The Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 07 July 2026 to review the Council's financial performance, workforce wellbeing, and strategic transformation initiatives. Key items discussed included the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report for 2025/26, which highlighted a projected overspend of £10.6 million, and the Sickness Absence Monitoring Report for the end of the 2025/26 year, which indicated an increase in overall absence rates.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2025/26

The committee received the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report for the period ending February 2026. Councillor Alun Lenny, Cabinet Member for Resources, presented the report, highlighting a projected overspend of £10.6 million for the year, after accounting for departmental reserves. This overspend is primarily driven by increased demand and complexity in adult social care, higher costs in children's services due to residential placements, and increased school transport and meal supplier costs. The report also noted a £35 million underspend in the capital programme, largely due to the phasing of education projects and slippage on economic development grant schemes.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the timeliness of budget monitoring reports. Randall Hemingway, Head of Financial Services, clarified that Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) had received an additional £150,000 in Welsh Government funding. Councillor Alex Evans questioned the potential impact of UK government capital budget cuts on local government funding in Wales, which Councillor Lenny stated was uncertain at that time. Councillor Kim Broom expressed concern about the number of empty properties initiatives and asked about the Council's proactive measures to bring them back into use. The Leader explained that applications are processed by Carmarthenshire Council and then sent to the responsible local authority for eligibility assessment, noting that some properties do not qualify for funding.

Sickness Absence Monitoring Report – End of Year 2025/26

The committee received the Sickness Absence Monitoring Report for the end of the 2025/26 year. Members were informed that the Authority's overall absence rate had increased slightly to 11.78 FTE days lost per employee, exceeding the target of 10.80 FTE. Social Services and Housing, and Education and Leisure departments reported the highest absence rates. Long-term sickness absence had increased by 11% year-on-year, while short-term absence decreased by 7.6%. Occupational Sick Pay costs had risen by 5.66%.

Kate Burton, Head of Adult Social Care, highlighted that the home care service, with approximately 350 staff, experienced high sickness levels, largely due to mental health and stress-related reasons. She detailed proactive measures taken to support staff wellbeing, including wellbeing champions, health and wellbeing leads, and mental health first aiders.

Ian Jones, Head of Healthy Communities and Public Protection, discussed challenges in catering and cultural services, noting long-term sickness absences skewing figures in cultural services and structural issues in catering due to small teams and recruitment difficulties. He also mentioned the Your Health Matters initiative, a pilot scheme that showed positive results in weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and improved wellbeing.

Daniel John, Head of Environmental Infrastructure, detailed efforts to improve sickness management within the Place, Infrastructure and Economic Development department, including bespoke resources for managers, sickness briefings, and a new data dashboard. He acknowledged workforce challenges, including the age profile of the workforce and the physical demands of roles.

Councillor Kim Broom requested a deeper dive into the pressures within catering and leisure and culture services, suggesting specific reports be brought back to the committee. Councillor Alex Evans inquired about management's awareness of occupational health resources. Paul R Thomas, Assistant Chief Executive, stated that while the policy and handbook were comprehensive, there were instances where basic principles of managing sickness absence were being ignored, prompting a deeper investigation.

The committee also discussed the impact of bereavement on staff and the availability of face-to-face counselling. Paul R Thomas confirmed that compassionate leave had been doubled and that triage processes ensured face-to-face support was provided when clinically necessary.

2025/26 End of Quarter 4 Performance Report

The committee received the 2025/26 End of Quarter 4 Performance Report, which detailed progress against the Council's Corporate Strategy and Well-being Objectives. Councillor Giles Morgan declared an interest as Chair of Governors at Bryngwyn and Glan-y-Mor Secondary Schools.

