Agenda item

Members received an overview of the Self-Assessment 2023/2024, as detailed in the circulated report.

It was explained that the document is user friendly and the content written in a way that ensures that Officers are held to account for the information they add to the report.

Officers stated the capacity within the team has now strengthened. The aim is to bring the annual report to the Committee by September 2025.

Members highlighted that it is difficult to read the document if you are looking at it from a mobile phone, or an iPad.

Members asked in relation to Leadership and Management, do Officers have regular appraisals with staff and are they taking place.

Officers stated there is work to do to strengthen the appraisal process. Officers have had sight of the staff survey that was undertaken last year and the percentage of staff who believe to have had an appraisal is not as high as expected. Officers mentioned there will be a report taken to Governance and Audit Committee in due course.

Members asked was the procurement strategy approved in 2024. Officers stated that it was approved in the Summer of 2024.

Members asked in relation to ‘In the summary of performance 23/24’, it states it has 63 aims altogether, 42 were on track and 3 were off track, what has happened to the other aims. Members also mentioned it states there is more work to do, does that mean off track.

Members mentioned the detail of the elements and didn’t find the narrative to be compelling to support the change, Members asked Officers to explain this.

Members asked in relation to the improvement action plan, will there be interim reporting of progress against the individual actions, it would be helpful to see this progress.

Officers stated in terms of the dashboards they do need to improve on that piece of work and to hold individual workshops for each directorate.

In terms of the Corporate Plan, Officers have moved from 2022- 2027 version and are now in 2024-2027 version, continuing through the Corporate Plan there were five year aims initially, Officers are carrying through those aims through the Corporate Plan to meet the wellbeing objectives. The strategic priorities sit underneath the aims. Officers explained they want to make sure that have a mechanism for when they get to 2027.

Officers explained in relation to the 63 aims, this was looked over a year period, whereas a lot of priorities are over 3-4 years. Officers mentioned they need to be clearer with regards to the off track/more to do/on track.

In relation to the Improvement Action Plan, members referred to the Action Description which stated Develop a Medium-Term Financial Strategy, 2021/2022 self-assessment to achieve by March 2023. Members asked was that March 2023, ongoing and well overdue or should it be March 2025 which aligns with the rest of the dates in the document.

Officers stated it was due by March 2023, but it is well overdue due to the lack of any forward planning information that the Welsh Government can provide, that has gone to March 2025, Officers stated it is very much work in progress. Members thanked Officers for the hard work they have done.