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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED:- (i) to note the report for information; (ii) that a further letter be sent to the Coroner’s Office requesting the Local Authority report and statistical data for 2023 as soon as possible and if a response was not received in an appropriate time the letter be sent to the Chief Coroner; and (iii) the need to consider a future merger of the Coroner Ceredigion Service with Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire coronial areas.
AGREED (i) to note the report for information; and (ii) that data be provided within each service area on their sickness numbers; to include their workstyle category
AGREED (i) to receive the Gender Pay Report; and (ii) to receive the Workforce Equality Report 2024
AGREED to note the content of the report.
AGREED to recommend that Council approve the updated Policy.
AGREED to forward the policy to Cabinet for approval.
AGREED to update as provided.
Councillor Ann Bowen Morgan apologised for her inability to attend the meeting.
None.
None.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- (i) to note the report for information; (ii) that a further letter be sent to the Coroner’s Office requesting the Local Authority report and statistical data for 2023 as soon as possible and if a response was not received in an appropriate time the letter be sent to the Chief Coroner; and (iii) the need to consider a future merger of the Coroner Ceredigion Service with Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire coronial areas.
Councillor Matthew Vaux, Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection presented the report upon the Ceredigion Senior Coroner 2023 report. It was stated that a report had been presented to the committee on 16 July 2024 outlining the national statistics, and it was noted that the 2023 statistical return for Ceredigion had not been received. Currently, it was reported that:- 1) Ceredigion Statistical Return for 2023 Unfortunately, the Council had not yet received the information for the 2023 statistical return for Ceredigion 2)Inquests 26 inquests were held between the 26th of June 2024 and 1st of December 2024 7 of which were public inquests and 19 were inquests in writing. There were two inquests scheduled for future dates - 02.12.2024 and 05.02.2025. Coroner Services - Ceredigion County Council 3)Toxicology There has been an increase in toxicology cases in recent years 4) Coroner Service support The Coroner’ office arrangements had changed in that the Coroner’ co-located private solicitor practice had recently merged with another private practice. This had had an impact on administrative staffing support in respect of the Coroner’ service. To ensure continuity of service, the Council was in the process of addressing staffing support for the Coroner. Members reiterated their disappointment that the Coroner had not provided the Local Authority report and statistical data for 2023; as this information was required for transparency and accountability arrangements of the Council due to public monies providing financial support to the service. Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED:- (i) to note the report for information; (ii) that a further letter be sent to the Coroner’s Office requesting the Local Authority report and statistical data for 2023 as soon as possible and if a response was not received in an appropriate time the letter be sent to the Chief Coroner; and (iii) the need to consider a future merger of the Coroner Ceredigion Service with Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire coronial areas.
Decision as recorded
AGREED (i) to note the report for information; and (ii) that data be provided within each service area on their sickness numbers; to include their workstyle category
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Democratic Services, Policy, Performance and People and Organisation presented the report upon the Sickness Absence Report. He stated that the report sets out the management of sickness absence in the Council and presents an overview of absence monitoring results for the year up to 31 March 2024. In relation to the Management of Sickness Absence, it was reported that it was covered for corporate staff, by the Management of Sickness Absence at Work, and for school staff, by the Policy and Procedures for Managing Sickness Absence at Work. Both policies follow the same principles and could be split into two distinct parts and a detailed narrative for both absences was provided on both : a)Short term sickness absence – short period of absences, often only a few days as a result of minor ailments b)Long term sickness absence – continuous absence of longer than 28 days In 2017-18 the Council reported the highest number of days lost per full time equivalent (FTE) employee amongst all local authorities in Wales at 13.6 days. In response to this a number of initiatives were introduced which focussed on improving the absence rate. These included: •Introduction of an Employee Health and Wellbeing Officer role •Implementation of a revised Management of Employee Absence policy •Training to managers on effective management of long-term sickness absence •Implementation of revised procedures on monitoring sickness absence These initiatives have seen a reduction in the number of days lost per FTE and which over the past four years have consistently been below the Welsh average for all local authorities in Wales. It was reported that in 2022-23 the latest available comparison of all local authorities in Wales and Ceredigion’s 9.6 days lost per FTE was comfortably in the lower quartile. However, there had been an increase in Ceredigion for 2023/24 which had seen the number of days rise to 11.1 day per FTE, although this rise had been observed across the UK. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2023 Report stated that sickness absence was at the highest level for over a decade. The average rate in the public sector was 10.6 days absence for those organisations between 1,000 and 4,999. The rate for those over 5,000 employees was 13.3 days absence. For short term absence the main reasons were identified as minor illnesses, musculoskeletal injuries and mental health, whilst for long term absence these were mental ill-health, musculoskeletal injuries, acute medical conditions and stress. The comparison data for all Welsh local authorities for 2023/24 had not yet been published the provisional results were provided. The first two quarters of 2024/25 were broadly the same as at the same period last year. As at 30 September 2024, the days lost per full time employee was 5.39 days, compared to 5.41 days in 2023/24 but this remains higher than the target of 5 days for the first six months of the year. The reason which accounted for the highest numbers of days lost in Ceredigion County Council for the 2023/24 year was ‘Anxiety/Stress/Depression/Other Psychiatric Illnesses’ which accounted for 28.1% of days lost (8.8% of which was recorded as work related). Further analysis was required on this area to identify any discernible contributing factors. The next highest reason was ‘Stomach/Bowel/ Gastrointestinal Problems’ at 10.6%, followed by ‘Cold/Cough/Influenza/Virus’ at 10%, ‘Hospital Operation/Treatment’ at 9.0% and ‘Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology Issues’ at 8.8%. Since the introduction of the Interim Hybrid Working Policy and subsequent inclusion of hybrid working in a revised Flexible Working Policy, it was possible to provide a breakdown on the days lost per full time employee amongst the three workstyle categories. For a description of the three categories please see the table below. The graph immediately below shows the breakdown of these three categories for short-term and long-term absences. Workstyle category Description % of workforce % of total absence Fixed A role where the employee’s place of work is determined by their role 41 60 Hybrid A role which can be undertaken as effectively remotely as in the workplace but due to certain responsibilities/client demand the employee will be required to visit Council buildings or schools on a regular basis with little notice 37 22 Remote A role which can be undertaken as effectively remotely as in the workplace 22 18 Whilst those in a fixed role account for 41% of the corporate workforce, this category accounts for 60% of the total absence. It should be noted that there were a number of reasons why this may be the case including the types of roles undertaken by those in the fixed workstyle category in comparison to the roles in the hybrid and remote categories. The introduction of the Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021 – 2026 was with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of employees by focussing on five pillars: Positive Environments; Policies and Practice; Healthy Lifestyle; Mental Health and Wellbeing; and Culture and Behaviour. A range of measures had already been put in place to support employee health and wellbeing across the corporate workforce and reduce the impact of sickness absence, these include: •Recruitment of Health and Wellbeing Champions from across the workforce •Regular ‘toolbox talks’ for frontline staff by the Employee Health & Wellbeing Officer •Blood pressure monitoring sessions •Introduction of new policies – Menopause Policy; Prevention and Management of Stress Policy. •Replacement of the Work Life Balance policy with three new, future focussed policies: Family Support and Leave policy; Leave and Absences policy, and Flexible Working policy. •Arranging regular Menopause Café •Offering drop-in clinics with Employee Health and Wellbeing Officer •Attending team meetings to promote health and wellbeing initiatives or to signpost to specialist support services/resources •Signing up to the TUC’s Dying to Work Charter. •Launching an Employee Health and Wellbeing Steering Group, which includes representatives from our recognised trade unions •Quarterly meetings of the Corporate Health and Safety Employee Forum •Regular reminders to managers on the importance of timely and accurate recording of absence on the Ceri system, in accordance with the absence management policy •Reporting of sickness absence rates as key measure at quarterly The focus on employee health and wellbeing was an ongoing duty as the importance of maintaining effective management of employee absence was critical to the delivery of services, especially at a time when the workforce was under increasing pressure. The following sets outs the current programme in relation to this work: •Following negative feedback from employees on the previous provider, a new employee assistance programme (EAP) provider, Vivup, had been secured. Vivup provides a range of services including counselling, general advice, and support information. In addition they offer a range of wellbeing services which includes an online wellbeing platform where individual employees can carry out a personal wellbeing assessment and set goals, along with self-help workbooks, podcasts and blogs for employees and managers. This support was available to all corporate and school-based employees as well as Elected Members. •A review of the current occupational health provider to ensure that their service remains fit for purpose and that reports are received within expected timescales. •Promoting employee engagement through a detailed people survey to take place before the end of the year •Continued support for managers to include training / briefing sessions. •Introduction of a new absence monitoring dashboard for Corporate Lead Officers Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED (i) to note the report for information; and (ii) that data be provided within each service area on their sickness numbers; to include their workstyle category
