Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Elin Walker Jones, Einir Wyn Williams and Gareth Coj Parry. 

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Councillor Gwynfor Owen declared an interest that was not prejudicial for item 5.  It was not a prejudicial interest and therefore he did not withdraw from the meeting.

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 29^th January and 4^th June be signed as a true record.  (attached)

The Chair signed the minutes of previous committee meetings held on 29 January 2026 and 4 June 2026, as true records.

To scrutinise the day care service as part of the Council Plan 2023-28 – A Caring Gwynedd

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being. It was highlighted that the department was proceeding from the traditional model of day centres towards a more flexible and community service in its nature. It was noted that the individual person was central to the provision plan and there were many varied services available to suit various different needs. All were guided through the main matters in the report giving an update of the work that was ongoing. The proposal to modernise care resources under the heading 'A Caring Gwynedd' in the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28 was highlighted to enable Gwynedd residents to live their best life within their local communities.  

An overview of the provision available in Gwynedd was given, including Traditional Day Care Units, Specialist (Dementia), Day care in the homes of the county's residents and respite care/short-breaks care.  Details were given of the priority to satisfy a wide range of profound needs and to provide varied and personal support to each individual, based on person-centred assessments. The need to be flexible to satisfy individual needs, to provide a resource that reflects a choice to people and community expectations today was emphasised. It was explained that it was essential to collaborate closely with partners in the health board and the third sector, as well as the community, to ensure that the care model thrives and that the more complex needs of individuals are addressed. It was noted that care and community expertise were crucial to be able to create successful person-centred care. It was reinforced that the partnership between the Council and the Health Board was key to meet with the comprehensive needs, such as Special day care provision (Dementia) at Plas Hedd, Bangor and Dolgellau Hospital.   

The continuous pressure on unpaid carers was acknowledged and the over-reliance on them to sustain intense situations across the county.  It was recognised that there were obvious challenges in the home care provision and that some areas were having difficulty to cope with the capacity. The priority to provide quality short respites to unpaid carers, and to also ensure value for the individual receiving care were also highlighted. The provision available to individuals with less intense needs was detailed, noting that there was a wide range of options and that they promote the use of activities in the community, such as keeping fit and Dementia Actif and to also meet social needs.

The future objectives of the service were outlined. Reference was made to the pilot procedure now in place in Dolgellau to develop a new model of day respite care. It was explained that the intention of the pilot was to offer a community opportunity within Cefn Rodyn Care Home, to provide respite for carers and social activities for individuals. It was noted that this provision would be for 2 days a week, in the home's lounge to support approximately 5 persons at a time. It was noted that Age Cymru will facilitate the activities,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To present the findings and recommendations of the Task and Finish Group.

a.  To ask the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families and the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being to correspond with the Welsh Government to express concern that complaint handling guidance has not been updated since 2014 and that social media is not properly considered as a means for complainants to contact with complaints.

 b.  To reconcile the information presented in tables in future social services complaints reports to reflect the situation in a comprehensive and up-to-date manner.

c.  To recommend that the relevant Cabinet Member reviews the corporate complaints recording form and its format and amend it to be more similar to Social Services complaints recording forms in order to promote and increase the accessibility of Welsh-language forms.

ch.      To ask the departments dealing with complaints to indicate that the             
Council can be contacted through social media on the complaint recording forms.

d)       To ask the Council to consider ways for carers to submit complaints.

The report was presented by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group namely on the Report on Complaints of the Adults, Health and Well-being Department and Children and Supporting Families Department

An overview of the discussion that took place at the meeting of the task group was given, which was set up to discuss issues raised from the annual report on Social Services Complaints, Enquiries and Gratitude on 25 September 2026. The officers were thanked for being so willing to share information. The main points raised at the meeting were outlined;

-       The complaints were discussed in the context of the 2024 National Guidelines and concern was expressed that the guidelines were outdated.

-       The nature of the complaints and the manner in which they were resolved by the Council were considered.

