Agenda item

To submit the report of the Council Leader.

To adopt the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28 – 2026/27 Review.

The Leader of the Council presented the report stating that the plan was a map that will guide the way to where the Council wishes it to be. It was emphasised that the priorities included an equal, prosperous, caring, and efficient Gwynedd. Particular attention was drawn to the new priority of An Equal Gwynedd. It was highlighted that exercising the principle of treating everyone fairly was at the heart of everything and that projects such as Women in Leadership would address the barriers that limit people's opportunities.

It was explained that the Plan had been adopted five years ago, and with the world changing so rapidly it was natural to review and update the Plan. It was noted that workshops had been held at the beginning of the year with Cabinet Members to agree on alterations before sharing with all the members to receive their comments. It was added that many of the comments and suggestions had been incorporated into the plan.

The priority area of Tomorrow's Gwynedd was highlighted, emphasising its importance to ensuring the best start for the children and young people of Gwynedd. Along with that it was added that it was very important that Gwynedd was a child friendly and trauma informed county and the Deputy Leader was thanked for his leadership in this area.

A new project was highlighted in the priority of A Welsh Gwynedd, namely 'Returning to Gwynedd' (Nôl i Wynedd) which aimed to strengthen the population of Gwynedd to contribute to vibrant communities and growth in the use of the Welsh language.

It was noted that the Response Plan: Our Bravery Brought Justice had been included at the beginning of the Plan to underline the fact that this work was an ongoing commitment. All the members, the Council's workforce, partners and communities were thanked for working hard for the county and the residents.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

A member was pleased with the introduction of the new priority, and that it was a step forward to do things differently, to listen to the voices of residents and that decisions were made with everyone in mind and not always the majority. Attention was drawn to the work being done to create a child friendly county with trauma awareness and that this was having a positive impact on the children of Gwynedd. It was stressed that work had been done but that there was more to be done. It was expressed that Llechen Lân's vision highlighted the Council's desire to think and invest in the future, with one ambition being to ensure the best service for the people of Gwynedd. 

The priority of a Caring Gwynedd was highlighted which has the focus of improving care services and promoting independence for vulnerable people within their communities. It was reiterated that the investment and developments to create modern services were paramount, which happened through continued collaboration with partners to provide the best care. All care staff and carers in the county were thanked.

It was expressed that services such as adult and children’s care and education were expensive to run, and that most of the Council's budget was spent on these. A review of Youth Services, which had received a huge cut in recent years, was welcomed, highlighting that it was extremely important preventive work, and it was hoped that it would be possible to re-invest following the review.

The work of being a trauma informed county, and the Autism Plan specifically, were supported, as trauma affected children beyond the field of care alone. It was added that in relation to the Autism plan, it was difficult to get a diagnosis but afterwards support was needed to get the right specialist support as the spectrum was so broad.

It was emphasised that the plan should be more than just words and that an action plan needed to be seen and to ensure that there is enough money to support all the plans.

It was noted that there was a lot of good material to be found in this Plan, however, Article 4 needed to be included, as the matter had cost the Council so much and we needed to outline what went wrong. Similarly, it was added that making space for the child safeguarding practice review at the start of the report was rather tasteless and that the Council's weaknesses were conveyed as strengths.

RESOLVED to adopt the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28 – 2026/27 Review