Venue: Virtual Meeting
Contact: Annes Siôn 01286 679490
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: Minutes: The Cabinet Members and Officers were welcomed to the meeting. No apologies were received. |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST Additional documents: Minutes: A declaration of personal interest was received from Cllr Catrin Wager
on item 8, it was stated that it was a prejudicial interest and she left the meeting
during the discussion on this item. |
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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 9 NOVEMBER PDF 125 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair accepted the minutes of the meeting held on 9 November
2021 as a true record. |
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CLEAN AND TIDY COMMUNITIES TEAM PDF 130 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Catrin Wager Additional documents: Decision: To approve establishing a Clean and
Tidy Communities Team to carry out minor maintenance work and to complement the
regular maintenance activities. To approve
an allocation of £1,523,730 from the Transformation Fund to provide the
necessary budget and its associated costs on a one-off basis for a period of
three years to commence as soon as possible. Minutes: The item was presented by Cllr Catrin Wager RESOLVED To approve
establishing a Clean and Tidy Communities Team to carry out minor maintenance
work and to complement the regular maintenance activities. An allocation of
£1,523,730 was approved from the Transformation Fund to finance the team and
its associated costs on a one-off basis for a period of three years to commence
as soon as possible. DISCUSSION The report was submitted, noting that street cleanliness had been a
regular complaint that Councillors had to deal with. It was explained that this
report requested substantial support to improve street cleanliness, noting that
residents did not want to see overflowing bins, weeds and litter. It was noted
that this was the exact reason why cleanliness had been noted as one of the
Council's priorities. It was expressed that the first step of engaging with areas had been
completed and the observations that had been raised across the county were
highlighted. It was explained that the department was already undertaking such
work but that the service had been cut in order to realise savings over the
years. However, between cuts and adaptations to the department as a result of
the pandemic, it was explained that it needed to be prioritised. It was noted that the funding would be used to create five teams to
visit an area to undertake maintenance work, and to add the finishing touch by
weeding, picking up litter, cleaning and painting. It was explained that these
teams would be responsive, reactive and able to face things on a seasonal
basis. It was expressed that communication was essential to ensure that
Councillors and Community Councils were aware of when the team would be in
their area. It was emphasised that evidence highlighted the importance of this
plan, which progressed to investing in improvements for Gwynedd communities. Observations arising from the discussion ¾ The report was welcomed, noting that street
cleanliness was the matter that was mostly raised with Councillors. ¾ Support was expressed noting that people would
show more respect to communities, as residents and tourists, if communities
were clean and tidy. ¾ It was noted that residents and the public
also had a responsibility to keep their communities tidy, but there was also a
need to ensure communication with Town Councils. ¾ The need to have the cooperation of
communities was also noted and to undertake preparation work in advance. To approve
an allocation of £1,523,730 from the Transformation Fund to provide the necessary
budget and its associated costs on a one-off basis for a period of three years
to commence as soon as possible. Awdur: Steffan Jones |
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HUNANIAITH BUSINESS CASE PDF 524 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Nia Jeffreys Additional documents: Decision: To approve a commitment of £203,880 from the
Transformation Fund to fund an additional post for a four-year period to manage
the service and improve Hunaniaith's position as a unit within the Council for
the time being, to focus on attracting new grants and raising an income,
improve community contact, attract more community members to the Strategic
Group and work towards being an independent entity. Minutes: The item was presented by
Cllr Nia Jeffreys RESOLVED To approve a commitment of
£203,880 from the Transformation Fund to fund an additional post for a
four-year period to manage the service and improve Hunaniaith's
position as a unit within the Council for the time being, to focus on
attracting new grants and raising an income, improve community contact, attract
more community members to the Strategic Group and work towards being an
independent entity. DISCUSSION The report was submitted
noting that it was a technical report that laid the foundations of a business
case to realise an aspiration and vision for Hunaniaith
to become an independent body in future. The importance of using the Welsh
language as a community language was highlighted. It was explained that
creating this business case was a step forward in the journey, and by
appointing a Chief Officer to lead this work it would be an opportunity to
attract grants and to establish the body as an independent entity. Officers
were thanked for their work to try to realise the vision. The Head of Corporate
Support Department noted that the report was recognition of work that had been
undertaken following the Cabinet's decision and that it was a practical method
to establish Hunaniaith as an independent entity
allowing time to secure fixed long-term funding sources. The Senior Scrutiny and
Language Advisor explained that the Chair of Hunaniaith
was supportive of the report and continued to believe that Hunaniaith
would be better as an independent entity but the work had to be undertaken on a
step-by-step basis and that this decision was part of the journey. The Senior Projects
Practitioner added that there was currently no certainty of grants as an
independent entity and, therefore, as a result it was a better idea to have a
Chief Officer to develop and to secure grant stability. Observations arising from
the discussion ¾ Support was noted to the report emphasising that it
was an opportunity for Hunaniaith to undertake
preparatory work and to pave the way forward by seeking grants to achieve this
vision. It was expressed that it should not be grant-led. ¾ It was noted that Gwynedd's robustness was its
language and it was explained that this was why Hunaniaith
was possibly not a separate entity. However, it was emphasised that the
language was under threat here in Gwynedd as in the whole of Wales and, therefore,
appointing a Chief Officer would lead the work and ensure that more work was
