Agenda and minutes

The following Member made a declaration of interest at the commencement of the meeting:

Councillor R.Davies        -                   Report of the Head of Participation –Agenda Item 2 – Communities 4 Work Funding – as she is the Councillor for Godre’ rgraig.

Members were asked to seek approval for the transfer of responsibility for the Environmental Health and Trading Standards (EHTS) team from Social, Care health and Housing to the Environment Directorate.

RESOLVED:                            that the following be approved:-

(i)       To relocate EHTS staff to the Quays as soon as possible.

(ii)      That a new accountable Manager is appointed as a priority. This post will be ring fenced to the three team leaders within that section and a reorganisation / saving will follow as a consequence.

(iii)     That the responsibility for the Pest Control service of EHTS is transferred to the Head of Streetcare Services to enable waste enforcement, the dog warden service and pest control to be undertaken by one team.

(iv)     Agree that remaining services within EHTS are transferred to the Head of Planning and the synergies identified above are implemented.

(v)     Note the new indicative staff structure for the service outlined at Appendix 1 and that the Director of the Environment will make any changes necessary to accommodate any subsequently agreed ERVR requests submitted within the services affected in line with the decisions of the Personnel Committee on 23 November 2015.

(vi)    Delegate to the Director of Finance & Corporate Services authority to make any consequential changes to the Council’s constitution (to reflect the change in responsibilities); necessary budget transfers and changes to the scheme of delegations.

Members were asked for approval in relation to the agreement of the use of funding from Welsh Government in order to employ ten staff for the period 2016 - 2018 for the Communities 4 Work national programme. The posts are detailed in appendix 1 to the circulated report.

RESOLVED:                            that the use of funding and the resource that is available for Communities 4 Work for the Education Directorate - three Youth Mentors, three Adult Mentors, three Triage Support Officers and a Claims and Monitoring Officer be approved.

Members were asked to approve the use of funding from Welsh Government in order to employ seven full time and four part time staff for the period 2016 - 2018 for the Cynnydd Project funded by ESF.

RESOLVED:                  that the use of funding and resource that is available for the Cynnydd Project for the Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning Directorate be approved and used to establish the following posts:-

·       MEAS Teacher x 0.5 UPS 3

·       Cynnydd Worker x 6.5 YCW13-16

·       Administration Officer x 0.5 Grade 7

·       Finance Officer x 0.5 Grade 7

·       Counsellor/Therapist Grade 8

The purpose of this report is to seek approval to establish temporary and seconded posts to 31^st March 2017 within the Looked After Children’s Team in order to build capacity within the Team.

RESOLVED:                  that the following temporary / seconded posts be built into the existing structure to 31st March 2017, be approved:-

•        Temporary Teacher Development Officer – 0.8 FTE

•        Seconded Educational Psychologist – 1 FTE

•        Temporary Teaching Assistants – 2.5 FTE

•        Seconded Resource and Communications Officer – 0.2 FTE

The purpose of this report is to update Members in relation to the national pay negotiations for Local Government Pay 2016.

RESOLVED:                  that the report be noted.

Members were informed of the Time to Change Wales campaign and the pledge made by Western Bay in relation to this.

The Time to Change Wales campaign mirrors the campaign undertaken in England and seeks to address discrimination on the grounds of mental health.

The action plans for each of the Western Bay partners are slightly different to allow for local implementation.  The Neath Port Talbot Action Plan is attached at appendix 1, to the circulated report.

RESOLVED:                  that the report be noted

The purpose of this report is to update Members in relation to the proposal to assimilate Youth and Community Workers from the JNC Agreement (‘The Pink Book’) to Local Government Services terms and conditions (‘The Green Book’).

RESOLVED:                  that the report be noted

Members were asked to approve the creation of a part-time Grade 3 administrator post to support the Council’s Safety Advisory Group.

RESOLVED:                  that the creation of a part-time (0.6 FTE) Grade 3 Administrator post be approved, to support the Safety Advisory Group.

Members were asked to approve structural changes to how the authority provides education for pupils who receive their education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) and create a new structure to support wellbeing and behaviour.

RESOLVED:                  that the structural changes to how the authority provides education for pupils who receive their education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) be approved and to create a new structure to support wellbeing and behaviour as follows:-

·       To delete 5 permanent positions within the Engage programme and 4.8 permanent and 14 temporary jobs within Education Outside of the School Setting

·       To create 5 new posts to support schools to maintain pupils within schools – 1 x Senior Wellbeing Practitioner, 2 x Wellbeing Practitioners (Grade 9), 2 x Key Workers (Grade 7) within the Inclusion Service under the Co-ordinator for Support and Inclusion.