Agenda and minutes

In the absence of Councillor Dyfed Wyn Jones, Vice-Chair, Councillor Geraint Bebb was elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee for this meeting only.

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

No declaration of interest was received.

To present the minutes of the previous meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 19 September, 2023.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 19 September, 2023 were presented and were confirmed as correct.

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 2 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The scorecard report portrays the current end of Quarter 2 position against matters relating to customer service, people and financial management and performance management.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as conveying a positive picture of performance overall at the end of the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year with 91% of the performance indicators performing above or within 5% tolerance of their targets. A number of areas where indicators have performed well were highlighted including in relation to waste management, highways, Adults’ Services and Children’s and Families’ Services, and homelessness. Although a full analysis of the corporate health performance indicators for the quarter had not been possible, the majority (67%) of the indicators with available data against targets monitored in this section are performing well and are ragged Green or Yellow. With regard to days lost to absence per FTE, the Council’s performance is Red with 4.21 days lost to absence per FTE against a target of 3.82 days mainly due to long-term sickness which equates to 62% of the absence rate for Quarter 2. Areas showing as underperforming in relation to the average days taken to deliver a Disabled Facilities grant and the turnaround of lettable units of accommodation in Housing Services and the percentage of planning appeals dismissed are being monitored by the Leadership Team to secure improvements into the future as is the number of FOI requests responded to within timescale because of the lack of available data for the second quarter for this activity. The financial position continues to be challenging with a budget overspend being forecasted for the year end.

In assessing and scrutinising the performance for the Council’s key indicators at the end of the second quarter of 2023/24, the Committee challenged the Portfolio Members and Officers on the following matters –

·         Accepting that 91% of the Authority’s performance indicators either exceed or are within 5% tolerance of their targets at the end of Quarter 2, assurance was sought that the remaining 3 underperforming indicators will improve. Additionally, it was noted that approximately 12 PIs that are currently showing as Green are trending downwards and it was queried whether this was a cause for concern.

·         The absence of any indicator to denote progress with addressing climate change and the Council’s commitment to becoming a net zero organisation by 2030.

·         Noting that there continues to be a reported projected overspend on the Council’s budget at the end of Quarter 2 the Committee sought clarification of the measures being taken to manage budget pressures.

·         That the scorecard reports an increase in the average days lost to absence per FTE. The Committee wanted to know what actions are being pursued to bring the performance of this indicator back on target and whether Covid-19 was still a factor in sickness absence.

·         The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To present the report of the Head of Housing Services.

The report of the Head of Housing Services incorporating the Empty Homes Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2028 was presented for the Committee’s consideration and scrutiny.

The report and Strategy were presented by Councillor Llinos Medi, the Council’s Leader who referred to the success of the previous strategy in returning 525 properties back into use since 2017. Similarly the purpose of the successor plan is to ensure that the number of empty properties is kept to a minimum and to encourage owners to bring them back into use. It sets out how the Council deals with empty properties and forms part of the range of housing solutions which will assist in achieving the objectives of the Council Plan 2023-28. The importance of working in partnership with property owners and other services in addressing empty properties was emphasised and the case studies contained within the report were highlighted by the Leader as examples of successful interventions bringing derelict properties back into use as much needed social housing.

The Housing Services Manager in reporting on the contents of the strategic plan said that empty properties are a wasted resource especially so at a time when the pressures on the housing market and rental sector are increasing. The aim through the plan is to work with and encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into use preferably by negotiation and agreement but with recourse to enforcement action should that be necessary and as a last resort. The Housing Service recognises that working together with other services and agencies is the most effective way of dealing with the various aspects of empty properties and the strategic plan has been developed on the basis of partnership working. The Service also aims to draw down value by delivering financial support via Welsh Government grants and loans as well as utilising the Council Tax Premium to ensure the best use of available resources and capacity which are modest in comparison with the output of 525 properties brought back into use since 2017.

In considering the Empty Homes Strategic Plan the Committee raised the following issues –

·      The challenges in encouraging the owners of empty properties in the private sector to engage with the Council.

