Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Hug Irving (Chair) Councillor Diane King, along with the Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families.  Apologies were also received from the Corporate Director:  Governance and Business, Gary Williams.  The Corporate Director:  Social Services and Education, who was in attendance for business items 5 and 6, also undertook the Corporate Executive Team (CET) support role for the meeting.

In the Chair’s absence the meeting’s proceedings were chaired by the Vice-Chair.

No members declared interests of a personal, or personal and prejudicial nature in any of the business items to be transacted during the course of the meeting.

No items of an urgent nature had been raised with the Chair or the Scrutiny Co-ordinator prior to the commencement of the meeting.

To receive the minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 6 June 2024 (copy attached).

10.05am – 10.15am

The minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 6 June 2024 were submitted.  It was:

Resolved:  that the minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 6 June 2024 be received as a true and accurate record of the proceedings.

Matters arising:

Page 12, ‘Update on Medium Term Financial Strategy and Plan for 2025/26 to 2027/28 and Review of the Council’s Financial Resilience and Sustainability – Predicted Car Parking Fees Income’:  the Scrutiny Co-ordinator advised that the Council’s Chief Financial Officer had advised that presently it was very early in the financial year to be forecasting income over the whole of the year with any certainty.  For the first few months of the financial year income levels seemed to be comparable with those of the previous year, therefore it was anticipated that the Service was on track to achieve the additional income forecast.  Nevertheless, external factors such as the weather and attendance levels at large events in major towns would have an impact on car parking income.  A clearer picture of predicted income figures should be available towards late autumn.  Members asked to be provided with an update on car park income figures and the Service’s performance to date in achieving its predicted income figures before the end of the calendar year.

To consider and provide observations on the Director of Social Services’ Annual Report for 2023/24 (copy attached) prior to its submission to Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and its publication on Denbighshire County Council’s (DCC) website.

10.15am – 11am

Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care (EH) introduced the report (previously circulated), summarising the significant increase in the need for social care services, issues over recruitment and retention to the sector, thus progress being slower and performance against key indicators having dropped because of the pressures. Focus ahead would be on the transformation agenda.

Corporate Director: Social Services and Education (NS) explained the report’s production was a statutory requirement and its format and contents were prescribed by Welsh Government, therefore there were limits to how Denbighshire County Council could adapt the report. However, there would be a new format soon from Welsh Government.

Corporate Director: Social Services and Education (NS) expressed her thanks to the department, partners and informal carers for their continued hard work. The team continued to operate as a blended service with Education and Social Care and had joint heads of service and a joint budget and service plan.

The Chair then opened the discussion out for questions. 

Responding to members’ questions the officers advised:

• Recruitment and retention throughout the report was cited as a challenge, particularly in relation to Children’s Services. The difficulties faced here were not new for this reporting period the issue has been reported to scrutiny numerous times. The department had done further specific targeted work, looking at the reasons provided in exit interviews, developing the staff currently employed, and continuously promoting the flexible working offer and lobbying nationally for pay increases to the sector.  However this was a national issue, Social Work was now undersubscribed and therefore not enough newly qualified entrants were coming in to the profession. Similarly with Mental Health, there was a national shortage of professionals in the service.  Denbighshire was looking at the current structure within the team and allocating work to free up Approved Mental Health Practitioner’s (AMPH’s) to focus on the work they were statutorily required to undertake.
• Corporate Director: Social Services and Education advised that she and fellow members of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru were continually lobbying the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Local Government Association (LGA), both UK & Welsh Governments and others with respect of better pay for care sector workers, including parity of terms and conditions with National Health Service (NHS) employees.
• The report was onerous, Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness (AL) was working with Welsh Government on the new format for future annual reports, however it was uncertain how much of their input would be taken onboard. The new format should hopefully be better, it would include a performance section with data and would separate Adult and Children Services information more clearly. The Case Studies provided within the report were well received and provided useful illustrations of the complexities entailed in providing the right types of services to suit the individuals.
• Digital inclusion was discussed and the importance of reaching out to older residents and those that were digitally excluded was discussed.  The ‘Ageing Well in Denbighshire’ scheme played a crucial role in this, especially in rural Denbighshire. ‘Digital Confidence’ was another scheme aimed at building digital confidence, this programme was funded by Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) monies.
• Complex Needs, the pressures continued to increase, older population presenting to residential care now on average were 82 – 83 years old and were using these services when families could no longer provide the required support, therefore their needs were greater when entering care. In Children’s Services since the pandemic there had been an increase in complex mental health and behavioural mental health. A lot of work was ongoing with partners, Children and Adolescent Mental  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider a joint report by the Head of Adult Social Care & Homelessness Service and the Operational Service Manager which provides the Committee with an opportunity to analyse the operation’s performance in relation to its financial, business and social well-being objective during 2023/24.

