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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the updates provided be noted.
RESOLVED That the Democratic Services Committee Forward Work Programme be noted.
RESOLVED That the report be noted and the Training Programme for Years 4 and 5 be approved.
RESOLVED (a) That the results of the survey be noted. (b) That it be recommended to Council that the start time of the Annual Council Meeting be amended from 11am to 10am. The Head of Democratic Services stated that the Decision would be added to the next rolling report to Council, which would be considered at the December meeting.
RESOLVED That the findings of the survey be noted.
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the content of the report be noted. (b) That a review of the current office arrangements for the Democratic Services Team be undertaken, with any recommendations or requests from the Team in terms of improving efficiency within the 5% budget savings, with recommendations to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee in November.
RESOLVED (a) That the Working Group established for the purposes of reviewing the Councillor Support Self-Assessment Framework be expanded to include access to democracy work in preparation for the 2027 election and induction programme. (b) That the Working Group update the Committee of their ongoing progress as appropriate.
There were no Members wishing to speak on an Agenda Item.
There were no declarations of interest.
The Minutes were Moved by the Chair; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 21 March 2025 be approved as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the updates provided be noted.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the report and stated that it outlined the actions arising from the previous meeting, which had been completed with the relevant responses provided in Appendix A. The Recommendation was Moved by the Chair; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the updates provided be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Democratic Services Committee Forward Work Programme be noted.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the report and stated that it outlined the meetings and items up to November 2026. She highlighted that there was a change to the Councillor Support Self Assessment Framework item, which was listed for the current meeting; however, due to capacity issues in pulling together the Working Group, she suggested that this be reviewed as part of the preparation for the 2027 election, as it involved that preparation element. The Recommendation was Moved by the Chair; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Democratic Services Committee Forward Work Programme be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted and the Training Programme for Years 4 and 5 be approved.
The Learning and Development Managerpresented the report and wished to reinforce compliance with the mandatory POD training for Members. She highlighted that 15% of the 60 elected Members had not completed any training, 35% had completed all the training, and 50% had completed a few training courses. She reminded Members that most of the POD E-learning needed to be reviewed and repeated every three years, except the Data Protection course, which was done on an annual basis. The Learning and Development Manager then encouraged all Members to complete their training, as it would assist in effective decision making, give the public confidence in their Local Member, and that any support needed could be given by the Learning and Development Team. She then referred to the Personal Development Reviews (PDR’s), which 50% of Members had engaged in, with the plan for years four and five outlined in the report. In considering the report, the following key points were made: • Councillor Nicola Gwyn highlighted her difficulty in using the POD platform, despite getting assistance to fix the issue. She suggested that the system needed to be more user friendly. The Learning and Development Manager stated that she would get the platform Manager to contact her to resolve any issues. • Councillor Jonathan Grimes stated that he had accessed all the POD learning and mandatory courses, but highlighted a few issues in regards to the progress bar within the course. He added that some of the courses were lengthy, and also questioned the relevance of some of the courses, such as fire safety. The Learning and Development Manager explained that the fire safety course was relevant when Members were in County Hall or the Archives. • The Chair then highlighted the importance of the Safeguarding training for all Members, as it affected everyone. The Learning and Development Manager stated that there had been a drop in Members completing the Safeguarding training and highlighted that it was a very important course to complete, in terms of safeguarding adults and children in the community. The Recommendation was Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by the Chair. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted and the Training Programme for Years 4 and 5 be approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the results of the survey be noted. (b) That it be recommended to Council that the start time of the Annual Council Meeting be amended from 11am to 10am. The Head of Democratic Services stated that the Decision would be added to the next rolling report to Council, which would be considered at the December meeting.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the report and stated that it outlined the results of a recent survey undertaken seeking Members’ views on the timing, length and frequency of meetings of full Council, Committees and sub-Committees. She explained that an electronic survey was distributed to all Members in May/June, with 41 elected Members and 10 co-opted Members completing the survey. She then highlighted the following key results: • 88% of respondents indicated that they found the current arrangement satisfactory. • Monday mornings, Wednesday mornings and most afternoons appeared to be the days where some Members had difficulty attending. • Most Members indicated that they would have difficulty with evening meetings due to family or personal commitments, public transport availability, school governor meetings and community events. • The majority of Members supported hybrid/multi-location for all meetings. • In terms of the meeting times, types, duration and frequency, the status quo was the preferred option across all Committees of Council. • The only change to the status quo was in relation to limiting the Overview and Scrutiny Committees to three hours. • One respondent suggested that the current 11am start for the Annual meeting of Council in May be brought forward to 10am for consistency with the Full Council meetings. The Head of Democratic Services stated that the findings of the survey would indicate that the majority of respondents were satisfied with the current timetable of meetings; however, there continued to be an emerging theme that there should be more flexibility when convening meetings and considering different days of the week, earlier start times and some evening meetings, particularly for remote only meetings. In considering the report, the following key points were made: • Councillor Michelle Bateman believed that there would not be a meeting time that would suit all 60 Members, and highlighted the issues with amending meeting times to suit people who work, as not all jobs were Monday to Friday, nine to five. She stated that if diversity within the Authority was to be increased, meeting times needed to take into account the jobs that consisted of evening and weekend working, especially as Pembrokeshire had a huge hospitality sector and farming industry. She suggested that before standing for election, people needed to be aware of the current set up in terms of meeting times and consider how that would work for them. She also referred to hybrid meetings and how that would positively impact people being able to stand for election, ultimately increasing diversity. • Councillor Jonathan Grimes referred to the time of the Annual meeting of Council and stated his support for an earlier start time of 10am, as highlighted by the Head of Democratic Services. The Chair agreed. The following was then Moved by the Chair: (a) That the results of the survey be noted. (b) That it be recommended to Council that the start time of the Annual Council Meeting be amended from 11am to 10am. Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Michelle Bateman, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwyn, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall [4] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the results of the survey be noted. (b) That it be recommended to Council that the start time of the Annual Council Meeting be amended from 11am to 10am. The Head of Democratic Services stated that the Decision would be added to the next rolling report to Council, which would be considered at the December meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the findings of the survey be noted.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the report and stated that it outlined the results of a survey that sought Members’ views on how they engage with their constituents. She stated that the electronic survey was distributed in May/June, with 36 Members completing the survey, with the key findings as follows: • 10 responders indicated that they held surgeries, whereas 26 said that they never hold them. For those that did hold surgeries, three indicated that they did have concerns over safety, five indicated that they did not have any concerns and two indicated that if they held them, they would ensure that other people were around. • For those that never hold surgeries, four indicated that they preferred to engage with the community at community events, five used other means such as visiting residents, emailing or having an open-door policy, seven said that they had stopped due to low attendance, and six did not consider them effective. Three referred to no suitable venue or the cost of hiring a venue. • No Members raised any safety concerns as an issue for not holding a surgery. • In regards to support needed in engaging with the community, five indicated that they would welcome support in the form of assistance in delivering newsletters, developing professional leaflets, a newsletter from the Authority on projects in their ward and other information, whilst 22 respondents said they did not need any support as they were quite proactive in the ward or their political party provided support. Other respondents referenced more timely responses from Officers, use of a photocopier in County Hall and travel expenses for community work. • In regards to what the Authority could do to increase diversity in its membership, ten Members indicated it was a matter of personal choice or not a matter for the Authority or the Committee to be involved in, whereas eight Members felt that the Authority should be more proactive engaging with potential candidates and communities. Five indicated that the timing of meetings was a potential issue for younger and working people and should be reviewed. • Other comments related to genuinely embracing and prioritising diverse perspectives and experiences, childcare provision, mentoring and taster sessions, and promoting the benefits available to elected Members. The Head of Democratic Services explained that the information received through the survey would be useful in the planning and preparation for the next election, and that the feedback would be used to update the Action Plan which monitors the Authority’s Participation Strategy, due to come before the Committee at the meeting in November. In considering the report, the following key points were made: • Councillor Jonathan Grimes suggested sending information to potential candidates on the role of being a County Councillor, including the time and effort involved, to make candidates aware of what they were signing up for, especially in regards to training, reports, Overview and Scrutiny Committees and other Committees. • The Chair agreed and stated that there could be difficulties in getting used to the significance of the role and the dynamics of the Authority. • Councillor Michelle Bateman also agreed but highlighted the differences between Members in regards to how people engage with their wards, as well as different wards in terms of rural and urban areas, and the amount of constituents, all of which as equally challenging in different ways. She believed that only when someone starts their role as a County Councillor do they know how they will engage with their constituents, and ultimately adapt as they progress within the role. She was unsure whether set information could be given to suit all potential candidates, and referred to social media, which she believed had changed the role significantly in regards to contacting Members. • Councillor Grimes also referred to social media and highlighted the positives and negatives of certain platforms, but highlighted that he had the majority of queries from residents via social media. He stated that it was down to the individual to determine how they wish to engage with members of the public. • The Head of Democratic Services explained that the purpose of the survey was to gain an understanding of how Members communicate for the Participation Strategy, but added that it was important to be aware of communication methods ahead of the next election and induction for new Members. She referred to the last election and mentioned videos that were made to show a day in the life of a Councillor, which could be revisited. She also referred to Members receiving information at the induction stage, but stated that the more preparation work that was done ahead of the elections would help to inform people that were considering standing for the role. She added that she would take Members comments on board. The Recommendation was Moved by the Chair; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the findings of the survey be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Head of Democratic Servicespresented the report and stated that it outlined an update on the Annual Reports submitted by Members of Council for 2024-2025. She stated that it was not a requirement of this Committee to promote Annual Reports, but to ensure that the support was available to Members wishing to complete one on their Council activities during the previous year. She added that the report also outlined the arrangements that had been put in place, and that ten Members had completed and submitted an Annual Report. She highlighted that information on meeting attendance and training completion was currently being added to the reports, as well as being translated, and once done, the reports would be published on the website. In considering the report, the following key points were made: • The Chair believed that Members were not aware of how quick the reports were to complete, and hoped that there would be a bigger uptake going forward. • Councillor Jonathan Grimes believed that once the report was completed for one year, it was easy to update it each year, and that it was beneficial for constituents to be aware of what their Local Members were doing throughout the year. The Recommendation was Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by the Chair. The vote, undertaken by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the content of the report be noted. (b) That a review of the current office arrangements for the Democratic Services Team be undertaken, with any recommendations or requests from the Team in terms of improving efficiency within the 5% budget savings, with recommendations to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee in November.
