Manager advised that recent changes to the Executive have resulted in a vacant place on the Committee and on the Social Services Scrutiny Panel. Consequently, the business for the Committee’s April 2023 meeting will now also include an item to nominate a member of the Committee to serve on the Panel.

It was resolved –

·      To agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2022/23.

·      To note the progress thus far in implementing the Forward Work Programme.