Venue: Siambr Hywel Dda, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH
Contact: Annes Siôn 01286 679490
No. | Item |
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: Minutes: None to note |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of personal interest. |
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URGENT ITEMS Additional documents: Minutes: There were no urgent
items. |
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MATTERS ARISING FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY Additional documents: Minutes: There were no matters
arising from overview and scrutiny. |
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 5 SEPTEMBER AND 12 SEPTEMBER PDF 138 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Chairman signed the minutes of the Cabinet meetings held on 5
September and 12 September 2017, as a true record. |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR HOUSING, CULTURE AND LEISURE PDF 225 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Craig ab Iago Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note the information in the report. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr Craig ab Iago. RESOLVED To accept and note the information in the
report. DISCUSSION It was highlighted that the purpose of the report
was to submit the latest information on what had been achieved in the field
outlining the latest on those matters that were included in the Strategic Plan,
the performance measures and the latest on the savings and cuts schemes. The Cabinet Member noted that he was a new
member of the Cabinet and had been busy familiarising himself with the work of
the services. He expressed that a number of the services were going through a
period of change and remodelling but that in general, he was happy with the
performance. He was eager to see the services continue to succeed despite all
the challenges they would face in the near future. He reiterated that his priority for the next
period was to ensure interdepartmental collaboration to address poverty and
deprivation. Attention was drawn to the 'Joint effort
against Poverty' strategic project and it was noted that good work had been
achieved in holding 'Pennywise' events across the County as a way for Gwynedd
residents to find out about how make the best of their money. Concern was expressed about changes to the
welfare and benefits system and the changes to Universal Credit (effective from
April 2018) that were likely to affect 300+ households in the County. It was
reported that sessions had been arranged for front line staff to share
information and prepare for those changes. Observations arising from the discussion: - Did the new responsibilities within the
Homelessness Legislation give added pressure on staff's time to keep detailed
records of the assessment process add value to the service? - The performance of the Disabled Facilities
Grant was insufficient (despite the consideration given to periods of arranging
and erecting extensions). - In relation to Universal Credit, it was
suggested that the concerns should be highlighted to Local Members of
Parliament as the arrangements to administrate the credit centrally by the
Government could highlight further concerns. - The Cabinet Member's appetite to work on an
interdepartmental level to address poverty was welcomed. - An update was needed on the Welsh Government
perspective on the Tackling Poverty agenda. It appeared that it was no longer a
priority - There was a need to measure the impact of
projects such as Exercise Referral and Dementia Go when considering transferring
Leisure Centres to a new company managed by the Council. In response to a comment on the homelessness
provision, the Head of Service highlighted that the Government and Partners
were making extra demands for information from the Unit. The comment made that
there was a need to review the process due to the further increase on the
Unit's demands as a result of changes to benefit payments was accepted. In response to an observation on Tackling Poverty it was noted that the Government was reconsidering the field in its entirety and that the strategies ... view the full minutes text for item 6. Awdur: Iwan Trefor Jones |
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LEISURE FACILITIES - ESTABLISHING A COUNCIL CONTROLLED COMPANY PDF 525 KB Appendices separate for Committee members only. The documents are exempt under Paragraphs 14 and 16 of Schedule
12A of The Local Government ACT 1972. (Information relating to financial,
business and legal matters). The front report will be open but the Appendices include information which is commercially and legally sensitive. That is because releasing the full appendices would permit suppliers who are independent of the Council to come to conclusions about the financial performance and management fees of the various delivery models. As a consequence, publication could undermine any future procurement exercise and open the Council to financial risk. It also includes legal advice which is subject to legal privelege. Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng. / Cllr Craig ab Iago Additional documents:
Decision: Resolved
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that the Full
Council approves the business case to establish a Gwynedd Council controlled