-       The rationale behind the complaints and some of the regular complainants was considered. It was discussed how the officers deal with regular complainants efficiently and how an acceptable resolution reaches the threshold of being a formal or official complaint.

-       The efficiency and accessibility of the complaints record sheets of both departments in question, and the corporate white leaflet were discussed.

-       The complaints were looked at in terms of themes and whether any specific themes appeared. It was understood that many complaints were submitted at random and did not follow a specific pattern.

-       The number of complaints received in English were considered. It was mentioned that officers anticipated more complaints in English with the increasing use of artificial intelligence. It was noted that some complaints had obviously been already formulated with the help of artificial intelligence.

-       Consideration was given to whether there was any link between the Our Bravery Brought Justice report and the complaints protocol and policies.

The recommendations received were presented to encourage more residents to submit complaints and compliments. The report was welcomed and there was a discussion about the findings and recommendations. A Member expressed frustration that unpaid carers cannot make a complaint on behalf of an individual who receives care or a specific service.

In considering the recommendations, a Member expressed that he was keen to add a recommendation that unpaid carers looking after individuals could make a complaint on behalf of a vulnerable individual. It was explained that this was not possible, but it was accepted that it was frustrating and very difficult for carers. It was elaborated that consideration could be given to what may improve the situation to ensure better care for vulnerable individuals who do not receive quality care or service. The observations were accepted.

DECISION

a. To ask the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families and the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being to correspond with the Welsh Government to express concern that guidance on handling complaints has not been updated since 2014, and that no appropriate consideration has been given to social media as a means for complainants to submit complaints.

b. To reconcile the information presented in tables in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The committee’s comments are needed on the data update, and the update to the Llechen Lân workstreams

To accept the report and the work programme but express concern about the magnitude of the demographic challenge highlighted in the latest data.

To recommend to the Cabinet Member that the Llechen Lân board should develop a detailed action plan with clear milestone priorities and measures of success with particular attention to the workforce, extra care housing, the financial sustainability of the programme, the development of preventive services and an innovative way of delivering care, the promotion of preventive self-care and collaborate with the education department to include young people in the work programme.

To provide the committee with a further update within 12 months on progress against the Llechen Lân board's priorities, including the latest data on inward migration and deaths, and the work programme to deal with recruitment and care workforce challenges.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being. Reference was made to the publication of the Llechen Lân report in September 2024, which outlined projections that would affect services for older people over the next 20 years. It was envisaged that the population would change over the next 20 years and would significantly affect the demand for care in Gwynedd. It was explained that there was a need to consider the ability to satisfy the need and predict the expected financial pressures. When considering the 2026 data update, there was concern that the actual situation would be more extreme and much worse than the original forecasts. It was explained that the report detailed the forecasts up to 2047.

-       Attention was drawn to the impact the population projections had on the workforce projections, and it was noted that the increase was alarming, bearing in mind the demand there would be for services and the need for staff to care for the older population.

-       It was trusted that the departments were delivering within the work programme but it was recognised that a great deal more needed to be done to deliver due to the increasing need over the next few years.

-       It was explained that there was a need to do more and create alternative strategies to be able to cope with future demand.

-       It was emphasised that more national attention was needed regarding this and to constantly refer to this over the coming years. 

Observations and questions were welcomed from Members;

-       In response to a question, it was confirmed that the projections were specific to Gwynedd and based on local data.  It was explained that people tended to live longer with an illness and needed more care for a longer period, which placed pressure on resources and services. It was noted that the healthy life expectancy age had fallen in Gwynedd, due to various factors such as being over-weight, and therefore there would be more people requiring care earlier. Emphasis was placed on the importance of preventative work to try and cope with the increasing challenges.

