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RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the 30 September 2024 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
RESOLVED to: 1. Receive the petitions referred from Council, as advised in section 3 of the report; 2. Note the: I. Address of the Lead petitioners in respect of their petitions; II. Update and advice from the Director, Highways Streetcare and Transportation Services in relation to the petitions subject matter, as detailed in Appendix A to this report; III. Response of the relevant Cabinet portfolio holder to the contents of the petitions 3. Consider whether to make any recommendations or further scrutinise the content of the Petition request, or to commission consideration into the matter, by referral to one of the thematic Scrutiny Committees or Democratic Services Committee. That the Service Director, Democratic Services updates the Council’s petitions webpage to reflect the position in relation to the petitions.
RESOLVED to: 1. Provide feedback on the Council’s 2025-26 Budget Consultation. Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
RESOLVED to 1. Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 30th September 2024 (Quarter 2). Consider whether they wish to scrutinise in greater depth any matters contained in the report in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee.
In accordance with the code of conduct the following declarations were made pertaining to the agenda Councillor R Davis declared a personal interest in item 6 “My husband works for a voluntary sector organisation that has accessed Shared Prosperity Fund funding.” Councillor J Edwards declared a personal in interest in item 6 “The Community Voluntary Council is named in the report.” Councillor M Powell declared a personal in interest in item 6 “My wife is employed by children’s services.”
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the 30 September 2024 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the 30 September 2024 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Members were advised of the Welsh Government and RCTCBC open consultations published. They were advised they could contact the Scrutiny Team if they had any queries.
Members were advised of the Cabinet Work Programme to support them in determining items for pre-scrutiny.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to: 1. Receive the petitions referred from Council, as advised in section 3 of the report; 2. Note the: I. Address of the Lead petitioners in respect of their petitions; II. Update and advice from the Director, Highways Streetcare and Transportation Services in relation to the petitions subject matter, as detailed in Appendix A to this report; III. Response of the relevant Cabinet portfolio holder to the contents of the petitions 3. Consider whether to make any recommendations or further scrutinise the content of the Petition request, or to commission consideration into the matter, by referral to one of the thematic Scrutiny Committees or Democratic Services Committee. That the Service Director, Democratic Services updates the Council’s petitions webpage to reflect the position in relation to the petitions.
The Service Director Democratic Services and Communications presented the report to Members to advise the Committee of the referral made by Council in relation to, two petitions submitted to the Council which satisfy the tier 3 requirements of the Council’s petition scheme. Following conclusion of the report, the Chairperson invited the public speakers to address Members. The Director Highways, Streetcare and Transportation then took the opportunity to address the comments made. Members were advised that since the removal of the wheelie bins and the use of black bags now applied to all residents, dry and mixed recycling, food and nappy recycling rates had all increased, with RCT now performing at a level that will hopefully negate the threat of potential fines for not meeting statutory recycling targets as set by the Welsh Government. He reminded the Committee that recent changes to commercial recycling, (i.e. source segregation), were a new statutory requirement that all business and workplace where required to follow. He further advised that weekly collections remain the same and if residents are recycling correctly there should be no issues with vermin as food waste should be put into the caddies. Since the removal of wheelie bins, disabled access on streets has got better, and he concluded that feedback has been very positive, and this is reflected in the improved recycling rates. The Cabinet Member Environment and Leisure welcomed the opportunity to support improved performance and noted that the reservations of residents were recognised and also that inaccurate information posted by individuals on social media did not help. The Cabinet Member also noted that since the introduction of the standardised approach, it has been a success over the last 3 months; no calls had been received regarding assisted collections; and there had been a significant improvement in the streetscape with the streets more accessible and safer and the Council is on course to exceed the Welsh Government target for 2025. The Cabinet Member went on to recognise that the new arrangements are still in their early stages and provided reassurance that the area will be closely monitored on an on-going basis and wished to thank residents for their patience and the petitioners for their contributions. A Member asked if the changes had any impact on the staff undertaking the collections, whether positive or negative. The Temporary Head of Streetcare Services advised that the standardisation of collections across the whole County Borough has now made it easier for teams to help each other out if some areas are experiencing especially high volumes of materials being presented for collection. He also noted that there had been a positive impact on staff sickness rates at the time too. He highlighted the importance of keeping things simple and not wanting the process to be too onerous on