Agenda and minutes

Apologies as recorded above.

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

No declaration of interest received.

To submit, for confirmation,  the minutes of the meeting held on 13 May, 2014.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 May, 2014 were confirmed.

To receive a presentation by Officers from  North Wales Police.

The Chair welcomed Superintendent Alex Goss (Head of the FCC) and Mr Paul Shea (Call Centre Manager) to the meeting to give a presentation on the North Wales Police Communications Centre.

Superintendent Goss stated that this presentation has been provided to all the other North Wales local authorities on the services provided by the North Wales Police Communications Centre.  The call centre is shared with the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.   It was stated that the Call Centre answers emergency and non-emergency calls from the public, officers and other agencies and undertakes any searches or intelligence checks prior to/during police response.  The facility has 55 staff and provides a bilingual service.  In 2013 the call centre received over 500,000 calls.

An example of inappropriate use of the facilities was reported to the Committee.  Over 22,000 calls do not require Police attendance; these calls are mainly requiring an incident number for insurance claims or for civil disputes.

Issues raised by Members :-

·      Further publicity needs to be made to alleviate the inappropriate use of the emergency 999 call system in respect of non-urgent matters.  The Officers responded that a campaign is been made at present in respect of the improper use of the emergency call system.

·      Questions rose in relation to possible funding by the police authority of the recently terminated CCTV facility on Anglesey.  The Officers responded that the Police Authority is also experiencing financial cut backs and the funding of the CCTV facility could not be met.

·      Concerns expressed to the period of time the public are contacted by the Police Authority following reporting an incident.  The Officers responded that they accepted the criticisms and the service must be improved.

The Chair thanked Superintendent Alex Goss and Mr Paul Shea (Call Centre Manager) for their presentation.

RESOLVED to note the presentation.

ACTION : None

To submit a report by the Head of Service (Children) in relation to the above.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Service (Children) in relation to the above.

The Head of Service (Children) reported that the objective of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB), to co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of partners’ safeguarding activities. Its statutory function is outlined in the Children Act 2004.   Three sub-regional Safeguarding Children Boards have been in place for some time across North Wales.  Following announcements from Welsh Government in the autumn of 2011, the three sub-regional LSCB’s have taken steps to promote greater integration and collaboration and to move towards a regional structure ahead of the forthcoming Social Services & Wellbeing Act.  The Social Services and Wellbeing Bill proposes putting safeguarding adults on to a similar statutory footing as that for children, including the requirement for Adult Safeguarding Boards.  

Since early 2013 a two-tier system of Safeguarding Boards has been in place across North Wales.  It is proposed that statutory functions will rest with the North Wales Safeguarding Children Board (NWSCB), and that sub-regional groups will ensure that local practice meets local need. 

The revised structure addresses the concerns initially identified :-

·        Local needs, culture and language are supported via., the local safeguarding delivery groups;

·        Statutory Directors of Social Services can continue to report to Elected Members in local Authority Areas;

·        Local and Regional structures will be supported by representatives at different levels, reducing the pressures on very senior representatives;

·        The regional Board will be able to make decisions and promote swifter progress.

Issues raised by Members :-

·        Members requested clarification in respect of the statement within the report which states that ‘whilst also resolving the tensions between the regional and local boards’.  The Head of Service (Children) responded that the tensions were not around individual contribution but part of the change process of establishing the most appropriate balance between regional and local perspectives.   The Board is an additional tool to bring to account every organisation on the way we collaborate in safeguarding children and does not undermine the statutory responsibility of each partner and the statutory responsibilities of the Director of Social Services.  The Officer stated that this will be made clear within the report that will be submitted to the Executive in September.

RESOLVED to support the proposal that the structure for the regional Safeguard Children Boards to be known as the North Wales Safeguarding Children Board as shown within the report.

ACTION : That the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committees observations be included within the report that will be submitted to the Executive to be held on 8 September, 2014.

To submit a report by the Head of Service (Children) in relation to the above.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Service (Children) in relation to the above.

The Head of Service (Children) reported that the Social Services Department commissioned an independent professional advocacy service for children and young people, in collaboration with the other North West Wales Authorities.  The contract comes to an end in March 2015.  The six North Wales local authorities have agreed to commission independent professional advocacy on a regional basis.

A regional project was set up in May 2013, with a Task Group of members from the six North Wales local authorities, Health and the Voluntary Sector. The main aim of the project is to address the gaps and duplication in the provision of independent advocacy for vulnerable groups of children and young people as listed in the Welsh Government guidance. 

Since this report was completed a number of relevant developments should be noted :-

·        The Wales Children’s Commissioner has recently published a report Missing Voices, Right to be Heard.  The Commissioner expects that each Local Authority responds to its recommendations by the 4^th September, 2014.

