Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED to: • Scrutinise the Leader & Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment in respect of matters considered and agreed by Cabinet, and key decisions taken, during the period May 2024 – 17th March 2025. • Consider, scrutinise and challenge the Leader in respect of the content of the ‘Leader’s Annual Debate’ • Identify any areas arising from those matters determined within this period which Committee wish to further scrutinise, as part of revisions to the committees published work programme.
RESOLVED to 2.1 Review and scrutinise the content of the report. 2.2 Consider whether they wish to scrutinise any parts in greater depth and require further reports in future.
RESOLVED to: 2.1 Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 31st December 2024 (Quarter 3). 2.2 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 Chair welcomed Members to the meeting and thanked Members for attending.
In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, Councillor J Edwards declared the following personal interest: “My employer is named several times in the report” There were no other declarations of interest.
The minutes of the meetings held on the 9th December 2024, the 22nd January 2025 and 27th January 2025 were approved as an accurate record of the meetings.
The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications provided Members with the Cabinet Work Programme to support them in determining items for pre-scrutiny. He confirmed that the updated Cabinet Work Programme, contained no substantive changes and that Scrutiny Chairs had already flagged key areas for pre-scrutiny. Members were encouraged to identify additional topics, particularly as the municipal year concluded
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to: • Scrutinise the Leader & Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment in respect of matters considered and agreed by Cabinet, and key decisions taken, during the period May 2024 – 17th March 2025. • Consider, scrutinise and challenge the Leader in respect of the content of the ‘Leader’s Annual Debate’ • Identify any areas arising from those matters determined within this period which Committee wish to further scrutinise, as part of revisions to the committees published work programme.
The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications introduced the Cabinet Member Engagement Report and advised that the purpose of the report was to scrutinise matters within the portfolio holder responsible for infrastructure and investment and to ensure that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to scrutinise the Executive. The Service Director referred to the decisions listed within the report and reminded Members that thirty minutes has been allocated for this item. The Leader of the Council, Councillor A Morgan OBE presented on key Cabinet decisions from May 2024 to March 2025, alongside his Annual debate topics which included the following: Infrastructure and Investment, Flood Resilience Measures, Waste Standardisation outcomes, Council Tax Strategy and Town Centre and Regional Transport development. The Leader invited the committee to ask any questions upon conclusion of his presentation Members raised concerns about NRW’s responsiveness during Storm Babet and questioned flood warning systems. The Leader confirmed that NRW had since lowered the flood alert threshold in Pontypridd and acknowledged the need for further preparedness, referencing section 19 reports and strategic engagement with NRW and Welsh Water. He confirmed a lessons-learned report would be presented to Cabinet soon and highlighted £35M+ in flood resilience investment since Storm Dennis. On flooding, the Chair also questioned flood mitigation following Storm Babet. The Leader acknowledged criticism of NRW and the Met Office. The Chair asked for updates on the Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route. The Leader confirmed the final phase would begin in the new financial year pending approval of a £5M transport grant. Enhancements to former tip sites in Tylorstown were also noted, including a BMX track and new walking paths. A Member further queried the outcomes of the waste collection standardisation. The Leader stated that financial savings had been realised and the council was on track to avoid fines related to recycling targets. Final recycling performance data would be available in six weeks. Members queried if any early lessons had emerged from Section 19 flood report areas. The Leader explained that River Ely and Gechli areas were under review. He reported active engagement with NRW and Welsh Water, who were assessing sewer capacity and exploring collaborative interventions and updates to be scheduled on Section 19 reports, transport partnerships, and funding developments A Member questioned the delays on the A4119 dualling project. The Leader confirmed the scheme was over deadline due to contractor underperformance and possible financial issues. Completion was imminent, and the Council was considering contractual penalties. Members queried the flood scheme rollout efficiency and broader partnership working. The Leader highlighted frustrations with slow approval processes for large schemes, despite securing funding. He agreed on the value of inviting NRW and Transport for Wales to a future Council meeting for greater accountability and transparency. A Member praised town centre investment and raised concerns over post-SPF funding. The Leader confirmed active discussions with the UK and Welsh Governments and reiterated the importance of sustaining local initiatives. A Member asked about the Porth interchange. The Leader explained that Porth’s role as a key Metro hub would be enhanced with increased train frequency and better bus-train integration. A Member queried value-for-money given the relatively low Council Tax rise. The Leader explained the authority was the third lowest in average household Council Tax, due to efficiency savings and effective budget controls put in place. Another Member raised the Canon Gateway bid. The Leader noted a joint £500K bid (with £100K from the Council) was awaiting Welsh Government approval. He stressed the project's importance for regional access and long-term planning. Another Member discussed pothole repairs and the flood response in his particular ward. The Leader acknowledged progress made under Local Government Borrowing Initiatives and confirmed further investment in drainage and footways. A Member asked if transport reform would aid south-west borough communities affected by changes to home-school transport. The Leader referenced the proposed £1 bus scheme for young people and ongoing work to align public bus services with education needs. Following conclusion of discussion it was RESOLVED to: • Scrutinise the Leader & Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment in respect of matters considered and agreed by Cabinet, and key decisions taken, during the period May 2024 – 17th March 2025. • Consider, scrutinise and challenge the Leader in respect of the content of the ‘Leader’s Annual Debate’ • Identify any areas arising from those matters determined within this period which Committee wish to further scrutinise, as part of revisions to the committees published work programme.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to 2.1 Review and scrutinise the content of the report. 2.2 Consider whether they wish to scrutinise any parts in greater depth and require further reports in future.
