Agenda and minutes

The apologies for absence were as noted above.

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

Councillor Sonia Williams declared a personal interest only with regard to item 6 on the agenda on the basis of her having a connection with Ynys Môn Citizens Advice in the course of her work with Bwyd Da Môn.

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the following meetings:-

·       Minutes of the meeting held on 19 June, 2024.

·       Minutes of the meeting held on 10 July, 2024.

The minutes of the previous meetings of the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee held on the following dates were presented and were confirmed as correct -

·      19 June, 2024.

·      10 July, 2024.

To receive a presentation by Medrwn Môn.

This item was not considered due to the Interim Chief Officer of Medrwn Môn not being able to attend the meeting because of personal reasons.

To receive a presentation by Môn CF.

The Director of Social Services introduced the presentations under this and the following item which were both linked to the Council’s Tackling Poverty Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029. The plan is underpinned by six key priority areas for action the delivery of which will be achieved through partnership working and collaboration with amongst others, Môn CF and Citizens Advice.

The Head of Housing Services referred to tackling poverty related work within the Council of which an essential part is helping Anglesey’s residents access benefits and entitlements. The Council has a Welfare Rights Team based at the J E O’Toole Centre in Holyhead which serves the whole of the Island. The centre was accessed by approximately 5,400 residents in the year from April 2023 to March 2024 of whom 1,900 were homeowners, 1,800 were Council tenants and 780 were private tenants. In terms of the age profile of those seeking the service’s help and support, in the region of 60% were aged 55 and over, 10% were in the 25 to 34 age range, 13% were in the 35 to 44 age range and 14% were in the 45 to 54 age range. The centre undertakes a significant amount of work in assisting individuals to secure the benefits and support to which they may be entitled and in 2023/24 the centre successfully realised a financial gain of approximately £5.7m for those seeking its help thereby contributing towards alleviating financial hardship for those households.

Rita Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Môn Communities Forward was welcomed to the meeting by the Chair and invited to provide an overview of the organisation’s work.

Ms Radclife outlined the background to Môn CF as a local charity owned by the community and operating on Anglesey with 45 staff currently and a turnover of £4m per annum. The charity has offices in Amlwch, Holyhead and Menai Bridge and a new office opening in Llangefni. Môn CF is funded from several sources including the Council and helps over 600 individuals on the Island at any one time with employment support, business support and training which together with schools and young people, and regenerating towns through property ownership are the organisation’s strategic priorities. The organisation collaborates with and has links to a range of partners including several Council departments and is open to working with all the Council’s services on projects where it deems Môn CF’s input could add value.  Ms Radcliffe gave an overview of the range of employment and business support which Môn CF provides along with the data as regards engagements and outcomes in 2023/24 and 2024/25 (April to August). This includes help for the unemployed to prepare them for the world of work, help for those already in work to improve their circumstances, support with driving lessons and transport and childcare costs, preparing people for work through a wide range of training courses, support for individuals wanting to start their own businesses, practical help for local employers with their recruitment processes and grants  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive a presentation by Ynys Môn Citizens Advice.

The Chair introduced Cara Jones, Project Manager and Energy Supervisor, and Danielle Owen from Môn Citizens Advice and invited them to provide an overview of the services provided by the organisation.

Cara Jones outlined the work of Môn Citizens Advice in providing free, confidential, and impartial advice to people regarding their rights and entitlements. The organisation aims to help people whatever their problems and to improve policies and practices that affect people’s lives. Advice on a wide range of issues is provided including on benefits, debt, budgeting, housing, employment, community care and migration, many of which are linked to poverty, to poverty prevention and to helping people improve their circumstances. Although Môn Citizens Advice is available to everyone it recognises that some groups and communities are more at risk of poverty than others and focuses its efforts in these areas. Môn Citizens Advice’s priority groups include carers and people with long-term disability and health issues including mental health, addictions, learning difficulties and autism. The organisation also helps children and young people, military veterans, homeless people, older people, and victims of domestic abuse. The Council contributes towards the organisation’s core funding which is essential to Môn Citizens Advice as a charity. Cara Jones also referred to other funding contributions which Môn Citizens Advice has received for specific work and projects. She explained the staff structure and governance arrangements overseen by a Board of Trustees which also sets the organisation’s strategic direction. Môn Citizens Advice works in partnership with many organisations on a number of projects including the Council with which it collaborates in several areas including on multi-disciplinary groups such as the Tackling Poverty group. In 2023/24 Môn Citizens Advice helped 2,069 clients with 15,680 issues across 19,532 activities. In the region of £1.734m of benefits and entitlements was realised for clients along with £177k in debt resolution. Seventy-seven clients were further helped following the closure of the 2 sisters factory in Llangefni after initial on site support was provided when all affected employees were offered an interview.

Demand for the services of Môn Citizens Advice continues to grow leading to waiting times and challenges as regards resolving issues within timescales. The rising cost of living and energy costs means that more people are finding it difficult to meet basic needs placing them at increased risk of poverty and debt. More people are also accessing the service for legal advice because they cannot obtain legal aid or afford legal representation. Despite the challenges, Môn Citizens Advice will continue to work with partners to provide support and to share information about how best to help those most in need.

The following were points of discussion by the committee –

·      The staffing capacity of Môn Citizens Advice to be able to meet the requests for support

·      Areas where collaboration with the Isle of Anglesey County Council and others could improve

·      Whether Môn Citizens Advice has seen any major changes in the post Covid period

·      The ways in which the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To submit a report by the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager incorporating the Committee’s Forward Work Programme to April, 2025 was presented for consideration.

It was resolved –

·      To agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2024/25.

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