Agenda item

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 Performance and Wellbeing Report for 2022/23 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

The report was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience. The report reflects the progress made against the work streams of the Transitional Plan which was the detailed work plan for 2022/23 and shows that 54% of priorities have been completed, 29% are ongoing into 2023/24, 13% are behind schedule but with mitigating measures are likely to be brought back on track and 4% have been cancelled. Also documented is the Council’s response to the cost-of-living crisis and the range of support provided with Welsh Government grant funding to help local residents experiencing difficulties as a result of the crisis. Overall, the Council has demonstrated good progress and commitment in various domains over the past year as attested to by the report which refers to specific achievements in relation to re-energising the economy and embedding positive economic change; enabling the visitor and hospitality sector to capitalise on the Island’s increased popularity whilst protecting its assets and communities and maintaining and modernising critical community services in care and education. The Scorecard results for the year also demonstrated good performance with 71% of the indicators showing green against targets and an additional 20% showing within 5% of their targets. Further work will be undertaken to address the few underperforming indicators as well as maintaining and improving on the good performance. Thanks must be given to the Council’s staff for their hard work over the course of the year and to the Island’s residents and communities for the resilience they have shown in challenging times.

In reflecting on the contents of the report and the achievements delivered during 2022/23, the Committee discussed the following –

·      The arrangements to raise awareness of the Council’s successes i.e. where would the   public look to learn about what the Council has accomplished during 2022/23

·      The measures that were put in place that had this positive impact on performance and whether any lessons could be learnt from that process for sharing across the organisation. 

·      Whether the cost-of-living crisis has had a bearing on the Council’s ability to serve the people of Anglesey.

·      Considering the information contained withing the 2022/23 Annual Performance and Wellbeing Report, the performance areas that need to be prioritised based on risk during 2023/24.

Officers and Portfolio Members further advised as follows –

·      That the Council’s values as set out in the Council Plan 2023-28 include championing the Council and the Island and the Annual Performance Report for 2022/23 provides a basis and justification for doing so. Communicating what the Council does and what it has achieved begins with the Elected Members who through their interaction with their communities and the wider public can promote the Council and its works. Large scale projects such as building new schools are publicised at the point at which the decision is made. Should the Annual Performance Report by approved by the Executive then the intention is to extract some of the headlines and infographics from the report to post on social media and within internal communications and further for the future, the plan is to develop this process so that key messages from Council  reports can be instantaneously  amplified for a wider audience without having to expend time on editing and reviewing text and narrative to produce concise and communicable information. This ambition however is constrained by the resources available and the demands of day-to-day operations on officer time. The Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience referred to the Council’s press and communications office which despite being a small team is proactive in publicising the Council’s services, events, and achievements.

·      That every Council Service has its own service plan which set outs the priorities for the service and how those will be delivered as well as documenting how the service will contribute to the achievement of the corporate objectives. Heads of Service are responsible for the management and performance of their own service and work with colleagues and teams to ensure that the objectives of the service are successfully delivered and operational performance is maintained. Experiences and good practice are shared within and across teams as well as with the Leadership Team so that lessons can be learnt and improvements made where required.

·      That the cost-of-living crisis has led to a rise in demand for Council Services especially Social Services. The number of referrals to Social Services has increased as has their complexity with many cases involving mental health issues with resulting pressure on staff, resources and assessment timescales. The Council has established a strategic preventative group to analyse data and demographics and to assess the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on Island residents and the good working relationship it has with third sector organisations and partner agencies is also helping the Council in understanding the situation within communities and on the ground. The advantages of being a smaller scale authority are that provision can be adjusted promptly to meet changing needs and to provide solutions quickly.

·      That the Council’s Annual Delivery Document for 2023/24 charts the work which the Council will be undertaking in the year to achieve the objectives of the Council Plan 2023/28 and it provides a roadmap for reaching specific targets set for the year. Additionally the Council’s Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2022/23 provides an evaluation of the overall performance of the council for the year including what and how it can do better with regard to performance, the use of resources and managing risk. Based on the evidence drawn together for the assessment from a range of sources, specific areas for improvement have been identified and will be monitored throughout 2023/24. A third component of the Corporate Planning and Performance Management Framework is the corporate scorecard which in tracking specific performance indicators helps identify underperforming areas as well as any downward trends in performance and enables mitigating measures to be put in place to address underperformance in an iterative process where risks are identified, acted upon, and monitored.

Further questions were raised by Members in relation to the amber status of key action (9) where the Council has committed to work with local businesses to empower and enable them to exploit opportunities provided by Council contracts and in relation to expediting repair works to the Breakwater in Holyhead.

The Chief Executive advised that the Council is the midst of dealing with a range of competing priorities including planning for the Holyhead Freeport and preparing bids for the Shared Prosperity Fund meaning that the expertise of the small economic development team has been diverted to other work streams. However the concern is noted and the Head of Regulation and Economic Development will be asked to clarify the implementation plan and timescale with regard to key action (9). Nevertheless a number of projects which were being planned last year have now reached the implementation stage and have been the subject of engagement and awareness raising activities. It is hoped that progress on these projects can be reported when presenting the 2023/24 Annual Performance Report.   The Leader of the Council commented that procurement processes are being reviewed and updated with a view to strengthening local procurement.

With regard to the Breakwater the Chief Executive provided an update on the latest position in relation to the planned refurbishment of the Breakwater and advised in response to questions about the manufacture of materials for the works and whether that   process would be undertaken locally that while the Council cannot intervene in Stena Line’s procurement process, he could make enquires about the procurement approach and the construction methodology. With any project the Council emphasises with the developer the importance of utilising local employment and local supply chains and securing local benefits is part of the Council’s core principles and approach to development. The Chief Executive confirmed in response to a request by Councillor R. Llewelyn Jones as a Local Member, that he would be provided with a written update on the Breakwater situation.

Having considered the documentation and the additional information provided by the Officers and Portfolio Members, it was resolved to recommend the Annual Performance and Wellbeing Report 2022/23 to the Executive as a fair and complete reflection of the Authority’s work over the period.

Actions: The Chief Executive to –

·                     Clarify with the Head of Regulation and Economic Development the implementation plan and timescale in relation to Key Action (9) under the Re-energising the economy and embedding positive economic change work stream, and

·                     Provide Councillor R. Llewelyn Jones, Local Member with a written update on the position in relation to refurbishing the Holyhead Breakwater.