Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received by County Borough Councillors G Caple, G Hughes, M Griffiths, J James and from Mr J Fish, Voting Elected

Parent / Governor Representative.

The Chair advised Members of the Committee that the scrutiny research facility is available within the Council Business Unit to support Members’ scrutiny responsibilities and their roles as Elected Members. Any requests should be directed to the scrutiny inbox.

To receive disclosures of personal interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct

Note:

1.     Members are requested to identify the item number and subject matter that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest: and

2.   Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

To approve as an accurate record the minutes of the following virtual Overview & Scrutiny Committees:

·       Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 5th July 2021;

·       Special Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 16^th July 2021

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committees held on the 5^th July and 16^th July (Special Meeting) as an accurate reflection of the meetings.

Information is provided in respect of relevant consultations for consideration by the Committee.

Members acknowledged the information provided through the consultation links in respect of open consultations, Welsh Government consultations and those matters being consulted upon by the local authority.

To consider the response from Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change, in respect of the Committee’s submission to the ‘Regulating Coal Tip Safety in Wales’ consultation.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communications referred Members to the letter received from the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS as a formal response to Committee’s request for further clarification on the WG intentions regarding the regulation of coal tip safety in Wales.

Members were advised that the letter clarifies the points raised by Committee whilst it formulated its responses to the consultation on the regulation of coal tip safety in Wales. It was RESOLVED to note the response.

To receive the Joint report of the Service Director, Community and Children’s Services and Service Director Democratic Services & Communication.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication presented his joint report with the Service Director, Community and Children’s services in respect of the customer feedback scheme – comments, compliments and complaints

annual report 2020/21.

Members were asked to consider the overview of the operation and

effectiveness of the Council’s Customer Feedback Scheme (CFS) between

April 1^st 2020 and March 31^st 2021and provide their comments on the

background of the Customer Feedback Scheme together with improvements

for 2020/21 and future developments which was provided by the Customer

Feedback, Engagement and Improvement Manager at the meeting.

Members praised the staff responses during the recent challenging period for

managing customer complaints and queries in a service which had seen a

reduction for the second year in the number of complaints remaining open at the

6-month period from 2.4% in 2019/20 to 2.2% in 2020/21 and where 61% of

complaints were dealt within 10 working days compared to 56% in 2019/20.

In response to a query regarding the reasons for the slower than anticipated

progress in developing the customer feedback scheme, the Customer Feedback,

Engagement and Improvement Manager cited the prioritisation of front-line

services and the delivery of community support during a challenging period.

However, there have been opportunities to assess what has worked well and

identify areas than require further improvement in advance of the expected

timescale for improvements to the new system and delivery by April 2022.

An explanation was provided to Members in respect of the unspecified

complaints (351 in total) which can currently drop out of the system during the

referral stage although this is an are which will be supported by the new

system going forward. The Customer Feedback, Engagement and Improvement

Manager advised that complaints via the social media platforms are filtered

initially by the social media team. Such has been the volume and frequency of

information published by the Council regarding the pandemic and covid

restrictions, there have been very few complaints via social media relating to the

pandemic. In addition, RCT has a very good process/policy in place for dealing

with ‘unreasonable customers’ and mechanisms in place to protect staff in the

event of persistent and unreasonable complaints.

RESOLVED to:

1. Acknowledge the work undertaken by the Customer Feedback and Engagement Team and the relevant legislative changes and new reporting requirements as a result of changes to the powers of the PSOW; and

2. Receive an update to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in due course in respect of the improvements that have been made to services and planned developments via the Customer Feedback Scheme Comments, Compliments and Complaints report.

To receive the report of the Service Director Democratic Services & Communication.

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communications presented his report

which sought Members’ feedback on the consultation initiated by Welsh Government

on the draft statutory guidance for the establishment of CJC’s. He commented on the

opportunity before Members to contribute to and tweak the draft statutory guidance for the establishment of Corporate Joint Committees and on the continuing need for further robust guidance in respect of the overview and scrutiny arrangements.