Company to undertake the provision of leisure facilities. -
to recommend
that the Full Council approves the establishment of a Gwynedd Council
controlled Company, in accordance with the format outlined within the business
case, to undertake the provision of leisure facilities and to draw attention to
the observations and considerations of the Scrutiny Committee. -
to approve the
business case to agree to release one-off funds of £165k from the Transformation
Fund to establish the company. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr Craig ab Iago. RESOLVED - To recommend that the Full
Council approves the business case to establish a Gwynedd Council controlled
Company to undertake the provision of leisure facilities. -
To recommend that the Full Council approves the establishment of a
Gwynedd Council controlled Company, in accordance with the format outlined
within the business case, to undertake the provision of leisure facilities and
to draw attention to the observations and considerations of the Education and
Economy Scrutiny Committee held on 26.9.17. - To approve the business case to
agree to release one-off funds of £165k from the Transformation Fund to
establish the company. DISCUSSION A report was submitted to outline the basis for establishing a Council
Controlled Company to provide leisure facilities within the County. It was
reiterated that this was an opportunity to achieve efficiency savings without
affecting the people of Gwynedd. A number of possible options had been
identified and legal advice sought on the associated risks associated with the
models. It was noted that establishing a new Council controlled company would
secure the continuation of the existing service and realise the savings
requirement in full. Attention was drawn to the table in the
report that summarised an evaluation of the options and although it appeared
that creating a controlled company was not the best option, this was the choice
that would protect the cultural risks in relation to the Welsh language and
other Council principles. It was emphasised that service users and staff would
see no difference - there may even be improvements. Attention was drawn to the observations of
Economy and Education Scrutiny Committee (26.9.17) circulated at the meeting.
It was noted that the Scrutiny Committee had recommended option 6 as a
direction and clearly emphasised that choosing the right Leadership was crucial
to the company's success. The need for further scrutiny as the work developed
was also noted. Comments arising from the discussion: - This step was logical and sensible. - The Council would have more control over the
leisure services rather than using a private company (although a private
company was likely to score higher in terms of savings). - There was a need to ensure that the Company
Board operated as a Board and not a Committee and should be supported. - There was a need to commend the department
for achieving this saving in full. In response to an observation regarding the
process for scoring an external company and their capacity to offer further
savings, it was noted that there was a need to consider pension contributions
and working conditions that were likely to differ. In response to a question regarding the process of job advertising, it was not that there was an option for the Council to appoint a Leader that would transfer to the new company, or establish a company first and allow the company Board to make the appointment. It was emphasised again that appointing an effective leader was crucial. It was reiterated ... view the full minutes text for item 7. Awdur: Sioned Williams |
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LOCAL AUTHORITY PERFORMANCE BULLETIN 2016/17 PDF 59 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note the information in the Performance
Bulletin and ensure that Cabinet members will: -
Satisfy themselves that steps are in place to improve the situation,
addressing the measures which appear in Table 1: Summary of the performance of
national measures Gwynedd 2016/17 (in the report) in the next cycle of
performance challenging meetings which will be held in November. -
To report back on any observations which summarise the performance
context and any action for improvement which has been agreed as part of the
individual Members' performance reports in the next reporting cycle in January.
Minutes: The item was submitted
by Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn. RESOLVED -
To
accept and note the information in the Performance Bulletin and ensure that
Cabinet members will: Satisfy themselves that steps are in place to
improve the situation, addressing the measures that appear in Table 1: Summary
of the performance of national measures Gwynedd 2016/17 (in the report) in the
next cycle of performance challenging meetings that will be held in November. To report back on any observations which
summarise the performance context and any action for improvement which has been
agreed as part of the individual Members' performance reports in the next
reporting cycle in January. DISCUSSION It was reported that Welsh Government's Data
Unit published a Performance Bulletin for Welsh Local Authorities who compared
a restricted set of performance indicators.
