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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 report be noted.
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme for 2026 - 2027 be approved, subject to the following changes: (a) Affordability of the Capital Programme – November 2026 (to be confirmed). (b) County Council Budget Quarter 2 monitoring report 2026-27– January 2027 as the report will be presented to Cabinet on 30 November. (c) Strategic Partnership – Partnership Panel – January or March 2027 as the Partnership Panel will not be meeting before November.
RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Monitoring Outturn Report for 2025-26 be noted.
RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Quarter 1 Monitoring Report 2026-27 be noted.
RESOLVED That the Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
RESOLVED That the report be noted prior to its presentation to Cabinet
None
There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.
The Chair referred to the reference under Minute 9 (page 10) Strategic Partnership/City Deal discussion scheduled for November where Councillor Michael James had requested that a representative from Transport be invited to attend that meeting. He Chair advised that it is normally the Leader or Deputy Leader who attends as representatives of the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) and Swansea Bay City Deal and sought clarification as to whether a specific Transport representative was required. The Chair confirmed that invitations would therefore be issued in accordance with the normal arrangements, and that the representatives would be able to provide the necessary transport-related advice if required. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2026 be approved as a correct record. [Councillor Bethan Price abstained as she was not present in the meeting.] Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 21 July 2026 be approved as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Officer on the actions arising from the last meeting. The Chair presented the report and pointed out that many of the items listed were outstanding questions rather than formal actions and suggested that responses should be obtained directly from the relevant officers rather than continuing to record them as action points. Councillor Jonathan Grimes expressed concern about the length of time taken to receive some responses and the need for repeated follow-up. The Chair acknowledged these concerns and advised that he would liaise with the relevant officers and Democratic Services to obtain responses and circulate them to Members. Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme for 2026 - 2027 be approved, subject to the following changes: (a) Affordability of the Capital Programme – November 2026 (to be confirmed). (b) County Council Budget Quarter 2 monitoring report 2026-27– January 2027 as the report will be presented to Cabinet on 30 November. (c) Strategic Partnership – Partnership Panel – January or March 2027 as the Partnership Panel will not be meeting before November.
The Committee considered the Forward Work Programme for 2026 – 27. The Chair presented the report and advised that the Capital Programme item had been deferred to November due to the delay in finalising the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts. It was further noted that the Strategic Partnership – Partnerships Panel item would also be deferred as a date for the Panel to meet was still being arranged. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that the Quarter 2 Budget Monitoring Report would not be considered by Cabinet until 30 November 2026 and should therefore be deferred to the January meeting. Councillor Delme Harries raised the issue of potential duplication in relation to scrutiny of safeguarding matters across committees. The Chair acknowledged the concern and advised that a review of scrutiny arrangements was underway, including consideration of how duplication between committees could be reduced in future. Members confirmed that they were content with the programme as amended. Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Forward Work Programme for 2026 - 2027 be approved, subject to the following changes: (a) Affordability of the Capital Programme – November 2026 (to be confirmed). (b) County Council Budget Quarter 2 monitoring report 2026-27– January 2027 as the report will be presented to Cabinet on 30 November. (c) Strategic Partnership – Partnership Panel – January or March 2027 as the Partnership Panel will not be meeting before November.
There were no items of public submission or correspondence received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Monitoring Outturn Report for 2025-26 be noted.