Members noted that 82% of actions and measures were on target. Councillor Kim Broom raised concerns about council tax and business rates collection rates in light of the cost of living crisis, and was assured by Helen Pugh, Head of Revenues and Financial Compliance, that Carmarthenshire maintained a top quartile position in Wales for collection rates. Councillor Alex Evans questioned the effectiveness of letters sent to schools regarding budget management, suggesting targeted interventions for less cooperative schools. Councillor Lenny provided a detailed breakdown of school budget positions, noting that 50 schools were in surplus, while others were in deficit. Councillor Russell Sparks raised concerns about energy efficiency in schools, particularly regarding lighting systems and the motivation for schools to reduce costs when the council covers the bills. Councillor Lenny acknowledged the need to look at all aspects of school savings.

Regarding employee satisfaction, Councillor Alex Evans sought clarification on how the overall trend could be upward if the score had reduced. Paul R Thomas, Assistant Chief Executive, undertook to provide a response after the meeting. Councillor Kim Broom noted that safeguarding training was still off target, and Gareth Jones, Chief Digital Officer, outlined measures being taken to improve completion rates, including increased drop-in sessions, face-to-face training, and digital mentors. Councillor Alex Evans commended the improvement in complaints completed within statutory deadlines, but inquired if specific departments or complaint types were disproportionately affecting the overall percentage. Gwyneth Ayers, Corporate Policy, Performance and Partnership Manager, explained that areas like waste services and housing repairs, due to high volumes, presented challenges, but targeted support was being provided.

Carmarthenshire Public Services Board (PSB) Annual Report 2025-26

The committee received the Carmarthenshire Public Services Board (PSB) Annual Report for 2025-26. Councillor Linda Evans, Leader, presented the report, highlighting the PSB's commitment to improving economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being through collaborative working. Key achievements included progress on the Carmarthenshire Food Strategy and the completion of a Climate Change Risk Assessment with Ceredigion PSB. The report also detailed the upcoming merger of the Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion PSBs to form a joint board, aimed at strengthening regional collaboration. The importance of community views in shaping future priorities was emphasized.

Transformation Programme - Progress Report

The committee received an update on the Council's Transformation Programme. The Leader reported significant activity and positive outcomes across eight thematic workstreams, including process automation, building rationalisation, workforce development, and income generation. The report indicated that a transformation mindset was embedding within the authority, positioning it better to address financial challenges and become a more modern council. The Panel Performance Assessment (PPA) was referenced, which concluded Carmarthenshire was a well-run organisation with strong leadership. Recommendations from the PPA included reviewing and refreshing the transformation strategy, ensuring it is adequately resourced. Proposals for a fund to invest in transformation projects were progressing.

Councillor Alex Evans inquired about the strategy for disposing of vacant buildings, such as Teuton Ant and Trostra, which had been vacant for years. The Leader confirmed a report on empty buildings was coming to Cabinet soon, and the Transformation Manager confirmed a disposal plan and strategy were in place. Councillor Evans also asked about progress on reducing agency spend in schools, and the Transformation Manager explained the development of a business case for an in-house agency, noting a £700,000 reduction in agency spend for schools in the last financial year.

Carmarthenshire Public Services Board (PSB) Minutes – March 2026

The committee received the minutes from the PSB meeting held on 24 March 2026. Key discussions included the Future Hub initiative, offering support for futures thinking and long-term planning, and the formal merger process between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion PSBs. The Climate Change Risk Assessment, conducted jointly with Ceredigion PSB, identified significant risks including flooding, infrastructure disruption, and environmental pressures, with recommendations for integrated action. The Board also discussed the Local Well-being Assessment methodology, which will use geographical areas based on Upper Super Output Areas and Upper Medium Output Areas.

Scrutiny Actions Update

The committee received the Scrutiny Actions Update, noting progress on actions and requests from previous meetings.

Forthcoming Items

The committee noted the list of forthcoming items for the next meeting on 23 October 2026, which included the Council Complaints Annual Report, the Council's Annual Report, Revenue Budget Outturn Report, Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report, Quarter 1 Performance Management Report, Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report, and the Transformation Programme update.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 May 2026 were signed as a correct record.