Agenda and minutes

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

Councillor Jackie Lewis declared a personal interest only when item 5 was discussed on account of her employment with Menter Môn to which reference is made in the Delivery Document.

To present the minutes of the previous meetings of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on the following dates –

·      27 February 2024

·      12 March 2024

·      21 May 2024

The minutes of the previous meetings of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 27 February, 2024, 12 March, 2024 and 21 May 2024 (election of Chair and Vice-Chair) 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 4 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The scorecard report portrays the 2023/24 end of year position against the Council’s well-being objectives.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as the best performing Q4 scorecard report since the scorecard was introduced as a performance management tool with 92% of the performance indicators performing above or within a 5% tolerance of their targets for the year. He referred to specific instances of notable performances including within Adults’ Services, Children and Families’ Services and Homelessness Service where the performance had met or exceeded the targets for the year. Other examples of good performance were to be found in relation to the percentage of pupils assessed in Welsh at the end of the Foundation Phase (100%), the number pf properties brought back into use (71 against a target of 50) and the NERS programme where 81% of the clients attending the programme felt that it had benefited their health. Planning and Waste Management indicators had also achieved their targets. The report highlights some remaining challenges with regard to FOI processing and responses, the percentage of Year 11 leavers who are classed as NEET and the average number of days taken to deliver a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) where targets had not been met. These areas will be monitored by the Leadership Team to ensure improvements into the future.

The Committee thanked Officers and staff for their contribution towards a positive end of year scorecard report and Members noted the examples of standout performances during the year. In scrutinising the report the following were points of discussion by the Committee –

·      The underperformance of Indicator 3 (NEET) which at 4% was below target and represented a decline on the performance of the previous two years. Questions were asked about the context to the indicator, the reasons for the missed target as well as the mitigation measures in place to halt the decline and improve the performance in this area.

·      The arrangements for bringing positive influence to bear on those indicators where the current performance is on target but where the trend is downwards.

·      The performance of indicator 09 (the percentage of FOI requests responded to within timescale) which at 80% was 10% off target. Suggestions were made regarding possible approaches to be taken to improve performance by way of focusing on proactive disclosure, clarity and accessibility, communication and feedback and handling basic requests efficiently, and two publications were cited as sources of information/case studies which could be looked at to improve the way FOI requests are addressed and to clear the backlog.

·      The continued underperformance of indicator 28 (delivery of DFGs) and whether performance is being impacted by the unavailability of contractors and budget constraints. Questions were also asked about engagement and communication with business organisations and the publicity given to opportunities for being included on the list  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

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

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Council’s annual self-assessment report for 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as the third self-assessment report produced by the Council under the Local Government and Elections Act 2021. The report provides an evidential basis of how the Council has performed over the year using its available resources whilst managing and mitigating associated risks. Of the seven key areas which are the focus of the self-assessment, four areas (service planning, financial planning, workforce planning and performance management) are assessed as exceeding expectations while three areas (asset management, procurement and contract management, and risk and audit management) are assessed as meeting expectations. Additionally, the report identifies several areas as presenting opportunities for improvement and monitoring throughout 2024/25.

In considering the report, the following were points of discussion by the Committee –

·                     The action plan and timescales to ensure continued improvement with regard to asset management which is an area assessed as meeting expectations (yellow).

·                     Whether assurances can be given that the three key areas assessed as meeting expectations will continue to improve.

·                     With regard to procurement and contract management, clarification of the specialist law contract at a value of £3m was requested.

Officers responded to the points raised as follows –

·           That a new Asset Management Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2029 was approved by the Council in May 2024 which focuses on four key priority areas in relation to the suitability of the Council’s assets, the sustainability of its assets, collaboration in planning and managing assets as a corporate resource, and asset planning that is data driven. These identify numerous steps to be taken to improve the Council’s asset management arrangements. Implementation of the Plan which spans the medium term, is in its infancy and timescales for the identified actions are being determined with the priority being to establish a sound asset information database which will drive subsequent actions in the other priority areas.

