Agenda and draft minutes

Councillors Ellie Chard, Hugh Irving (Vice Chair), Geraint Lloyd-Williams, Pete Prendergast and Andrew Thomas together with the Head of Community Support Services (PG) and Service Manager Client Services (KN)

The Chair advised that Councillor Pete Prendergast had been unable to attend the meeting but had submitted comments to be read out in his absence as follows –

“Item 5 Meifod Enterprise – I myself chair a community based group helping residents from all walks of life to learn skills through an apprentice scheme not only to upskill people, but give them confidence in their own abilities and maybe the possibility of work.  Meifod is so important to the people attending, offering similar opportunities to the group I chair.  I urge all councillors to support the continuation of this very worthy scheme, and for the residents who use this training facility to continue to have every opportunity to progress in life and maybe obtain work.  I also feel that exploring opportunities through both Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for future work/job skills would confirm the tremendous work Meifod carries out in enabling people to progress in life and benefit both organisations in employing dedicated and trained staff.  There is a definite need for groups such as Meifod in giving people any chance of gaining skills as it is so important everyone from all walks of life nowadays to gain some form of employment and improve their own lives and those of their families.”

No declaration of interests had been raised.

No urgent matters had been raised.

To receive the minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee held on 15 July 2021 (copy attached)

The minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee held on 15 July 2021 were submitted.

Matters Arising –

Item 5 – Draft Director of Social Services Annual Reports 2019-20 & 2020-21 – the Chair highlighted matters arising from the minutes and the Scrutiny Support Officer confirmed that further information on support for young carers together with an information report relating to Cefndy Healthcare had been contained within the Committee’s Information Brief circulated to members the previous week.  The suggestion for a glossary of terms in the Annual Report had also been taken forward.  The Corporate Director Communities provided an update on the development of Bwthyn y Ddôl advising that it would be necessary to re-tender for the construction of the new facility given that the firm originally contracted had since entered into administration.  Due to the impact on timescales and funding, discussions had taken place with the Welsh Government who continued to support the project going forward.  It would not be possible to confirm a timeframe for the development until the outcome of the tendering process.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2021 be received and approved as a correct record.

To consider a joint report by the Service Manager Client Services and the Commissioning and Planning Officer (copy enclosed) detailing the results of the consultation exercise to inform the future operation of service provision at Meifod and potential options for the service, including the recommendation from the Member Task and Finish Group, with a view to the Committee formulating recommendations to Cabinet in relation to future service delivery.

The Chair welcomed all present for this item, including the Corporate Director Communities and the Commissioning and Planning Officer together with Councillor Bobby Feeley, Lead Member for Well-being and Independence whose portfolio covered the service area.  A warm welcome was also extended to Brenda Jones, parent of a service user of Meifod who would also be addressing the Committee.

The joint report by the Service Manager Client Services and the Commissioning and Planning Officer (previously circulated) detailed the results of the consultation exercise to inform the future operation of service provision at Meifod and potential options for the service, including the recommendation from the Member Task and Finish Group, with a view to the Committee formulating recommendations to Cabinet in relation to future service delivery.

Councillor Christine Marston, Chair of the Member Task and Finish Group reported upon the discussions of the Group on the detailed information and options put forward by officers in their report.  The Group strongly recommended that the facility be kept open and for it to reopen as soon as possible but appreciated that clients needed to be maintained in a safe environment and clearly reviews had to be carried out on the machinery used given the safety concerns raised in that regard.  The Group had also considered that officers should explore working with social enterprise and/or the private sector to deliver the service in order to safeguard its continuation given the financial challenges faced and be more creative in the way the service was managed.  The Group considered that Meifod provided a good service which was vital to the people who used and engaged with it, producing well known quality products bought locally and it would be very sad if that was to be lost.

The Corporate Director Communities referred to the detailed information provided and thanked the Task and Finish Group and the Scrutiny Committee for their work and scrutiny of the report.  Meifod was a very welcome and valued service by those who accessed it and also for staff who worked there, the local community, the families of the people who attended and those who referred people there.  That said there was a need to consider the viability of all services and opportunities to modernise and meet people’s needs.  Meifod closed at the end of March 2020 due to Covid-19 and restrictions in place but given that those restrictions were being reduced it was an opportune time to consider the future of the service.  Consequently an engagement exercise had been carried out over a period of weeks seeking the views of service users, their families/carers, and service staff together with other stakeholders.  Whilst it was clearly a valued service, some people did not want to return to Meifod and would like to consider other opportunities and different activities and therefore it was important to consider the difference of opinion.  Having considered a number of options put forward by officers the Member Task and Finish Group had recommended that Meifod should be re-opened as a Council-run service, with reduced activities and new ways of working, and that work be commenced to secure an external organisation or social enterprise to provide a range of activities for people from the existing Meifod building but that this may not be woodwork based activities, with a view to exploring the long term sustainability of Meifod.  The Corporate Director confirmed that officers were in complete agreement and supported the recommendation of the Member Task and Finish Group and welcomed questions from the Committee.

During a lengthy debate members scrutinised the report in detail and took the opportunity to raise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Scrutiny Coordinator submitted a report (previously circulated) seeking members’ review of the committee’s work programme and providing an update on relevant issues.

Discussion focused on the following –

·         it was noted that the report on the Customer Relationship Manager System scheduled for the next meeting on 25 November had been confirmed and members reaffirmed all four items listed in the work programme for that meeting

·         the four items listed in the work programme for the meeting scheduled for 27 January were also noted and reaffirmed

·         members were encouraged to submit any proposal forms regarding topics for scrutiny prior to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group scheduled for 25 November

·         reference was made to the information reports contained with the Committee’s Information Brief circulated the previous week with regard to the Cefndy Interim Report 2021-2022, and the Corporate Plan Performance Update: April to June 2021.  The latter report would aid the Committee when scrutinising Quarter 2 of the Corporate Plan 2021/22 at its next meeting on 25 November.

RESOLVED that, subject to the amendments agreed above, the Committee’s forward work programme as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

No reports from committee representatives had been received.

The Chief Executive commended the high level of scrutiny and debate during the meeting and as the Corporate Lead Officer for Performance Scrutiny Committee he looked forwarded to attending future meetings.  At the Chair’s request the Chief Executive provided an update on discussions in relation to succession planning for the posts involving the Head of Community Support Services, Head of Business Improvement and Modernisation, and Corporate Director Public Realm which would involve a review of the Senior Leadership Team structure.

The meeting concluded at 12.10 pm.