Wrthi'n llwytho
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RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on the 19 March 2026 be received and approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.
RESOLVED that: • The Committee confirmed that current and future provisions had satisfactory policies and procedures in place and that appropriate due diligence had been undertaken throughout the accommodation assessment process, thereby minimising risk to the Council and residents. • The Committee was satisfied that progress had been made in delivering the Rapid Rehousing Plan and that arrangements for its revision were appropriate. • The Committee requested a further report within three months detailing progress towards achieving full compliance amongst all accommodation providers
Resolved: that subject to the above, the Communities Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme be agreed and noted.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Michelle Blakeley-Walker and Brian Jones. Apologies were tendered from the Corporate Director: Economy and Environment. The Corporate Director: Governance and Business/Monitoring Officer was in attendance to provide Corporate Executive Team (CET) support to the Committee.
None.
The Chair, Councillor Karen Edwards, requested nominations for the appointment of a Vice-Chair of Communities Scrutiny Committee for the 2026-2027 municipal year. Councillor Cheryl Williams put herself forward for the position of Vice-Chair. This nomination was seconded by Councillor Huw Williams. No further nominations were proposed. All members present affirmed their assent to the appointment of Councillor Cheryl Williams. RESOLVED that Councillor Cheryl Williams be appointed as Vice-Chair of Communities Scrutiny Committee for the 2026-2027 municipal year.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on the 19 March 2026 be received and approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.
The minutes of the Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 19 March 2026 were presented for consideration. Matters of accuracy – None Matters arising – None It was – RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on the 19 March 2026 be received and approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that: • The Committee confirmed that current and future provisions had satisfactory policies and procedures in place and that appropriate due diligence had been undertaken throughout the accommodation assessment process, thereby minimising risk to the Council and residents. • The Committee was satisfied that progress had been made in delivering the Rapid Rehousing Plan and that arrangements for its revision were appropriate. • The Committee requested a further report within three months detailing progress towards achieving full compliance amongst all accommodation providers
The Chair welcomed Councillor Rhys Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities, together with the Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness and the Community Support Service Manager to the meeting. The Lead Member reminded Members that a previous report had been presented to the Committee in January 2026. The report, which had been previously circulated, provided a six-month update on progress against the recommendations made in the original report. Officers were present to discuss the progress that had been achieved and the processes utilised to provide accommodation for individuals and families. A report on the Rapid Rehousing Service had also been included within the agenda pack. Members noted that both Welsh Government and other local authorities had reviewed Denbighshire's approach and recognised the county as being at the forefront of service delivery for residents presenting as homeless. The Lead Member explained that the primary aim of the Homelessness Service had been to reduce the number of residents presenting as homeless. Early intervention had been identified as vital in preventing homelessness. Where individuals did present as homeless, the Service aimed to ensure emergency accommodation was available and that its use remained short term. The objective had been to support individuals and families either to remain in their existing homes or secure suitable alternative accommodation. It had also been important that appropriate support was provided to reduce the likelihood of future homelessness. The Lead Member stressed that the team had continued to do everything possible to support individuals and families and provide appropriate accommodation. He acknowledged the challenges faced and commended the team's commitment and dedication. The Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness advised Members that significant work had been undertaken to ensure the Service met the requirements of the Suitable Accommodation Order. The ten-year Rapid Rehousing Strategy was being reviewed, whilst officers were also revising the Housing Support Grant Plan and reviewing support needs based on evidence gathered through needs assessments. Although work remained ongoing, details of progress had been included within the report. Members were informed that homelessness remained a continual challenge, with the Service receiving regular approaches from individuals who were either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. While demand levels had remained stable, it had been observed that an increasing number of individuals were leaving homelessness permanently, demonstrating improved outcomes overall. Members were also advised that new guidance and legislation had been introduced through the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act. The Service had been given an 18-month implementation period to prepare for the required changes. The Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness further advised that, as part of the Service Transformation Programme, savings of £2 million had been