It was noted that the latest Bulletin had been published on 13 September
including information on the performance of a set of performance indicators for
2016-2017. It was reiterated that the
report was positive from Gwynedd's point of view. It was highlighted that some of the measures
being considered by the services were not ones that represented the priorities of
Gwynedd Council and that they did not measure what mattered to the people of
Gwynedd. It was also noted that the
Services had their own performance management and measuring arrangements. Observations arising from the discussion - A request for Cabinet Members to draw
attention to the matters requiring attention in the next cycle of performance
challenging meetings. In response to an observation about conveying
to Government the invalidity of some of the measures for Gwynedd, it was noted
that Gwynedd needed to choose measures for the people of Gwynedd and it was
agreed that some of the Government's historical measures needed to be reviewed.
Awdur: Dewi Wyn Jones |
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BUSINESS PLAN - SELF-SERVICE PROJECT PDF 201 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Mair Rowlands Additional documents: Decision: To
approve the Self-Service Project’s Business Plan and to release £104,794 of
finance from the Transformation Fund in order to complete the work. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr
Mair Rowlands. RESOLVED To approve the Self-Service
Project’s Business Plan and to release £104,794 of finance from the
Transformation Fund in order to complete the work. DISCUSSION It was reported that the Self-Service Project
was one of the Council's priorities in response to the ever-increasing
expectations of customers. The Self-Service
resource would enable the public to access a service or information at a time
that would be convenient to them. It was noted that the plan was exciting and
that the Business Plan addressed the need with some elements already
developed. The next step would be to
promote and market the provision after launching the initial pack publicly in
November 2017. The provision would be
added to in time. All officers involved with the work of
establishing the self-service process were thanked. Observations arising from the discussion -
Welcomed
the plan - the service was likely to facilitate the process for users -
That
people now expected this type of service as the custom of using information
technology increased In response to an observation regarding the
need to create an account, it was noted that people needed to be encouraged to
create an account so that they could follow developments/enquiries. It was reiterated that no account would need
to be created in order to use App Gwynedd that would be a part of the service. Awdur: Geraint Owen |
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REALISING THE BREAKFAST CLUB SCHEME PDF 140 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Gareth Thomas Additional documents:
Decision: It was agreed to charge a fee of £0.80 for the childcare element before the breakfast club, giving a discount to families with three or more children, with these arrangements to commence on 6 November 2017. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr Gareth Thomas. RESOLVED To charge a fee of £0.80 for the childcare element before
the breakfast club, giving a discount to families with three or more children,
with these arrangements to commence on 6 November 2017. DISCUSSION Following the decision of the Full Council
(3.3.16) to cut £100,000 from the Breakfast Club Scheme budget in response to
the Government's financial cuts, two options had been considered in order to
address this cut. It was reported that
75 of Gwynedd's primary schools offered pre-school childcare with Welsh
Government's Free Breakfast Scheme. It was emphasised that the proposal would
not have any impact on the current provision.
The options were to charge a fee for the pre-school childcare element or
not to accept children before breakfast. Attention was drawn to the outcomes of the
consultation and an outline was given on how the £0.80 fee had been
considered. It was also reiterated that
offering a free breakfast was a statutory duty. Observations from the discussion: - That the proposal was to be welcomed, but the
scheme needed to be monitored to ensure that it responded to the need and to
the number who would use it. - That the total number of responders to the
consultation was encouraging. - That the solution was good. - Welcomed the discount for families with 3 or
more children - That the recommendation coincided with what
had been noted in the consultation. It
showed that the background research and the substantial consultation prior to
submitting the report had ensured that the scheme was on the right track. Awdur: Owen Owens |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR EDUCATION PDF 135 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Gareth Thomas Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note
the information in the report. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr Gareth Thomas. RESOLVED To accept and note the information in the
report. DISCUSSION It was highlighted that the purpose of the
report was to submit the latest information on what had been achieved in the
field outlining the latest on those matters that were included in the Strategic
Plan, the performance measures and the latest on the savings nad cuts schemes. It was reported that good progress had been
made in the majority of the Strategic Plan's projects and that some fields
required particular attention from the Department in order to improve
performance. The main priorities for the
coming months would be to raise the standards of the foundation phase, improve
the standards of key stage 4 in specific subjects and improve the standard of
the post-16 provision. Reference was made to the success of the
County Quality Board (CQB) that monitored the quality and performances of
schools on every level. It was noted the
CQB was increasingly proving its worth.