-       Concern was expressed about the content of the report and the vulnerable situation facing the county. There was a discussion regarding the lack of young people to serve older persons, and the departments were encouraged to act at once on the up-and-coming work programme. It was questioned why the Education Department was not actively involved with the work programme, and the importance of the younger generation. It was elaborated that the county's young people were core to the county's prosperity, and it was noted that the Education Department had a duty to ensure that young people receive the correct education of how to live a healthy life as part of the preventative work. It was argued that there was a need to promote the care careers to young people to attract them to the care workplace. It was noted that it was key to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider whether the revised Compact provides a robust foundation for a more consistent, effective and collaborative relationship between Cyngor Gwynedd and the Third Sector.

To accept the report.

To recommend that the Cabinet approves the Compact provided that they

·       provide a supporting action plan setting out responsibilities, timelines, resources, success measures and reporting arrangements

·       submit a regular report to the Scrutiny Committee every 2 years.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being. Referring to the report, it was highlighted that the third sector was vital to the work of various services and departments across the Council, and an integral element of the work of supporting residents in Gwynedd. It was noted that the Compact set a framework for the relationship between Cyngor Gwynedd and the Third Sector. It was noted that the Third Sector included a wide range of charities, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and community groups who made a significant contribution to the well-being of the people of Gwynedd and provide services that complement the Council's work.

It was explained that the new framework for the relationship was essential to provide effective services to the people of Gwynedd. There was pride regarding the close relationship with the third sector, which supports effective provision for the benefit of Gwynedd communities.

As part of the Compact, it was noted that the Council and the Third Sector had a key role to play in working together and developing and promoting social and community enterprises. It was noted that the Council was working very closely with Mantell Gwynedd to develop the Compact. It was ensured that the developmental conversations regarding the third sector took place with the help of Mantell Gwynedd to ensure an active and efficient relationship.

It was acknowledged that there were ongoing challenges with collaboration with external agencies, and it was highlighted that the Compact agreement supported the establishment of values and principles of collaboration within the relationship to empower communities and place Gwynedd residents first. It was ensured that the Council had been consulted extensively and had received a great deal of feedback, which was incorporated in the Compact document.

Members had the opportunity to comment and submit questions;

-       It was asked whether specific examples of problems raised with the arrangements under the previous Compact agreement could be provided, and how the new Compact agreement would address these problems and challenges? In response, it was acknowledged that it was a challenging task to give specific examples without drawing public attention to some problems that had arisen between some agencies. However, it was explained that disagreements had arisen over the years for reasons such as funding, available grants and provision. It was explained that frustration had arisen in relation to the Council's ability to provide long-term and short-term funding, from the third sector. It was noted that the long-term plans of the third sector were often limited due to a lack of long-term funding.

-       It was asked what would be different for third sector organisations and for the residents of Gwynedd as a result of the adoption of this Compact compared to the old Compact? In response, it was ensured that the new Compact sets objectives to seek to fund third sector organisations better and prioritised financial support to ensure better sustainable provision for the community. It was noted that the new Compact was an opportunity to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit the Committee’s draft work programme for 2026/27 for adoption.

To adopt the work programme with the following modifications:

1. To move the Our Bravery Brought Justice report from the September 2026 meeting to the November 2026 meeting.
2. To move the Child Care report to the January meeting.
3. To move the Annual Report 2025-26 - Complaints, Enquiries and Expressions of Gratitude - Children and Supporting Families and the Adults, Health and Well-being Departments from November to September.

Submitted - the Forward Programme by the Senior Scrutiny Advisor. There was a discussion about the content and items in the pipeline for the year 2026/27.

It was decided to make some adjustments on the forward programme by moving the Our Bravery Brought Justice report to the November 2026 meeting. It was decided to move the Childcare report to the January meeting and to move the Annual Complaints Report from November to September.

DECISION

To adopt the forward work programme with the following modifications:

1. To move the Our Bravery Brought Justice report from the September 2026 meeting to the November 2026 meeting

2. To move the Childcare report to the January meeting

3. To move the Annual Report 2025-26 - Complaints, Enquiries and Expressions of Gratitude - Children and Supporting Families and the Adults, Health and Well-being Departments from November to September