The Service Director advised on the recent report to the Cardiff Capital Region Regional Cabinet which considered the preferred governance, delivery option and transition model of the Corporate Joint Committees, that being the ‘lift and shift’ model with the 10 Leaders of the constituent authorities considering the model and due to receive further updates in due course.

Members discussed a number of issues contained within the draft guidance such as the need to ensure staff receive the appropriate level of protection under Section 101 and 105 of the Local Government Act 2000 and pointing out that one member of the Governance & Audit Committee will not come from the County Council or CBC in Wales. They raised concern regarding the voting arrangements in the case of changes to the political balance or a new incoming administration.

Members sought clarification on the following, that ‘a CJC standards committee will be required to hold at least one meeting during every 12- month period after 31 December 2021’ and queried whether that was a typographical error within the draft guidance.

Further information was also sought on the ‘provisions in section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989’ which it was confirmed would be circulated to all members of the Committee following the meeting.

Members raised concern, as they had done previously, regarding the ambiguity of the overview and scrutiny arrangements, of the role of the new Standards Committee and the allowable ‘twin-hatting’.

Following consideration of the report, Members RESOLVED to authorise the Service Director Democratic Services & Communications, in consultation with the Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, to convey the comments and responses of committee members to Welsh Government prior to the consultation closing on the 4^th October 2021.

To receive the Council’s Section 19 Flood Investigation report under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communications presented the Overview Report and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 Section 19 Flood Investigation Report (Pentre) and sought Members’ comments on the actions to have arisen from the recommendations contained in the review of the Council’s response to Storm Dennis which were reported to Cabinet on the 18 December 2020.

The Service Director reminded Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee role in scrutinising the Council’s response to the severe flooding experienced during 2020 and of the proposal that the monitoring of progress updates would be scrutinised by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee moving forward. 

The Service Director Frontline Services provided a high- level summary of the reports before Members’ and outlined the principles and purpose of the Section 19 statutory reports and role of the partner agencies Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW). He advised that the Executive Summary provides an overview of the factual information and methodology behind the report which, as a result of the extensive evidence gathering, had identified the main source of flooding as a significant blockage by woody debris at the Pentre Road culvert inlet to the north of the village, which resulted in water flowing down Pentre Road onto Elizabeth Street and Queen Street towards the lower streets of Pentre.

The Service Director referred Members to Tables 4 and 6 within the report which set out a summary of the source(s) and possible cause(s) of flooding in Pentre during the flooding events of 2020 and highlighted the subsequent recommendations provided by the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) to be considered by the relevant Risk Management Authority identified in response to the source(s) of flooding in Pentre.

The Service Director Frontline Services advised of the actions the LLFA has undertaken, as responsible Risk Management Authority, in relation to the ordinary watercourse and surface water flooding which occurred at Pentre during the February and June flooding events. He also clarified the role and responsibilities of the partner agencies, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) in relation to the flooding, highlighting that NRW was not involved as an FRMA in this instance but as the woodland estate manager for Welsh Government land to the east of Pentre, including the culvert inlet that blocked above Pentre Road.

Mr Gareth O’Shea – Executive Director of Operations, Natural Resources Wales advised that Natural Resources Wales has undertaken a comprehensive internal review to identify the lessons to be learnt, what went well and what did not, and improve the way NRW operates in the future by working in conjunction with partners. He acknowledged the extent of the storms and the exceptional and intense rainfall which occurred at the time and the scale of the storms which are likely to increase in the future.

Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee were afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Officers present.

The Chair raised concern with the early warning systems in place and asked for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To reflect on the meeting and actions to be taken forward.

The Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee took the opportunity to summarise the key points from the meeting which had considered the Customer Feedback Scheme - comments, compliments and complaints - annual report 2020/21, provided a response to the Welsh Government consultation regarding the Draft Statutory Guidance in respect of the establishment of Corporate Joint Committees and requested further information be brought back to Committee in respect of the Council’s Section 19 Flood Investigation report under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

In conclusion, the Chair thanked Officers and Members for their attendance and contributions.