·           That an external procurement specialist has been engaged to look at the Council’s current procurement arrangements and its readiness for the significant changes to be introduced to public sector procurement in October 2024 by the new Procurement Act which will also apply in Wales. They have developed a two-year action plan for improvements focused on creating a new procurement strategy and its integration into service plans, governance, and the incorporation of the new regulations within the Council’s Constitution, the creation of a procurement handbook for staff, definition of roles and responsibilities, the structure and skillset of the Procurement team, data collection and performance reporting of procurement activity. The external procurement specialist has also been re-engaged to provide support in delivering the action plan.

·               That risk management which is currently located within the Internal Audit Service includes arrangements for reviewing corporate and service risk registers and ensuring they are kept up to date as well as regular reporting to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

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

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Annual Delivery Document for 2024/25 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as setting out the Council’s key work streams for 2024/25 which will contribute towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Council Plan 2023-2028.

In considering the contents of the Annual Delivery Document, the following were points of discussion by the Committee –

·      The ways in which the proposed Delivery Document aligns with the Council Plan.

·      The rationale for setting a target of immersing 96 pupils with little or no Welsh skills through language centres.

·      Given the extension of voting rights to 16-year-olds in Senedd and local elections in Wales and the Council’s commitment to ensuring that there are opportunities for children and young people’s voices to be heard, the ways in which the Council proposes to better engage young people in local democracy and use their vote, and whether schools should be educating young people about the different forms, tiers, and evolution of democracy.

·      The risks and challenges in seeking to achieve the priorities set for 2024/25.

·      Whether the commitment to develop thirty new homes is sufficiently ambitious.

·      How the Council proposes to reach and influence communities with regard to its climate change ambitions.

·      The publicity given to the Anglesey Local Development Plan Delivery Agreement document and the extent of its distribution/circulation for public awareness.

·      In light of the magnitude and strategic importance of nuclear development to the Island’s economy and wider afield, it was suggested and supported by Committee that a specific and separate line of reference to Wylfa be included under the Delivery Document’s economic commitments. Likewise it was suggested and supported by Committee that a specific reference to the Council’s commitment to engaging with the business sector be also included in the same section of the Document.

Officers responded to the points raised as follows –

·      That the Delivery Document has been crafted to align with the strategic priorities of the Council Plan and sets out the activities which the Council will undertake in 2024/25 and how those reflect what the Council has committed to achieve by 2028 in the Council Plan. The Council’s performance will be reviewed at the end of 2024/25 to assess the extent to which it has achieved its objectives for the year and how those have contributed towards realising the priorities of the Council Plan.

·      That the Director of the Education, Skills, and Young People would be asked to clarify the basis of the target for immersing 96 pupils with little or no Welsh skills through language centres and the information circulated to the Committee’s members.

·      That there is within the Council an officer post whose responsibilities include promoting and highlighting the importance of voting among 16-year-olds and a work programme has been developed to support those endeavours chiefly through current networks and through collaboration with the colleges and school sixth form classes.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group.

The report of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee established to examine the performance of indicator 29 (the average number of calendar days taken to let a lettable unit of accommodation excluding Difficult to Let units) with a view to improving the performance was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The report and Panel findings were presented by Councillor Ieuan Williams, Chair of the Panel who provided an overview of the scope, methodology and objectives of the Panel along with its conclusions and recommendations as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report. The Panel had made four recommendations to the Executive as a means of improving the local performance against Key Performance Indicator 29. Councillor Ieuan Williams also referred to the lessons learnt from the task and finish project including whether a group of this nature undertaking a time limited exercise is the most effective way of investigating performance. Suggestions were made regarding possible alternative mechanisms for improving productivity and performance.

The Committee thanked both the Panel for its time and work, the Officers who reported to the Panel and those who supported the Panel in conducting its business.

The Chief Executive added his thanks for the work undertaken and recommended a minor amendment to the wording of recommendation (1) to include reference to the year to which the performance target would apply to the effect that the local performance target for KPI 29 for 2025/26 be set at 35 calendar days to relet lettable units of accommodation (excluding difficult to let units).

It was resolved –

·      To approve the final report of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group together with its key findings and 4 individual recommendations as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report with the amendment to the wording of recommendation (1) as outlined.

·      To agree that the final report be submitted for approval by the Executive.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager incorporating the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for 2024/25 was presented for consideration.

It was resolved to agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2024/25 as presented.