Agenda item

The Chief Executive introduced the report and explained that Portfolio Recovery Business Plans had been developed for exiting the first response phase to the pandemic in 2020.

The Recovery Committee had had oversight of the Recovery Business Plans for all five service portfolios during recent meetings.  During each of those meetings the relevant Chief Officers highlighted significant areas of risk.  This report presented progress and updates on those areas of risk for each of the portfolios.

Education and Youth

The Chief Officer (Education and Youth) said it had been a smooth start to the academic year with all schools opening as planned.  Uncertainty around operational changes which may need to be implemented were being managed.  A constructive meeting with Headteachers had been held on the first day of term to enable the local authority to respond to any queries and concerns.

Schools would carefully monitor the health and well-being of their pupils on their return to school, and their academic progress, and support for individuals would be adjusted as needed.  She explained the new guidance on isolation should a child in school test positive for covid, whereby as the national level was 0, children who had been in contact with the child who had tested positive would only need to isolate and get a test if they displayed symptoms; otherwise they could continue to attend school.

Housing and Assets)

The Chief Officer (Housing and Assets) explained that the rental income continued to be impacted by the pandemic and when furlough and other protections ended, the situation would become worse.  The position would be further compromised when Universal Credit (UC) additional payments were stopped and the implications of the new ‘Breathing Space’ measure were taking into account (60 day hold on all creditor activity).

Homelessness presentations increased as current protections around evictions and furlough ended, and landlords taking measures to commence and follow through on stalled evictions.

Raw material supplies shortages had led to increased costs, programme delays and increased cases of contractual disputes.  The Council continued to identify alternative suppliers or source stock and hold for future use.

Councillor McGuill asked how the Tenant Hardship Grant was promoted amongst private landlords.  The Chief Officer explained it was promoted through the Housing Options Team and through the Private Rented Sector Landlords Forum.  He would look into other ways of promoting the grant.  In response to a comment from Councillor Dunbar on UC, the Chief Officer said the Council was aware of the implications and reports would be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny and Cabinet

Planning, Environment and Economy

The Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) explained about the resilience of various teams due to unprecedented demand to services during the pandemic.  Business cases were being prepared to recruit into Planning Enforcement, Environmental Health, Drainage and Flood Protection and Town Centre Regeneration.  In Public Protection, resources had been in overwhelming demand.

He provided an update on the Local Development Plan (LDP) Examination in Public (EIP) being temporarily suspended to deal with two matters, the Strategic site at Warren Hall in Broughton and the implications of new guidance from National Resources Wales (NRW) on pollution levels in rivers.  The former matter would be addressed on 8^th September.  The latter issue had resulted in considerable extra work.  It was hoped that a Statement of Common Ground between the Council and NRW would be submitted to the EIP in October which would satisfy the Planning Inspector and allow her to finalise her reports.

Reports would be submitted to Planning Strategy Group and Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee to present the details of the new back office system.

In response to a question from Councillor Healey on planning site visits, the Chief Officer explained the current process which was built around the Risk Assessment.  If the planning officer was unable to get the required information from Google Maps or Street View, they would undertake a site visit and take photographs.  At the planning call-over meeting with the Chair and Vice Chair, details were provided on applications where the local Member had requested a site visit and the Chair and Vice Chair are provided with all of the information gleaned from the case officer.  If the Chair and Vice Chair felt enough information was available to Member to make a decision, a site visit would not take place.  If at the Committee meeting Members did not feel they had sufficient information, the item could be deferred to enable a site visit to be undertaken.  It was agreed that a report would be submitted to Planning Strategy Group on site visits.

Social Services

The Senior Manager – Children and Workforce provided details on the recruitment of staff to work in the sector, which encompassed social work, occupational therapy and direct social work.  He explained about the fragility of the market around Elderly Mentally Infirm (EMI) nursing and the recruitment of staff, and the funding and fees linked to market stability.  Those three risks were closely linked and a number of work streams were underway, including the appointment of a post, grant funding to support a sector wide approach to recruitment of the direct work force, and supporting care providers to review and strengthen business plans.

Councillor Jones said that when there was a shortage of front line staff, the number of care packages would increase for other members of the team and he asked how that was managed.  The Senior Manager explained that where they had double handed calls, they would look to how technology could be used to identify if one person could be used.  Children’s Services Assistants had been recruited and consideration was being given as to how they could take one some of the Social Worker tasks to free up time for the Social Workers.

Councillor McGuill asked how many student Social Workers were being sponsored by the Council.  The Senior Manager said he would provide a written response to the question.

Streetscene and Transportation

The Chief Executive explained that this service had experienced an increase in the numbers of frontline workers needing to self-isolate which had an impact on effective service delivery when combined with general sickness absence and annual leaver over the summer. 

The service was unable to progress with key infrastructure improvement projects due to lack of resilience in staff, contractors and the supply chain. Also, regulatory approval could not be gained to progress key infrastructure projects in a timely manner due to delays in processing applications.

            The recommendation in the report, and the inclusion of a second recommendation on site visits, were moved by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Bateman.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the progress of the highlighted areas of risk within all five portfolios identified at earlier meetings of this Committee be noted; and

(b)       That a report be submitted to Planning Strategy Group to consider the reinstatement of Planning Committee Site Visits.