Agenda and minutes

An Apology for absence was received from Councillor L V Walton. 

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

 

Councillor J E Burtonshaw - Minute Nos. 32 and 33 - Member of the Co-operative Society - personal.

 

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Business and Administration CAC held on 11 February 2015.

 

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Business and Administration Cabinet Advisory Committee held on 11 February 2015 be approved as a correct record.

 

The Policy and Strategy Officer provided a detailed and informative presentation which outlined the Council’s developing approach to becoming a co-operative council.  She outlined that the main aims of a co-operative council were to:

 

·         develop and sustain a co-operative culture, system and process;

 

·         empower local residents to take greater control over their own lives and devolve more decision making to a local level;

 

·         develop community capacity and action;

 

·         embed social value in commissioning and procurement;

 

·         maintain a strong public sector ethic and willingness to consider other models of delivery that were not for profit.

 

Details provided in the presentation included the following:

 

·         Examples of current co-operative good practice within Swansea including Penderry Providers Planning Forum Network; Community First Partnerships; Swansea Our Growing Community; and Vetch Veg Community Garden;

 

·         Directories of community activities, information and advice available such as the Healthy Cities Directory; Swansea Family Information Services Directory; Swansea Council for Voluntary Service; the City and County of Swansea Council - Volunteering and Community Action; and Friends of Parks Groups;

 

·         The Strategic Framework for Co-operative Working and Co-operative Council in Swansea;

 

·         One of the key policy commitments adopted by Council in 2012 included: “following the Co-operative Council Model and ensuring that the whole Council - Elected Members and staff - work together to empower local communities, enabling their voices to be heard and allowing them to ‘own’ local issues”;

 

·         The intent of the Authority was reflected in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2015-17, the Sustainable Swansea - Fit for the Future Programme and Swansea’s Tackling Poverty Strategy and Action Plan;

 

·         Potential benefits in taking forward the Co-operative Council Agenda;

 

·         Issues for consideration in relation to taking forward the Co-operative Council Agenda in Swansea;

 

·         List of organisations who receive grants from the City and County of Swansea.

 

The Committee asked a number of questions of the officer who responded accordingly.  Discussions centred around the following:

 

·         Bodies receiving grants from the Authority providing their audited accounts for inspection;

 

·         Amount of funding provided to each body receiving grants from the Authority and how often they receive funding, particularly large volunteer based organisations in Swansea;

 

·         The principle of developing services in the community and voluntary groups working in partnership with the Authority to provide such services;

 

·         The need to avoid duplication with services in the community;

 

·         The very positive work undertaken by volunteer groups within Swansea;

 

·         The establishment of an employee pledge on volunteering for Council staff;

 

·         The amount of grant funding provided and details of successful organisations that have received funding through the Community Action/Transformation Fund;

 

·         Community asset transfers in Swansea;

 

·         The recent visit to Nottingham Council by the City and County of Swansea representatives;

 

·         Organising a joint meeting with Swansea Council for Voluntary Services representatives;

 

·         The need to listen to grass roots organisations and establish what they want;

 

AGREED that:

 

(1)       the contents of the presentation be noted;

 

(2)       a report be provided to the next scheduled meeting regarding the    External Grant Funding which outlines:

 

(a)       which organisations had received external grant funding;

 

(b)       the amount of grant funding received;

 

(c)        examples of work that the grant funding is contributing towards;

 

(d)       the amount of funding and details of successful organisations         that had been funded via the Transformation/Community Action          Fund.

 

(3)       a report regarding the recent visit to Nottingham by City and County of Swansea representatives be provided to the            Committee;

 

(4)       details regarding community asset transfers be provided to the         next scheduled meeting;

 

(5)       a joint meeting with Swansea Council for Voluntary Services be      organised;

 

(6)       Task and Finish Groups be agreed at the next scheduled      meeting to progress matters.

 

 

The Policy and Strategy Officer presented the contents of the report from the Conference held in Plymouth in June 2014 which was attended by Councillor Ryland Doyle as part of his role as Cabinet Member.

 

Discussions took place regarding the best practice identified in the report that was in operation in Plymouth, particularly the Energy Co-operative and how this could be potentially developed in Swansea.

 

It was explained that a Co-operative White Paper outlining possible models of delivery and mutual would be drafted during the next few months.

 

AGREED that the contents of the report be noted.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)       a report/presentation be provided to the Committee on Energy          Communities;

 

(2)       a presentation be provided at the next scheduled meeting regarding           Design Print;

 

(3)       details be provided at the next scheduled meeting regarding external         grant funding.