achieved between 2024/25 and 2025/26. Due to the Service having reached a relatively stable position, no significant savings target had been set for the current financial year. The Service had nevertheless achieved a saving of approximately £333,000 against its budget without reducing services. Instead, improvements had continued to be implemented. The Service Manager – Homelessness Services explained that the purpose of the report was to provide Members with additional information regarding the accommodation assessment process. A summary of the current position relating to accommodation providers had been included within the papers. All providers had been issued with details of the assessment process and officers had committed to working with providers to address any areas of non-compliance. Any new providers seeking to work with the authority had been required to fully comply with all assessment requirements. The authority had recently been approached by two prospective providers, both of whom had failed to meet the required standards and consequently had not been approved. Members heard that the majority of existing providers comprised hotels and bed and breakfast establishments. These providers had experienced the greatest challenges in meeting planning-related compliance requirements. Significant work had been undertaken regarding Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and provider assessments. Officers continued to work with providers to achieve full compliance and were scheduled to meet with Planning Officers to discuss a structured approach to addressing outstanding issues. A summary of the Rapid Rehousing Plan had been included within the report. Members were advised that the Plan was comprehensive and that the key priorities identified had been outlined within the papers. Officers recognised the need to reduce reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation and continued to work towards that objective. A reduction in the number of households placed in such accommodation had already been achieved. The Plan's priorities remained under review and would be updated to reflect lessons learned from the previous five years of implementation. A number of surveys had been conducted to capture a broad range of views. In addition, drop-in sessions had been held throughout the county to enable individuals to share their experiences and provide direct feedback. The Chair thanked the Lead Member and officers for their comprehensive presentation and requested clarification regarding the number of providers currently compliant with the required standards. In response, the Service Manager – Homelessness Services advised that while a small number of providers had initially been identified as non-compliant, officers had worked with those providers and all were now compliant. The Head of Adult Social Care and Homelessness explained that obtaining DBS checks could often be complex due to restrictions relating to eligibility criteria. However, officers had recognised the necessity for such checks where appropriate and had committed to ensuring requirements were met. The Chair thanked officers for the clarification and opened the meeting for questions. During the ensuing discussion, Members were informed that: • The authority did not use or work with Big Help Cymru. • During the assessment process, officers established details relating to property ownership, management arrangements and any sub-leasing agreements. • There were currently no rough sleepers within the county. Officers engaged with individuals at the earliest opportunity to offer support and accommodation where required. A Severe Weather Emergency Protocol was in place for periods of extreme weather. • Feedback received from service users had reflected a range of experiences and provided valuable insight into both strengths and areas requiring improvement. • Survey findings had been shared with accommodation providers through the Housing Support Grant Provider Forum to support discussion and service improvement. • Officers remained committed to providing residents with the most appropriate level of support possible. • There continued to be a shortage of suitable and affordable accommodation, particularly for single people, and officers were working closely with strategic planning colleagues to address demand. • Responses gathered through assessments would be incorporated into the needs assessment and the revised Rapid Rehousing Plan, which would be published online. • New providers would only be approved if they fully complied with all requirements. Existing providers were subject to the same standards, with officers continuing to work with them to resolve any outstanding compliance issues. • The authority could not cease working with current providers immediately, as there was insufficient alternative accommodation available. A phased approach was therefore being adopted to achieve full compliance. • The report had been brought forward following the Committee's request in January 2026 and all information remained publicly available. • It would be beneficial for future reports to distinguish between the number of households and the number of bedrooms required, as household sizes varied considerably. • Officers worked closely with Planning Enforcement to ensure accommodation met planning requirements. • There were currently 102 households, comprising 132 individuals, residing in emergency accommodation. In addition, 176 households were residing in temporary accommodation managed through the authority's leasing arrangements. • A key objective of the Rapid Rehousing Model had been to reduce repeat presentations of homelessness. Initiatives such as My Home Denbighshire and Keep My Home Denbighshire continued to support this objective. • Classification decisions relating to bed and breakfast establishments remained matters for Planning Enforcement. • The Salvation Army continued to support the authority