To provide the Committee
with an update
on the Audit Wales work programme for Quarter 3 and
reports published recently
Decision:
·
To accept the reports.
Minutes:
Four reports had been submitted by Audit Wales updating the Committee on the Audit Wales work programme for Quarter 3 and
reports published recently.
Jeremy Evans (Wales Audit) was welcomed to present the reports.
1. Quarterly Update - Quarter 3 (up to 31 December 2021)
The quarterly
report was now part of the Committee's arrangements for receiving information
about the work undertaken locally, regionally and nationally.
The information
was accepted.
2.
Commissioning Placements
in Care Homes for Older People
It was noted that the report noted the findings of the Auditor
General's review of arrangements for commissioning placements in care homes across
North Wales. The work was part of the statutory programme of local audit work
in each of the local authorities in North Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University
Health Board. The findings were presented, and also recommendations for
strengthening the method of commissioning placements in care homes and
associated arrangements for working in partnership across North Wales.
On the whole, it was found that partners were working individually
and jointly to provide suitable placements, but were also carrying significant
risks. One of the highlighted risks was the structure of the Regional
Partnership Board (RPB) - although it brought partners together to ‘think
regionally’, its structures, largely set out by the Welsh Government, were
extensive and complex, and lines of accountability needed to be strengthened.
In response, an observation was made that the report highlighted the
weakness of the Cardiff Government's policy that forced regional working,
creating a structure that prevented the Council from working effectively.
Reference was made to work by the council, in collaboration with Betsi
Cadwaladr University Health Board, to establish a new domiciliary care model in
Gwynedd that would assist people to live their lives as fully as possible
within their communities. The new model would improve the way that domiciliary
care was organised and provided in Gwynedd, by keeping the arrangements as
local as possible. Should these arrangements be adopted across North Wales?
In response to a question regarding how the North Wales Strategy for
Commissioning Placements could be scrutinised, and whether it was the
responsibility of the Audit and Governance Committee within each individual
council or more widely, it was noted that a robust structure and clear accountability
was needed - it was suggested that the structure of the Economic Ambition Board
or other good examples could be examined and recommended to the RPB.
Morwena Edwards (Corporate Director) expressed thanks for the report
and noted that this field was not easy to analyse, with a number of discussions
having been held about implementing Welsh Government policy. She highlighted
the importance of providing nursing and residential places as locally as
possible, so that family and friends were supportive of the provision, while
accepting the need to collaborate regionally to provide specialist care. It was
added that this was not one solution by one region. It would be necessary to
work with neighbouring councils e.g. Ceredigion, Conwy and Anglesey to ensure good
quality and financial viability, whether internally or externally. Agreement
should be reached, and the right relationship established.
The information was accepted.
3.
Review of the Council's
Performance Management
It was reported that the Council's performance management framework
was developing well, although implementation was varied under the current
circumstances, and some departments had considerable work to be done. Attention
was drawn to the findings and the recommendations.
During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made
by members:
·
Everyone should be eager to
ensure the best performance - need to secure accurate information and data to
make decisions
·
A need to ensure that managers
had used robust and appropriate information as the basis for decision-making,
e.g. that there was value for money
In response to an observation about the functions and
responsibilities of those who managed performance, it was noted that
performance management was the responsibility of all - officers under the
supervision of the Chief Executive should ensure that there was high quality
information available so that councillors could make prudent decisions,
scrutinise performance and note areas for improvement.
4.
A summary of the work of
Audit Wales 2021
Submitted - an annual summary of Audit Wales' work completed since
the last Annual Audit in January 2021. It was noted that the report referred to
the local, regional and national work that had been completed, as well as the summary
of the main messages.
RESOLVED:
To accept the
reports
Supporting documents: