Agenda item

For Committee Members to scrutinise performance matters within the Department.

1.         To accept the reports and to note the observations.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Legal Services and the Welsh Language submitted the performance report of the Corporate Services first. It was explained that the report referred to the progress made against the promises of the Council Plan 2023-28 and included the department's performance measures. It was noted that the Corporate Services led on six main projects, namely Keeping the Benefit Local, promoting the use made by Gwynedd residents of the Welsh language, workforce planning, ensuring fairness for all, women in leadership and a strategic review of health and safety management. It was reported that these projects had been scrutinised by the Cabinet Member during a performance challenging and support meeting in April.

It was noted that progress had been made during the year. Reference was made to developing and approving a new procurement strategy that placed an emphasis on local and social benefits. It was reported that training sessions had been developed for officers in the field of procurement to raise their awareness and their understanding of how to buy locally, gain social value and reduce carbon.

It was reported that significant work had been carried out to promote the Welsh language, including programmes with local schools and businesses, as well as research with Bangor University to analyse the public use of the Welsh language in Gwynedd. It was noted that work had been done with the Welsh Language Commissioner to expand on this.

It was reported that the Women in Leadership project had performed well, with many examples of women moving to leadership posts. Reference was made to a video created and a questionnaire sent to women who worked for the Council to gather their views on the project and the next steps. It was noted that prominent progress had been made in the field of health and safety by introducing the first phase of the new information technology system and providing training to managers. It was explained that this had improved the process of reporting accidents across the Council, and that positive feedback had been received.

It was acknowledged that there had been a delay with the workforce planning project, but it was noted that a draft plan had been created and a full consultation would be conducted in due course. It was explained that this delay had impacted the milestones for the Ensuring Fairness for All project. It was further noted that the milestone for the strategic review on health and safety management had slipped due to work on introducing a new system for human resources and payroll.

In terms of the department's day-to-day work, reference was made to a high percentage of staff who had completed mandatory training. It was reported that the department, during 2025-26, had dealt with every freedom of information request within the appropriate deadline. It was noted that the situation regarding sickness figures continued to be monitored to understand the pressure and take appropriate steps to manage it.

It was reported that there was strong performance in terms of the level of the service, with high levels of customer satisfaction and the number of calls to the contact centre had reduced in recent years. It was noted that the processes for dealing with freedom of information requests were timely and had improved over the previous year. It was reported that developing and training staff was a robust field, with more e-modules available online and positive feedback had been received. Reference was made to an improvement in the field of procurement and Keeping the Benefit Local, noting that this supported the local economy. It was acknowledged that some fields still needed more attention, including data protection and occupational matters.

The officers were thanked for their work and their contribution to support the Council's work throughout the year.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:-

The progress made through the Women in Leadership project was welcomed, but concern was expressed that men should also receive the same opportunities and support to develop. It was noted that there was no objection to the project, but it was emphasised that men should not be left behind when trying to increase the number of women in leadership posts. Reference was made to the Ensuring Fairness for All project, and it was emphasised that there was a need to give attention to other groups, including disabled people, people from ethnically diverse backgrounds and from different sexual orientations.

Concern was expressed that many posts included a driving licence as an essential requirement, even when there were other methods of travelling to meetings or completing the work. It was noted that online meetings and improvements to public transport also reduced the need for officers to use a car in every case. In response, it was noted that a procedure had been adopted in the past to include a clause regarding a driving licence in job descriptions, but it was acknowledged that the point raised was fair. It was noted that staff were expected to attend training and meetings, but this did not mean that they could not use other methods of travel. It was acknowledged that there was a need to look carefully at the wording in job descriptions to ensure that it did not create an unnecessary barrier for disabled people or other groups.

In terms of Women in Leadership, it was noted that the project had turned a corner in terms of its original aim, as the number of women in higher leadership posts had significantly increased. It was explained that a lack of confidence had emerged as an important factor during the training, but it was acknowledged that this was also relevant to men. It was noted that the same training and development opportunities were available to everyone, but the project had given more cohorts of women an opportunity to come together to discuss their experiences. It was acknowledged that there could be room to consider a similar offer for men.

