Swansea Council has approved amendments to its constitution, reviewed annual reports from the Standards and Democratic Services Committees, and agreed to provide dispensation and sickness absence payments for Councillor Robert Francis-Davies. The council also discussed the Wales Pension Partnership's business case and addressed questions from both the public and councillors on various topics.

Here's a breakdown of the key discussions:

• Annual Report of the Director of Social Services

  The council approved the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2024/25, which evaluates the local authority's progress in providing services and promoting well-being. The report highlights the work of social work, social care, and partner organisations. It also addresses how the council is meeting statutory requirements under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014[^1] and promoting well-being standards. [^1]: The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is a law in Wales that aims to improve the well-being of people who need care and support, and carers who need support. It places a duty on local authorities to promote the well-being of individuals and to provide services that prevent needs from escalating.

  The report noted that Swansea Council has a strong reputation for innovation in its statutory social care services and in its delivery of prevention, early help, and wider wellbeing approaches. It also acknowledged the challenges of meeting the needs of an aging population, families with complex needs, rising costs of care, and constrained public service funding.

  The report set out how the council continues to place people at the centre of everything, working with their strengths and focusing on prevention and early help. It also highlighted the importance of building strong strategic alliances with partner organisations and building resilience within communities.

  The report also noted that the Directorate is currently facing significant financial strain, having recorded a substantial overspend in the 2024/25 financial year, intensified by growing demand and increasingly complex needs across both adult and children's services. In response, the Directorate has launched a comprehensive transformation programme designed to achieve major cost savings.

• Amendments to the Council Constitution

  The council approved amendments to the terms of reference for both the Governance & Audit Committee and the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC).

  • Governance & Audit Committee: The amendments to the Governance & Audit Committee were made to comply with new Global Internal Audit Standards and relate to paragraphs u) & w) of the terms of reference of the Governance & Audit Committee.
  • Joint Consultative Committee (JCC): The amendments to the JCC terms of reference included providing clarity regarding bargaining groups, updating trade union names, requiring minutes from trade union meetings with HR, confirming JCC quorum levels, and confirming health and safety policies for adoption.

• Dispensation and Sickness Absence Payments for Councillor Robert Francis-Davies

  The council approved a dispensation for Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, allowing him to be absent from meetings until 31 March 2026, due to illness. They also approved sickness absence payments for him for up to 26 weeks and authorised a substitute appointment to cover his duties as a cabinet member.

• Democratic Services Committee Annual Report

  The council received the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024-2025, which outlined the committee's work during the year. The committee considered a new Councillor's Guide in relation to Handling Online Harassment, Abuse & Intimidation as well as reviewing the guidance to Councillors on the production of their annual reports and Personal Safety for Councillors.

• Standards Committee Annual Report

  The council received the Standards Committee Annual Report 2024-2025, which set out the work of the committee in promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct and probity. The Committee has continued to meet regularly during the year and pleasingly has been able to return largely to in-person meetings. The Committee has again undertaken some challenging work during the year, including reviewing the Standards Committee Hearings Procedure. Significantly the Committee continues to be kept up to date with legislative changes and has also benefited from the Chair's attendance at the National Standards' Committee Forum where the Public Service Ombudsman is a regular contributor.

• Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit For The Future Business Case

  The council agreed to progress with the implementation of the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Fit for the Future Business Case. This included the formation of a corporate entity wholly owned by the WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) to be the WPP Investment Management Company (IMCo.) and all other actions necessary to submit an application to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the authorisation of the IMCo.

• Membership of Committees

  The council approved several changes to the membership of its committees, including the Climate Change & Nature Recovery Service Transformation Committee, the Economy & Infrastructure Service Transformation Committee, the Pension Fund Committee, the Petitions Committee, the Planning Committee, and the Corporate Parenting Board.

• Councillors' Questions

  Councillors posed questions on a range of topics, including legal responsibilities for looked-after children attending faith schools, parking permit requirements for residents, the occupancy of the new Proposed Public Sector Hub, artificial pitch facilities at comprehensive schools, the Brockhole Stream flooding project, an illegal encampment in Llangyfelach, the tourism tax, the housing waiting list, finance and benefits changes, a Councillor Champion for Neurodiversity, a security device on Kilvey Hill, air pollution, and the Councillors Gifts and Hospitalities Register.

  • In response to a question about the new Proposed Public Sector Hub, the Leader of the Council stated that 71/72, the Kingsway had been formally opened and that Futures First were confirmed as a tenant.
  • In response to a question about an illegal encampment at the site in Llangyfelach near the DPD warehouse site, the Leader of the Council stated that the Council has taken action to move on all travellers from the area and has secured a possession order from the courts.
  • In response to a question about the tourism tax, the Leader of the Council stated that there are no plans to ask Council to consider a tourism tax in Swansea.
  • In response to a question about air pollution, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Performance stated that Swansea Council is required to submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) to Welsh Government (WG) each year advising upon the assessment of ambient air quality.
  • In response to a question about the Councillors Gifts and Hospitalities Register, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Performance stated that the Council has not changed the way that it presents information on its public website relating to the Councillors Gifts & Hospitality Register.

• Public Questions

  One member of the public asked questions related to the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case, and Councillor M B Lewis, Chair of the Pension Fund Committee, responded.