through a long-standing contract to provide emergency accommodation, which remained subject to regular monitoring arrangements. • Individuals living in temporary emergency accommodation continued to be classified as homeless, and reducing time spent in bed and breakfast accommodation remained a priority. • Savings achieved through service transformation had been realised without reducing support provision. The £333,000 saving had been achieved from an overall budget of approximately £5 million. • When the Rapid Rehousing Model had originally been introduced, the aspiration had been for individuals to spend no more than seven days in emergency accommodation before moving into more settled housing. • Some private landlords remained reluctant to work with the Service due to opportunities to secure higher rental income elsewhere. • Members expressed their appreciation for the commitment and hard work of officers supporting residents. • The number of residents successfully moved into permanent accommodation had been encouraging, despite overall homelessness presentations remaining relatively stable. • Officers agreed to share the proposed compliance improvement plan with Members once discussions with Planning Enforcement had been concluded. • Although savings had been achieved, there had been no reduction in the level of service or support available to residents. • Homelessness continued to be regarded as a corporate priority. The Lead Member advised that issues of concern were escalated through the appropriate democratic processes and that the Housing and Homelessness Board continued to meet regularly. • The Service funded a dedicated officer within Working Denbighshire to support individuals seeking employment. • All providers had submitted insurance details, which had been reviewed by the authority's corporate insurance advisors and deemed satisfactory. • Very few Conwy residents were currently being accommodated within Denbighshire, although out-of-county placements were occasionally necessary. The Chair thanked the Lead Member and officers for the detailed discussion. RESOLVED that: • The Committee confirmed that current and future provisions had satisfactory policies and procedures in place and that appropriate due diligence had been undertaken throughout the accommodation assessment process, thereby minimising risk to the Council and residents. • The Committee was satisfied that progress had been made in delivering the Rapid Rehousing Plan and that arrangements for its revision were appropriate. • The Committee requested a further report within three months detailing progress towards achieving full compliance amongst all accommodation providers
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
Resolved: that subject to the above, the Communities Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme be agreed and noted.
The Scrutiny Coordinator guided members through the Communities Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme (previously circulated). The next meeting of the Communities Scrutiny Committee was scheduled for the 03 September 2026. Members were informed several changes had been made to the forward work plan. A report on the Planning Compliance Function was scheduled for the meeting. The committee had requested a hypothetical business plan to be presented to look at resources on how best the committee could support the planning compliance team. Members heard a business plan had been presented to CET and additional resources had been agreed. Officers requested that the report to Communities Scrutiny Committee be deferred for 6 months to access the impact the additional resources have on the service. That report had been added to the forward work programme for January 2027. Members also heard a report, following the motion to County Council on the policy for charging for waste containers was presented to Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs group and would be included on the proposed agenda for Communities Scrutiny Group in September 2026. In addition, the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs group also added several transformational projects to the forward work programme. The Scrutiny Co-ordinator confirmed all the reports agreed by Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs had all been included in the forward work programme. A report on medium term plan for road maintenance programme had been added to the proposed agenda for October 2026. Members were advised that if they would like to add an item to the Communities Forward Wok Programme to complete the proposal form included in Appendix 2 attached to the report. The next meeting of the Scrutiny Chair’s and Vice Chair’s meeting was scheduled for the 10 July 2026. Councillor Hugh Evans asked if a report on Cyber Resilience and the risk of cyber attacks could be added to a Scrutiny forward work programme or including on the agenda for Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs meeting. In response the Corporate Director - Governance and Business believed a proposal had been suggested for a report of that nature. It would be for Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs to determine if a report warranted debate by Scrutiny and where best it heard. He stated officers would review the agenda for Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs to see if it is included, if not a proposal form could be emailed to Councillor Evans to complete and be included at the next Chairs and Vice-Chairs group meeting. During the meeting is was confirmed there was no proposal on Cyber resilience at the next Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs group meeting so a proposal form would be forwarded for completion and inclusion at the next meeting. Resolved: that subject to the above, the Communities Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme be agreed and noted.
None.
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