The Director, Human Resources presented a report to Members to provide an overview of workforce data for the Council, following Members previous comments and consideration of the quarterly performance reports and data in relation to workforce data The Chair raised two queries in relation to gender disparities in Education Inclusion and Digital Frontline Services, and another about long-term sickness in Community and Children's Services. She asked if recent job fairs were helping recruitment and whether enough was being done to understand mental health challenges affecting staff—particularly women, given the 75% female demographic in these services. She queried the Council’s flexibility and support regarding menopause and caring responsibilities. The Director Human Resourcesresponded that recent careers fairs had seen high attendance (over 2,000 people). The Council was now offering interviews at fairs to streamline applications and remove barriers. Gender disparity was being addressed through targeted outreach, especially for social care. He confirmed ongoing review of recruitment processes and openness to more flexible options but acknowledged that more could be done?. Another Member supported a deeper dive into staff turnover and mental health. She highlighted the need for data identifying whether Council policies contributed to stress and called for correlation analysis between remote working and poor mental health. She also asked whether people were leaving to earn more elsewhere. The Director Human Resources agreed and said turnover was particularly high in social care, where agencies often paid higher than the Council. He stated exit reasons were being tracked and he could arrange deeper dives into the data?. Another Member was concerned at the number of working days lost: over 147,000, with Education Inclusion alone accounting for 79,956 days. She asked if new starters were contributing to the sickness data and how many temporary staff were covering absences. The Director didn’t have the breakdown immediately but confirmed he would investigate whether new recruits were part of the absence rate. He explained the percentage difference was influenced by the workforce size in Education?. Another Member asked about the promotion of support services to frontline staff without email access, and whether managers informed staff of services when they went off sick. He also suggested more peer support groups, lunchtime sessions, and physical activity initiatives to reduce stress. The Director confirmed that referral procedures had changed, managers now made direct referrals and were expected to promote support services. He agreed that communication could improve and committed to looking into physical wellbeing opportunities?. A Member queried the effects of home working on staff wellbeing and urged officers to review any emerging patterns. Concerns were raised that remote working could cause isolation or reduce access to support. Members were reassured to hear of the support and mechanisms in place to support staff working at home and heard of a pilot where staff in Children’s Services were working flexibly (18 days over 4 weeks) which was so far working well and had received positive results. A Member requested data on staff promotions and asked how much the Council spent on recruitment advertising. The Member sought insight into application numbers per post to identify recruitment trends. The Director Human Resources confirmed he would explore the data via the Council’s systems and would liaise with colleagues to track internal movement and advertising analytics? A Member asked if there was a central portal for public sector jobs similar to the NHS and whether neighbouring councils coordinated job fairs. The Director replied that job fairs included many local employers but were not yet a joint venture between councils. He agreed to research this and review whether Council job adverts were being broadcast through broader channels Following discussion, it was RESOLVED to 2.1 Review and scrutinise the content of the report. 2.2 Consider whether they wish to scrutinise any parts in greater depth and require further reports in future.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to: 2.1 Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 31st December 2024 (Quarter 3). 2.2 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 & Improvement introduced the Quarter 3 Council Performance Report (to 31st December 2024) which summarised contains revenue and capital budget performance; Treasury Management prudential indicators; Organisational Health information including staff turnover, sickness, Strategic Risks and the Council’s Corporate Plan well-being objective action plans (including performance indicators and investment Following conclusion of the presentation the Chair opened for discussion The Chair began by praising the report’s comprehensiveness, noting it linked to 74 other reports. She raised questions about the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) and requested more clarity on the programmes development and integration into broader corporate planning and public Health policy, fixed-term exclusions, and the "One Front Door" domestic abuse project which had been deferred. The Service Director Finance and Improvement explained that the HDRC had recently launched a Board and was now implementing its first-year action plan, which involved building community engagement and setting up governance. He confirmed that project-specific engagement was beginning. On domestic abuse services, he noted the programme had been deferred due to staff turnover but would go ahead as planned?. A Member noted the concerning increase in mental health-related sickness absence - over 36% of cases. She sought assurance that this was being addressed proactively. The Service Director acknowledged the pressure on staff and reaffirmed that well-being measures were in place but said further support actions would be explored through existing HR collaboration. Several Members asked for clarity on Youth Services and the "Your Voice" survey. She expressed concern about NEETs (Not Employed, in Education or Training) and the apparent disconnection between survey results and youth engagement. The Service Director Finance and Improvement stated that the youth voice programme had been affected by capacity issues but was expected to resume. He confirmed that the “Your Voice” results were being reviewed to shape future strategy and whether the post 16 support strategies aligned with youth needs. A Member queried the capital programme and project overruns. He asked whether any infrastructure investments were being reevaluated for efficiency or risk. The Service Director confirmed that £94M had been spent so far, with more planned. Projects were now regularly reassessed for cost and timeline alignment, and any with delays or reprofiled costs were detailed in the report. Members queried the escalating costs related to temporary accommodation for the homeless. Members asked about support schemes such as Home-stop and long -term housing strategy to improve prevention and beyond. The Service Director advised he will provide outside of the meeting A Member highlighted a need to review ALN support funding alongside growing demand and complexity in pupil needs. He asked if learning support capacity would meet need. The Service Director advised of a planned expansion of Learning Support Classes (LSC’s) and that a series of consultations were underway to ensure and that the service is sufficient to meet rising ALN demand Following conclusion of discussion it was RESOLVED to: 2.1 Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 31st December 2024 (Quarter 3). 2.2 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 Officers and Members for their valued contributions to the meeting.
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.