Decision as recorded
AGREED (i) to receive the Gender Pay Report; and (ii) to receive the Workforce Equality Report 2024
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Democratic Services, Policy, Performance and People and Organisation reported that Ceredigion County Council, along with all listed public authorities in Wales, was required to carry out gender pay reporting and publish employment information on an annual basis. The requirement to carry out gender pay reporting was contained with the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017. The Regulations require the following six calculations to be undertaken on the workforce as at 31 March each year. The report was based on the workforce snapshot data taken on 31 March 2024. 1 Mean gender pay gap The difference between the mean hourly rate of pay of male full-pay relevant employees and that of female full-pay relevant employees 2 Median gender pay gap The difference between the median hourly rate of pay of male full-pay relevant employees and that of female full-pay relevant employees 3 Mean bonus gender pay gap The difference between the mean bonus pay paid to male relevant employees and that paid to female relevant employees 4 Median bonus gender pay gap The difference between the median bonus pay paid to male relevant employees and that paid to female relevant employees 5 Bonus proportions The proportions of male and female relevant employees who were paid bonus pay during the relevant period 6 Quartile pay bands The proportions of male and female full-pay relevant employees in the lower, lower middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands As a result of the introduction of the Single Status Agreement in 2012 Ceredigion County Council does not pay bonus payments (performance or specific) therefore no figures are published for points 3, 4 or 5. As at 31 March 2024 a mean pay gap of 7.0% and a median pay gap of 6.6% existed between men and women. This had decreased from 31 March 2023 where the mean pay gap was 7.8% and median pay gap was 10.4%. This compared favourably with the national average 2024, where the Wales median was 8.9% and the UK median was 13.1%. Workforce Equality Report 2024 The Public Sector Equality Duty 2011, which forms part of the Equality Act 2010, requires that the Council publishes a range of data relating to our workforce under each of the protected characteristics detailed in the Equality Act: • Age •Disability •Gender Reassignment •Pregnancy and maternity •Race •Religion or belief (including lack of belief) •Sex •Sexual Orientation •Marriage and Civil Partnership The data gathered relates to the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and reports on each protected characteristic in: •our current workforce as at 31 March 2024; •those who have applied for jobs during the period •those who have left our employment during the period Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED (i) to receive the Gender Pay Report; and (ii) to receive the Workforce Equality Report 2024
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the content of the report.
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Democratic Services, Policy, Performance and People and Organisation provided information relating to the Council’s Compliments and Complaints activity between 1st April 2024 and 30th September 2024. This report provided details of the number and type of compliments received, the different complaints stages and information surrounding performance and outcomes. In compliance with the Complaints Standards Authority guidance, introduced as part of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019, Cabinet and the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee(s) should receive a report detailing the number and type of complaints received by the Council, at least twice a year. In summary •124 Compliments were received •176 Complaints were received: Stage 1 = 137 Stage 2 = 39 •16 ‘Contacts’ received via Ombudsman Wales •134 Enquiries were processed by the Complaints & FOI Service •556 FOI & EIR requests processed by the Complaints & FOI Team This report demonstrates that there had been a significant rise in the number of complaints received in comparison to the same timeframe last year. The number of formal investigations at Stage 2 has remained relatively stable though the number of informal, Stage 1 complaints had almost doubled. It was important to note that there were several factors that may contribute to an increase in complaints activity and individual services work pro-actively to manage all complaints that are received regarding the provision of their services. It is evident from the data contained in the report that the Highways and Environmental Services (HES) received the highest number of complaints during the first half of 2024/25, with the majority of these relating to the Waste Collection Service. A total of 81 complaints were registered against the HES, but it was encouraging to see that the number of formal complaints (at Stage 2) stayed relatively stable and consistent with numbers seen in previous reports. This suggests that, despite the influx of complaints at Stage 1, it was possible to resolve these without needing to escalate to the formal investigation stage (Stage 2). An increase in complaints against a single service-area may not necessarily be indicative of ‘service failures’; consideration also needs to be given towards the nature of the service itself (i.e. the number of ‘customer contacts’ during a specific timeframe), changes to service provision (i.e. a reduction in capacity or alterations to the operational aspect of service delivery), as well as any peaks in public interest or discourse surrounding a particular service. These