The Head of Democratic Servicespresented the report and stated that it outlined details of the staff accommodation and other resources provided to carry out the Democratic Services functions, as well as details of activities of the Democratic Services Team from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. She added that this would be an annual report to the Committee moving forward. She highlighted that a breakdown of the functions that the Team undertake was provided for information, which outlined the breadth of activities that were carried out to support the Council's democratic decision-making process and governance arrangements. The Head of Democratic Services then outlined the key points in the report in relation to Team performance in key areas of work with comparative data, commentary on the adequacy of the provision, the forthcoming loss of an experienced member of the Team and the potential to review regular activities such as Minutes and the number of Committees. She also highlighted the current accommodation for the Team in County Hall, and believed that it was not adequate for the needs of the Team and that a larger room closer to the Committee rooms, Chamber and the Members’ Lounge would be preferable, to ensure greater accessibility and responsiveness to Members. She added that the Members’ training budget was currently £2000 per year, which meant that the Team had been very limited in providing external support and training that Members may have requested, and therefore suggested that it be increased to £6000 in the election year and for it to be reviewed annually. In considering the report, the following key points were made: • The Chair referred to the accommodation as inadequate and unfair working conditions for the Team, and that as the job was so vast, the Team needed their own space rather than sharing a room with the Monitoring Officer. • Councillor Jonathan Grimes agreed with the Chair and highlighted that there were 33 bullet points in the report that outlined the work done by the Team, and believed that the current office space was not suitable for the work involved. He then suggested that a review be undertaken to give the Team the space they deserved and any additional resources that may be needed. He believed that sharing an office was unacceptable. • Councillor Michelle Bateman stated that the report was very useful in terms of detailing all the work that goes on behind the scenes listed. She added that it was down to Members to be more mindful in regards to suggesting site visits or Working Groups, as that involved a lot of extra work for the Team, and highlighted that cuts could not be made with the expectation to have more from the service. Councillor Bateman then referred to the space for the Team, and suggested a few options in County Hall and that there was flexibility. Councillor Jonathan Grimes then Moved the following: (a) That the content of the report be noted. (b) That a review of the current office arrangements for the Democratic Services Team be undertaken, with any recommendations or requests from the Team in terms of improving efficiency within the 5% budget savings, with recommendations to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee in November. Seconded by the Chair. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Michelle Bateman, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwyn, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall [4] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the content of the report be noted. (b) That a review of the current office arrangements for the Democratic Services Team be undertaken, with any recommendations or requests from the Team in terms of improving efficiency within the 5% budget savings, with recommendations to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee in November.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Working Group established for the purposes of reviewing the Councillor Support Self-Assessment Framework be expanded to include access to democracy work in preparation for the 2027 election and induction programme. (b) That the Working Group update the Committee of their ongoing progress as appropriate.
The Head of Democratic Services presented the report and stated that at the November meeting of the Committee last year, it was agreed that a Working Group would be established of all Members of the Committee to consider the Welsh Local Government Association’s Councillor Support Self-Assessment Framework. She explained that it had not been possible to commence that work due to capacity, and suggested that the Working Group be expanded to review the Framework as well as the democracy work in preparation for the 2027 Election and Induction Programme, and to report to the Committee periodically on its progress. She added that the report outlined a suggested Action Plan for the Working Group. The Recommendation was Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Michelle Bateman, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwyn, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall [4] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Working Group established for the purposes of reviewing the Councillor Support Self-Assessment Framework be expanded to include access to democracy work in preparation for the 2027 election and induction programme. (b) That the Working Group update the Committee of their ongoing progress as appropriate.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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