Minutes:
The
Committee scrutinised the following matters:
Cabinet
Board Proposals
4.1 Award of Contract for Managed Service for the Provision of
Agency Workers
Members received information on making an award to and
entering into contract with Comensura Ltd for the
provision of a Managed Service for the supply of agency staff.
Officers highlighted that there was an error in the
recommendation of the report and should read 1st January 2018 to 7th
October 2018 and not 1st January 2018 to 7th April 2018
as detailed in the circulated report.
Members queried who the Authority is using as agencies.
Officers highlighted that they have data from 2010 containing information on
what agencies are used which would be circulated to the committee.
Members queried whether consultants come under the same
category as agency. Officers confirmed that consultants are not included in
this category of expenditure and are separately accounted for.
Members queried which directorate spends the most
money on agency labour within Neath Port Talbot Council. Officers highlighted
that Social Services is the highest spending Directorate, However, Members were
also advised that this contract does not
include agency cover for Teaching Staff as Teaching is covered by a different
contract.
Following scrutiny, it was agreed that Cabinet
Board be asked to consider the following recommendation:-
It is recommended that the Authority utilise the
direct award provisions in the NPS Framework to enter into contract with Comensura to re-appoint Comensura
as the managed service provider for agency staff from 1st January
2018 to 7th October 2018 with the option to extend the arrangements
for up to a further 12 months.
4.2 Proposals for a Welsh Language Bill
Members received information on the proposals for a
Welsh Language Bill and were invited to provide advice to the Cabinet Board to
inform a response to the Welsh Government’s consultation as contained within
the circulated report.
Members noted an error in the report, where
Appendix 5 should read Appendix 1.
Part 1 – Promoting the Welsh Language
Members asked for clarity on the type of body
detailed in option 4 as it was not made clear. Officers confirmed that an
independent body was proposed.
Officers clarified that Option 4 proposes a single
body responsible for promoting the Welsh language while there would be 2, or 3
bodies, sharing the responsibility in Options 2 and 3 respectively.
Members’ preference was option 4.
Part 2 – Governance and Accountability
Following discussion Members’ preference was option
3
Part 3 – Welsh Language Standards
Members queried what was meant by reasonable and
proportionate as detailed in option 4.
Officers reminded Members of the Welsh Language
Commissioner’s stance in relation to reasonable and proportionate during the
investigation and challenge process. It was agreed that it would be important
for there to be a shared view on how reasonable and proportionate should be
interpreted and that this should be included in the Council’s response.
Additionally, Member’s preference was option 2.
Classes of
Welsh Language Standards
Members discussed the proposals; redefining Standards
and developing Language Planning Duties. Further clarity in relation to the
proposed scope of language planning duties would be expected in due course from
Welsh Government.
Members felt it was important that this was a
fundamental part of work to ensure equality, akin to the equalities duties set
out in the Equality Act 2010.
Complaints
Members fully supported the principle that
organisations should exhaust their internal complaints processes before the
Welsh Language Commissioner would become involved in individual cases
Tribunal
Members commented that it does not seem ‘just’ that
a decision on whether a case has merit should be pre-determined. This may not
be what is intended and could be merely poor drafting of the document.
Part 4 - The Scope of Bodies Covered by Welsh
Language Legislation
Members discussed the proposals and confirmed that
they were happy with them.
Members asked Officers where the Council currently
stands with the Welsh Government Standards. Officers confirmed that agreement
had been reached on the majority of the Standards that the Council had
challenged and this had been detailed in the report to the Policy and Resources
Cabinet Board in June. However, the Council were still awaiting clarity on some
of the other standards.
Members queried how the Council is going to assist
with helping Welsh Government in attaining its target of 1 million speakers.
Members highlighted that it will take time to increase the numberof
Welsh Speakers and the Council need to support it.
Members queried that there needs to be amendments
to the planning procedures to allow Welsh to be made a requirement for the
sector.
It was further agreed that the response agreed by
Cabinet Board, would be circulated to the Committee Members for information.
4.3 Quarterly Performance Management Datea
2017/2018 – Quarter 1 Performance (1 April 2017 – 30 June 2017)
Members received information on the quarter 1
performance management data for the period 1st April 2017 to 30th
June 2017 for the Chief Executive’s and Finance and Corporate Services
Directorate. Members also received performance management data for the same
period on the services that are within the remit of the other four Cabinet
Boards, as detailed in the circulated report.
Members queried that Neath Port Talbot Council are
still ranked 22nd in all wales for the number of visits to Leisure
Centres per 1,000 population and queried whether it was too expensive for
public to visit. Officers highlighted that the All-Wales data was 22nd
due to the fact that the Aberavon Leisure and Fitness Centre was not open.
However, the latest data shows that the position has now improved significantly
and the Council is now ranked 15th in the All-Wales data. This will
be detailed in the Quarter 2 performance management data report, in a future
meeting of the Leisure and Culture Scrutiny Sub Committee.
Members queried why there had been such a big
decrease in the number of care and support plan reviews in Adult Services and
whether there were going to be any improvements. Officers highlighted that the
decrease in the number of care and support plan reviews can be attributed to a
number of staff vacancies and a change in documentation due to the introduction
of the Social Services Well-being (Wales) Act. This necessary change had
lengthened the process of undertaking a care plan review. Officers are
currently recruiting to address the staff vacancies which would improve the
situation, Team Managers are actively targeting care plan reviews with staff
within their teams and care plan reviews have been given a high priority by
senior management.
Members asked for a breakdown of the Core Subject
Indicators in terms of the core subjects for Key Stage 2 results. Officers
confirmed that the core subjects were English, Maths, Science and either Welsh
First Language or Welsh Second Language.
Members queried that they had recently had an
all-member seminar on the involvement of the NPT Library Service to support the
introduction of the UK Government’s Welfare Reforms. and felt that there was
conflicting information from the information in the seminar and the performance
management data on Libraries. Members queried what support the Council can
provide to voluntary staff on providing services and activities within
libraries. Officers noted that the all-Member Seminar on Welfare Reform did not
provide enough time for Members to ask all of the questions they had and would
review this for a future Seminar.
Following scrutiny, it was agreed that the report be noted.