undertaken in communities. Awdur: Geraint Owen |
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AUTISM PLAN 2021-23 PDF 170 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Dilwyn Morgan and Cllr. Dafydd Meurig Additional documents: Decision: The Autism Plan 2021-23 was
approved. It was agreed to prejudge the annual
bids process and approve a bid for £48,000 from the permanent revenue budget
now, in order to fund the post of Autism Co-ordinator and two Social Work posts
at an annual cost of £144k, with the Council contributing a third of the cost. Minutes: The report was submitted by Cllr Dilwyn Morgan RESOLVED The Autism Plan
2021-23 was approved. It was agreed to
prejudge the annual bids process and approve a bid for £48,000 from the
permanent revenue budget now, in order to fund the post of Autism Co-ordinator
and two Social Work posts at an annual cost of £144,000 with the Council
contributing a third of the cost. DISCUSSION The report
was submitted noting that this Autism
Plan was one of the Council
Plan projects and it was one of the department's improvement plans. It was noted that this
was a partnership project between
the Council, the Health
Service and the Isle of
Anglesey County Council. Despite the challenges that had faced the three partners during the pandemic, it was emphasised that submitting this report showed its
importance. It was expressed
that it had been a long journey although it would never end
as it was a live strategy that would constantly
respond and adapt. It was noted that the Plan had been submitted to the Care Scrutiny Committee that was very supportive and had committed to provide an input
to the regular review. The Senior Operational Manager added that this
plan was a priority and it
was recognised that the work had been influenced
by a complaint made about the department that was forwarded to the Ombudsman. It was explained that the department had appointed an external
consultant to examine the reports by the Ombudsman and to examine the work and this
input had been key to develop the plan. Attention was drawn to the Code
of Conduct introduced in September noting
that the plan corresponded
to this Code of Conduct. It was emphasised
that this plan was the beginning of the journey and it would be an opportunity to identify gaps and
to move on more robustly. It was noted that difficult portfolio work would need to be undertaken as information was kept across the partnership. It was explained that an Autism
Board would be created in order
to review the work for the future. It was explained
that operations were based on
three specific steps, namely establishing
the Board, to appointing
more staff in order to assess earlier and offertraining across services, and to nurture a relationship with Autism Services on a regional and national
basis to review the work in future.
It was emphasised that this document was the beginning of the journey and it would continue
to develop. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
The report was welcomed
highlighting that this plan was cross-departmental with close collaboration
with the Education department Awdur: Aled Gibbard |
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CHANGE APPROVAL ARRANGEMENTS OF UP TO £100,000 FROM RESERVES PDF 90 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: In order to
facilitate more flexible spending arrangements, it was decided to delegate
power to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council
and the Head of Finance Department, to commit sums of up to £100,000 from the
Transformation Fund and/or the Covid-19 Recovery Arrangements Fund. Minutes: The
report was submitted by Cllr Ioan Thomas DECISION In order to facilitate more flexible spending arrangements, it was
decided to delegate power to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader
of the Council and the Head of Finance Department, to commit sums of up to
£100,000 from the Transformation Fund and/or the Covid-19 Recovery Arrangements
Fund. DISCUSSION The
report was submitted noting that the Transformation Fund was used to fund the Council's priorities, which had been included in the Council Plan. It was explained that the fund supported
transformational and one-off work. Back in 2013, in the face of a challenging financial period, it was stated that it had been decided to change the expenditure approval regime from the Transformation Fund, with all claims from the Fund receiving Cabinet approval. After considering the size of the fund, it was now suggested that a revised procedure should be established, because of the need to move forward to achieve priorities without delay, whilst addressing immediate spending needs. Over £4 million had been
earmarked in the Transformation Fund during 2021/22, which meant that the fund balance was £12.5 million on 31 March 2021. As a result of Covid-19, it was explained
that a Recovery Arrangements Fund had been established when accounts were
closed, and £2.5 million had been earmarked for the fund to assist the Council to recover after the crisis. It
was explained that regular expenditure had been made annually
from the Transformation Fund in accordance
with Council priorities. Between 2016/17 and 2020/21, it was noted that expenditure was over £7 million. It was stated that current
commitments against the Transformation Fund were valued at £5.4 million, which included commitments of over £5 million before the 2021/22 financial year. This meant
that £7.2 million of resources were available for the purpose of Council Plan priorities. In
terms of the Covid-19 Recovery
Arrangements Fund, it was noted that there
were commitments of
£430,000, which included
£130,000 to upgrade technology
to enable remote meetings. It was emphasised that the Cabinet's approval would still be required for priorities above the threshold of £100,000. Awdur: Dafydd Edwards and Ffion Madog Evans |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILY SUPPORT PDF 409 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Dilwyn Morgan Additional documents: Decision: To accept and note the information
in the report. Minutes: The report was submitted by Cllr Dilwyn Morgan DECISION To accept and note the information
in the report. DISCUSSION The report was submitted noting that the department was holding positive monthly performance challenge meetings that were
constantly evolving. Concerns were highlighted
about the department's capacity to be able to input information on a monthly basis
but it was explained that the next step would be for managers
to take ownership of the monthly reports. Members of the Care Scrutiny Committee who attended
the performance challenge meetings were also
thanked. It was noted that the department's priority plans that were
seen in the Council Plan continued to progress, and the Strategy for Keeping
Families Together was highlighted. However, it was stressed that staffing
challenges were seen across the department and had been highlighted in the risk register.
In order to address the challenge, it was noted that work
was ongoing in collaboration with the Corporate Support department. It was explained that the element regarding the Autism Strategy was not easy reading but
the plan had progressed after
writing the report and it had now been discussed at this meeting. Although
the workforce capacity was one of the main concerns of the department, it was stated, on the whole, that
the department was performing
very well. Despite the staffing challenges, the Assistant Head added that
the department had still managed to support and safeguard children
ensuring that they could stay
at home with their families when possible. The Corporate Director noted that there
was concern about the field particularly in terms of pressures
on staff. The staff were thanked for their
hard work and for their
ability to continue to operate during this difficult period. It was highlighted that staff were performing well despite being under constant
pressure. The good relationship between the department and Bangor University and the MA Course in Social
Services was highlighted, explaining
that this collaboration would continue to ensure that the Council attracted a good number of social workers. Observations arising from the discussion: ¾
The department was congratulated for its work
to ensure service level but it was enquired how long it would be possible for the department to continue with a shortage of staff. It was noted that there was no easy answer
but over the years the Council had done very well in recruiting into
the field. Nevertheless, it
was stated that many staff members felt that the post was increasingly challenging and there was a need to ensure that staff were not placed under too much pressure.
It was explained that there was a national need for the sector to have better profile
and recognition for the work they
undertake. ¾
The
staff were thanked for their work,
not only for the work delivered but also for
a legible and coherent performance report. Awdur: Marian Parry Hughes |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ADULTS, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PDF 460 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cllr. Dafydd Meurig Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: The
report was submitted by Cllr Dafydd Meurig DECISION To accept
and note the information in the report. DISCUSSION The
report was submitted, drawing particular attention to the schemes seen in the Council's
Plan. In terms of a suitable and sustainable
care provision plan for the future, it was noted that they
were satisfied with the work undertaken
although there had been a slippage in opening some
specific resources such as the dementia unit in Llan
Ffestiniog. It was explained that
challenges had been faced in Dolgellau in terms of obtaining
suitable land for development. However, it was noted that the journey continued and it was stated that a bid would be submitted to obtain additional staff to
monitor care homes across the county to ensure quality and sufficient support for providers.
It
was explained that the work of re-designing the care service was slightly behind as a result of Covid-19.
It was noted that
the department hoped to re-tender in January
with the hope of obtaining new contracts
with providers by the summer. In
terms of the Workforce and Recruitment plan, it was emphasised
that it was difficult to tackle. Although the performance table was displayed in green,
it was explained that this was not the full picture. It was noted that the recruitment campaign was ongoing and there was a need to re-examine how to recruit people locally, as staff shortages had led to individuals remaining in hospital
as no care was available. In
terms of performance, it
was noted that the department had not managed to reach a situation where it was possible to hold monthly meetings,
and financial challenges were highlighted in terms of finding savings. Observations arising from the discussion ¾
Gratitude was expressed for the report and for
drawing attention to the element of staff recruitment. It was explained that
the situation could be seen across the county and the need to examine the
matter was emphasised. ¾
It was explained that work was underway to review
the savings plans across all departments as several found it challenging to
achieve them. It was noted that there was a need to examine all plans and
examine how to achieve them or seek alternative plans. ¾
The carers were thanked for their work and it was
noted that the Welsh and UK Governments needed to ensure a budget so that it
would be possible to pay carers fairly for their work, which made a difference
to individuals' lives. Awdur: Aled Davies |