The constitution, councillors' conduct, audit, performance and complaints.
What councils do
How the council itself is run: its constitution, staff, buildings, IT, complaints, and how councillors behave.
Who decides
The full Council agrees the constitution. A standards committee deals with councillors' conduct; the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales investigates complaints.
Having a say
Complain to the council first; if you're not satisfied, you can go to the Ombudsman. Council meetings are public, and many are broadcast.
In numbers
Welsh councils plan to spend £67 per person on this in 2026-27.
It ranges from -£4 in Monmouthshire to £167 in Blaenau Gwent.
Council tax collected: 95% across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax unpaid at the end of the year: £119 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax still owed from earlier years: £199.3 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax written off: £9 million across Wales (2025-26).
RESOLVED: that
1. the draft Corporate Plan 2023-26 (Appendix A) be approved subject to any amendments authorised under resolution 3, for consideration by Council on 9 March 2023;
2. the response to the recommendations made by the Scrutiny Committees (Appendix C) in relation to the draft Corporate Plan 2023-26 be agreed
3. authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any consequential amendments to the draft Corporate Plan 2023-26 required to reflect the response to Scrutiny Committee recommendations (agreed under recommendation 2), prior to consideration by Council on 9 March 2023
4. Council be recommended to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any minor amendments as necessary to the Corporate Plan 2023-26 following consideration by the Council on 9 March 2023 and prior to publication by 1 April 2023.
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Cardiff, Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee,
RESOLVED:
That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Forward Work Programme be noted.
(2) T H A T the schedule of items for the next meeting, 25th April 2023 be
endorsed subject to the inclusion of a Recommendation Monitoring update.
Reason for decisions
(1&2) To ensure the Governance and Audit Committee is aware and informed of
progress on the proposed Work Programme.
Minutes - GD
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T Cabinet consider the suggested amendments to the review
document set out at Appendix 1 to the report, those being:
• For commentary to be added to reflect the risk management work
undertaken by the Governance and Audit Committee and to also include
reference to a proposed Risk Management Workshop for Members.
• The inclusion of a table to highlight action planning and whether the Council
is being compliant to their objectives.
• Under areas of development reference to be added to the introduction of a
Chief Officer Appraisal scheme.
(2) T H A T Cabinet endorse a recommendation by the Governance and Audit
Committee for future review documents to undergo peer or independent external
assessment on a biennial basis.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To request that Cabinet endorse the amendments suggested by the
Governance and Audit Committee.
(2) To seek Cabinet’s endorsement for future review documents to undergo
peer or independent external assessment.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of both the covering and appended Audit Wales report
be noted.
(2) T H A T the following comments made by the Learning and Culture Scrutiny
Committee on 8th December 2022 be endorsed and referred to Cabinet for its
consideration and endorsement of the Council’s proposed actions to address the
Audit Wales recommendation (R4):
• Committee consider that mental health inequality is under-reported and this
issue has a significant impact on the population and workforce. Therefore,
Minutes - GD
No.
a focus on mental health-related disability is importantly needed in Equality
Impact Assessments. This is particularly important in light of the post
pandemic world and the difficulty in re-engaging some young people and
adults back into school or work.
(3) T H A T the following views of the Governance and Audit Committee be
referred to Cabinet for consideration:
• The importance to ensure that each of the Protected Characteristics are not
under reported and given proper consideration when completing the review
of the Council’s Equality Impact Assessment process.
• For it not to be forgotten that individuals may come under more than one of
the Protected Characteristics and for this to be made clear in any guidance
document produced.
• The Council should consider the possible introduction of an Integrated
Impact Assessment as used by other Council’s alongside Equality Impact
Assessments which also encompass other factors such as environmental
impacts etc.
• More use of an online assessment.
• Adding embedded links to external data sources to make the completion of
an assessment less complicated.
• For views and opinions of people of the Protected Characteristics to be
heard as part of the review of the Council’s process.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the reference and related report and
discussions at the meeting.
(2) For Cabinet to consider the views of the Learning and Culture Scrutiny
Committee.
(3) For Cabinet to consider the views of the Governance and Audit Committee.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Quarter 3 position of corporate risks (April 2022-December
2022) outlined in the Risk Summary Report (attached at Annex A to the report) be
noted.
(2) T H A T Cabinet be requested to endorse the views expressed by the
Governance and Audit Committee, those being:
• For a Risk Register development workshop to be held with Members.
• For consideration to be given to:
how mitigating actions and their associated impacts are presented,
Minutes - GD
No.
ensuring that the residual scoring mechanism is robust and
accurately reflects the risks to the Council, and
how compounding impacts associated with multiple risks are
presented.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the content of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To seek Cabinet’s endorsement of the views expressed by the Governance
and Audit Committee.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A T the following views raised by the Homes and Safe Communities
Scrutiny Committee on 9th January 2023 be referred with the report to Cabinet as
part of their consideration of the Council’s actions in response to Audit Wales’s
work:
• It was important for the Council to look at raising the awareness, as well as
expanding the delivery, of warm spaces and related services throughout the
Vale of Glamorgan, and to look at deepening such support i.e. to provide
services that deal with isolation, and support vulnerable residents and
communities.
(2) T H A T Cabinet be advised of the view of Governance and Audit
Committee for greater consideration and emphasis to be placed on cost living
challenges facing rural communities.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having considered the contents of the reference and the related report.
(2) To highlight the cost of living challenges facing rural communities which
may receive less emphasis in comparison to urban areas.
Minutes - GD
No.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
(2) T H A T an additional update be provided to the Governance and Audit
Committee for its meeting scheduled during April 2023
Minutes - GD
No.
(3) T H A t the Council’s Strategic Leadership Team be asked to consider the
concern of the Governance and Audit Committee to the number of lack of
responses to update requests made by the Internal Audit Services.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To provide an update to the Governance and Audit Committee.
(3) Given the number of lack of responses to update requests from the Internal
Audit Service.
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Vale of Glamorgan, Early Retirement and Redundancy Committee,