residents. Recognising the multiple terraced streets the Borough has he stated that the simpler the waste is presented, the more effective the process is for all. In response to a question regarding the purchasing of new equipment to introduce the standardised arrangements, the Director Highways, Streetcare and Transportation advised that no new equipment or vehicles had been purchased, and the vehicles with bin lifts were being phased out and replaced over time. A Member asked if there had been any feedback from workers about the lifting of the black bags. The Director Highways, Streetcare and Transportation advised that the Authority already collected waste via black bags and so the recent standardisation of collection methods merely continued existing procedures, and he advised that a reduction in staff sickness rates positively reflects this. A Member stated that residents have been frustrated at the lack of consultation around the removal of the wheelie bins. The Member asked has a survey of crews been undertaken and, if so, what was the feedback. The Member also referred to recycling figures set out in 3.2 of the report and queried if the figures applied to the whole of RCT or just the Rhondda. In response to the queries raised by Members, the Director Highways, Streetcare and Transportation reiterated that the collection of domestic waste via black bags was already an established practice in the Rhondda area of the County Borough. He advised that there has been a 34% reduction in black bag waste, therefore less waste is incinerated which is a direct impact from the bins being removed. He clarified that residents were able to retain their disused wheelie bins for storage if they wished, although more than 2000 residents had requested that the Council take back their bins as they no longer wished to keep them. The Temporary Head of Streetcare Services added that previously a lot of food waste was being placed in general waste and over 80% of waste is recyclable. He stated that no anonymous surveys had been undertaken as staff, (collection crews, supervisory staff, managers), talk to and support each other regularly, both on a daily ad hoc basis and in more formally organised team and depot meetings, which was reflective of a “one team” approach to service delivery. A Member stated that the figures speak for themselves, with a 34% reduction in black bag waste and corresponding increases in both nappy and food waste; this marked an incredible effort from our residents. The Member commended Officers for their forward thinking and for making recycling easier for all residents to which he had received no complaints from. Another Member agreed with the points raised and was proud of the rates of recycling being achieved. It was RESOLVED to: 1. Receive the petitions referred from Council, as advised in section 3 of the report; 2. Note the: I. Address of the Lead petitioners in respect of their petitions; II. Update and advice from the Director, Highways Streetcare and Transportation Services in relation to the petitions subject matter, as detailed in Appendix A to this report; III. Response of the relevant Cabinet portfolio holder to the contents of the petitions 3. Consider whether to make any recommendations or further scrutinise the content of the Petition request, or to commission consideration into the matter, by referral to one of the thematic Scrutiny Committees or Democratic Services Committee. That the Service Director, Democratic Services updates the Council’s petitions webpage to reflect the position in relation to the petitions.
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RESOLVED to: 1. Provide feedback on the Council’s 2025-26 Budget Consultation. Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Service Director - Democratic Services and Communications presented the report for Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be consulted and to formally respond to the first phase of the Council’s 2025/26 Budget Consultation. Members were advised that the Committee’s feedback will be incorporated into a Budget Consultation report, alongside all other feedback received from stakeholders, for consideration by Cabinet as part of developing a draft Revenue Budget Strategy for 2025/26. The draft Revenue Budget Strategy will then be pre-scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as part of phase 2 of the Budget Consultation process in early 2025. The Service Director - Finance and Improvement Services then provided Members with a presentation on the phase 1 Budget Consultation and invited feedback from the Committee. A Member referred to the pressure on social services and asked if the Council are investing enough in supporting people to leave hospital. The Service Director - Finance and Improvement Services fed back that the Council provides a range of social care services to support people to leave hospital such as domiciliary care and supported living accommodation, with budget updates included within the Council’s quarterly Performance Reports. The Member highlighted the importance of services such as domiciliary care as part of the Health and Social Care system and encouraged investment in this area to support people leaving hospital safely and to free up other pressures within the NHS. A Member sought clarity on the number of schools in a deficit budget position and expressed concerns that many schools have seen a real term reduction in the funding available to them. The Member also stated it would be helpful in future reports to provide comparative information for different areas over the same time period, for example, comparative information for Council Tax currently covers 6 years and school budget information covers 10 years. The Member also asked for a breakdown of statutory and non-statutory services provided by the Council. The Service Director - Finance and Improvement Services fed back that the Council has prioritised funding to schools over a number of years compared to other Council Services, with the funding allocated taking into account national pay award requirements and non-pay inflation. The Service Director added that schools have also been required to deliver budget savings over this period, this being consistent with the requirements for non-school services, and reflective of the very challenging public sector funding position. The Service Director went on to provide assurance on the arrangements in place to support the 25 schools in a deficit position as at March 2024, with close working between the Council and schools to agree and deliver recovery plans and position statement updates also reported to the School Budget Forum. In respect of statutory and non-statutory services, the Service Director fed back that there is no LIVE list in place, with the Council’s governance arrangements ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and service delivery being complemented by non-statutory service provision. The Service Director also fed back that in terms of identifying budget saving opportunities, all service areas are reviewed and proposed options ensure compliance with statutory responsibilities. Members noted the support being provided to schools and that schools are a key priority for the Council. It was RESOLVED to: 1. Provide feedback on the Council’s 2025-26 Budget Consultation. Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to 1. Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 30th September 2024 (Quarter 2). Consider whether they wish to scrutinise in greater depth any matters contained in the report in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee.
The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services presented the report to Members on the Quarter 2 Performance Report to 30th September 2024 for revenue and capital budget performance; Treasury Management prudential indicators; Organisational Health information including staff turnover, sickness and Council strategic risks; and Corporate Plan well-being objective action plans (including performance indicators and investment). Following conclusion of the presentation of the report, the Chair opened for Members comments and questions. The Chair asked if the Council is taking opportunities to learn from resident and community engagement arrangements already in place such as the Food Summit held and Neighbourhood Networks. The Chair highlighted current school attendance levels; the importance of engaging with young people who are not attending school and help them feel safe and also identifying those young people eligible for free school meals; and is the Council working collaboratively in these areas to meet the challenges and be as ambitious as possible. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services fed back that arrangements such as the Food Summit and Neighbourhood Networks provide the opportunity to engage directly with residents and community groups and for the feedback to be provided to services to inform service delivery in line with need. The Service Director added that the Council’s Community Engagement Team work collaboratively as part on-going dialogue with communities, this being through face-to-face activity and also via social media. The Service Director went on to cover school attendance, indicating that pupil attendance had increased for both the primary and secondary sectors in the 2023/14 academic year compared to the previous year, and noting that challenges remain particularly for more vulnerable children / families and that there are a range of measures and resources in place such as family engagement officers to help support on-going improvement. The Service Director also fed back that engagement with young people continues to be a priority for the Council, with forums such as school councils being an example of the communication arrangements in place. A Member requested an update on the eliminating profit agenda in respect of the care of children looked after. The Service Director - Community & Children’s Services Finance advised that engagement between Welsh Government and all 22 Councils in Wales is on-going to review the current position and risks and indicated that Welsh Government have confirmed that funding will continue to be available next year and the basis / level of allocation is awaited. A Member sought clarification around the realignment of capital programme resources in line with the spend profile for Disabled Facilities Grant. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services advised that capital programme resources have been brought forward in line with demand and indicated that an on-going evaluation of the need and impact of Disabled Facilities Grants will inform the on-going allocation of resources to this area. The Service Director added that there is continued demand for disabled facilities grants and Council performance is showing that the time taken to deliver such adaptations is improving. A Member queried the overspend in Human Resources. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services advised that this was due to one-off additional staff cost required to ensure compliance with new right-to-work legal requirements and also higher postage costs due to increased Royal Mail charges. In respect of postage costs, the Service Director added that Council Services aim to ensure that postage expenditure is only incurred where essential and / or requested by the recipient. A Member asked how many long-term empty properties were in Rhondda Cynon Taf and asked if something different needed to be done for long standing empty properties. The Member also queried page 83 of the report regarding the two Artists in Service in Treorchy and asked if these were statutory or non-statutory and, with regard to the Muni refurbishment budget, clarification was sought in respect of applying for grant funding. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement fed back that bringing long term empty properties back into use was an on-going priority for the Council, with a range of support and interventions being delivered alongside its Housing Strategy that is helping to reduce the number of empty properties across the County Borough. With regard to the Artists in Service, the Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services went on to relay that Cultural Services would generally be a non-statutory function, noting that there may be elements that are statutory in nature, and the Service Director – Corporate and Management Accounting provided clarification around the funding breakdown for the Muni. A Member sought clarification around funding to be allocated to the Council from the Welsh Government’s transformation of Children’s Services Programme. The Service Director - Community & Children’s Services Finance fed back that discussions are on-going with Welsh Government in respect of funding for 2025/26 and indicated that as part of the bidding process, the Council had received positive feedback from Welsh Government. The Service Director indicated that it was likely an update on funding for the next financial year would be received later in the year. A Member sought clarification in respect of the 183 valid applications for the National Empty Homes Grant Scheme from within Rhondda Cynon Taf and asked if there was a time limit for homeowners to carry out works, noting only 42 properties had been brought back into use to date. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services advised this was the position statement covering the period March 2023 to September 2024, with the programme running to March 2026 in parallel with the Council’s Empty Home Scheme, with the aim of maximising the number of empty properties brought back into use over this period. The Service Director - Corporate & Management Accounting went on to note that some applicants were experiencing delays securing contractors, and this was taken into consideration as part of the process, with close communication in place between the Council and applicants. A Member acknowledged the work that Family Engagement Officers were doing when it came to attendance in schools and felt that numbers should be increased in schools. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services fed back that the People and Communities well-being objective action plan sets out the work being undertaken to help support on-going improvement in pupil attendance, that included a whole-school approach and marketing campaign, and the work of Family Engagement Officers. The Service Director, Finance Services added that Welsh Government have provided information on specific funding to be received for 2025/26 that covers, amongst other things, resources to support school attendance including Family Engagement Officers. A Member asked what criteria had been used to track success of Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) community projects and how are programmes sustained over time. The Service Director - Corporate & Management Accounting fed back that all SPF community grants set out specific criteria to meet in terms of outputs and outcomes and indicated that Council services work with all applicants to capture results as part of the grant claims process. A Member sought clarification around staff absenteeism and turnover figures and asked if there were any pro-active strategies to improve the current positions reported. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services fed back that improving staff attendance was a priority for the Council, recognising that the workforce is its most important asset and that there will always be a level of sickness absence. The Service Director went on to relay the range of support in place to help staff return to the workplace as timely as possible, referencing the key role the Council’s Occupational Health Unit plays as part of the overall arrangements, and noted that around 75% of all absence was long term in nature, with many being of a very serious nature. In respect of staff turnover, the Service Director fed back that this area is monitored on an ongoing basis to identify trends and exit interviews are in place, for example, across the social care workforce, to help inform retention arrangements. The Member asked if this area could be reviewed in more detail and acknowledged that the Council’s staff are its most important asset. The Chair agreed and requested that a deeper diver takes place. The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communications acknowledged that a deep dive exercise would provide a more complete picture for Members in terms of the work and support in place across the Council together with the issues and challenges faced. A Member sought clarification in respect of the number of long-term empty properties in relation to the emerging Local Development Plan and how this could be offset against building new properties. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services advised that this would be checked with the service area and feedback provided. The Chair, referring to the Strategic Risk Register at page 78, reference 30, supporting our young people with additional learning needs, noted that the summary referred to early years, and asked if there was a gap in respect of the support available for young people identifying with autism spectrum disorder, if schools were sufficiently equipped, are there alternatives and should this be specifically covered within the Strategic Risk Register. The Service Director – Finance and Improvement Services advised that due to the detailed points noted, these will be relayed to the relevant service area and feedback provided. Following conclusion of discussions it was RESOLVED to 1. Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 30th September 2024 (Quarter 2). Consider whether they wish to scrutinise in greater depth any matters contained in the report in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee.
None
The Chair thanked Members for their contributions this evening, and Officers for all their support during 2024 and took the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a nice break.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Caiff datganiadau eu darllen o'r cofnodion unwaith y byddan nhw wedi'u cyhoeddi.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.