11.15am – 12pm

Cabinet Lead Member – Councillor Elen Heaton introduced the report (previously circulated) and attendees for this item, Corporate Director: Communities, Modernisation and Wellbeing (NS), Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness (AL), and Service Manager - Community Support Service Cefndy (NB).

Cefndy organised a site visit for this committee last year which was well received and therefore the majority of members well versed on what Cefndy offered, the Chair therefore opened the discussion for questions. 

Responding to the questions and points raised the Lead Member and officers advised that:

• Despite the challenging financial climate there had been an increase in sales, in a competitive global market and sales were on target for next financial year.
• Cefndy had overcome significant challenges such as supply chain disruptions, heavy inflation pressures, Brexit. The management team were now looking at new products, product development being considered working through older designs first.
• with regard to the enterprise’s carbon footprint, it was unable to have solar panels on the building due to the tree line, however, it had incorporated LED lights, introduced a four day working week to reduce on utility bills which had, saved 15%.  All new equipment had a better carbon footprint.
• with respect of long term viability, there was a need to start looking at career progression within Cefndy. Succession planning was on Denbighshire’s radar, it would support people to develop their skill sets further. The services provided at Cefndy were unique, they were not replicated elsewhere so it did present some challenges to recruit. Engineering college was now open next to Cefndy and therefore work experience and other opportunities would hopefully come through the courses on offer there.
• there were currently no plans to set up an Advisory Board, this would be reviewed as part of the Transformation Agenda, possibly look at having a Task and Finish Group which could include Councillors. However, Cefndy was a Council-run service therefore Councillors could be as involved as they wished with the service.
• Officers would be more than willing to arrange another visit for all councillors (in small groups) to Cefndy.

At the conclusion of the discussion Committee members stated that it would be beneficial to see a good news story posted on Denbighshire Today and on the Council’s social media platforms about Cefndy, what it manufactured, its dedicated workforce and its benefits to the community.  They also requested that future business plans be shared with them.

Following a comprehensive discussion, the Committee:

Resolved: 

(i)  subject to the above observations, and having analysed the performance of Cefndy in relation to its financial, business and social well-being objectives during 2023/24, to receive the report and endorse the progress made in stabilising the enterprise and planning for its future viability;

(ii) that arrangements be made to invite elected members (in manageable sized groups) to visit the Cefndy facility to see the work undertaken there and how it benefits the well-being of its workforce; and

(iii)  that a further report on Cefndy’ s performance during the 2024/25 financial year be presented to the Committee in twelve months’ time.

To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the Committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues.

12pm – 12.20pm

The Scrutiny Co-ordinator introduced the report and appendices (previously circulated) which sought the Committee to review its programme of future work. 

The Committee was advised that the deferral of the presentation of the progress report on Christ the Word School from the current meeting’s business agenda to November’s meeting had led to the Committee having too many items listed for discussion on that meeting’s business agenda to facilitate a fair airing for each subject. 

As some of the items listed for November’s meeting were time sensitive members suggested holding a morning and afternoon session, or two meetings on separate days, to transact the required business.  However, officers advised that pressures on the Council’s committee meetings timetable and staffing resources to support additional sessions/meetings would make it extremely difficult to arrange and support the holding of two meetings/sessions within the same month. 

A suggestion was therefore made to enquire with the Chair of Communities Scrutiny Committee to see whether that committee could assume the role of monitoring the Council’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan, as members felt that the Strategy was more closely aligned to Communities Scrutiny Committee’s remit than that of Performance Scrutiny Committee.  If Communities Scrutiny Committee agreed to undertake this role it would render Performance Scrutiny Committee’s workload more manageable for the remainder of the calendar year.  The Scrutiny Co-ordinator agree to enquire on the Committee’s behalf.

Members were advised that the next meeting of the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group (SCVCG) was scheduled for 16 September and therefore any requests for items to be scrutinised should be submitted to the Scrutiny Co-ordinator on the form attached at Appendix 2 to the report well in advance of that meeting.  Appendix 3 contained the Cabinet’s Forward Work Programme for members’ information whilst Appendix 4 gave an overview of the progress to date in relation to the Committee’s recommendations from its previous meeting. 

The Committee:

Resolved:  subject to the above -

(i) that, with a view to alleviating pressures on the Committee’s time and forward work programme, a formal request be made to Communities Scrutiny Committee to consider the forthcoming progress report on Denbighshire’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan; and

(ii) to confirm the Committee’s forward work programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report. 

None.

Meeting concluded at 12.05pm.