Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Geraint Wyn Parry and Linda Morgan.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

A declaration of personal interest was received from Councillor Eryl – Jones Williams for item 6. This was not a prejudicial interest and therefore he did not withdraw from the meeting for the discussion.

A declaration of interest was received from Councillor Jina Gwyrfai for item 8. This was not a prejudicial interest and therefore she did not withdraw from the meeting for the discussion.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

None to note.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meetings of this committee held on the 12^th June 2025  be signed as a true record.  (attached)

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 12 June 2025, as a true record.

To prepare an Annual Report on the implementation of the Representations and Complaints Procedure for submission to the Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee in order to scrutinise and monitor the arrangements for dealing effectively with complaints received from service users and their representatives

a)    To accept the report

b)    To establish a working group to look into complaints, enquiries and expressions of gratitude in more detail to consider them further

The report was presented by Councillor Menna Trenholme, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families.

She gave a reminder that the report was in accordance with the Social Services' Complaints Procedure Regulations and the Welsh Government's Representations Procedure Regulations. It was noted that it was an opportunity to review how the department dealt with the concerns of Gwynedd residents. The importance of the report in measuring the performance of departments was outlined and how lessons could be learnt from each case in order to improve services for the people of Gwynedd.

It was noted that the Adults Department had received 42 informal enquiries and 23 formal complaints. The Children's Department had received 28 informal enquiries and 25 formal complaints. It was confirmed that a large proportion of the enquiries had been resolved promptly and it was confirmed that there had not been any inquiry by the Ombudsman in 2024-25.

It was confirmed that the Adults Department had received 106 expressions of gratitude and the Children's Department had received 95. The main themes learnt in the report were outlined and the importance of clear communication, supporting staff to deal with complainants in difficult situations and continuing to address the pressures on domiciliary care were emphasised.

It was noted that there was a marked increase in the use of the Welsh language in the Adults Department. The department's intentions in looking ahead to 2025/26 were outlined which included:

-          sharing lessons on a regular basis with the management team

-          continuing to chair the North Wales Customer Care Officers Group

-          encouraging the sharing of compliments alongside complaints

-          promoting the completion of e-learning training

-          rolling out the awareness raising campaign with posters in residential homes and public buildings.

It was emphasised that it was the people of Gwynedd and not the number of complaints that was important to both departments. It was noted that complaints were an opportunity for the department to learn, improve and strengthen the department's commitment to delivering quality services.

In opening the discussion to members, it was highlighted that enquiries to both departments had increased significantly, however it was noted that the number of complaints had remained constant. The department emphasised that considerable effort had been made to make staff aware of the complaints procedure and to try and get solutions before the enquiry became a complaint.

A question was asked about the increase in the number of freedom of information requests and what was the main reason behind this increase. The response given was that there were several reasons for the increase in requests such as public press coverage, requests from the police for background information, some for research purposes and it was noted that some were requests that could be presented annual. With increasing numbers, it was explained that a lot of officers' time was spent searching for and sharing the information.

It was noted that it was pleasing to hear that the report was about people rather than numbers, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Cllr. Dilwyn Morgan to present the report.

To accept the report and ask for a progress report in 18 months.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Well-being, Councillor Dilwyn Morgan, the Head of Adults Department, and the Head of Adults Health and Well-being, Mari Wynne Jones.

It was reported that the project encompassed the important work of the multi-agency network in supporting residents to return home from hospital. The current arrangements of the Community Resources Teams in supporting adults after they are discharged from hospital were outlined. It was explained that the Teams supported adults with physical needs, ill-health, age-related conditions and dementia. Details were shared of the care pathways available to patients in the context of the principles of the Social Services and Well-being Act. It was emphasised that individuals' personal resources and strengths were at the centre of care and support needs assessments and plans, to ensure that individuals received bespoke care. 

It was confirmed that the principles were based on the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. It was noted that the legal framework was used to identify a person's personal outcomes and to assess their care and support needs. The importance of encouraging people to return home from hospital for their own good was emphasised, noting that it was a matter of concern that "an extra 10 days in hospital equated to 10 years of muscle ageing in people over the age of 80". It was emphasised that the project aimed to ensure the best possible care by supporting people to stay at home in their communities, to promote individual independence and alleviate the pressures on social care and community services that were already hard pressed.

It was elaborated that the project was being implemented in response to a report published by Senedd Cymru, investigating the role of local authorities in supporting people to leave hospital in a timely manner. It was explained that there was a lot of work undertaken between the Council and the Health Board to try and improve the journey for individuals upon leaving hospital. It was noted that the Association of Social Directors had produced a paper framing the national context in Wales and the importance of collaboration between the different agencies. It was highlighted that NHS Wales used specific codes to determine the pathway of individuals who are discharged from hospital, based on the principles of Discharge to Recover then Assess (D2RA). Details were given of the four streams.

