Transcript
Good morning to you all and welcome to the multi-location meeting of the Cabinet Fire
Alarm. There's no Fire Alarm plan for today. So if the alarm should sound, it won't be
a test and you should follow the appropriate fire exit signs. Webcasting of meeting. Before
proceeding today, I have to remind everyone present that the proceedings of today's meeting
are being filmed live and may be kept on the Council's internet site as an archive record
of the meeting. The images and sound recording may also be used for training purposes within
the Council. Apologies for absence. An apology has been received from Councillor
Darren Price, the Leader and Councillor Jane Tramlette. Everyone else is in attendance in
the Chamber. Declarations of personal interest. You all have responsibility under the Code
of Conduct to verbally declare any personal interest that you may have in relation to
any item appearing on the agenda today. Please make sure you clearly indicate which
agenda item you have a personal interest in and the specific nature of the interest to
be disclosed. You'll also need to repeat your declaration of personal interest at the start
of the relevant agenda item and indicate whether or not you will be withdrawing from the meeting
during consideration of that item. Can members please raise your hands if you wish to declare
an interest? Nobody? Okay, we'll move on. Now to item 3 on the agenda, which is to sign
as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on the 15th of April 2024. Page 5 of
your pack. Can I have a mover and seconder please that the minutes are correct? Councillor
Philip Hughes, I understand you will move the minutes. Yes, thank you. Happy to move.
And a seconder please. Yes, I'm seconding. Thank you, Councillor Lenny. Will members
show by raising your hands if you are happy to move the minutes as a correct record?
Thank you. That is unanimous so we'll know abstentions and nobody against. We'll now
move on to agenda item 4. Questions on notice by members. I can confirm that no questions
on notice by members have been received. On item 5, public questions on notice. I can
also confirm that no public questions on notice have been received. So we'll move on
to item 6 on the agenda. But just before we start item 6, I'm aware that Councillor
Glenogg-Davis wants to say a few words. Thank you, Linda. Before we start this morning,
I want to say a few words about a school deferment. As we are meeting here, the pupils
and staff in a school deferment are returning to school. The county council is working very
closely with the school and there will be appropriate support available for the learners
and for the staff. I would like to thank all the agencies that supported the school over
the last few days. Thank you also to the whole community for their support to the school.
Thank you. Thank you very much, Glenogg. And I'm sure that we all endorse what you have
said. Thank you. We will now move on to item 6, which is the workforce strategy for 2024-2029.
The review, development and implementation of a workforce strategy has been identified
as a priority within our transformation strategy. Our workforce strategy describes how we plan
to develop our current and future workforce to ensure they have the right skills, the
right environment and the values to deliver our corporate strategy. I will now ask Councillor
Philip Hughes, the portfolio holder to present the report, please. Thank you, Chair. Our
current workforce strategy needed an extensive review following the pandemic, which affected
the way people wanted to work and how work was done. We are also facing some difficult
recruitment challenges in some key sectors such as social care and education. On top
of this, local government has changed too, largely because of the financial constraints
that we have in two work and also because of the technological advancements we have available
to us. This means that our workforce has to adapt to deliver the services in the future.
We need leaders who are adaptable and resilient to take us through this period of change.
As a cabinet member for workforce, I know we have good people working for us, so I'm
not faced by the challenges that face us. I know that with the right direction and support,
we will continue to succeed by supporting and developing our people to do their best work.
The strategy in front of us today hasn't been developed in isolation. The team has consulted
with directors, heads of service and senior managers as well as our trade union colleagues.
As you can see, it is a five-year strategy and it has a five-year detailed delivery plan
alongside it, which will be revealed annually to make sure we achieve what we are set out
to do. Some of my other portfolio responsibilities, including transformation of the, of course,
digital and I am more than happy to share with you the digital strategy and transformation
strategy and work, but with the work that we are doing in developing AI strategy along
with, to align themselves with our workforce strategy, so none have been developed in isolation.
Additionally, the team has worked with colleagues in corporate policy to develop performance
management dashboard. The dashboard will make it easy for cabinet to monitor the progress
we are making. The dashboard will go a long way in terms of being able to use the information
we have available to us in a strategic way. Our strategic objective is to become not only
data rich, but information rich, too. This workforce strategy is a keystone to reforming
our workforce to give us the focus that we need against the very challenging economic
climate. So, those who were chair, I commend the report to cabinet for approval.
Thank you very much. Councillor WHO'S, can I have a seconder please? Happy 2 second.
Thank you. Anybody have any questions or any comments on this? No? Okay. It is an important
strategy in relation to making sure that we give the best opportunities for our workforce
and that is vitally important. If nobody else has a question or comments, I will ask you
please to raise your hands if you are happy to approve the recommendations. Thank you.
That is unanimous. Nobody against and no abstentions. We will now move on to item 7 on the agenda,
which is the annual report 2223 for mid and West Wales safeguarding children and adults
boards. The report outlines the progress that has been made against the outcome set
by Casir and Compass as part of the joint annual strategic plan for the year 2022-23.
