Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J. P. Hart and D. Nicholas.

No public questions had been received.

The Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce presented the Council’s draft Annual Report for 2021/22 together with the relevant Well-Being Objective [WBO] detailed reports falling within the remit of the committee namely:

·     WBO5 - Create more jobs and growth throughout the county;

·     WBO8 - Support community cohesion, resilience, and safety;

·    WBO13 - Better Governance and Use of Resources.

It was noted that it was a requirement of the Local Government (Wales) Measure the Authority must publish an Annual Report on past performance by the end of October each year.

Amongst the issues raised on the report were the following:

WBO5

·       In response to a concern that Carmarthenshire had the third lowest rate in Wales in respect of employment the committee was advised that the Council’s recruitment process and job titles/profiles were being reassessed and it was noted that Pentre Awel and other City Deal developments were likely to create many new job opportunities. It was also recognised that more widely, since the covid pandemic, many people had made lifestyle choices and were no longer seeking employment;

·       In response to a question relating to the 10 towns initiative it was emphasised that the Council was reliant on businesses and local communities making the most of the opportunities and funding available which could lever further funding and in this regard local members also had an important role to play;

·       It was noted that the Authority had a number of initiatives in place to close the Gender Pay gap;

WBO8

·       Members spoke of the positive ways in which communities had pulled together during and since the covid pandemic and it was considered that over the coming months, particularly with regard to the economic situation, community cohesion and resilience would continue to be critical. In this regard reference was made to welcome initiatives such as food banks and ‘warm welcome spaces’ at the public libraries and other venues;

·       It was acknowledged that covid had presented huge challenges for the workforce and the Committee was informed that a ‘lessons learnt’ review had been undertaken with a view to taking forward and building upon ways of working which had proved beneficial to staff, the Council and service users. A survey of staff conducted as part of the review had provided positive feedback;

·       Reference was made to the availability of funding from the Poverty Fund to assist with the establishment of luncheon clubs or community cafes;

WBO13

·       It was noted that, covid aside, staff sickness was at the targeted level;

·       In response to a question members were advised that a request by trade unions for the introduction of a home working allowance was not supported by employers.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to recommend to the Cabinet that the draft Annual Report 2021/22 be endorsed.

The Committee considered the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee Annual Report for the 2021/22 municipal year which provided an overview of the work of the Committee including:-

·       Overview of the Scrutiny Work Programmes;

·       Key issues considered;

·       Issues referred to or from Cabinet/Other Scrutiny Committees;

·       Member attendance at meetings.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to endorse the report.

The Committee considered its Forward Work Programme for 2022/2023 prepared in accordance with the Council’s Constitution which required Scrutiny Committees to develop and publish annual forward work programmes identifying issues and reports to be considered at meetings during the course of the municipal year.

Members were advised that following the recent publication of the Cabinet’s Forward Plan for the period 1^st October 2022 to 29^TH December 2023 arrangements would be made for a development session for the Committee members to consider whether there were any items thereon within the Committee’s remit which it would wish to include within its own  Forward Work Programme.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee’s 2022/23 Forward Work Programme be endorsed. 

The Leader presented the minutes of the meeting of the Carmarthenshire Public Services Board [PSB] held on the 12^th July, 2022.

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 required that a designated local government scrutiny committee was appointed to scrutinise the work of the PSB. In Carmarthenshire, the Council’s Corporate Performance & Resources Scrutiny Committee had been designated as the relevant scrutiny committee.

The Leader was congratulated on his appointment as Chair of the PSB and tribute was paid to the past Chair Mr. Barry Liles.

Members were informed that, as had been the case previously, they should contact the Corporate Policy, Performance & Partnership Manager if they were interested in attending a PSB meeting as an observer.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the PSB meeting held on the 12^th July, 2022 be received.

[NOTE: Cllrs. A. Evans and K. Madge, having earlier declared an interest in this item, remained in the meeting for its consideration.]

The Cabinet Member for Resources presented the Authority’s 2021/22 Corporate Budget Outturn Report and the Chief Executive and Corporate Services departmental reports. Overall, the net position for the Authority was an underspend of £1,433k with the Chief Executive and Corporate Services Departments showing a net variance of -£2,014k against the 2021/22 approved budgets. At year end £281k of Managerial savings had been delivered against a target of £451k.

In response to a concern regarding the 12 vacant posts in the customer service centres the Committee was informed that since some staff had been redeployed during the covid pandemic there had been difficulties filling the posts.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.

[NOTE: Cllrs. A. Evans and K. Madge, having earlier declared an interest in this item, remained in the meeting for its consideration.]

The Cabinet Member for Resources presented the Authority’s Corporate Budget Monitoring Report and the Chief Executive’s and Corporate Services departmental reports as at 30^th June 2022 in respect of the 2022/23 financial year. The report also included an appendix detailing Savings Monitoring 2022/23.

The monitoring report forecasted an end of year overspend of £4,767k on the

Authority’s net revenue budget with an overspend at departmental level of £4,735k. 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to receive the report.

The Cabinet Member for Resources presented the Quarterly Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for the period 1^st April 2022 - 30^th June 2022 which listed the treasury management activities which had occurred during the first quarter of the year in line with the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy 2022-2023 adopted by Council on the 2^nd March 2022.

The Authority had not breached any of its Prudential Indicators during the period.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to endorse the report.

The Committee received the Non-Submission report.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be noted.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on the 16^th March 2022 be signed as a correct record.