[During consideration of this item, Councillor Michael Williams declared a personal interest in respect of the Harbour Charges contained within the Appendices to the report.] The Committee considered a joint report by the Director of Resources, Head of Finance and Revenue Services and Head of Resources and Procurement on the final revenue and capital outturn budget position for 2025-26. The Chair welcomed Councillor Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, and Sarah Edwards, Head of Finance and Revenue Services, to the meeting to present this item of business. Councillor Jon Harvey reported that the Council had achieved a net underspend of £5.6 million, representing 1.7% of the overall budget. The improved position was attributed to effective demand management in social care, additional grant income received during the final quarter and vacancy savings across a number of services. Members were advised that Social Care and Housing, Education and the Place Directorate had all reported underspends, while the Chief Executive's Directorate had reported an overspend largely associated with transformation programmes and increased Coroners' costs. It was also noted that 95.2% of the Council's savings target for the year had been achieved. The Committee was advised that £122 million of capital investment had been delivered during the year, although some programme slippage had occurred due to capacity constraints and inflationary pressures. Councillor Harvey highlighted strong collection rates for business rates and housing rents but noted a significant increase in Council Tax arrears. Members were advised that the Council's reserves position remained stable and that Cabinet had approved the allocation of the year-end surplus to support future financial pressures, transformation and potential Council Tax premium refunds. The Committee noted that, while the outturn position was positive, many of the underspends were non-recurring and significant financial challenges remained. The Chair thanked officers for their work in achieving the positive year-end financial position and reminded Members that the purpose of the item was to scrutinise the outturn report and identify any issues that might warrant referral to Cabinet, another Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the Governance and Audit Committee. He also highlighted the ongoing issue of capital programme underspends, noting that while they had benefitted the current revenue position, they could place pressure on future years when schemes eventually progressed. He requested an update on the longer-term capital programme outlook, which officers advised would be covered under the next agenda item. The Chair then invited questions on the report, and the following key points were noted: Councillor Michael Williams queried whether there had been any improvement in response times from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), given the impact delays were having on the Council's financial position. He also expressed concern about housing rent arrears and suggested that providing benefit advice to residents could help maximise household incomes and reduce debt levels. In response, the Director of Resources advised that the VOA continued to experience significant backlogs, with some cases taking around twelve months to be reviewed. He explained that housing rent collection rates remained strong overall and that most tenants paid their rent on time. However, a smaller cohort of tenants with long-standing arrears continued to present challenges. He confirmed that dedicated officers were already in place to support tenants by ensuring they were claiming all benefits and assistance to which they were entitled. Councillor Williams welcomed this information, commenting on the difficulties many residents experienced when trying to access benefits and acknowledging the value of the support being provided by Council officers. Councillor Mike James asked for a breakdown of the 24 schools reported to be in deficit, specifically seeking the split between primary and secondary schools. Councillor Jon Harvey advised that this information was contained within the table on page 31 of the report. Councillor Delme Harries raised concerns about the increase in Council Tax arrears, which had risen from £8.4 million to £19.5 million over recent years. He questioned how much of the increase related to new debt and how much was attributable to delays in VOA appeals. He also sought assurance regarding the support available to residents struggling to meet Council Tax payments. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that approximately £2.1 million of the outstanding debt related to properties subject to VOA appeals. She explained that further information on the composition of the debt would be provided in the Quarter 1 monitoring report and confirmed that cases were considered individually, with payment plans encouraged wherever possible. Councillor Elwyn Morse asked whether residents awaiting VOA decisions could be encouraged to make interim payments to avoid large debts accumulating. In response, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services stated that many residents already made payments or entered into repayment arrangements while appeals were ongoing, and that officers continued to encourage this approach wherever appropriate. The Chair also sought an update on the Statement of Accounts and audit process. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services reported that the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts had been prepared and submitted to Audit Wales for final review. Subject to completion of that process, the accounts were expected to be presented to an extraordinary meeting of the Governance and Audit Committee before being submitted to Council for approval in October. She explained that completion of the 2024-25 audit was required before work on the 2025-26 accounts could be finalised, but officers were aiming to publish the latter by the end of November. The Chair further raised concerns about the number of schools operating with deficit budgets and asked whether the additional support being provided was having the desired effect. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that targeted intervention and support for schools was already delivering improvements, with more schools now setting balanced budgets and moving towards a more sustainable financial position. Councillor Tom Tudor highlighted the availability of guidance leaflets produced by the Council to help residents access financial support and manage Council Tax issues. He suggested these be circulated to councillors for use at surgeries and community events. The Chair welcomed the suggestion and agreed that such information could be useful for Members. Following discussion, the Committee noted the concerns raised in respect of school finances, Council Tax arrears, audit timetables and VOA delays. However, Members agreed that these matters were already being addressed through the appropriate channels and that no formal referrals were required. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Monitoring Outturn Report for 2025-26 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Quarter 1 Monitoring Report 2026-27 be noted.