Attention was also drawn to further work that needed to be completed to
refine the Leadership and Management Improvement project. It was noted that the Department had been
requested to consider a comprehensive training programme which mapped the offer
of Welsh Government, GwE and Gwynedd Council so that appropriate training was
available for leaders. An update was provided on the Programme for a
Network of Viable Schools for the Future noting that a meeting was being held
in Bala 4.10.17, to discuss the school's status (the construction work and
expenditure continued as per the schedule).
Attention was also drawn to the work of the Additional Learning Needs
and Inclusion provision being implemented jointly with Anglesey. It was noted that it was difficult to measure
the GCSE results of 2017 against 2016 due to changes in the examination process
and the specification. However, it was
noted that it was possible to compare on a regional level. It was reiterated that the statistics could
change again after some papers would be re-marked. It was reported that the attendance of
Gwynedd Secondary children was the best in Wales. In response to a question regarding the CQB,
it was highlighted that the members of the board were the Council's Area
Education Officers and GwE's Challenge Adviser, and that they were accountable
to the Head of Education Department and the Cabinet Member. It was noted that there was good
collaboration and that the relationship had developed. Nevertheless, a challenge was posed as one
school had fallen into special measures recently and why this had not been
brought to the attention of the CQB. It
was noted that every effort was being made to restore this situation. Awdur: Iwan Trefor Jones |
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EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC PDF 267 KB Additional documents: Minutes: RESOLVED to exclude the press and public from
the meeting during the discussion on the following item due to the likely
disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 12, Section 4, Schedule
12A, Local Government Act 1972. It was asked for the item to remain excluded
under the following section: 14.10.2
Exempt information – Discretion to Exclude Public (a)
The public may be excluded from meetings whenever it is likely in view of the nature
of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that
confidential information would be disclosed. The
report includes information relating to contract details and sales procedures |
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LAND IN LLANRUG Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: The decision made on 28 March 2017 to delegate powers to the Head of
Regulatory Department, in consultation with the Head of Education Department,
to purchase a plot of land in Llanrug and following
the purchase, to take appropriate control of the site, in accordance with the
report, was confirmed. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr Gareth Thomas. The Local Member for Llanrug was welcomed to the meeting - Councillor
Charles Jones. RESOLVED To confirm the decision made on 28 March
2017 to delegate powers to the Head of Regulatory Department, in consultation
with the Head of Education Department, to purchase a plot of land in Llanrug
and following the purchase, to take appropriate control of the site, in
accordance with the report. DISCUSSION Following a request for additional
information about the numbers in the Brynrefail catchment area schools, a decision
on the matter had been deferred at the Cabinet's meeting on 19.9.17. Now, as the information regarding class sizes
had been shared with the Members, the discussion could be recommenced. The land remained available to buy (in case
it would be required for development in the near future). It was noted that this was a one-off
opportunity to buy land to improve some of the school's resources. Observations from the discussion: - That a long-term investment was needed to
upgrade the site as it was not possible to build a school from scratch. - That the existing building was sub-standard
and thus a long-term investment was needed. - That the current site was very restricted -
the schoolyard was insufficient for the number of children. - Capacity was not a matter that required
consideration - the quality of the buildings was the problem. - That the site was insufficient if the
catchment area's provision needed to be reorganised. - That the evidence was not sufficient. - That there were revenue costs associated with
the costs of maintaining the land. - That purchasing the land would satisfy one of
the school's needs. - That the price was high. It was noted that there was a need to
emphasise that purchasing the land did not raise the hopes of local residents
as this was only a response to the opportunity. Awdur: Diane Jones |