It was emphasised that ensuring fairness for all was an important priority. It was noted that regular meetings were being held with the Equality Team to consider what was happening across the Council. Reference was made to the Core Equality Group, which met four times a year, and to the Staff Equality Forum, which provided information and raised matters to discuss. It was reported that 30% of those in leadership posts were women when the project had started, and that figure had increased to 46%. It was noted that this was the original intention of the project, but the department was now in a situation to discuss the next steps and how the work should be developed.

Reference was made to the priority of promoting Gwynedd residents' use of the Welsh language and it was asked who the members of the Welsh Language Project Board were. The idea of having a strategic overview of the work and the priorities was welcomed, but it was asked who was responsible for allocating and realising the work.

In response, it was explained that the Welsh Language Project Board had just been established with the aim of providing guidance, monitoring progress and receiving reports on the work. It was confirmed that a list of the officers and members on the board would be provided. It was noted that officers had already been leading on specific projects, but there was an advantage in having a programme board to ensure that the Council's Language Strategy was being achieved.

It was explained that many projects had been completed and that lessons learned reports would be submitted to the board. It was noted that one of the board's important roles in the future would be to commission new projects, agree on a list of priorities, set success measures and ensure that the necessary details were in place.

It was added that the Project Board had held one meeting to date and that there was representation from every department on it. It was noted that this was a cross-departmental matter, and contributions from all departments were needed to get a comprehensive picture of the work. It was explained that the first meeting had focused on establishing the board's terms of reference, and subsequent meetings would look in detail on the projects and progress. It was confirmed that elected members were also part of the board.

Reference was made to place names and street signs, noting that many streets in Trefor did not have name signs. It was explained that work had been done locally through a pilot to create a list of suitable Welsh names. It was noted that the signs had been welcomed by residents. Disappointment was expressed that the pilot scheme had ended, and the report suggested that it was not practical to change every sign. It was suggested that the work should be reconsidered as it was a practical way of ensuring that the Welsh language was more visible.

They proceeded to submit the performance report of the Legal Services.

It was explained that the service's performance was being monitored through feedback from the departments that received the advice of the Legal Service. It was noted that a questionnaire was issued at the end of every case. It was reported that 30% of the questionnaires sent during the year had been returned. It was acknowledged that the response rate may appear low, but it was noted that it was a significant increase on the previous year and reflected the department’s work to promote the questionnaires.

It was reported that 95% of the responders had given a score of 5/5 or noted that they were satisfied with the service, compared with 93% in 2024-25. It was acknowledged that there was room to improve, and it was noted that actions were already underway to respond to the observations received. It was reported that annual questionnaires had also been sent to heads of departments and managers, with a response rate of 33%. It was noted that the responders had described the service as good or very good. Reference was made to observations regarding the department's capacity, and it was confirmed that the situation would be monitored regularly.

In terms of propriety, it was reported that a course on good decision-making had been provided to officers and that work was continuing to promote high standards amongst members. It was noted that some members had not completed the Code of Conduct training. It was confirmed that the course was core training and available online, and that work continued to encourage everyone to complete it.

It was reported that increasing emphasis would be placed on preparing a national programme for the 2027 elections. It was noted that the Monitoring Officer's period of providing legal advice to the Corporate Joint Committee had come to an end, releasing the Head of Legal Services to return to work full time for Cyngor Gwynedd.

It was reported that work to keep the Council's Constitution under review had been completed, and a contribution had been made to review the whistleblowing procedure, as well as review officer delegation schemes.