The Committee considered a joint report by the Director of Resources, Head of Finance and Revenue Services and Head of Resources and Procurement on the Quarter 1 2026-27 projected budget outturn position and update on the Medium Term Financial Plan 2026-27 to 2028-29. Councillor Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, presented the Quarter 1 report for 2026-27, noting that this was the first monitoring report since the Council approved its budget in February 2026. The report covered revenue and capital budgets, income collection, reserves, savings delivery, treasury management and the medium-term financial outlook. He advised that, due to the significant workload associated with preparing the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Statements of Accounts, a full review of all service budgets had not yet been completed. Consequently, the report focused primarily on key pressure areas including schools, social care and waste services, with a more comprehensive review to be reported at Quarter 2. Councillor Harvey reported that the projected Quarter 1 outturn showed an overall overspend of £2.2 million (0.6% of the net budget). The main pressure related to Additional Learning Needs (ALN), where demand and complexity had increased beyond forecast levels, resulting in a projected overspend of £1.166 million. While additional Welsh Government funding for ALN was anticipated, no funding had been assumed at this stage due to uncertainty over its approval. A further £600,000 pressure was attributed to increased school and college transport costs arising from higher fuel prices, while additional costs associated with pay awards and increased mileage rates created a further £600,000 budget pressure. Within directorates, he stated that Education was projected to overspend by £2.165 million. Social Care and Housing was projected to underspend by £330,000 owing to effective prevention work and more cost-effective care arrangements. Waste Collection and Disposal Services were projected to underspend by £144,000 following confirmation of grant funding. Councillor Harvey reported that the capital programme had been revised to reflect project rephasing, updated grant assumptions and the inclusion of new capital schemes. As a result, the 2026-27 capital programme had increased by £17.589 million to a projected value of £209.549 million. He advised that a comprehensive review of the Council's capital programme was underway and would inform future capital investment plans. Although the Council retained borrowing capacity, potential capital schemes currently exceeded available borrowing limits, meaning future projects would need to be prioritised carefully. In relation to income collection, Councillor Harvey reported that Council Tax collection rates remained slightly below the previous year, while Council Tax arrears stood at £19.479 million. Business rates collection remained strong and housing rent arrears stood at £2.98 million at the end of Quarter 1. He noted that the Council was required to deliver £10.1 million of approved savings during 2026-27, with progress to be monitored throughout the year. Looking ahead, the Medium-Term Financial Plan projected a funding gap of £17.3 million for 2027-28. Councillor Harvey warned that rising inflation, fuel and energy costs, together with wider economic uncertainty, could increase the gap further by an estimated £4.6 million. He also noted that future Council Tax increases may be lower than current assumptions, creating additional pressures. To address these challenges, benchmarking work had identified some services whose costs were higher than comparable authorities, and detailed reviews would be undertaken to identify potential efficiencies. Given the current forecast overspend, Cabinet had also agreed to introduce a moratorium on all non-essential expenditure until the budget returned to a balanced position. The Chair thanked Councillor Jon Harvey for the detailed report and noted that Members had been expecting a separate report on the capital programme. He welcomed the update provided but commented that it would be beneficial for the Committee to receive a dedicated report on the capital programme once the ongoing review had been completed. He also queried the projected overspend in Additional Learning Needs (ALN), noting that additional funding had already been allocated to the service as part of the 2026-27 budget. In response, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services explained that the budget for 2026-27 had already incorporated an additional £1.8 million for ALN pressures. However, demand had increased beyond projected levels and the additional funding had been fully absorbed. She advised that the increase in ALN demand was being experienced across Wales and that, while further Welsh Government funding was anticipated, no confirmation had yet been received. As a result, the pressure remained within the Council's projected budget position and was likely to continue in future years. The Chair expressed concern at the wider implications should Welsh Government fail to secure additional ALN funding, noting that similar pressures were being experienced by local authorities across Wales. Councillor Jon Harvey agreed and advised that discussions at a recent Welsh Local Government Association conference had confirmed that many authorities were facing similar challenges. He said there was a strong expectation that Welsh Government would provide further support for ALN, although this remained dependent on ministerial budget decisions. The Chair also highlighted additional external pressures facing the Council, including increases in National Insurance contributions, staff pay awards and HMRC mileage rates, all of which created additional financial burdens that the Authority was required to absorb within existing budgets. The Chair then invited questions, and the following key points were noted: Councillor Mike James welcomed the review of school transport costs and suggested that rural authorities may need to work together to seek greater Welsh Government support, given the additional transport costs they faced. He also questioned whether rising fuel prices could create further financial pressures within waste collection services. In response, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services explained that increased fuel costs were already being reflected within budget monitoring projections and had contributed significantly to the higher costs being experienced when school and college transport contracts were retendered. She advised that inflationary pressures would continue to be monitored closely as part of the Medium-Term Financial Plan. Councillor Jonathan Grimes referred to comments within the report regarding recruitment challenges and asked whether the moratorium on non-essential expenditure applied to recruitment activity. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services explained that there was currently no recruitment freeze in place. However, all requests for new or replacement posts were subject to a rigorous approval process, with each vacancy reviewed and justified before approval by senior management. Councillor Steve Alderman commented on the wider impact of inflation, rising living costs and global events on residents and communities. He expressed concern that increasing household pressures could lead to greater difficulties in paying Council Tax and rent and warned that these challenges could intensify if inflation continued to rise. Councillor Jon Harvey agreed, observing that residents were facing growing pressures from rising fuel, energy and food costs. He stressed the importance of securing a favourable Revenue Support Grant settlement from Welsh Government in order to protect Council services and minimise future Council Tax increases. Councillor Alderman also raised a query regarding empty property premiums and asked about the timescale before additional Council Tax charges applied to vacant homes. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that a 300% premium was generally applied after a property had been empty for two years. In closing the discussion, the Chair noted that the principal concern arising from the report was the growing pressure on Additional Learning Needs budgets. However, as this matter fell within the remit of the relevant scrutiny committee, he did not consider a formal referral necessary. Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the County Council Budget Quarter 1 Monitoring Report 2026-27 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
The Committee considered a report by the Director of Resources on the Draft Annual Self-Assessment Report for 2025-26. The Chair welcomed Nick Evans, Corporate Business and Policy Manager, and Dan Shaw, Corporate Planning Manager, to the meeting for this item of business. Councillor Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, introduced the Draft Annual Self-Assessment Report 2025-26, explaining that it was a statutory requirement under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act and provided a retrospective assessment of the Council's performance during the year. He advised that the report assessed how effectively the Council was delivering its functions, using its resources and maintaining effective governance arrangements. The report was structured around the Council's Corporate Well-being Objectives and highlighted achievements, supporting evidence and areas requiring improvement. Councillor Harvey noted that the report had been subject to consultation and engagement with stakeholders and would be considered by Cabinet and Council in October. He also reported that the Governance and Audit Committee had recently considered the draft and suggested improvements to future reporting, particularly around monitoring improvement actions. Referring to the recent Panel Performance Assessment, he highlighted that external peer reviewers had concluded that the Council was meeting its statutory performance duties. He further noted positive resident survey results and outlined key strengths including recycling performance, leisure services, planning performance and emerging benefits from preventative approaches within education and social care. At the same time, he acknowledged ongoing challenges relating to education outcomes, financial sustainability, workforce capacity and nutrient neutrality. The Chair thanked officers for producing a comprehensive and balanced report. He commented that the report provided an honest assessment of both achievements and areas where improvement was still required. He emphasised that the positive outcomes reflected the commitment and hard work of Council staff and expressed his appreciation for their contribution. The Chair highlighted Pembrokeshire's strong recycling performance and shared positive feedback received from a community council member who had recently visited the Eco Park. He noted that the facility had been highly praised and suggested that this reflected positively on the Council's work in this area. He also drew attention to the section of the report relating to foster care, welcoming the efforts being made to strengthen the Council's in-house fostering service, including measures introduced to improve support for foster carers. He considered these developments to be positive steps towards increasing local fostering capacity. The Chair further highlighted the importance of the Council's involvement in regional partnerships, particularly through the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC). He stressed the need for Pembrokeshire to continue making its voice heard during the development of the Strategic Development Plan and acknowledged the important role played by the Council's representatives on the CJC. Finally, the Chair referred to the positive impact of projects delivered through the Swansea Bay City Deal and emphasised the importance of ensuring that the benefits of regional investment continued to extend across all parts of Pembrokeshire. He noted that partnership working through initiatives such as the City Deal and the CJC would become increasingly important in the future. The Chair then invited questions on the report, and the following key points were noted: Councillor Michael Williams referred to the section of the report relating to the Council's Migration Team and paid tribute to the work being undertaken by the service. He commented that the team was carrying out an excellent job supporting