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RESOLVED that: 4.1 the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee Q2 cumulative Sickness Absence Performance report 2025/26 be received. 4.2 the end of year update be received
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
RESOLVED that the report detailing progress in relation to actions, requests or referrals emerging from previous scrutiny meetings be noted.
RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 30th January, 2026 be noted.
There were no apologies for absence from Committee Members. Apologies for absence were received from the Leader and Councillor Philip Hughes, Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce.
Councillor Minute Number Nature of Interest A. Evans 4. Item 4 - CORPORATE PERFORMANCE & RESOURCES COMMITTEE Q2 CUMULATIVE SICKNESS ABSENCE PERFORMANCE REPORT 2025/26. Family member working in the Authority, was on long term sickness during the period noted There were no declarations of any prohibited party whips.
No public questions had been received.
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RESOLVED that: 4.1 the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee Q2 cumulative Sickness Absence Performance report 2025/26 be received. 4.2 the end of year update be received
[Note: Councillor A. Evans having earlier declared an interest, re-iterated his declaration and left the meeting] The Committee considered a report which provided sickness absence data for Q2 2025/26. The target set by Corporate Management Team for improvement for 2025/26 had been reviewed based on an average over the last three years and set at 10.68FTE (excluding 2020/21 due to impact of covid emergency). The report indicated that no department had met their 2025/26 Q2 target. The figure for the whole authority showed 5.26FTE which was above the target of 4.00FTE days, lost by average employee FTE headcount. Mental health and fatigue were the most common causes of absence within the authority, followed by stress. The Committee thanked the staff for the informative report and all their hard work. The following questions / issues were raised on the report: · The Chair proposed inviting the Heads of Service in Place, Infrastructure & Economic Development and Communities to the Scrutiny Committee to address consistently high sickness rates. · Members were advised that due to long waiting times on the NHS, GP’s were advising individuals to seek help through their employers Occupational Health services. · In response to a query on what support was available to staff struggling with bereavement and stress and how the authority ensures safe routes to go to HR, the Assistant Chief Executive confirmed that the authority had strengthened support for staff experiencing bereavement and stress. Measures included doubling bereavement leave based on staff survey feedback, promoting Wellbeing Champions in each department and ensuring policies and guidance are accessible via the intranet. The staff in HR remain available for direct support and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It was noted that recent legislative changes have caused delays in burials, which may contribute towards an individual’s stress level. · While the report noted three vacancies in HR, an update was provided stating that one post had recently been filled and despite recruitment challenges, service delivery remained unaffected. · In response to a query requesting a copy of the recent staff survey and the results, the Assistant Chief Executive explained that the staff survey was available on the Staff Voice page on the intranet. He stated that he was meeting with Trade Unions next week and would discuss whether the responses could be included as an addendum in future meetings. · The Lead Business Partner (HR) informed the committee that seasonal flu was a contributor to increased sickness absence. Whilst the flu vaccination was not mandatory for frontline staff, it was strongly encouraged and those not eligible for free vaccinations would be reimbursed by the authority. · In response to a query asking whether a school identified in the report with high sickness absence required intervention, the Assistant Chief Executive advised that he would provide a response after the meeting. · The Committee were informed that individuals on long-term sickness, depending on their role and where job was, arrangements were provided to cover the posts. Staff returning to work would return on a phased return, enabling a gradual process for staff not to feel overwhelmed. · The committee were informed that staff must telephone their line manager to inform of an absence and to not text or send a message on what’s app. Managers are provided with a handbook, which has been developed to support absence for lowering costs and ensuring employees are supported. · It was noted that extra information would be included into table 9 explaining NI increases. · The Chair requested for additional narrative on the housing pilot to be incorporated into the next report, providing context and key findings. · The Committee requested that the average colour coding be changed in the tables for future reports, as they were misleading. · It was noted that AI tools, including, Magic Notes, Co-pilot and Script was transforming how staff worked. These innovations were enhancing efficiency which was contributing to better staff wellbeing. · In response to a query regarding why there was a high percentage of non-attendance of appointments attended at the occupational health department, the Assistant Chief Executive stated that it’s often difficult to gauge the reasons/barriers for attendance. The team follow up with individuals to understand why there are no shows and reschedule appointments. It was stated that some individuals hide the truth and that the team support staff in every way possible. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that: 4.1 the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee Q2 cumulative Sickness Absence Performance report 2025/26 be received. 4.2 the end of year update be received
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RESOLVED that the report be received.
