Agenda and minutes

Corporate Scrutiny Committee, Council Offices, Llangefni and virtually via Zoom, Corporate Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 19th November, 2024 2.00 pm

A number of council meetings are live-streamed.

All meetings are also uploaded after the event onto the our webcasting site.

Venue: Committee Room, Council Offices and virtually via Zoom

Contact: Ann Holmes 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declaration of Interest

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

Minutes:

No declaration of interest was received.

 

2.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 199 KB

To present the minutes of the previous meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 16 October 2024.

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 16 October, 2024, were presented and were confirmed as correct and progress in respect of the actions agreed was noted.

 

3.

Performance Monitoring: Corporate Scorecard Q2 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 426 KB

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

Minutes:

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report by the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard which portrayed the Council’s performance against the strategic objectives outlined in the Council Plan at the end of the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.

Councillor Carwyn Jones gave an overview of the scorecard report highlighting the inclusion of quarterly trend information and comparison with Q2 2023/24 performance. While the majority (85%) of the indicators with targets monitored during the quarter performed well against their targets (Green or Yellow RAG), six indicators in relation to Education, Housing, Economy, Climate Change and Whole Council Health (the percentage of FOI requests responded to within timescale) are shown to be underperforming. A detailed analysis of these indicators is provided in the report along with mitigations and they are being monitored and investigated by the Leadership Team to secure improvements into the future. Councillor Carwyn Jones also referred to examples of good performance in the quarter in areas relating to business support, social care and wellbeing, school attendance, the timely determination of planning applications, empty properties brought back into use and ongoing electrification of the Council’s fleet vehicles.

 

In scrutinising the scorecard report, the Committee’s members discussed the following matters –

 

  • The reasons for the 9% decline in performance on Quarter 1.
  • Given that six indicators currently have RAG status of Red or Amber against their targets, whether assurances can be given that the Authority will see a sustained improvement in performance by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.
  • The risk that failure to meet recycling targets might incur a Welsh Government penalty
  • The extent to which the financial position at the end of the second quarter (a projected year end overspend) creates a risk for the Council going forward into 2025/26.
  • Clarification of Social Care and Wellbeing indicators (07) and (08) was sought in relation to children re-registered on the Child Protection Register within 12 months of previous removal from the register and the percentage of referrals of children that are re-referrals within 12 months. A request was made to include numerical as well as percentage information to provide context and aid understanding.
  • The decline in performance in quarter 2 with regard to the timely turnaround of properties (Housing indicator 02). A question was asked about the availability of a follow up action plan to the scrutiny review of performance against this indicator.
  • The extent to which capacity and recruitment are barriers to improvement and how those can be facilitated to help the Council meet its business needs.
  • The arrangements for monitoring school suspensions and exclusions and the support provided for children who have been suspended or excluded from school.
  • The decline in the percentage of Welsh language responses to official consultations.
  • The number of businesses receiving support as part of the ARFOR programme.

 

Officers responded to the matters raised above with the following advice and guidance –

 

4.

Môn Actif Strategic Plan 2024-2029 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To present the report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Minutes:

Councillor Neville Evans, Portfolio Member for Leisure, Tourism and Maritime presented the report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development incorporating the Môn Actif draft Strategic Plan for the period 2025 to 2029.

The Môn Actif Strategic Plan provides a clear direction and identifies key priority areas and vision for creating healthy communities over the next five year period. The five priority areas of the Plan link into the wider principles in the Council Plan 2023-28 and focus on Participation, Health and Wellbeing, Workforce Development, Facilities Management, Financial Sustainability and Collaboration. In developing the Plan, the Council’s financial situation has been considered including the decline in core and grant funding coupled with increasing demand for services. The Plan highlights the importance of attracting external funding and the need for appropriate and timely investment in the Council’s leisure centres. A variety of data sources were used to prepare the Plan and they provide strong evidence of the Island’s needs and they will be assessed on an ongoing basis during the five years to ensure the Council makes correct and informed decisions to help improve people’s health and promote being active within communities. Progress will be monitored by the Môn Actif Management Team and Mon Actif Subgroup.

 

The Head of Regulation and Economic Development and Leisure Manager were on hand to respond to questions by the committee. The main points of discussion were as follows:

 

  • The reasons for preparing a strategic plan for Môn Actif and the ways in which the plan connects with the Council Plan
  • The availability of local data to evidence that children on Anglesey are overweight/obese. It was noted that the strategic plan states that 11.2% of children aged 4 and 5 are obese and 14.5% are overweight. Questions were asked about the source of the information, the accuracy of the data and how obesity levels are determined and what follow up support/programmes are therefore available to help address the issue.
  • Whether Mon Actif collaborates with schools to promote healthy eating.
  • Whether the Council’s leisure centres and Mon Actif activities within and beyond them are sustainable
  • The Council’s approach through Môn Actif to persuade more of the population to exercise and to become more active.
  • Whether there are ways of extending Mon Actif activities to increase the number of children who participate in those activities and whether also the number all weather pitches on the Island can be increased
  • The availability of Mon Actif supported evening activities within the community

 

In response to a request by a member, the Head of Housing Services gave a brief outline of the various means of support which Housing Services provide for the vulnerable especially over the Christmas period and confirmed in further response to the member that members are welcome to pay a visit/have a chat with the team about the provision if they so wish. It was agreed that information about the services available would be shared with members.