·        Welsh Government has considered each Local Authority’s commissioning arrangements in respect of professional advocacy and the amount of funding invested.  They have also established a Ministerial Expert Group on Advocacy (MEGA).  They have put forward a number of recommendations to which the Local Authority is expected to respond.  This includes, ring fencing money to fulfil spending on advocacy whatever the financial pressures.  The Local Authority has received a letter from Welsh Government urging us to maintain the current investment in advocacy.

This work will be undertaken and presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel in due course.

Work has been undertaken with the North Wales Heads of Children’s Services to agree budgets and to develop the service description and specification.  A great deal of discussion has taken place regarding funding allocations based on various formulas.  The Head of Children’s Services have agreed to a budget ceiling of £100,000 for the contract and base their budget contribution on a percentage of the RSG grant.  The following financial commitment will be made by each local authority :-

Anglesey                   -           £10,450

Gwynedd                   -           £19,220

Conwy                       -           £16,110

Denbighshire           -           £15,770

Flintshire                   -           £20,440

Wrexham                   -           £18,020

The Officer noted that the Local Authority may see this as a saving opportunity, however it was her professional view that the service needed to invest in its participation arrangements and that this arrangement will release some resources to enable the Service to strengthen the local arrangements for advocacy and participation.  It is an intention to establish a part time Young Person’s Participation/Advocate post for Anglesey and a further option appraisal report on this will be submitted to the relevant Committee in due course.

RESOLVED to support, in principle, the commissioning arrangements for advocacy services and the process of tendering for a regional independent professional advocacy service for children and young people.

ACTION : To note that the matter will be considered in depth at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To submit a report by the Chair of Board and the Corporate Programme Manager in relation to the above.

Submitted – a report by the Chair of the Board and the Corporate Programme Manager in relation to the above.

The Corporate Director (Sustainable Development) reported that the Transformation Plan identifies three Corporate Transformation Programme Boards to oversee and drive change programmes and projects within the Council and with external collaboration partners programme boards.  The 3 Boards are :-

·           Island of Enterprise Programme Board

·           Service Excellence Programme Board

·           Business Transformation Programme Board

The Boards provide oversight, direction and make recommendations to the Executive Group on funding change programmes and projects.  There is representation from both Scrutiny Committees on the Programme Boards.  Over the past year the Authority has been in a learning stage, but throughout this period many achievements have been seen across an ambitious programme of transformation that has been overseen and driven by the Corporate Transformation Programme Boards. 

The Authority has decided upon PRINCE 2 as the environment for projects to be delivered. 

Issues raised by Members :-

·        Some Members considered that feedback from the Programme Boards was not sufficient for other elected Members.  Questions raised in respect of the cost, value for money that has materialised from these Programme Boards. The Corporate Director (Sustainable Development) stated that it is the responsibility of the Scrutiny representatives on the Boards to give feedback to their respective Committees. He considered that the Scrutiny Committees have a role within the Programme Boards. The Corporate Programme Manager stated that minutes of all the Programme Boards are on the Council website.

·        The Chief Officer Medrwn Môn questioned if there is a role for outside organisations/partnerships as they have vast experience within the field.  The Corporate Director (Sustainable Development) responded that working with the third sector has its advantages in such a project.

RESOVLED to accept the report.

ACTION : That the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee receives update reports on the three Project Boards.

No update by the Chair or Vice-Chair to report.

To submit a report by the Scrutiny Officer.

Submitted and noted – the draft Work Programme.

It was noted that the Housing Strategy will be included to the items for discussion by the meeting to be held on 25^th September, 2014.

The Scrutiny Officer stated that he had received an email from Councillor Carwyn Jones requesting that an item be placed on the Agenda of the Scrutiny Committee in respect of inviting energy companies to address the meeting i.e Celtic Array, National Grid.   Members of the Committee considered that since these companies has interest in land in the ownership of the Charitable Trust the matter such be referred to the Trust for consideration.

The Scrutiny Officer further stated that an invitation has been received from Gwynedd Council for this Committee to attend their Services Scrutiny Committee on the 2^nd October 2014.  The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will be attending to give a presentation to the meeting.  It was noted that any questions should be in advance of the meeting and to be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer by the 8^th September, 2014.

The Scrutiny Manager stated that the Interim Head of Democratic Services is considering extending the webcasting of Council meeting to include Scrutiny Committees.  Members considered that the named meetings to be webcasted should be trailed for 12 months before considering webcasting the Scrutiny Committees.

RESOLVED :-

·        To accept the report;

·        That the email received by Councillor Carwyn Jones, as noted above, should be referred to the Secretary of the Isle of Anglesey Charitable Trust;

·        To accept the invitation from Gwynedd Council to attend their Services Scrutiny Committee in October, 2014;