In the absence of Councillor Jain Tremlett, I understand that Jake Morgan, the director
of communities, will give a few words about the report and present it.
Thanks, Chair. You can see from the report, which is presented annually. It is a statutory
report that every regional safeguarding board has to produce and publish. So, it is a public
document that sets out the governance by which child protection and adult protection is managed
by all the statutory agencies. As it happens, I am the Chair of the children's element
of that and it is for mid and West Wales. It is the area of all safeguarding boards that
I think covers the largest land mass, certainly in Wales and I think largely in the UK as
well. So, as some unique challenges in terms of practice, but it is a forum where performance
is monitored, there is oversight of how child protection and how adult protection is overseen
in each of the areas and with each of the statutory agencies. So, we receive reports,
we monitor data and we share best practice. We also have a key function of child practice
reviews which have replaced the former serious case reviews. So, where something adverse happens
to a child in particular circumstances, we conduct and manage those independent reviews
as well as the same in terms of adult protection. So, when something goes wrong for a family
in particular circumstances, we have oversight. With a name to publishing regularly, you can
find those on the website that is referenced. So, if any members want to look back at any
of those, the lessons learned and the action plans that follow, they are all available
on the website. It is generally seen as a successful multi-agency collaboration and one
which is firmly embedded in the practice in the four different geographical areas, but
also in all the statutory agencies that it covers. Thanks, Chair.
Microphone. I am happy to move this chair. Happy to move. I am also happy. Thank you
to Jake for that presentation. It is pleasing to hear about the good work that is taking
place and I am seconding the proposal. Microphone.
Does anybody want to ask any questions or speak on the item? No, okay. Can I ask you
please to raise your hands if you are happy to approve the recommendations. Thank you.
That is unanimous once again. Nobody against and no abstentions. We will now move on to
item eight on the agenda, which is the Carers Leave policy. Page 107 of your PAC. The report
sets out our commitment to support carers and the procedure for managing a request from
an employee for Carers Leave in line with the Carers Leave Act 2023, which came into
force on the 6th of April 2024. Back to you, Councillor Philip Hughes as the portfolio holder
to introduce the report and recommendations. It will be aware that employment policies
are subject to a rolling review to reflect best practice and also to incorporate changes
in legislation. The Carers policy in front of us today is an example of such. This policy
has been updated to reflect the Carers Leave Act 2023. At the heart of the changes of the
Carers, is that Carers are allowed one week, some paid leave in a rolling 12 month period
with no minimum service required. It is a day one entitlement. Entitlement is based on
the employee's work in part two. The policy provides clarity, but by defining what we
mean by carer, defining what we mean by dependent on what Carers Leave can be used for so that
there is no ambiguity in this application. I must recommend that for the report to cabinet
for being accepted. Thank you, Councillor Hughes. Councillor Edward Thomas, I understand
your seconding. Happy to second. Unsensible report. I'm more than happy to second it.
Councillor Lodeon. Are there any questions or comments, please, Councillor
Hughes, Levens? I appreciate it. I think it's important that we recognise what unpaid carers
do at home and it's important that we do this and I'm pleased that we are. Yes, completely
agree with you. Any other questions or comments, please, if not, can I please ask members to
raise your hands if you're happy to approve the recommendations in the report? Thank you.
That is unanimous. Nobody against and no abstentions. We'll now move on to item nine on the agenda,
which is the draft supplementary planning guidance for the revised command and share
local development plan 2018 to 2033. This report follows the publication of the second deposit
revised local development plan for public consultation. It sets out a strategy, vision,
strategic and specific policies, proposals and development allocations as well as areas
where policies have been designed to protect and enhance the environment from inappropriate
development. As part of implementing the content of the revised LDP, it's often necessary
for policies to be supported by supplementary guidance. This guidance is intended to support
the interpretation and the use of policies and proposals in the plan. These are produced
in the form of supplementary planning guidance, which are required to undergo a formal consultation
on their content prior to their adoption. So I'd like to ask the portfolio holder, Councillor
and Davis to introduce the report and move the recommendations, please. Thank you very
much, Chair. As you mentioned, this report follows the publication of the revised LDP
for public consultation between February and April last year. And this new LDP does note
the strategies, the vision and the policies, et cetera, which are linked to it. This report
notes three, what we call SPGs, which are supplementary plan guidance or in Welsh, but
we refer to them as SPGs as an acronym for, and these for public consultation, and each
of them are relating to a specific policy area within the revised LDP. Further details
of these have been set out in your report, with draft copies appended to this report.
And these are the three before you today. The sites of importance for nature conservation,
which we call the sinks. It sets out the mythology for future identification and designation
of sinks across the plan area. And these represent a local environment designation on
sites which offer a significant potential as a biodiversity resource. And when setting
out this mythology, the SPG sets out the parameters against which any site will be designated.