Ukrainian and Afghan families who had settled in Pembrokeshire, often in challenging circumstances and within a difficult political environment. He noted that many of those families were making valuable contributions to the cultural and economic life of the county and considered that the work of the Migration Team deserved recognition. The Chair agreed and reiterated appreciation for the work of staff across the Authority, noting that the Migration Team was an example of a service delivering important support to residents and communities. Councillor Steve Alderman highlighted the opportunities arising from the Celtic Freeport and floating offshore wind developments in the Celtic Sea. He referred to discussions taking place through the Freeport's governance arrangements and welcomed the prospect of investment beginning to come forward. He commented that the developments had the potential to provide significant economic benefits for Pembrokeshire, particularly through employment opportunities and the creation of local supply chains. Councillor Alderman also noted work being undertaken with Pembrokeshire College to encourage young people to develop the skills needed to benefit from future opportunities within the sector. Councillor Jon Harvey agreed and emphasised the substantial opportunities that the Celtic Freeport and Celtic Sea developments could bring to Pembrokeshire. He advised that a meeting of the Celtic Freeport Public Funds Committee was scheduled for October and indicated that, subject to decisions being made at that meeting, investment could begin to flow into projects within the county. He assured Members that the Council's representatives continued to press strongly for investment and resources to be secured for Pembrokeshire. Councillor Michael Williams asked for an update on senior appointments within the Celtic Freeport, referring to the departure of key office holders and querying whether permanent replacements had been appointed. In response, Members understood that interim arrangements were currently in place. Councillor Steve Alderman indicated that Kathy Hall was acting as Interim Chief Executive, while the Chair advised that further information on staffing arrangements would be clarified and reported back. The Corporate Business and Policy Manager thanked Members for their positive feedback, particularly the recognition given to staff and service areas highlighted within the report. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Annual Report 2025-26 be endorsed prior to consideration by Council.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted.
The Committee considered an annual update report by the Director of Resources on the activities of the Transformation and Innovation Board. Councillor Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, presented the report, explaining that the Board had been established in April 2025 to strengthen governance and oversight of the Council's change and improvement programmes. He noted that the Board focused on four key themes: Prevention, Digital and Artificial Intelligence, Vanguard Target Operating Model, and Decarbonisation and Adaptation. The Board met quarterly and monitored progress against a range of transformation projects, including those funded through the Accelerated Change Programme. Councillor Harvey highlighted the positive outcomes being achieved through the Prevention Programme, including the work of the Future Steps team in Milford Haven, improvements in family support services, reductions in the need for children to enter care, and measurable improvements in outcomes for children and young people. He reported that these initiatives were contributing to significant cost avoidance and supporting the Council's wider preventative agenda. In relation to Digital and Artificial Intelligence, Councillor Harvey advised that the Council had successfully launched a new intranet, was progressing work on a new corporate website, and had introduced a range of digital improvements across services. He highlighted ongoing work to improve customer access to services, strengthen data analysis capabilities and prepare the organisation for the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. Councillor Harvey also reported positive progress through the Vanguard programme, which aimed to improve services by focusing on the needs of service users and reducing unnecessary processes. He advised that the approach had generated significant efficiencies and savings across a number of service areas and had now been incorporated into internal staff development programmes. Turning to Decarbonisation and Adaptation, Councillor Harvey acknowledged that progress had been slower due to staff vacancies and long-term absences. However, he advised that recruitment was underway to strengthen capacity and support delivery of the programme going forward. Finally, Councillor Harvey referred to observations made through the Panel Performance Assessment regarding corporate capacity to deliver transformation. He explained that the Board had considered these issues and that further work would be undertaken by senior officers to review organisational capacity and ensure that resources were aligned to support the Council's transformation programme effectively. The Chair thanked Councillor Harvey for the comprehensive report and welcomed the progress being made through the various workstreams. He reminded Members that the report was being considered following a request from the Committee that regular updates from the Transformation and Innovation Board be incorporated into its work programme. The Corporate Business and Policy Manager advised that the report provided a high-level overview of the programme and indicated that if Members had specific questions on individual workstreams, officers would ensure that the appropriate lead officers were available to provide more detailed responses at future meetings. The Chair then invited questions on the report, and the following key points were noted: Councillor Elwyn Morse welcomed the report and congratulated the Board, its constituent initiatives and sub-groups for the progress being made. He commented that the work was delivering not only financial benefits but also strengthening links within communities