The Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee, Economy, Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee, Health and Care Scrutiny Committee and Finance Panel met on 10 September 2025 to discuss the Corporate Strategic and Equalities Plan (CSEP) Q1 performance for 2025-2026, the Strategic Risk Register reports, and the Cabinet responses to scrutiny recommendations from a prior meeting. The committee considered and confirmed recommendations to the cabinet regarding the CSEP Q1 performance and the Strategic Risk Register Q1 Report.

Corporate Strategic and Equalities Plan (CSEP) Q1 Performance

The committee reviewed the Corporate Strategic and Equalities Plan (CSEP) Scorecard for Quarter 1 of 2025-2026. The CSEP outlines the council's well-being priorities for 2023-2027, aligning with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The plan focuses on three main objectives:

1. Improving awareness and access to council services.
2. Supporting sustainable employment and fair pay.
3. Tackling poverty and inequality.

The CSEP integrates equality objectives to promote fairness across all council activities. The committee examined the progress and impact of the council's actions toward achieving these objectives, ensuring they provide good value and serve the best interests of the residents of Powys.

The CSEP Scorecard groups actions and measures into outcomes supporting each objective, and includes benchmarking against previous performance.

The Scrutiny Report - Q1 2025-2026 Performance highlighted areas needing improvement, such as social media reach, customer satisfaction with the corporate contact centre, and the percentage of calls answered on income and awards phonelines. The report also noted successes, including the number of people supported by local area co-ordination and the percentage of new tenants satisfied with their housing.

The committee also reviewed the 2025-2026 Q1 CSEP Off Track Measures, which provided commentary on measures that were not on track.

Recommendations to Cabinet

The committee considered and confirmed the Joint Scrutiny Committee and Finance Panel's recommendations to cabinet on the CSEP Quarter 1 Performance Report.

Strategic Risk Register Report

The committee received and scrutinised the Strategic Risk Register reports. The Strategic Risk Register Report Quarter 1 2025/2026 is key to safeguarding the organisation and building resilience into its services. The committee reviewed progress in mitigating strategic risks, including updated mitigations and scoring.

Appendix A of the report contained details of the 12 non-confidential strategic risks, including mitigating actions and progress reviews. Appendix B presented a heatmap visually representing the risk assessment process.

During the quarter, three risks had changes to their probability or impact rating:

• ED0056: The risk that the council does not reduce the number of schools in a formal Estyn category to zero. The impact changed from moderate to major, increasing the rating from 12 to 16, because additional schools had gone into Estyn statutory category and the local authority inspection had resulted in a judgement of significant concern. ¹
• FIN0001: The risk that the council is unable to deliver a financially sustainable budget over the short and medium term. The impact changed from severe to major and the probability changed from possible to likely, decreasing the rating from 20 to 16.
• ASC0064: The risk that the Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS) is not fit for purpose. The probability changed from likely to possible, decreasing the rating from 20 to 15, because services were reporting a period of stability.

Recommendations to Cabinet

The committee considered and confirmed the Joint Scrutiny Committee and Finance Panel's recommendations to cabinet on the Strategic Risk Register Q1 Report.

Cabinet Responses to Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee noted the Cabinet responses to scrutiny recommendations from the meeting held on 11 June 2025, regarding the Corporate and Strategic Equalities Plan (CSEP).

The Joint Scrutiny Committee and Finance Panel Recs to Cabinet included the following scrutiny recommendations and cabinet responses:

• Add benchmarking data where possible to provide context for performance targets. The Cabinet responded that services would include benchmarking information where possible, but not in the CSEP itself.
• Acknowledge the role of the Anti-Poverty Champion in the plan. The Cabinet responded that this had been updated in the CSEP going to Cabinet on 24 June.
• Consider cross-border education data, particularly regarding learners accessing education outside Powys. The Cabinet responded that this data set does not exist as benchmarking information, but the council does have some information relating to those who are elected home education, Children Looked After who are educated outside of Powys, as well as Additional Learning Need provision that is out of county.
• Add a measure for the uptake of Universal Free School Meals. The Cabinet responded that these continue to be reported as operational measures by the service.
• Clarify the term people used in performance measures. The Cabinet responded that this is measure specific and it clear in the measures.
• Ensure Cabinet members attend future scrutiny sessions to provide political accountability. The Cabinet responded that this has been noted, and Cabinet members will attend future sessions where specifically invited to attend and they have an item under consideration.
• Ensure consistency across all data sources and reports (e.g., FOI, SARs). The Cabinet responded that services use the same base information and there is consistency across data sources.
• Improve clarity and consistency of performance measures, especially where targets are missing or unrealistic. The Cabinet responded that this has been updated in the CSEP going to Cabinet on 24 June.
• Explore how to measure the effectiveness and impact of actions, not just their completion. The Cabinet responded that this is part of the self assessment process, our formal mechanism for annual reporting as an organisation.
• Include a diagram illustrating the golden thread from the CSEP to individual Services Integrated Business Plans (IBP's) individual objectives. The Cabinet responded that this has been updated in the CSEP going to Cabinet on 24 June.