The Project Manager detailed that this was a Pilot Scheme that would run for a period and the developments would hopefully be rolled out across the county. An overview was given of the project's objectives in the context of the Llechen Lân (A Clean Slate) report and the Ffordd Gwynedd way of working. It was explained that there would be a greater demand for care and support with an increasing older population. It was confirmed that the work resulting from the project would ensure that there was an appropriate resource to address the increasing long-term challenges.

During the discussion, the report was welcomed, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Cllr. Dilwyn Morgan to present the report.

a)    To accept the report.

b)    To encourage the implementation of the plan in other parts of the county.

A report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being and the Head of Department.

It was noted that this report was extremely interesting and formed another part of the big picture. It was explained that the work in this scheme helped to keep people out of hospitals and services in the Dyffryn Nantlle area. It was explained that the scheme was not entirely unique but a further step for their community hubs which were to be found across the county.

The officer elaborated that it was a simple scheme, which brought people together and to work with the community to respond to the challenges of delivering preventative services at a local level. It was noted that it helped residents in the Dyffryn Nantlle area to freely access the support they needed without having to approach several different agencies. It was added that the aim was to empower those who work and live in the area to help individuals in their community. It was emphasised that the Council was one of many partners involved in the scheme, and that the Council's role was to facilitate the work of setting in motion the necessary conversations.

It was stated that 3 main things had guided the development of this partnership. The first involved commissioning research from the National Development Team for Inclusion to discuss with organisations in the area to see what the situation was in terms of supporting people and if there was a desire to develop something a little different to support people within their communities.

The second involved members of the Leadership Team setting a challenge to consider what the Council could do in terms of helping people to access the support they needed without having to approach every agency or individual Council departments. This led to a multi-departmental workshop to discuss the issue which resulted in all departments allocating time for staff working in Dyffryn Nantlle to come together for further discussion.

The third involved establishing Lles Nantlle to draw in different organisations such as the surgery, Cynefin, Adra and local organisations such as Yr Orsaf. By coming together it was possible to create a vision, get to know one another but more importantly understand each other's work in order to work together to respond to the demand. It was emphasised that they were not coming together to talk but rather to understand what was happening in the area. A Coordinator had now been appointed for a period of 6 months who will work at Yr Orsaf in Penygroes. It will be possible to call into the Lounge for a chat with officers where their contacts can be used to respond to needs.

It was emphasised that the organisations were clearly committed to be involved in this scheme which was developing and evolving through continuous learning. It was explained that it involved more than just delivering individual services but rather creating a collaborative environment that led to innovation to fill gaps in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Cllr. Paul Rowlinson to present the report.

To accept the report. 

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, Cllr. Paul Rowlinson.

Reference was made to the housing crisis facing Gwynedd, noting that the significant number of empty houses added to the current problems. It was noted that the management of empty houses was one of the main priorities in the Council's Plan and the Housing Action Plan. It was noted that the Council Tax Premium had been levied on houses in Gwynedd that had been vacant for 12 months or more, to encourage owners to restore the property and bring the houses back into use. It was elaborated that the Council offered a number of schemes that supported people to renovate empty houses to bring them up to a safe standard of living. It was confirmed that 123 homes in Gwynedd had benefited from the Empty Homes Grant. It was noted that this had a positive impact on the local economy through the use of local contractors.

It was confirmed that first-time buyers often received an exemption from the Empty Homes Premium for one year, to facilitate the restoration of the property. However, a Member noted concern about the Empty Homes Premium and the period of the payment exemption for one year. It was expressed that Gwynedd was a unique area where there was a vast difference between areas across the county. It was noted that sympathy should be felt with those who inherit a house as part of a loved one's estate, noting that the stress of selling a property could be distressing during a difficult time. Attention was drawn to the difficulties encountered by residents when trying to sell property in some areas due to the increase in house prices, and it was therefore noted that this should be considered when setting and implementing the policies.

In response to an enquiry on the number of second homes that have been renovated into homes, it was confirmed that the grant had funded the renovation of several existing second homes to an acceptable standard of living, which had provided homes for local people in the county. It was noted that the department had already achieved the target of bringing 282 empty homes back into use in Gwynedd, with 299 homes having come back into use as a result of support from the Council through the Empty Homes Grant. However, it was noted that 1,306 homes remained empty in Gwynedd to date, which reflected the ongoing work facing the department in Gwynedd.

In response to an enquiry about the number of long-term empty houses that had been empty for years, it was explained that the owners received correspondence from the department to encourage them to bring the property back into living use. It was confirmed that the department targeted areas where houses had stood empty for a while using figures from the tax department. It was noted that this was a fundamental part of the cross-departmental work being carried out by the Enforcement Unit, within the Housing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit the Committee’s draft work programme for 2025/26 for adoption.

To adopt the Care Scrutiny Committee Forward Programme 2025/26 and note a wish to scrutinise the Council's response to the Child Practice Review, led by Jan Pickles, when it is timely to do so.

It was agreed to adopt the forward programme with a view to scrutinise the Council’s response to the Child Practice Review, led by Jan Pickles, when it is timely to do so.