To submit the
report of the Council Leader.
Decision:
To approve the report as an accurate,
balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in
2020/21, and to adopt it.
Minutes:
Submitted - a
report by the Leader requesting that the Council approve and adopt Gwynedd
Council's Performance Report 2020/21 as a clear, balanced and accurate picture
of the Council's performance in 2020/21.
He thanked all
staff members who had contributed to the work and especially the Council's
Business Support Service Manager and Business Support Officer for gathering all
the information and for preparing the report in such a coherent and interesting
manner.
Members were then given an opportunity to make observations and ask
questions. The following matters were
raised by individual members:
·
Referring to page 46 of the
agenda, which noted that the North Wales Growth Bid would lead to an investment
of £1.1bn in the north Wales region over the next ten years, creating up to
4,000 jobs across north Wales, it was asked how much of this investment would
be likely to come to Gwynedd. In
response, it was noted that it was not believed there were specific targets for
Gwynedd, but it was intended to monitor the situation and report back to the
North Wales Economic Ambition Board on what would take place. It was explained
that a number of projects were taking place across the region such as the
digital projects that extended and improved digital connectivity across the
entire region. The number of jobs had been determined for specific projects in
Bangor University and Glynllifon and more details about those could be provided
for members in the future.
·
In light of the fact that Wylfa B was now very
unlikely to take place, it was asked where the thousands of new jobs that were
promised would be, and who would occupy the remaining 8,000 additional homes in
Gwynedd and Anglesey. In response, it was explained that Wylfa B was not part
of North Wales Economic Ambition Board projects, or included in their job
figures. The changes as a result of whatever would happen to the Wylfa B site
would be addressed in the review of the Local Development Plan, along with any
other matters that are relevant to re-examine, such as the number of houses and
the number of jobs.
·
Referring to page 49 of the agenda, which referred to
ensuring European funding to realise plans as part of the Creating High Value
Jobs project, it was asked what impact Brexit would have on current and future
investments. In response, it was noted that a number of projects were already
in place that took advantage of European funds, and it was believed that these
would continue until 2023. However, the
funding in future would be much less than the £350m per week that had been
promised by the British Government, and although the Shared Prosperity Fund was
supposed to compensate for this, every county council across Britain had to
compete for the small amounts available.
·
Referring to pages 122-123 of the agenda,
dissatisfaction was expressed that planning applications had taken an average
of 89 days to reach a decision during 2020/21, and that one application had
taken a whole year. As a result of raising the matter with the Department, it
was added that it had become apparent that the officer dealing with the
application was ill, and it was asked to what extent managers supervised
officers who worked from home in terms of their well-being and mental health.
In response, it was explained that no comments could be made on individual
cases but members were asked to refer any such concerns to the attention of the
Chief Executive. It was added that it was important to recognise that staff had
been through a period of monumental change during the past eighteen months, and
had coped fantastically with it to a very large degree. It was not believed
that staff needed supervision in most cases as they were effortful and
conscientious people who did their best at all times. However, they needed
support, especially when working remotely and detached from their teams from
day to day, and arrangements and support was in place to ensure that this
occurred in every part of the Council.
·
The reference to establishing an Autism Scheme in
Gwynedd in the report of the Children and Supporting Families Department was
welcomed, but it was noted that there was no mention of the scheme in the
report of the Adults, Health and Well-being Department. In response, it was explained that the scheme
had appeared in the report of the Children and Supporting Families Department
as this Department would lead the work and challenge the performance of the
cross-departmental Project Group (which included officers from the Children and
Supporting Families Department and the Adults, Health and Well-being
Department, along with partners such as Anglesey County Council and the Health
Board). It was explained that the scheme lied within the Children and
Supporting Families Department as the support needed to commence from the
individual's childhood, but it was a whole life scheme as the individual
transferred from the Children’s Service to the Adult Service. Should members wish to know more about the
activities and the project, and get the opportunity to share opinions and
personal experiences in some cases, it was further noted that it could be arranged
for them to meet with both Cabinet Members and relevant officers.
·
It was asked whether or not Gwynedd was ready for the
wave of mental health problems that would arise as a result of Covid. In
response, it was noted that discussions were in the pipeline between the
Council and the Health Board in an attempt to anticipate future demand. It was
added that the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being was very happy
to arrange a meeting between members and relevant officers to have a better
understanding. It was further noted that
the increase in cases was highlighted through Council services with customers
turning to the Council from all directions. For example, in the housing field,
a serious increase had been seen over the past eighteen months in the number of
people losing tenancies as a result of mental health problems, but the Council
had managed to fund a new staff member in the Mental Health Team within the
Health Service, who would be available specifically to help social housing
tenants to protect their tenancies.
·
Referring to page 61 of the
agenda, the Education Department was congratulated on completing the work of
establishing a new building for Ysgol y Garnedd in Bangor.
·
Referring to page 103 of the
agenda, it was asked how it could be certain that the success of the Council's
strategy, rather than children being lost under the radar due to Covid, was
responsible for the slight reduction in the number of looked-after children in
2020/21. In response, it was noted that the Council had been under pressure
from Welsh Government to set targets for the number of looked-after children,
but it had refused to do so as it was not believed that the target was
suitable, and that the Council provided as required, rather than in order to
reach any targets. The collaboration between the Education Department and the
Children and Supporting Families Department was praised, and special gratitude
was expressed to school staff for identifying and referring children who could
have gone under the radar due to Covid, to the Children's Service. It was
further noted that the arrangements of the Department were very robust in terms
of assessing the data in relation to referrals, e.g. were the referrals similar
to the past year and to similar years? Also, a lot of triangulation work took
place in order to see what the data told us. Nevertheless, it was difficult to
know for certain that everything was coming in as it should as it was such an
unprecedented period. It was noted
further that many campaigns had been held to ensure that everyone in society,
the staff and members kept their eyes open, and referred any matter of concern
to the Referrals Team, and by collaborating with the police, and other key
partners, it was hoped that the Council did everything it could to ensure that
these safeguarding matters came to the Department's attention. Also, as part of
the strategy to keep families together, high rates of children could stay with
their parents, or extended family, instead of becoming looked-after.
·
Referring to page 124 of the agenda, it was asked what
was the latest situation in terms of recommencing the public transport services
that had been cut during the Covid period, and the Welsh Government's plan in
terms of improving public transport. In response, it was noted that the Deputy
Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, MS had submitted a very ambitious
transport plan to us, which disregarded the needs of rural areas. After making
an observation on this, the Deputy Minister submitted an astonishing rural plan
although he was unclear as to how it would be delivered. The situation in terms
of the current service was unclear, but there was concern that the Government
wished to centralise the bus service with Transport for Wales, and this did not
raise much hope to improve the service in Gwynedd. It was further noted that
the Environment Department had undertaken a piece of work prior to the pandemic
examining the provision, such as when it would be possible to use a taxi or
mini bus, rather than a bus that could carry 50 people. The pandemic had greatly
affected the Department and the Government had largely subsidised this side of
the work during the pandemic. The Government, via Transport for Wales, had been
seeking to push forward with new schemes, but the whole picture so far in terms
of what they had in mind was unclear. Any members having difficulties locally
were asked to bring such evidence to the Department's attention.
RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate,
balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in 2020/21, and to
adopt it.
Supporting documents: