Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Business Improvement & Modernisation (copy attached) to inform Members of the WAO’s conclusion and improvement proposals.

 

The Wales Audit Office representative, Gwilym Bury, introduced the Wales Audit Office (WAO) Annual Improvement Report 2016-17 (previously circulated) to advise Council of the WAO’s conclusion and improvement proposals, and to secure Council endorsement of a response to the Report.

 

Under the Local Government Measure, the Wales Audit Office annually reviewed the Council’s progress towards meeting its objectives and its prospects for continuing to improve in the year ahead.

 

Overall, this had been a very positive report and no recommendations had been put forward.  However, the report highlighted six “proposals for improvement” to be considered:

 

(i)    Strengthen governance arrangements by consistent, timely monitoring of each significant service change.

(ii)   Strengthen financial planning arrangements by:

Ø  Developing an Income Generation/Charging Policy

Ø  Formally risk rating savings according to achievability and identify sustainable mitigating actions for those classified as high risk.

(iii)  Strengthen people management arrangements by:

Ø  Developing an approach to ensure that employees with limited or no access to the intranet can access relevant HR information, and

Ø  Ensuring that variations and inconsistency of application of HR policies are avoided for front-line non-office-based employees.

(iv) Strengthen asset management arrangements by ensuring that actions already underway to modernise corporate asset management arrangements promote more efficient and effective use of the Council’s land and property portfolio and reinforce its contribution as a strategic resource.

(v)  Strengthen ICT arrangements by:

Ø  Ensuring the Council consults its ICT service over all technology purchases for both strategic and routine purchases, and

Ø  Ensuring adequate ICT expertise are included in larger-scale or higher-risk procurements and implementations.

(vi) Strengthen information management arrangements by:

Ø  Ensuring Information Governance arrangements meet the requirements of international standards and include representation from across the whole of the Council

Ø  Extending the terms of reference of the Information Governance Group to cover business information needs as well as the requirements for compliance

Ø  Developing an Information Strategy, linked to other resource strategies, to shape information use and ensure information is accessible when and where it is needed, and

Ø  Developing longer-term implementation plans for the Electronic Document and Records Management System to move the Council towards its goal of a paperless office environment.

 

The Lead Member for Finance, Performance & Strategy Assets confirmed the update from the Council to the proposals for improvement as follows:

(i)    Robust arrangements were in place to monitor service change.  This would continue to be a lead role for Scrutiny and the Service Challenge process in particular

(ii)   The report would be taken to Cabinet by Autumn 2017 outlining the proposals to strengthen arrangements in this area.  An improved system of risk rating the efficiency plans was to be adopted in time for 2018/19.

(iii)  From September 2017, the HR intranet would be available to all staff through the internet and flexible working arrangements were currently being reviewed with a view to an increased consistency of approach across the Council.

(iv) The Council continued to implement improvements to its asset management processes.  The new Asset Management Group arrangements had been implemented and were working effectively.  The consultation period on the new Asset Management Strategy ended in May 2017, and the expectation was that the strategy would be adopted in the summer.  In parallel with this, a new suite of performance measures were being developed and baselined to inform future property decisions.  A new database system – Technology Forge – had been commissioned which would bring together data currently held in a number of systems bringing significant efficiency and operational benefits.

(v)  It was a requirement of the ICT strategy that the ICT service “signed off” all technology purchases.  This was being implemented vigorously.  The business partner arrangements in the service ensured that ICT expertise would be available to decision-makers considering investment in this area. 

(vi) The Council’s current Information Management Strategy was due for renewal.  The WAO’s recommendation helped to reinforce the need for such a strategy.  A new Information Management Strategy would be developed during Quarter 3 of 2017.  The EDRMS project had proved to be successful in supporting the Council’s shift towards electronic working and creating a paperless environment.  The current project would be funded until March 2019.  The project would continue to work on an agreed forward work schedule.  Discussions would need to take place to discuss provision for electronic document management post March 2019.

 

In depth discussion took place and the following issues were raised:

 

Ø  In November 2015, CSSIW (Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales) undertook a national review of domiciliary care in Wales. It had been a positive report but highlighted 8 issues for improvement.   The report had been presented to Corporate Governance Committee in November 2016, at which members of social services and CSSIW were present.  As a result, an action plan had been put in place.  A further report was to be presented at Corporate Governance Committee in September 2017 to provide an update.  At this point, the Head of Community Support Services confirmed he would be happy to meet with any Councillor to discuss the matter further.

Ø  The Council monitored service performance and evaluated the impact of individual service change, although at times this had not always been timely.  Arrangements for the public reporting of the impact of service changes relied on the Scrutiny process.  However, in at least one case Scrutiny had not been carried out for a significant period after the change had been implemented.  The review had not taken place until some 2 years after the change.  Undertaking the review so late could have masked issues and prevented or delayed the council taking action to address any problems identified.  This was an area of improvement.

Ø  Concern was expressed regarding staff welfare when Service Providers took over.  It was confirmed that employee rights were maintained when the staff were moved under a new Provider.

 

The Leader expressed his gratitude to the WAO representative, Gwilym Bury, for the detailed report.  He clarified the report represented the fact that the councillors and officers had worked well together in an honest, open and accountable way. 

 

He confirmed that the WAO representatives were invited to sit in meetings to enable them to ascertain how challenges were being dealt with and how services were delivered.

 

The Leader stated it had been a positive report but the council were always looking to improve.

 

The Chief Executive expressed his gratitude to the WAO representative for a positive report.  He confirmed that Denbighshire were continuing to improve at every opportunity. 

 

The Chief Executive thanked the WAO representative, Gwilym Bury and his colleagues for all their work as they had attended a number of meetings.

 

The Chair asked for a show of hands to accept the report.  There was a unanimous acceptance of the report.

 

RESOLVED that subject to the above, the Council noted and accepted the Annual Improvement Report by the Welsh Audit Office.