Agenda and minutes

As noted above.

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

Councillor Euryn Morris declared a personal interest in respect of Item 4 – Corporate Safeguarding – Annual Report (November) 2021/2022 and Item 6 – Progress Report Quarter 2 – 2022/2023 : North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 November, 2022.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee held on 23 November, 2022 were confirmed as correct.

To submit a report by the Director of Social Services.

Submitted – the Corporate Safeguarding Annual Report – November 2021/2022.

The Director of Social Services highlighted that this Annual Report is a corporate arrangements safeguarding report which describes the progress made and how embedded safeguarding is within all aspects of council services, functions and duties.  He reported that the Authority has established a Strategic and Operational Corporate Safeguarding Boards which has a robust agenda in place which includes important data which is shared with the Boards. He noted that each service has an identified Safeguarding Champion which is a source of advice on all safeguarding matters for other staff within their service and ensuring compliance with the Corporate Safeguarding Policy. 

The Service Manager (Safeguarding) reported that the governance structures are in place to ensure that the legal duties are carried out, and that the Authority’s approach to safeguarding is delivered.  The Local Authority must ensure that all employees and volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding and are aware that this includes reporting concerns about children and adults they encounter.  She further said that this year the Prevent and Channel has been included within the Council’s Constitution.  A list of Statutory and Appropriate Officers sets out who leads on Prevent and Channel was included in the report. She noted that Wales National Safeguarding Training Standards is structured into groups, defining the responsibilities associated with different employee, executive or leadership roles.  A key action, reflected in the action plan, is to map the workforce to the various groups and to plan training delivery.  This is an opportunity to map the workforce training requirements in terms of Prevent and Modern Slavery at the same time.  The Service Manager referred to the effective support and interventions as noted in the report for the responding to safeguarding concerns about those whose work, either in paid or voluntary capacity, which brings them in contact with children or adults at risk.  A list of allegations made against council employees/volunteers who work with children or adults with care and support needs were listed within the report. 

Reference was made to the effective practice in Councils as regards to procurement provision when commissioning services.  The Authority has published an Advice Note on Safeguarding and Procurement and Contract Management which helps services to ensure that services delivered by partners are safe and promote safeguarding.  Each service are responsible for their own Procurement and Contract Management arrangements and decision on how to apply the provisions of the Advice Note lies with each individual service. 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main points:-

·           Questions raised as how the Council ensures that safe practice in commissioning services is ensured and that all providers who act on behalf of the Council exercise their safeguarding responsibilities effectively.  The Director of Social Services responded that the required arrangements are put in place as regards to ensuring that all providers exercise their safeguarding responsibilities.  The Service Manager also responded that the Advice Note on Safeguarding and Procurement and Contract Management helps to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

Submitted – the Draft Well-Being Plan – Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Public Services Board for 2023/2028.

The Leader of the Council said that this is the second joint Well-Being Plan and the statutory consultation process has started at the beginning of the year until 6 March, 2023. Following this, the Board will consider the responses to the consultation before creating a final Well-being Plan.

The Chief Executive reported the Well-Being Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 places a duty on Public Services Boards to publish a Well-being Plan which outlines how it is intended to improve the well-being of the area’s residents.  The Public Services Board are eager to make a meaningful contribution to the partnership landscape without duplicating the work of other partnerships and therefore the draft Well-being Plan seeks to clearly highlight whether the Public Services Board has a role in leading or delivering the well-being priorities.  He noted that the Act highlights seven national well-being goals and five ways of working in order to give public bodies a common purpose.  Working in partnership is imperative to achieve these goals and to make a difference to the well-being of the residents of both Gwynedd and Ynys Mȏn.

The Gwynedd and Ynys Mȏn Public Services Board Programme Manager reported that both this Scrutiny Committee and the relevant Scrutiny Committee in Gwynedd Council are statutory consultees in respect of the Draft Well-Being Plan. She noted that the first stage of the work of creating the Well-being Plan was to undertake an assessment of local well-being and carry out research to understand and learn more about those areas. The statutory three month consultation period will end on 6 March and the Board aim is to widen the scope of consultees in respect of the Draft Plan with an invitation to representatives from the 6^th forms from the Secondary Schools in Gwynedd and Anglesey and students from Coleg Menai to challenge the Boards aims and objectives. 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main points:-

·           Questions raised as to which way communities could assist to deliver the plan’s priorities and to develop them further in the future.  The Leader of the Council responded that the local communities have been involved through Medrwn Mȏn who has a representative on the Public Services Board.  The local communities have been part of the consultation process and Medrwn Mȏn have also been part of those sessions within the communities.  Questions were further raised as to whether the Town and Community Councils have been consulted as regards to the Well-Being Plan.  The Programme Manager responded representatives from the Board have attended Town and Community Councils Liaison Forms on Gwynedd and Anglesey and have also been invited to attend meetings of the Town and Community Councils;

·           Questions raised as it whether it is considered that the well-being objectives and the priorities identified to realise the objectives will improve the social, environmental, cultural and economic well-being of both counties.  The Leader of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

Submitted – the North Wales Economic Ambition Board - Progress Report Quarter 2 – 2023/2023.

The Chief Executive said that the Progress Report for Quarter 2 is submitted for information and provides an overview of progress on the Growth Deal Programmes and projects.  The Quarter 2 report shows projects reporting against the revised portfolio delivery profile approved by the Ambition Board in September 2022.  Three projects are reporting as Red in the report due to either risks to the project scope, or significant delays to project timescales:-

·      Low Carbon Energy Centre of Excellence (Bangor University) – project under review due to change request for capital and revenue projections.  The Portfolio Management Office is working with the project sponsor to explore options to accelerate delivery;

·      Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub – planning permission to be secured and potential funding gap due to escalating capital build costs;

·      Llysfasi Net Zero Farm – project has now been withdrawn and funding is now available to be reallocated and the process of expressions of interest for new projects will be invited.

The Leader of the Council said that some of the Growth Bids have been withdrawn due to detailed planning work undertaken and affordability due to the economic climate. 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main points:-

·      Questions were raised as to whether the listed Growth Deals will not proceed is due to the increasing costs.  The Leader of the Council responded that Business Cases as regards to each projects are lengthy and complicated and there are risks that the projects will not be achievable. She noted that the economic climate has changed over the last two years and a number of regions have submitted a request to the Government to revisit the Growth Deals as some projects are facing financial challenges.  She referred to the Morlais project that has been reviewed so as to best use of European funding towards the project.  The Chief Executive said that the rise in inflation has been a factor with increasing costs to projects;

·      Reference was made to the Egnio Trawsfynydd project that has been announced recently and questions were raised as to whether this project will be part of the Growth Bid in North Wales.  The Chief Executive responded that the Trawsfynydd project is part of the Growth Deal and capital funding is included and ring fenced towards the project. However, the funding towards the Trawsfynydd project is profiled towards the future when the developer is ready to develop the site;

·      Comments were made as to the requirements of submitting the Progress Reports to the Scrutiny Committee on a quarterly basis.  The Leader of the Council responded that the Governance Arrangements requires that the Quarterly Reports are submitted for scrutiny and to change this requirement would need to be discussed regionally and by both UK and Welsh Governments.  The Chief Executive said that assurances are needed by both governments that there is a scrutiny process to challenge the Growth Deal and especially due to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager setting out the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee’s indicative Forward Work Programme for 2022/23 was presented for consideration.

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.