By consulting on this mythology, we are seeking to make sure that the method for any future
designations are fully informed and that they are transparent and robust. And also at present,
there are no sinks identified within the plan area. And in the, with the Welsh language,
and this SPG reflects the importance of the Welsh language to Kamar Vincher and seeks
to elaborate on the progressive policy approaches and the innovative supporting assessments
of the development's impact on the language, which was developed as part of the revised
LDP, including on page 126, the recognition of the whole of Kamar Vincher as a linguistic
sensitive area. It recognised the potential positive and negative impacts on the language
and that the lots of social factors influence the use of the language in Kamar Vincher.
It notes the role that planning can play, including through the determination of individual
applications and possible mitigation on safeguarding and promoting the use of the Welsh language.
And the third one before you is open space and the requirements for integrating open spaces
within new residential developments. The SPG sets out the positive role a well-designed
open space can play as part of development. It notes the requirements for integrating
open spaces within a residential development and providing requirements for design and
simplifying the process of incorporating the requirements of Section 106 contributions
and assisting with those decision-making processes. It proposes incorporating requirements for
green spaces and community-growing spaces in accordance with the Beyond Six Acre standard.
It has been developed with the support of place efficiency, ecology, leisure, active
leisure and the Estates Department. And those are the three documents, Chair, which will
be moving through the consultation process now before it now comes back to approval.
It has been through the scrutiny process and the decision required today is that we approve
that the SPG, this draft version as noted in this report, is published for the public
consultation that is required. Thank you, Chair.
Thank you very much, Councillor and Davis, for that comprehensive introduction. Councillor
Aladabone-Owen, I think you are seconding. Yes, thank you very much, Chair. I have pleasure
to second this report as the portfolio holder for climate change. Of course, the nature
conservation sites are vitally important for us here in Kamathanshire, which includes significant
areas of land that are of importance for habitats and biodiversity species. And it contributes
to the landscape of public spaces in Kamathanshire. These open spaces are important for our health
and well-being. It provides places for play and physical activities, including growing
food, often within nature, and we can promote nature as part of our priorities. And I am
looking forward to hear the response from the public on this start of this consultation.
With those few words, I would like to second this formally. Thank you very much. Does anybody
have any questions or comments? Councillor Locland-Owen Davis. Thank you, John the Welsh
language. As I am the portfolio holder. Thank you for the importance given here to the
Welsh language. We as a county have committed to support and promote the language. And it
is pleasing to note that Kamathanshire as a whole is an area which is of linguistic importance
and sensitivity. And it is important that we include this. And as has been said, I am
looking forward to hearing the responses on the consultation. Thank you. Thank you very
much, Councillor Davis, for your comments. Anybody else have any comments or questions?
If not, I would like to ask you members to please raise your hands if you are happy to
approve the recommendations. Thank you. That is unanimous again. Nobody is against and
no abstentions. We will now move on to item 10 on the agenda which is the proposal to
federate a scoury spritchard and a scourtlang adog. This report details initial feedback
and a proposal to discontinue the current consultation on federating a scoury spritchard
and a scourtlang adog. I will turn to you now, Councillor Locland-Owen Davis, the portfolio
holder to present the report. Thank you. Members, I want to propose this morning that we discontinue
the current consultation to federate a scoury spritchard and a scourtlang adog. It is a
plan which is being led by the authority. I genuinely believe that it would be beneficial
following responses and correspondence that we do have more informal conversations with
governors and the staff in the school who feel that not enough discussion has taken place.
You remember as a cabinet that we agreed to consult on federating both schools. Why? Well,
in order to create a sustainable learning community in the upper area of the Toei Valley, and
I'm using the phrase that the government uses, basically strengthening the provision
in this part of the county and that is the intention. We started to consult on the 9th
of April and the intention was to end on the 20th of May. The officers have reviewed the
document from the government based on federizing. It's called the process of federizing maintained
schools. They are guidelines for governing bodies and local authorities. There is advice
and guidelines in the document. They are, and I'm emphasising guidelines, but the best
thing I believe is that we bring the, discontinue the consultation and have more discussion and
then we will need to update our federating strategy.
Recommendations as they are written before me, to discontinue the current consultation
to federate a Scottish preacher and a Scultangar dog to allow further informal discussion
with the governors and school staff and secondly, to update our federations strategy and review
our process for local authority-led federations. I'm proposing that. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Councillor Leno-Devis. I take it that you, Councillor Lenny, are
seconding? Yes. Yes, and quickly, one seconding. I just want to reassure parents and everybody
to the commitment of this Council, to the standard and the future of education in the
Upper Toby Valley, it is an investment of almost £9 million over the last three years in a
Scottish picture and a Scultangar dog, and it is a testament of that commitment. I just
wanted to emphasise that and hopefully it will reassure people, and I'm seconding it.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any further comments or questions? If not, can
I ask members, please raise your hands if you are happy to approve the recommendations
in the report. Thank you very much. That is unanimous. Nobody is against and no abstentions.
So we will now move on to item 11 on the agenda. Urgent items. I have not received any urgent
business this morning, and there are no other items on the agenda. Therefore, I can declare
that this meeting this morning is closed, and I would like to thank you all as members
for your attendance and thanks to the officers. Tia orch.
[BLANK_AUDIO]