 

Officers responded to the points raised by the committee as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Local Housing Market Assessment 2023-2028 pdf icon PDF 3 MB

To present the report of the Head of Housing Services.

Minutes:

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Finance and Housing presented the report by the Head of Housing Services incorporating the Local Housing Market Assessment 2023-2028.

 

The Council is statutorily required to undertake a Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA). Every five years, local authorities are required to rewrite their LHMAs and refresh their LMHA during that five year period. The purpose of the LHMA is to provide a broad analysis of the Isle of Anglesey housing market, considering the long-term requirements for housing on Anglesey. The evidence base within the assessment will also be used to inform the Anglesey Housing Strategy as well as part of the Local Development Plan. It also informs strategic housing priorities and local service planning such as education and transport.

 

The Head of Housing Services guided members through the detail of the report including the data collection process and consultation and engagement and referred to some of the challenges involved in the process. As part of the assessment Anglesey is divided into nine housing areas which are defined based on where people currently live and are likely to move. The Head of Housing Services referred to the LMHA results highlighting that the demand for affordable housing, particularly one bedroom social rent units remains exceptionally high.

 

The matters raised in the subsequent discussion were as follows –

 

  • It was noted that the assessment identifies the need for 1 bedroom dwellings. Questions were asked about how this conclusion was reached as well as how unmet housing need would be resolved given that demographic changes could add to the need.
  • The extent to which the assessment will influence future housing policies in formulating the Local Development Plan. Questions were asked about the degree to which the data will be reflected in the LDP especially in relation to the need for 1 bedroom dwellings so that this need is reflected in approved developments.
  • The risks and challenges facing the Council and its delivery partners
  • It was noted that the assessment provides a snapshot of the local housing market at a point in time only and that the Council needs access to “live” data to help plan for its housing needs. It was suggested that Welsh Government be asked to ensure the data is kept up to date and current. It was further noted that while the document provides a factual and numerical assessment of the housing market and highlights the demand for housing, it does not provide answers as to how the issues identified are to be addressed.
  • Whether use of the LHMA data can be made to influence policy more widely.
  • The impact of second homes on the affordability and availability of housing for local people in popular tourist areas locally and nationally. A suggestion was made regarding   increasing the Council Tax premium on empty homes and second homes to the maximum level allowed and questions were asked about other ways of addressing housing supply and affordability as well steps taken to alleviate the impact of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Procurement Strategic Plan 2024-2029 and New Contract Procedure Rules pdf icon PDF 941 KB

To present the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

Minutes:

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Finance and Housing presented the report by the Director of Function (Resources)/

Section 151 Officer incorporating the draft Procurement Strategic Plan and Contract Procedure Rules for comment by the committee prior to their submission to the Executive for approval.

 

The UK Government has revised the legislation in respect of procurement in the public sector and the Procurement Act 2023 will come into force on 24 February 2025.Also, Welsh Government has passed the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023 which places additional responsibilities and duties on public sector organisations in Wales in relation to procurement. The Council commissioned an external company to review the Council’s preparedness for the change in legislation and to provide the Council with an action plan to ensure compliance which covers a number of areas including the overall strategy. The Strategic Plan sets out the Council’s approach to procurement and ensures that the way in which the Council commissions and sources its services, supplies and works is compliant with legislation, internal policies and processes, is ethical, open, fair, transparent and includes economic, social, labour and environmental factors in the process.

 

The change in procurement legislation required the Council to update its Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) which set out the process on how to undertake a procurement exercise, the different procurement methods and when they should be used. The revised CPRs have been drafted to ensure they are flexible enough to allow officers to undertake procurement exercises in the most efficient and effective way while still ensuring that any procurement exercise is controlled and ensures that the Council achieves value for money.

 

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer advised that the Strategic Plan could mean more opportunities to contract with local firms thereby leading to greater local economic benefits.

 

The subsequent discussion focused on the following points –

 

  • Whether the Council has the capacity to take a more innovative approach to procurement and to seek different solutions and models of delivery including internalising contracts where feasible and using technology to reduce the administrative burden.
  • Agreement by members about the importance of contracting with local firms and suppliers thereby increasing the spending that goes into the local economy on Anglesey.
  • Whether there is engagement with local businesses and how and where contracts are advertised.

 

In responding to the points raised, Officers advised as follows –

 

  • That while capacity is a consideration, the Council is committed to innovating where it can within the resources available to it and will explore doing things differently where to do so means increased effectiveness, efficiency and value. The Director of Function (Resources)/ Section 151 Officer cited examples where the Council has internalised contracts but advised that it is not feasible to review all of the Council’s many contracts.
  • That local companies can sometimes view private sector work as more advantageous than working for the public sector and need to be persuaded of the benefits of bidding for contracts with the Council. In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 382 KB

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Manager presented a report incorporating the current version of the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for 2024/25 for review and comment.

 

It was resolved –

 

  • To agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2024/25 as presented.
  • To note the progress thus far in implementing the forward work programme.