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Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 5, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Scrutiny 637732 

Items
No. Item

1.

Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

·         None

2.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips

Minutes:

·         None

3.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 111 KB

To approve & sign the Notes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

·         Approved

4.

Public Questions

Minutes:

·         None

5.

Annual Performance Monitoring Report 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 208 KB

  • Richard Rowlands – Corporate Performance Manager
  • Cllr Clive Lloyd – Cabinet Member for Business Transformation and Performance

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Safeguarding

  • The Panel had questions over some of the measures within ‘Safeguarding’ and will refer these to the relevant panels for exploration (AS8, Measure 18, AS13)
  • Panel said the length of time it takes for information to come to the Panel is unacceptable but it is linked to the reporting cycle of the Council
  • Impressive that the current performance is maintained given the budget cuts
  • CFS18 – 6% increase in LAC compared to 17/18 but trend decreasing
  • Safe 8b - Pleased that elected members have been undertaking safeguarding training

 

Education and Skills

 

  • Majority of targets met or within 5% of meeting targets
  • EDCP18D – 12% increase in number of NEETS compared to 17/18. The year 11 cohort showed that 3.9% of the cohort had very high vulnerability assessment profile – need the percentage expressed within all of Year 11 for perspective, not just the NEETS
  • EDCP18D – Refers to ‘known’ NEETS. Panel query about ‘unknown’ NEETS
  • BBMA4 – Questions over why the target of new apprenticeships and trainee starts is so high with a budget under pressure
  • EDCP27/39 – Both missed target
  • EDU016a/b – Both slightly missed targets due to illness
  • EDCP40/41 – Free school meals impacted by absence

 

Economy and Infrastructure

  • 86% of PIs met target with 57% improving
  • EEF002 – Target met but it is 53% lower than 17/18
  • ESD1 – Lowest since records but delays in major schemes
  • WMT009B – Target met but down due to changes in wood collection and a dry summer reducing garden waste

 

Tackling Poverty

  • 62% of targets met but 67% showed a decline in performance
  • Most met PIs
  • HBCT01a/1b/2a/2b – most declining due to staff reduction and Universal Credit roll out. Reducing staff has directly caused a problem, losing experience and resource
  • POV10/11 – New PIs not running at full capacity but should improve

 

 

 

Transformation and Future Council

  • CHR002 – Not getting to bottom of issue. Ongoing issues with staff sickness, reductions in budget reduce staff increasing pressure on remaining teams
  • FINA6 – Ongoing struggle to balance the budget
  • Will invite the Deputy Chief Executive to discuss some issues

 

National Indicators

  • 61% met targets and 52% improved compared with 17/18
  • PAM20/21/22 – All missed targets due to budget pressures
  • PAM029 – Missed due to complex needs of children
  • The departments set their own targets but the Strategic Delivery Unit review and challenge these prior to review and challenge / approval at CMT
  • Changing (national) indicators year on year (by Welsh Government / WLGA) doesn’t allow for compilation of data and trend analysis
  • Will be asking for some Heads of Service to come to future meetings

 

6.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 1st Quarter 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 204 KB

·         Ben Smith – Head of Financial Services and Service Centre

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

  • Recommendations approved by Cabinet for Directors to bring proposals to rebalance budget and not spend wherever possible
  • Majority of budget proposals on track but still financially adrift overall
  • Budget propped up with emergency one off Welsh Government grants
  • No officer is allowed to overspend
  • Base budget cannot afford new pressures
  • Base budget £3.45m for contingency but doubled it this year one off using reserves – this process cannot continue
  • Legally the budget is balanced for the year but dependant on draws from reserves and use of contingency etc
  • Future years will be much harder
  • Underspent on capital
  • Only balanced by contingency and reserve draw downs
  • Pace and scale of savings is still a challenge
  • Query over why electricity bill is reported so high
  • Still prudent to have a Capital Equalisation Reserve – will all be needed in the future to fund planned capital expenditure and in line with the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015

 

7.

Revenue Financial Outturn 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 188 KB

  • Ben Smith – Head of Financial Services and Service Centre

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

·         Still prudent to have a Capital Equalisation Reserve – will all be needed in the future and in line with the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015

·         The Capitalisation Equalisation Reserve lowers the risks of affording the future capital programme

·         Revenue headroom needs to be made for financing the capital programme borrowing

·         Environment continues to come off badly even with new environmental objectives and legal obligations

 

 

8.

Revenue Outturn 2018/19 - Housing Revenue Account (HRA) pdf icon PDF 106 KB

  • Ben Smith – Head of Financial Services and Service Centre

 

Minutes:

·         No issues to report

9.

Capital Outturn and Financing 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 142 KB

·         Ben Smith – Head of Financial Services and Service Centre

 

Minutes:

·         Want some clarification over p127 C1/C2/C3. What do these relate to? Will ask in letter

10.

Work Plan 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 273 KB

Minutes:

·         Archives and Charges at next meeting

Letter to Cabinet Member - Business Transformation & Performance pdf icon PDF 329 KB

Letter to Cabinet Member - Economy & Strategy pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Cabinet Member Response - Business Transformation & Performance pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Response from Cabinet Member - Economy & Strategy pdf icon PDF 305 KB

Response from Cabinet Member - Economy & Strategy (2) pdf icon PDF 309 KB