The Cabinet Member for Resources presented the Authority’s Corporate Budget Monitoring Report and the Chief Executive’s and Corporate Services departmental reports as at 31st August, 2025 in respect of the 2025/26 financial year. The report also included an appendix which detailed the revenue budget monitoring report as at 31st August, 2025. Overall, the monitoring report forecasted an overspend for the year at departmental level of £13.2m including school budgets, with a forecast overspend on the Authority’s net revenue budget of £11.8m. The Budget Monitoring Report highlighted that many schools had again set in-year budgets at levels well above funding levels, which was unsustainable and required urgent action at an individual school level. An intervention board will provide additional urgent support and oversight as needed. The authority’s finances remained under sustained pressure with the main factors being: · a continued high level of demand and complexity within adult social care; · an overspend in Children’s Services, primarily driven by growth in the number of children in very high-cost residential placements; · overspends in service areas where budget reductions have been agreed, but it has not yet been possible to fully implement these and/or savings; · a shortfall on top of what has already been allowed for in the budget, in respect of the increased cost of Employers National Insurance The Capital Programme Monitoring 2025/26 noted that a forecasted net spend of £102,071k compared with a working net budget of £132,323k, giving a -£30,252k variance. The projected outturn for the year was £176m gross, which was £10m more that the final outturn from 2024/25, largely attributed to higher or new spend on LGBI Highway Structures Programme and Levelling up Projects. Amongst the issues and queries raised on the report were the following: · In response to a query on whether or not schools were taking on board the seriousness of the £9million overspend and the challenges on the tax payer, the Head of Financial Services confirmed that this was unsustainable situation. He stated that a lot of work was ongoing in primary schools and specialist support had been appointed for secondary schools. It was hoped that improvements would begin to show in January. · The Cabinet Member for Resources stated that he would provide information on the percentage of schools not engaging, following the conclusion of the meeting. · In response to a query regarding if there was a trend in crimes in Llanelli towards an increase in number of cases being referred to the coroner in general, the Head of Financial Services stated that he would provide information following conclusion of the meeting. · Following a query regarding what the overspend in levelling up Carmarthen West & Pembs West was for, the Head of Financial Services advised that this was due to unforeseen works required for the development of the Carmarthen hub. Officers wee exploring whether or not monies could be reimbursed from the seller. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.
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RESOLVED that the report be received.
The Committee considered the Mid-Year Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report 1st April 2025 to 30th September, 2025 update. The Treasury report listed the treasury management activities which had occurred during the period 1st April, 2025 to 30th September, 2025 in line with the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy 2025 -2026 adopted by Council on 26th February, 2025. The Committee noted that the Authority had not breached any of its Prudential Indicators during the period. In response to a query on how the authority assessed the Sonia rate (was it over a 30 day period or one day at end of period), the Head of Financial Services advised that he would provide information following conclusion of the meeting. RESOLVED that the report be received.
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RESOLVED that the report be received.
The Committee considered a report reviewing the Authority’s approach to transformation, ensuring that the programme is aligned with the aims and objectives of the Council’s Corporate Strategy. The programme will provide the strategic framework to drive change and transformation across the organisation over the next 5 years. The strategy focuses on delivering on the following 8 thematic priorities: · Efficiencies and Value for Money · Income and Commercialisation · Service Design & Improvement · Workforce · Workplace · Customers and Digital · Decarbonisation · Schools The Committee thanked officers for their efforts in promoting best practice and driving departmental transformation. Amongst the issues raised on the report were the following: · It was asked how staff felt about hotdesking and the rationalisation of office space, the Assistant Chief Executive confirmed that this question had been asked in the staff survey and views appeared positive around the flexibility of hybrid working. Departments were managing desk availability effectively, with some using rotas to ensure sufficient space for staff. · In response to a query regarding a shortage of pool cars and lack of charging points available in some departments, the Transformation Manager stated that this was being addressed, with a staff calculator and vehicle booking app to be introduced soon. It was highlighted that managers needed to encourage staff to use pool cars to reduce travelling costs. · In response to a query enquiring if the introduction of co-pilot had been successful, the Chief Digital Officer stated that initial data from over 260 nominated members of staff in various service areas, covering all roles indicated positive results. Co-pilot was a general tool, helping reduce workloads and a final report would follow soon. · Concern was raised, after raising previously at Committee, regarding the lack of an in-house pool of TA staff in schools. The Transformation Manager explained that a pilot in five Carmarthenshire schools was in operation to gauge demand and a business case would follow once evaluated. · In response to a query on whether the authority was being creative enough at reducing costs of delivering services in schools, the Transformation Manager stated that a director-led strategic group was exploring corporate measures to ensure that schools remained sustainable. · Following a query regarding schools using only Apple devices, the Chief Digital Officer stated that over the last three years there had been a dramatic change and with Welsh Government investment, schools had shifted to a Microsoft-based environment, using HWB and Google Classroom, ensuring equal access for all learners. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.
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RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
The Committee received an explanation for the non-submission of the following scrutiny reports. · PSB Minutes RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
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RESOLVED that the report detailing progress in relation to actions, requests or referrals emerging from previous scrutiny meetings be noted.
The Committee received a report which detailed the progress achieved in relation to requests or referrals emerging from previous meetings of the Corporate Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 municipal year. The Chair stated that if responses had not been provided for early in the New Year, then they would be escalated to relevant Director. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report detailing progress in relation to actions, requests or referrals emerging from previous scrutiny meetings be noted.
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RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 30th January, 2026 be noted.
The Committee received a list of forthcoming items to be considered at its next meeting to be held on the 30th January, 2026. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 30th January, 2026 be noted.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on the 5th November, 2025 be signed as a correct record.
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