were some of the contextual elements that must be taken into account when seeking to interpret any themes and trends regarding complaints activity. In this instance, the Waste Collection Service manages a vast amount of ‘customer contacts’ on a daily basis, though it was recognised that the service was experiencing operational difficulties in some areas of Ceredigion during the earlier part of the year. As stated above, the upwards trend in complaints against the Waste Collection Service was not evident when examining the escalation of complaints to the formal investigation stage and only 2 complaints were directed to the Ombudsman in respect of waste collection. However, as with all analyses of themes and trends, complaints activity would continue to be monitored regularly, as would the implementation of improvements that arise from complaints. On the whole, the Complaints and FOI Team continues to work proactively with service managers and senior officers to ensure complaints are dealt with effectively. Information is regularly shared with Leadership Group regarding complaints and FOI activity and data is submitted to the Ombudsman’s Complaints Standards Authority on a quarterly basis. Areas to focus on: • The data available demonstrates that work was still needed to ensure complaints are resolved adequately at the first opportunity, particularly with regards to compliance with Stage 1 timescales and the unnecessary escalation of complaints to the formal stage. • •Compliance with timescales under Stage 2 also requires attention, as do the shortcomings in complaints handling that were referred to the Ombudsman. The Complaints and FOI Team continues to face challenges in meeting the demands of rises in the numbers of compliments, complaints, and FOI/EIR activity. • Improvements continue to be made across the Council with regards to the handling, recording, monitoring and reporting of compliments, complaints, and requests for information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to note the content of the report.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to recommend that Council approve the updated Policy.
Councillor Catrin M S Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services reported that between 06 May 2024 and 09 July 2024, Ceredigion County Council consulted with residents and stake holders on the draft Digital Strategy. 29 responses were received, and these have been reviewed, and many have been worked into the final version of the strategy. A consultation response document outlines the key findings, and a revised and improved strategy document had been created. Currently, the strategy was ready for council consideration. Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to recommend that Council approve the updated Policy.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to forward the policy to Cabinet for approval.
Councillor Catrin M S Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services provided an update on the Information Security Policy. The objectives of the policy were to protect the integrity of information, data and systems against misuse, loss, and any abuse or damage. The policy aims to ensure that data access rights were maintained and that systems were accessible and performing properly. Additionally, the policy ensures that appropriate plans and arrangements were in place to deal with disasters and provide continuity for critical services. It also focuses on how users make use of information systems, the auditing, the detecting of breaches, and holding users and services accountable for their use. This was a reworking of the existing policy to modernise guidance and bring up to date with best practice. Currently, the policy contains minor updates and amendments to the existing policy which was due for a full 5-year review. Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to forward the policy to Cabinet for approval.
Councillor Catrin M S Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services reported that the purpose of this policy document was to provide a framework for the safe and ethical use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and AI Large Language Models (GenAI), by Ceredigion council employees and councillors. This includes tools such a CoPilot, Bard, Bing or ChatGPT but many other tools are also becoming available and being embedded in other product sets. Currently, there were no policy governing the use of AI to support the delivery of council services. Following questions from the floor, it was recommend the policy for consideration and adoption by Cabinet.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to update as provided.
Mr Duncan Hall, Corporate Lead Officer, Finance & Procurement provided the following on the latest financial position of the Council:- •The latest quarterly financial position as reported to Cabinet (to include the latest BRAG status position on the 24/25 Budget Reductions) •This included both the Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring reports. Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to update as provided.
Consideration was given to the Forward Work Programme as presented subject to the following:- (i) a further email be sent to the Estates service as the report requested in the July meeting to be presented in the October meeting upon the sale of the Council assets had to date not been received. Members expressed their dismay as Officers had not responded to several emails sent from the Vice-Chair and the Scrutiny Support Officer; and (ii) a further email be also sent to the Estates service requesting a task and finish group to meet to discuss County farms; as a response to that request had also not been received
It was RESOLVED to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the previous meeting.
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