·      Noting that 77 properties have been recorded as being empty for over 10 years and 128 recorded as being empty for between 5 and 10 years, the Committee wanted to know how many long-term empty properties had been returned to use since 2017.

·      The ways in which the Strategic Plan contributes to achieving the priorities of the Council Plan 2023-28

·      The extent to which the Council is dependent on partners and grant funding to make the Strategic Plan a reality.

·      Requested that the Committee be provided with details of the Plan’s governance arrangements as regards monitoring and evaluation along with the Action Plan when issued.

The Leader and Officers provided the Committee with further advice and assurance as follows –

·      That in developing the Strategic Plan a survey was sent to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To present the report of the Director of Social Services.

The report of the Director of Social Services which documented progress to date in Children and Families’ Services and in Adults’ Services was presented for the Committee’s consideration. Attached to the report for information purposes was the Social Services Representations and Complaints Procedure Annual Report for 2022/23 along with the first issue of the Age Friendly Anglesey Newsletter.

The Head of Adults’ Services provided an overview of recent activities and developments in Adults’ Services as those were outlined in the report and reference was made to service developments with regard to Learning Disabilities Day Services and Domiciliary Care. The visit to the Anglesey Dementia Centre in Llangefni by the Welsh Government’s Minister for Health and Social Care and Anglesey’s becoming a member of the World Health Organisation’s Network of Age Friendly Communities and Cities were also highlighted.

The Director of Social Services summarised the ongoing work in Children and Families’ Services including work to become a Trauma Informed Island and to progress the Virtual School Model as well as the first year of summer activities by the Youth Service. Particular mention was made of the two awards won by Maethu Môn Cymru at the 2023 Fostering Excellence Awards with the service having been successful in the “Fostering Network Award for Kinship Carers” and the “Fostering Network Award for a Social Work Team.”

In documenting Social Services activities as part of the latest progress update and journey the Director of Social Services highlighted the pressures on both Children and Families’ Services and Adults’ Services in the form of recruitment challenges which are not unique to Anglesey and increasing demand and complexity of needs which in turn have implications for the budgets of both services.

In reviewing the report the Committee discussed the following matters –

·      Noting and acknowledging the developments to date and recognising that the upcoming winter period could prove challenging, the Committee wanted to know what the priorities for Social Services over this next period were.

·      The reasons behind the increase in demand across both services and whether this is an area that might benefit from closer examination by the Social Services Scrutiny Panel.

·      The deployment of agency staff from outside Wales in the Council’s Cartrefi Clyd from the perspective of cost and the provision of a bilingual service.

·      The provision and availability of dementia services.

·      That it would have been helpful to have received feedback regarding the actions taken and improvements made as a result of complaints and comments received in the Annual Representations and Complaints Procedure Report for 2022/23.

Officers responded to the issues raised by the Committee as follows –

·      By advising that Social Services in the coming months will be looking at the ways in which services for clients are provided with a view not to reduce the level of service provided but to ascertain whether services can be provided differently e.g. by greater use of technology in service delivery and by closer co-operation with partners in the Health Service to work more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager requesting the Committee to nominate one of its members to serve on the Social Services Scrutiny Panel and Corporate Parenting Panel was presented for consideration. The panel’s terms of reference were provided for information and to assist with the selection process. The vacancy on the Panel had arisen following the resignation of Councillor Alwen Watkin who was among the cohort of elected members representing the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on the Panel.

It was resolved to nominate Councillor Ieuan Williams to serve on the Social Services Scrutiny Panel and Corporate Parenting Panel.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager incorporating the Committee’s Forward Work Programme to April, 2024 was presented for consideration.

The Scrutiny Manager referred to arrangements for the Committee’s January 2024 meeting and confirmed that following consultation and with the agreement of the Chair, it was proposed that two meetings of the Committee be convened in January on the new date of Tuesday 16 January (instead of 18 January) the one in the morning and the other in the afternoon whereby one meeting will be dedicated to consideration of the 2024/25 Budget and the other to the remaining scheduled items. She recommended the Forward Work Programme to the Committee with the proposed changes.

It was resolved –

·      To agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2023/24 subject to the amended arrangements for January 2024 and

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