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 draft Annual Corporate Self-Assessment Report for 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report provides an evidential basis of how the Council has performed over the year using its available resources whilst managing and mitigating associated risks in line with the expectations of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

The report was presented by the Corporate Planning, Performance and Programme Manager who referred to the seven key areas which are the focus of the self-assessment. Four areas (service planning, financial planning, workforce planning and performance management) are assessed as exceeding expectations while three areas (asset management, procurement and contract management, and risk and audit management) are assessed as meeting expectations. The report also identifies several areas as presenting opportunities for improvement and monitoring throughout 2024/25.

The following were points of discussion by the Committee –

• The contradiction between financial planning which is an area where the performance has been assessed as exceeding expectations and the Council’s financial resilience which has been identified as an area where the Council could do better due to the cost-of-living crisis and a decrease in funding. Similarly with regard to workforce planning which has also been assessed as exceeding expectations but where addressing workforce challenges is an area identified as presenting opportunities for improvement and monitoring throughout 2024/25.
• The Council’s risk appetite and approach to risk. Questions were asked about the positive aspects of risk in terms of presenting opportunities for improvement and progress and the extent to which the Council is willing to take risks to maximise those opportunities.

The Committee was further advised as follows –

• That the overall assessment rating for each of the 7 key areas is based on each service’s self-evaluation of its performance in those areas against one of 5 criteria as set out in the Council’s Service Position Statement at the end of the document. Financial planning involves the strategic management of the Council’s finances, creating plans to allocate resources and budgeting whilst financial resilience relates to the Council’s preparedness and ability to withstand financial shocks that may occur in the longer term. Opportunities for improvement and monitoring have been recognised with regard to the latter. Similarly, the assessment recognised that the Council has a strong understanding of workforce planning and has the requirements in place for achieving its commitments, plans and objectives as regards human resources but that there are areas where implementing the actions identified could further improve performance to take it to the next level.
• That the Council’s approach to risk and its risk appetite as evidenced by the strategic risk register is based on managing the risks that may prevent it from achieving its objectives rather than on taking risks in order to improve performance which may not lead to the desired outcome. The Council has not formally assessed its risk appetite from the perspective of how much risk it is willing to accept to realise additional benefits. The Council’s change projects are tested before they are implemented to ensure as far as possible that they deliver as planned and to minimise any negative consequences.

Having reviewed the document and commented thereon, the Governance and Audit Committee resolved to endorse the draft Corporate Self-Assessment Report 2023/24 and to recommend the same to the Executive.