It was reported that the recent period had been very busy for the Elections Service, including several by-elections, with the Llanrug by-election also underway. Reference was made to the Senedd election in May, which had presented additional challenges due to the size of the geographical area, the number of constituents and the new boundaries for Gwynedd Maldwyn. It was noted that the annual register had been published. Reference was made to a problem that arose in relation to the Coroner's salary and it was confirmed that this matter had now been resolved.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:-

The increase in the satisfaction level with the Legal Service to 95% was welcomed, but attention was drawn to the response rate of 30% for the questionnaires. It was asked whether any proactive actions had been taken to seek the opinion of the 70% who had not responded. In response, it was explained that no specific action had been taken to target the individuals who had not responded, and it was acknowledged that questionnaire fatigue could be a factor. It was noted that obtaining responses to the questionnaires had been a challenge for many years, but the 30% rate provided a relatively useful picture of the service's performance. It was explained that the biggest change was the work of directly consulting with the departments and their management teams, because that method was able to provide more detailed feedback and an opportunity to conduct a more comprehensive discussion about the service's performance. It was emphasised that individuals could not be forced to respond to questionnaires and therefore there was a need to ensure a balance between the different methods of gathering feedback.

Reference was made to the arrangements of the recent Senedd election, noting that it had been very different to previous elections due to the size of the constituency and the voting arrangements. It was asked whether there was an intention to review the way the election had been conducted and to identify any lessons to be learned for future elections. In response, it was explained that there was a need to be careful regarding the role of the Council as it was the Returning Officer's responsibility to conduct the election and the Council did not have a specific role in terms of scrutinising that function. However, it was noted that it was a normal part of planning every election to conduct an operational review of all the arrangements since then, considering what worked well and what needed to be improved. It was explained that these lessons would be used when preparing for the next election, and the whole process was being reviewed against the Electoral Commission's standards. It was confirmed that an operational review of the processes took place regularly. It was noted that more work relating to the Senedd boundaries was expected in future, as the recent arrangements were temporary. It was explained that the size of the area to be administered had led the service to start planning much earlier than usual, and the view was expressed that this had been beneficial.

It was expressed, based on the experience of visiting many polling stations, that the arrangements in Gwynedd had been very thorough. It was noted that Gwynedd was not always amongst the quickest areas to complete the count process, but it was acknowledged that ensuring that the count was thorough and correct was more important than the speed of the process.

Attention was drawn to a reference in the report to legal advice that emerged from the Ysgol Friars situation, and a member asked for more information regarding the nature of the work, the resources assigned to it and the impact or lessons that had arisen from it. In response, it was explained that such a situation created a wide range of legal work and led to a demand for advice across several fields, including Education, Human Resources and governance. It was noted that it was not only one individual from the Legal Service who was associated with the work, as different officers had contributed according to the nature of the matters and the expertise required. Reference was made to work that had come about from the situation, including contributing to the whistleblowing arrangements, as well as elements of the wider response plan that required legal input. It was emphasised that a lot of legal support had been provided throughout the period, from the initial steps to the current situation.

It was asked further whether the work had placed significant pressure on the service's resources. In response, it was acknowledged that the usual day-to-day work had not reduced as a result of the situation, and therefore the additional requirements had created additional pressure. It was reported that external experts had been commissioned when specific expertise was required, and it was noted that the end of the arrangement of providing legal advice to the Corporate Joint Committee had released additional capacity. It was acknowledged that the situation had added to the pressures on the service, but it was confirmed that the team had managed to cope with the work.

The committee expressed its huge appreciation of the legal support received, noting that the service provided invaluable support to members and that the staff responded willingly and in a helpful manner. It was acknowledged that the Council was fortunate to have a professional team in Gwynedd.

Reference was made to a complaint that had been received following the election regarding changing the location of a polling station. It was explained that the polling station in a ward had moved from a previously used building, but the sign on the old building still stated that it was a polling station, even though the door was locked. It was noted that constituents who had voted in the building for years had gone there and had not been able to vote due to the confusion about the new location. Concern was expressed that there had not been enough warning about the change, and specifically regarding the presence of the sign on the old building.

In response, it was explained that the Elections Service monitored and reviewed voting arrangements and that changes to boundaries, new housing developments and other local circumstances could mean having to change the location of polling stations. It was noted that such changes were advertised and information was sent to constituents, but it was acknowledged that it was natural for individuals to go to the venue that they were used to voting in for years. It was confirmed that the matter had been brought to the service's attention and would be considered as part of the current review to ensure that enough information was provided when similar changes occurred.

RESOLVED to accept the reports and to note the observations.