and improving outcomes. Referring to the Vanguard programme, he noted that savings of approximately £900,000 had been mentioned and queried whether this information should be included within the written report. In response, Councillor Jon Harvey confirmed that the figure referred to savings associated with the Vanguard approach and invited officers to provide further clarification. The Corporate Business and Policy Manager explained that while financial benefits had been discussed by the Board, Vanguard was not solely focused on savings but also generated wider benefits, including reduced duplication, increased staff capacity and service improvements. As a result, it was often difficult to attribute a precise financial figure directly to the methodology, which was why the reported savings were not specifically included within the published report. The Director of Resources further clarified that Vanguard principles underpinned many of the savings and efficiencies being delivered across Council services. Consequently, the financial benefits were reflected within individual directorate savings rather than appearing as a separate Vanguard saving within budget reports. Councillor Steve Alderman welcomed the positive impact of the Prevention Programme, describing it as an excellent investment in young people and their future wellbeing. He also referred to the Decarbonisation and Adaptation theme and asked that particular consideration be given to the needs of rural communities, where options for decarbonisation were often more limited because many properties were not connected to the mains gas network and remained reliant on alternative fuel sources. Councillor Jon Harvey thanked Councillor Alderman for his comments and agreed that the Prevention Programme was delivering significant benefits. He emphasised that, while financial savings were important, the principal objective was to improve outcomes for children and families and reduce the need for children to enter care. In relation to decarbonisation, he acknowledged the importance of ensuring that the specific challenges facing rural communities were taken into account as the programme developed. The Chair also welcomed the progress being made through the Prevention Programme and paid tribute to the officers involved. He commented on the enthusiasm and professionalism demonstrated by staff working within the programme and noted the positive impact their work was having on children, young people and families across the county. Moved by Councillor Delme Harries; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the report be noted prior to its presentation to Cabinet
The Committee considered a report by the Head of HR on the Social Partnership Annual Report 2025-26. The Chair welcomed Liz Downie, Head of HR to the meeting for this item of business. Councillor Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, presented the report, explaining that it had been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023. He advised that the report demonstrated how the Council had worked collaboratively with recognised trade unions in developing its wellbeing objectives and supporting strategic decision-making. He highlighted the positive relationship that had been maintained through the Social Partnership Forum and other consultation arrangements, which had enabled constructive engagement on matters including budget planning, workforce changes, health and safety, employment policies and staff wellbeing. Councillor Harvey noted that trade unions had been involved at an early stage in decision-making processes and that practical outcomes from partnership working included improvements to staff induction, staff engagement and the development of the Council's emerging People Strategy. He further advised that both senior management and trade union representatives supported the report's findings. In addition, he noted a request from Unison that reference be included to trade union attendance at the Policy and Pre-Decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15 January 2026 in relation to the Pay Policy Statement 2026-27. Councillor Harvey also reported that recent feedback from regional trade union representatives had been highly positive regarding Pembrokeshire's approach to social partnership working. The Head of HR added that significant progress had been made over the previous year to strengthen social partnership arrangements and develop a genuine and constructive working relationship with recognised trade unions, enabling them to act as critical friends to the organisation. The Chair referred to the newly established consultative forum within the Chief Executive's directorate and queried whether meetings were continuing despite the vacancy in the Assistant Chief Executive post, which had been expected to chair the group. In response, the Head of HR confirmed that meetings were intended to continue on a quarterly basis. Although the most recent scheduled meeting had been postponed, arrangements were in place for it to be rescheduled and the forum would continue to operate despite the current vacancy. The Chair then invited questions on the report, and the following key points were noted: Councillor Delme Harries asked whether the Council's commitment to the Welsh Language Charter formed part of the social partnership arrangements. The Head of HR confirmed that social partnership arrangements had been instrumental in progressing the Council's commitment to the Welsh TUC Charter and advised that this work would be reflected in future reporting. Councillor Steve Alderman welcomed the report and commented that maintaining strong relationships with trade unions was crucial to supporting the Council's workforce and delivering services effectively. He expressed his support for the work being undertaken and welcomed the positive partnership approach. In concluding the item, the Chair emphasised the importance of maintaining regular consultation meetings and ensuring that any missed meetings were rearranged as soon as possible. Members agreed that no further recommendations were required. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the report be noted prior to its presentation to Cabinet
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