Agenda item

To consider the contents of the draft document for 2023/24 and propose any comments and recommendations.

DECISION

 

To accept the Annual Performance Report and Self-assessment (draft) 2023/24.

 

Note:

Need to consider appropriate consultation arrangements for the future to ensure Gwynedd residents' input in the process.

Need to involve the Committee earlier in the process – a suggestion to hold a workshop with Members so that the Committee has input and a better opportunity to offer recommendations.

When presenting data – need to ensure a full explanation e.g., avoiding linguistic categories in secondary schools.

Increasing Housing Supply for Local People - need to highlight the impact and not numbers only.

 

Gwynedd Yfory Projects

·         Modernisation of Buildings and Learning Environment – to add that a RAC inspection had been undertaken.

·         Promoting the Well-being of Children and Young People – to add that schemes / campaigns are in place by the Education Department to improve pupil attendance.

·         Extending Opportunities for Play and Socialising – to add that additional financial support has been provided by the Council to Byw'n Iach Centres – this has been a positive decision.

 

Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn (Leader of the Council), Cllr Nia Jeffreys (Deputy Leader of the Council) and Dewi Jones (Council Business Support Service Manager) were welcomed to the meeting.

 

A draft of Cyngor Gwynedd's Annual Performance Report and Self-Assessment 2023/24 was submitted for the Committee's consideration asking them to provide comments and recommendations on the content of the report. It was reported that the Self-Assessment was a statutory requirement under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 which also states that the Committee needs to be involved in the self-assessment process.

 

Attention was drawn to the fact that the Council was already collecting a lot of evidence and published documents containing the type of information expected to be included within the self-assessment – documents such as (but not limited to) the annual reports on Performance, Equality, Director of Social Services and Annual Statement of Accounts. It was also noted that this document was closely related to the Annual Governance Statement (see item 7) and as a result, an effort had been made to keep the self-assessment document relatively concise with reference to a number of the documents where further information could be obtained to try to avoid duplication.

The members gave thanks for the report.

 

During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were noted:

·       That the Committee needed to be involved earlier in the process - the suggestion of holding a workshop in the future so that Members had the opportunity and time to discuss the report and offer input and recommendations was made

·       That the format of the report was clear and easy to understand – orderly and neat

·       That the report gave an honest picture of the situation

·       That the assessment was very detailed, difficult to review without a full understanding of areas

·       That it needed to be ensured that residents received information about the services - needed to ensure good communication

·       Words such as 'strategy has been formulated' – needed to see more action

·       Active travel - clearly more resources for urban / highly populated areas, but needed to see more effort on rural active travel issues across the County

·       When presenting data - needed to ensure that a full explanation was given e.g., avoid linguistic categories in secondary schools

·       Increasing Housing Supply for Local People - needed to highlight the impact and not numbers only.

 

·       Gwynedd Yfory Projects

-        Modernisation of Buildings and Learning Environment - add that a RAC inspection had been undertaken.

-        Promoting the Well-being of Children and Young People - add that schemes / campaigns are in place by the Education Department to improve pupil attendance.

-        Extending Opportunities for Play and Socialising – add that additional financial support has been provided by the Council to Byw'n Iach Centres – this has been a positive decision.

 

In response to a question if consultation had been undertaken with local people, local businesses, staff and trade unions, it was noted that a specific consultation on performance had not been undertaken but feedback and information from numerous other consultations across the Council had been considered. It was reiterated that a consultation on performance was carried out in May 2023 and that very little feedback had been received at that time (the feedback feeding into the 2022/23 Self Assessment period).

 

The Leader reported that discussions had been held with the Welsh Government who intended to carry out a national residents survey and that Gwynedd would be able to register with the survey so that feedback could be received to feed into the Self-Assessment. The requirements of the Act are to prepare a Self-Assessment within the financial year and therefore if a consultation were to take place later in the year consideration could be given to including the feedback at that time.

 

In response to a comment about active travel, it was noted that various Welsh Government guidance relating to active travel emphasises the 'travel to work' element and therefore it was difficult to obtain funding for rural schemes. However, it was reiterated that discussions were ongoing to try to change the guidelines.

 

The Deputy Leader thanked Members for their contribution and noted that the comments would be incorporated into the report or receive future attention. The comment that the people of Gwynedd needed to be involved in the process and the need to highlight the impact of the work was accepted. The suggestion to hold a workshop with Members in future was welcomed. If the Committee wanted to make further representations they would have to do so as individual Members and not as a Committee

 

DECISION

 

To accept the Annual Performance Report and Self-assessment (draft) 2023/24.

 

Note:

Need to consider appropriate consultation arrangements for the future to ensure Gwynedd residents' input in the process.

Need to involve the Committee earlier in the process – a suggestion to hold a workshop with Members so that the Committee has input and a better opportunity to offer recommendations.

When presenting data - need to ensure that a full explanation is given e.g., avoid linguistic categories in secondary schools

Increasing Housing Supply for Local People - need to highlight the impact and not numbers only.

 

Gwynedd Yfory Projects

·       Modernisation of Buildings and Learning Environment - add if a RAC inspection had been undertaken.

·       Promoting the Well-being of Children and Young People - add that schemes / campaigns are in place by the Education Department to improve pupil attendance.

·       Extending Opportunities for Play and Socialising – add that additional financial support has been provided by the Council to Byw'n Iach Centres – this has been a positive decision.