Agenda, decisions and minutes

I dderbyn ymddiheuriadau am absenoldeb.

A declaration of personal interest was received for item 6 from Councillor Rheinallt Puw who noted that his daughter worked in the Youth Service. This was not a prejudicial interest, and he did not withdraw from the meeting.

None to note

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this committee held on the 29^th of September, 2022 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous Committee meeting held on 29 September, 2022, as a true record. 

To receive a presentation from Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service and Estelle Hitchon, Director of Partnerships and Engagement.

Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service and Estelle Hitchon, Director of Partnerships and Engagement, were welcomed to the meeting. Members were given a presentation which reported on the performance of the Welsh Ambulance Service. 

Details were given on statistics such as the response times to red calls (risk to life calls) at Betsi Cadwaladr, noting that the percentage response to these emergency calls within 8 minutes had dropped since October 2022 from 62% to 47% by October 2021 and had now stabilised at approximately 45% by September 2022. It was acknowledged that this meant that some patients were waiting much too long for an ambulance.  

It was noted that the main reason for the drop in the response times was the substantial increase in lost hours when transferring to hospital, which affected the ability to respond to emergency calls promptly. It was noted that this delay when transferring had increased over time and had been at its worst in September 2022. Details were also given of other challenges such as increasing staff sickness and absences leading to capacity problems and challenges relating to attracting staff and filling posts. 

Reference was made to patient safety and civil reportable incidents, which detailed the deaths and serious harm that could have been avoided, and comparison was drawn between the situation of Betsi Cadwaladr and the rest of Wales. The numbers were lower compared with the whole of Wales, but on average, 2 patient safety issues were recorded every month as a result of very long delays, clinical errors and patients waiting in ambulances outside the hospitals. 

Information was received on the current review being undertaken of demand and capacity within the service, and details were given on what was being done in an attempt to improve the situation, such as recruiting and training more staff, reviewing the list of duties and changes to arrangements such as rapid response vehicles, e.g., staffed by senior paramedics. It was believed that these measures would help with the response time problems.  

To close, they ran through a future response model which focused on transforming the emergency medical services by placing more emphasis on consultation, treatment and referrals, instead of transporting patients to hospitals.  

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:- 

·           Members expressed gratitude for the presentation and commented that it conveyed a bleak image of the ambulance service and for the people who lived in North Wales, particularly in the rural areas.  

·           A request was made for an explanation of the role of the first responders, noting that their service was essential to rural areas in the County such as Tywyn, particularly considering the current situation and discussions about the air ambulance service.  

·           Reference was made to the lack of locum staff, and it was asked whether it was possible to increase staff numbers in the Tywyn area. Members expressed their admiration towards the existing staff who worked under strain. Reference was made to staff who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To update the Committee on the Youth Service developments.

a)    To accept the report that provided an update on the developments of the Youth Service.

b)   To ask the Cabinet Member for Education to consider the observations of the Committee about the importance of the Youth Service, ensuring that it will receive due attention under the Education Service after the Service soon transfers to this Department.

The report was submitted by the Youth Service Manager. An overview of the main points was also received, as well as the background of remodelling the Youth Service following the Cabinet's decisions back in 2018. The new model had been established in September 2018 and it was reported that the Service had been reporting on the progress of the remodelling and performance through the Performance Challenging process.  

It was noted that the Service had submitted a Progress Report on the first year of the remodelling to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee in January 2020, but soon after the Covid restrictions had come into force. It was expressed that the report included information on the impact of the pandemic on the remodelling as well as the service's current situation. 

Reference was made to the current structure of the Youth Service, and it was added that the voice of young people was central to the Service. It was noted that the report referred to the feedback of young people about the Service, as well as what the Youth Service was doing in response to this feedback. 

It was reported that information could be seen in the report on the strategic themes of the Service, which focussed on Health and Well-being across all projects, the Welsh language, equality and inclusion. The work taking place with partners and third sector organisations to meet the needs of young people was highlighted. To close, reference was made to the challenges facing the Service in the future which had been included in the report such as recruitment and the complex and severe needs of young people which had emerged over the last few years. 

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:- 

·           A comment was made that the youth clubs were currently being funded through the Community and Town Councils. Reference was made to the report which noted that the clubs that currently existed were successful, with a high number attending. It was noted that these were not new clubs, but rather old clubs that were being reopened by the Community and Town Councils after 4 years of being closed.  

·           It was believed that there were strengths to the new structure, but it was questioned whether it had been a failure in one element, considering the above. 

·           It was expressed that consistency and stability was important to young people and it was questioned whether there was room for the Council to reconsider its provision. It was added that providing space for the young people to feel safe and that they belonged was important and an enquiry was made about the Council's role in providing permanent stable clubs instead of supporting Community and Town Councils.  

·           The projects being offered by the Youth Service were welcomed, and it was noted that there were very successful projects in some areas. Advantage was taken of the opportunity to thank the Youth Workers within the Council who did excellent work and appreciation was expressed for this work. 

·           It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To present an interim report to the Committee on the progress of the Housing Allocations Policy since its implementation two years ago.

a)    To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.

b)    A further report will be submitted on proposed changes to the Housing Allocation Policy in the new year in order to give members an opportunity to have an input.

A foreword was received from the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property who referred to the increasing emphasis on housing local people in the new Housing Allocation Policy. Pride was expressed in the numbers of local people who received property off the Common Housing Register. 

The opportunity was taken to remind the Committee of the homelessness situation in the County, noting that the waiting time for a social property could be years. It was noted that this was unfair and reflected the reality that there was not enough social housing in the County. It was reported that it took years to increase the stock, and although improvements had happened in this field, there was an insufficient number of properties available to meet the demand for social housing.  

The Head of Housing and Property Department expressed that the report submitted to the Committee was an interim report with the proposal to report in full to the Committee later on in the new year. It was noted that this was as a result of potential changes afoot as a result of policy and legislation changes by Government and expectations on Local Authorities to prioritise specific aspects in the homelessness field.  

An overview was provided of the progress since starting to implement the new Housing Allocation Policy two years ago by the Housing Options Team Leader. It was explained that the new process of prioritising applicants was based on placing applications in priority Bands, which had replaced the old system of awarding points to applications. It was noted that this system simplified the process and was a combination of the scale of applicants' needs, as well as a connection to Gwynedd.  

It was reported that the Housing Options team was working closely with the Housing Associations and let around 600-650 properties in a year. It was explained that the demand was substantially higher than the supply of housing that became empty. It was added that as a result of the Policy changes that 96.5% of lettings had been made to applications who had a connection to Gwynedd, compared with 90% before the new Policy was implemented.  

Reference was made to the challenges experienced as a result of Covid, increasing living costs and the substantial increase in the number facing homelessness in the County. This had led to an increase in the register, with over 3,300 applications now waiting for social properties. It was reiterated that the supply had not increased as quickly, which showed the demand for social property. 

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:- 

·           Gratitude was expressed for the report.  

·           It was asked what changes were afoot as a result of the change in Government Policy and whether these would affect the Gwynedd connection element in the Policy. 

·           Concern was expressed that the Policy change would encourage people to move into the area and then receive priority since they were homeless.  

·           It was asked whether people from outside the County presented themselves as homeless here.  

·           Reference was made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

For the Committee to prioritise items for the upcoming meetings and to adopt a revised work programme.

To adapt the work programme in order to prioritise items for the February meeting of the Care Scrutiny Committee and to adapt a revised work programme.

A short report was provided to the Members showing the Committee's latest work programme over the next months. It was explained that the work programme would need to be adapted as a result of items slipping and a new item had been brought to the attention of the Committee. It was noted that the item on the Gwynedd Population Needs Assessment had slipped and a request had been made for it to be included in the February meeting of the Committee. Also, Care Inspectorate Wales was eager to attend the February meeting of the Committee to submit the findings of the report.  

As a result, the February and April agendas would be heavy, therefore, it was suggested to prioritise items for both of these committees, as well as consider items for June. It was recommended to include the Gwynedd Population Needs Assessment, the Care Inspectorate Wales report, the Staff Recruitment and Retention in the Care Field report (Children and Families Service) and the report on the Housing Action Plan, as items for the February Committee meeting. 

It was also suggested to ask for a report via e-mail for some items for the purpose of updating the Committee, and then after receiving the report from the Departments to see whether there was a need to scrutinise the item or not. It was agreed to do this with the One Stop Shop and Looked After Children Placement items. 

Things were kept as they were for the April meeting for the time being, in anticipation of the outcome after receiving other updates via e-mail.  

A comment was made asking for the Departments to try and keep their presentations short; it was confirmed that this message would be conveyed to the Departments.  

DECISION 

To adapt the work programme in order to prioritise items for the February meeting of the Care Scrutiny Committee and to adapt a revised work programme.