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The committee reviewed the adult social services annual report, the proposed purchase of Medallion House on Crwys Road, Q4 performance reports for adults, housing and communities, and an update on responsive repairs and Gypsy and Traveller sites. For each of these four items it agreed that the Chair would write to the relevant Cabinet Member with the committee's observations. It also approved the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26.
Apologies were received from Cllr Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities (Community Hubs & Regeneration).
The following declarations of interest were received in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct. Councillor Item Nature of interest Reason Sue Lent 4, 6 Personal Son is a service user. Peter Littlechild 5 Prejudicial Friend lives in Daniel St. and is directly affected, and has also objected. Daniel Naughton 6 Personal Family member works for a victim support charity.
The minutes of the 15th June meeting were approved and signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were asked to consider the Cabinet report entitled ‘Local Authority Social Services Annual Report 2025/2026’, prior to its consideration by 16th July. For this item, the Chair welcomed: Cllr Norma Mackie Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adult Services and Public Health) Sarah McGill Corporate Director, People & Communities Jane Thomas Director of Adults, Housing & Communities Louise Bassett Assistant Director, Adult Services The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement, in which she explained that it was a requirement of the Welsh government to produce an annual report summarising progress made in Social Services. Feedback had been carefully incorporated, and she thanked staff for their achievements despite continuing demand pressures. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised below. Members asked who would be consulted on the Living Well With Physical Disabilities Strategy, and heard that discussions would take place with key organisations related to physical, visual and sensory impairments to help develop the strategy. A key part of the work would be to map what was already available, and there would be a public consultation before a draft report came back to the Committee. Members noted the positive results of long-term pieces of work concerning hospital discharge and social worker vacancies, and asked whether the £3.5m of efficiencies in Adult Services were cuts or due to preventative work. Officers clarified that this was through preventative work which reduced the level of demand that got through to services. Members noted the commitment to make Cardiff an age friendly city and advocated joined-up thinking between services, with issues like uneven pavements having an impact on mobility and physical and mental health. Officers agreed issues across departments could be closely linked, and explained that assessments sought to look at the whole life of the individual. Members asked about new respite provision for people with learning disabilities, and heard that at present this was delivered in several relatively old properties. Officers were looking at building a purpose-built respite centre in Rumney, which should enable a more flexible site. Members explored the key challenges and priorities for the service in 2026/27, and heard that the scale and complexity of demand continued to be key. Upcoming changes to the legal status of migrant workers were highlighted as a key challenge, affecting more than half of some providers’ workforces, and the service was focusing on recruitment to try and mitigate the impact of this. Members discussed financing and heard that various different services were funded through the Regional Partnership Fund, a regional integration fund shared jointly with Health, which delivered about £6m funding in total. This came from the Welsh government and there was no certainty about it after the end of this year. Officers and the Cabinet were making strong representations on the topic, and undertaking impact assessments to identify particular areas of concern and potential service loss. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were provided with background information and an overview of the structure of the Cabinet report entitled ‘Additional Property Purchase of Medallion House, 62-64 Crwys Road, Cathays, Cardiff’, before its consideration on 16th July 2026. For this item, the Chair welcomed: Cllr Lynda Thorne Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities (Housing & Homelessness) Sarah McGill Corporate Director, People & Communities David Jaques Assistant Director, Development & Regeneration The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement, in which she outlined the council’s work to tackle the housing emergency by delivering 4,000 more council homes. This particular report would enable the provision of 60 high quality affordable apartments for social rent in highly sustainable city centre location, as well as a home for Cathays Community Centre. Officers gave a presentation providing further detail, explaining that the report sought approval to acquire a completed development at 62-64 Crwys Road. It included 60 affordable apartments meeting Welsh government standards, amenity space and leaseback retail units, and regenerated a brownfield site that had been run down for years. The scheme was targeting a completion date of summer 2028. Officers outlined the key risks and safeguarding steps, noting that the acquisition would use a turn-key model in which the council acquired the freehold and then leased retail space back to the developer. The heads of terms set out three staged payments throughout construction, totalling £21.5m capital funding, assuming a Welsh government subsidy. The relocation of Cathays Community Centre involved a £780k developer contribution and had a funding gap of between £400k and £900k. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised below. Members queried whether the Welsh government’s informal consent had been acquired before or after the elections in May. Officers clarified that there were several stages to the agreement, with the pre-construction having been done before May, but the scheme itself was within their grant program. Members asked what would happen to the former community centre building as it was no longer fit for purpose, and heard that it would be sold (likely for residential development) with the value of the site helping to fund the new centre. Members advocated ensuring that the site was close to green spaces for residents and children to use, and heard that the distance to local parks was taken into account. There was also amenity space within, with the community centre on the ground floor extending beyond the site. Members noted the substantial funding gap with regard to the community centre, and asked whether the board were happy to move into a smaller site. Officers explained that a new CEO had recently been appointed, and the board had asked for more ground floor space. They had been shown different options to deliver that, which were attached to the report. One of the options would halve the size of one of the retail units, increasing the funding gap to £900k. Members further explored the budget gap, asking what protective measures were in place if the project were not to be completed on time. Officers explained that while the funding gap was a challenge, the S106 monies had been secured already and they were looking to identify different sources of funding. Small- to medium-size development was difficult at the moment and there were step-in rights so the council could intervene if the developer failed. The staged payments reduced their exposure to risk, with a deposit covering the value of the land and pre-construction costs, a second payment upon completion of the steel frame, and then a final payment on the completion of the scheme itself. Members asked whether the community centre would have to settle for a smaller site if the budget gap couldn’t be resolved. Officers were confident that there were alternative funding sources, and emphasised that they wanted the community centre to get the largest possible space. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were provided with the Adult Social Services, and Housing & Communities performance reports for the Q4 period (January – March 2026). For this item, the Chair welcomed: Cllr Norma Mackie Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adult Services and Public Health) Cllr Lynda Thorne Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities (Housing & Homelessness) Cllr Peter Bradbury Cabinet Member for Employment & Inclusive Growth Jane Thomas Director of Adults, Housing & Communities Helen Evans Assistant Director, Housing & Communities Louise Bassett Assistant Director, Adult Services The Cabinet Members were invited to make opening statements. Cllr Mackie highlighted targeted work to reduce health inequalities, which continued throughout 2026, in particular helping people to stop smoking, vaccination drop-ins and dementia prevention. She thanked staff and partners involved in this work to improve outcomes. Cllr Thorne began by reading a statement from Cllr Bridgeman, which highlighted the role of Hubs and libraries in local communities. The service had exceeded its targets across the year, with more than two million in-person visits. 24-hour digital libraries had been well-used despite challenges in the introduction of a new library management system, and service satisfaction remained high, reflecting the dedication and professionalism of staff and volunteers. The new Hubs and Libraries Strategy had set out a clear vision for the future and good progress had been made against its commitments. Cllr Thorne added that she was proud of the way that homelessness services had responded to sustained and significant demand throughout the year. 82% of clients had been supported to avoid homelessness, although 9,000 households remained on the waiting list for a council house. This reinforced the need for safe, suitable homes, and she highlighted improved repair rates and responses to damp and mould. The key challenges over the next year would be housing demand and tenant satisfaction. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised below. Members welcomed the reduced reliance on hotels and asked if there was a particular target that, if met, would mean the end of the housing emergency. The Cabinet Member explained that it was an emergency due to demand pressures and unmet need, meaning they had to take every possible step to increase social housing, temporary and supported accommodation, as well as emergency spaces in the third sector, and she did not expect it to be over for some time. A more normal situation might be achieved when the houses they were building became available, so ideally those who presented could immediately be offered a space that suited their needs. Pressures on family accommodation had significantly eased but pressure on single person’s accommodation remained very high. Members asked about the role of churches and other third sector partners, and heard that this generally related to street homelessness. There were around 37 rough sleepers in Cardiff, more than half of whom either had no local connection or no recourse to public funds. The multidisciplinary team played a key role in going out to ensure they were safe. Members asked what percentage of people on benefits were in work. The Cabinet Member believed that it was the majority, but agreed to provide a more detailed figure in his response to the Chair’s letter. Members noted the recent extreme heat and asked how older people and those without access to Hubs or libraries were supported. The Cabinet Members emphasised that this was a high priority for Cabinet, with existing extreme weather protocols generally concerning cold weather provision. New and upcoming developments sought to ensure good build standards, while services were provided in an agile way, for instance waste collections beginning at 5am. Cool spaces and water were offered within Hubs, and they put out communications about checking on neighbours. Members noted the possible role of local councillors in this, and advocated printed information that reached those not on social media. Members suggested forming a new strategy or protocol for extremely hot weather, with business continuity and guidance for schools and workplaces being key. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were provided with background information on the monitoring of the current situation with the Responsive Repairs Unit and Gypsy and Traveller sites. For this item, the Chair welcomed: Cllr Lynda Thorne Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities (Housing & Homelessness) Jane Thomas Director of Adults, Housing & Communities Helen Evans Assistant Director, Housing & Communities Matthew Evans OM Specialist Accommodation & Support The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement, in which she acknowledged the issues previously identified within Responsive Repairs and highlighted the implementation of the improvement plan. The report also provided an update on Gypsy and Traveller sites, with delays in delivering site improvements and additional pitches. Officers gave a presentation providing further detail, noting that the Responsive Repairs Unit was a large service that completed 4,500 repair jobs each month, 80% by the in-house workforce and the rest contracted out. The service became overwhelmed post-pandemic due to high demand and difficulty in recruitment, and complaint levels were high, with one having been published by the Ombudsman in the public interest. A service review had identified actions needed to resolve these issues, and the Repairs Improvement Project was developed to do this. All recommendations made by the Ombudsman had now been completed. Officers added that an audit of records between January 2023 and August 2025 had been carried out in order to identify other tenants who may have experienced significant hardship or injustice. 368 cases in total were triaged to assess the extent of issues, 43 of whom had been had been significantly affected. 37 of these were judged to be level 1, and six level 2 (more severe). The level 1 cases received in-person apologies while the level 2s received payments totalling £11,100. Officers explained that the new Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requirements introduced in April required hazards to be categorised as ‘emergency’ or ‘priority urgent’, a new category which included red and amber damp cases. Unallocated work had reduced from 5,851 jobs in May 2024 to 631 in May 2026, while performance on emergency and urgent categories was within target. Some urgent cases were behind their target, but this was generally due to tenant choice of date or a lack of access. Considerable pressure remained on damp and mould cases, and they were recruiting additional posts to the Dry Homes team. Officers emphasised the need to hire the right tradespeople through targeted advertising and outreach, and the value of new technology in identifying and assessing damp and mould. Technical staff training improved the quality of inspections, and whole block assessments were carried out where necessary. New access procedures and translation tools to help with language barriers would also make a difference, while the new Landlord Services complaints team was in place, with increased resources and a follow-up process. Repeated complaints were highlighted at the triage stage, and cases of damp, mould and leaks were triaged on day one. The unified IT system was coming, with tenders issued in June, and full delivery was targeted by December 2027. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised below. Members welcomed the system review and emphasised the importance of communication, noting that residents tended not to mind waiting as long as they knew something was being done. Members asked about the causes of damp and mould and heard that these could be manifold: insufficient insulation, inadequate ventilation, leaks, poor guttering and extreme weather. Officers emphasised the need to tackle the cause rather than just the symptoms, since getting it right first time reduced the need for follow-up visits. Members asked whether staff were located across the city to make it easier to visit particular areas. Officers explained that the existing system matched jobs to the most suitable member of the workforce, taking their location into account. Officers gave a second presentation regarding Gypsy and Traveller site issues, explaining that the council provided 80 pitches in total at Shirenewton and Rover Way. The Ombudsman had investigated an individual complaint using their ‘Own Initiative’ powers on Rover Way, which showed failings across a range of issues resulting in prolonged poor service and frustration to the resident. The key issues were unmet housing need, overcrowding, the condition of utility blocks, difficulties in purchasing electricity and delays in dealing with repairs. The council was aware of these issues and work had been ongoing for some time to address them. Officers outlined the recommendations in the Ombudsman report, all of which were either completed or ongoing. The council had failed to comply with its Housing (Wales) Act 2014 responsibility to meet any unmet needs, with the latest Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) showing a need for 73 further pitches over the next five years, and 117 pitches by 2036. This assessment was sent to the Welsh government in November 2021, however their comments were not received until January 2024. The council identified a Welsh government-owned site for development several years ago, and had planned a further development of 40 pitches near Shirenewton, which had decreased to 4 due to constraints. They could now deliver 70 new pitches at a new site near Rover Way along with improved facilities. Officers added that a fresh GTAA period was underway, and was likely to show a further increase in demand. There was overcrowding due to population growth, as families on the site had remained together and not wished to move elsewhere or into inappropriate housing. Extended families had been allowed to remain on site due to the lack of suitable alternatives, with extensive risk assessments undertaken to maintain safety, and a reduction in distance between caravans from 6m to 3m had been agreed. Refurbishment of outdated utility blocks was underway, with 12 completed to date, two more in progress, four planned and three having refused an upgrade. All works were due be completed by October 2026, and the blocks at Shirenewton would also be refurbished. Officers added that when it came to electricity, residents had only been able to only purchase tokens from site staff between 9am and 5pm. Residents had wanted to be directly supplied but utility companies had been unwilling to accept site residents as direct customers. The council took on the supply of electricity to prevent the need for portable generators and now had a new pre-payment system in place since April. This had been a success, and they had now purchased a water meter system to deliver the same benefits. The backlog of repairs was being addressed with regular meetings between the sites and RRU to, and issues were constantly monitored. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised below. Members asked what lessons the council had learned about how to prevent these failings happening again. Officers explained that they had been aware of many of the issues beforehand, some of which were outside of their control. The new metering system had made a real difference for residents, and the need for more joined-up work with the RRU had been flagged up as a priority. Members asked why the Shirenewton expansion had been reduced from 40 pitches to 4, and heard that this had been due to various issues including ecological surveys, the proximity of pylons and connection with sewage works. Members asked if officers continued to look at other plots in similar areas, and heard that this was a continual area of work within the Local Development Plan. Members queried why some residents had refused an upgrade in their utility block, and heard that this was generally due to wanting to avoid the disruption. Members asked why utility companies had failed to offer the site a competitive service, and heard that they didn’t adopt existing infrastructure, but any new pitches developed would be directly supplied. Officers explained that the electricity was acquired through the council’s central billing and sold on, with day and night rates to make it cheaper for residents. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26, attached at Appendix A, be approved.
Members were asked to approve the combined Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26, prior to its consideration by Council on 24th September. AGREED: that the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26, attached at Appendix A, be approved.
There were none.
The next meeting was scheduled for 14th September at 4:30pm. The Chair added that Members were also invited to attend the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee on 14th July for a joint item on Young Person's Housing-Related Support Commissioning.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Sue Lent: Personal interest on Local Authority Social Services Annual Report - Adult Services
Her son is a service user.
Sue Lent: Personal interest on Q4 Performance Reports Adults, Housing and Communities
Her son is a service user.
Peter Littlechild: Prejudicial interest on Property Acquisition proposal for Medallion House
A friend lives in Daniel St., is directly affected and has also objected.
Dan Naughton: Personal interest on Q4 Performance Reports Adults, Housing and Communities
A family member works for a victim support charity.
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