Agenda and draft minutes

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To scrutinise the budgetary position (revenue and capital) for services falling within the committee's remit, including an early update on 2025/26.

Cabinet Member Ben Callard introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Jonathan Davies, Peter Davies, Matt Gatehouse, Debra Hill-Howells, Nicola Wellington.

• How will the council mitigate the long-term structural risk from the persistent overspend in social care and housing?

The council is working on reablement and managing demand pathways to improve quality of life and reduce local authority burden. There is recognition that savings targets in social care have not always been fully met due to increased demand and complexity, as well as inflation. The council continues to work on these challenges, acknowledging statutory responsibilities and external factors affecting demand.

• Significant capital slippage is reported. What measures are we using to mitigate this?

Capital slippage is mainly due to late grant notifications and some planning issues. The council is working with budget holders and external contractors to improve planning and delivery, but recognises that capital schemes are multi-year and subject to change.

• What assurance/mitigation can be given to the risk of relying heavily on one-off grants?

Reliance on grant funding is significant, but late notifications make planning difficult. The council would benefit from earlier and more certain grant information to plan and use funds more effectively. There is ongoing dialogue with Welsh Government about moving some grant funding into core revenue funding. There is generally constructive dialogue with Welsh Government about grant design and funding, but uncertainty remains about future budget approaches. The council is working to ensure its interests are protected, especially regarding recurrent grants that underwrite core costs.

• Is the real cost of social care underrepresented in our budget?

The council has learned from past ambitious reform targets in social care, which led to overspends when savings were not fully realised. Recent years have seen some improvement, with early indications that forecast overspends are lessening, reflecting progress in reform and budget management.

• What is the impact of increased National Insurance costs on the council's budget, including schools, and what mitigation is in place?

The increased National Insurance is a cost pressure. Some additional funding was provided but did not cover the full liability. A contingency fund was set in last year's budget to mitigate this risk.

• What is being done about council tax arrears and debt recovery, given the lack of movement in outstanding arrears?

There are various reasons for arrears, not all due to refusal to pay (e.g., probate cases). Council tax arrears and social care debt have increased post-pandemic, reflecting national trends. The council uses the Council Tax Reduction Scheme to support those in need and is focusing on recovery efforts. There has also been an increase in discounts and exemptions, moving towards the Welsh average. The shared service team works to support taxpayers and ensure robust recovery measures. The council maintains a high long-term collection rate (over 99%), though delays in probate have affected in-year rates. Welsh Government is reviewing advice and legislation to support appropriate enforcement and support for those in challenging circumstances.

• Should probate issues significantly influence Council tax arrears, given  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Cabinet Member Ben Callard introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Jonathan Davies and Peter Davies.

• Regarding the £20m shortfall for 2 years hence, last year we were looking at £12.2m for this year – so comparing like with like the shortfall has gone up next year to £13.6m and the medium term cumulative shortfall last year was at £34.7m and that is now £38m – are those the relevant comparative numbers?

The comparison figures are correct. The figures represent a point-in-time assessment and that they are subject to change as the budget process progresses. The figures provide a context for understanding the financial challenges and planning for the next financial year and the medium term.

• Is it correct that Monmouthshire has the lowest reserve cover in Wales, and is this a cause for concern?

The statement refers to an Audit Wales report from about 18 months to two years ago, which identified that Monmouthshire's reserves, as a proportion of its total revenue budget, were the lowest in Wales. The context is important, as reserves include both usable and unusable reserves, with many being earmarked for specific services. Local authorities are at different stages in their reserve investment journeys, which affects their reserve levels. So, while the statement is accurate, the context and specific circumstances of each authority must be considered.

COUNCILLOR NEILL LEFT THE MEETING, AND COUNCILLOR BUCKLER TOOK OVER AS CHAIR

• Does the council have enough sustainable plans to bridge the projected funding shortfall?

The concerning outlook is acknowledged but the council has successfully mitigated pressures in recent years, has robust controls and systems, and is well placed to address future challenges. The council assumes £7.5 million annually for demand pressures and inflation, and there are ongoing and planned transformation programmes across services to address the budget gap.

Chair’s Summary:

Thank you to the Cabinet Member and officers. The report was moved.

To include Procurement, Digital and Data, Asset Management, Finance and People. (Audit Wales work)

Cabinet Member Ben Callard introduced the report. Matt Gatehouse, Nick Keyse, Sian Hayward, Richard Jones Peter Davies and Gemma Ellis (Ardal) answered the members’ questions.

• Is 60% of staff satisfaction due to an underlying cultural issue and are the increased pressure from vacancies affecting staff well-being and skills development?

A recent staff survey provided a baseline, and actions have included consolidating well-being resources and increasing engagement. There are ongoing efforts to improve staff involvement and skills development, including new e-learning platforms and change programmes, and future surveys will measure progress.

• Can you clarify the figures given for the difference in pay between males and females?

The pay gap figures refer to the difference in hourly rates, with the mean and median differences being 85 pence and 49 pence, respectively. While men and women are paid equally for the same job, the gap exists due to more men in higher-paid roles and more women in lower-paid roles (e.g., care). The council is working to address this through career development and encouraging broader career choices.

• What is the reason for the delay in the affordable housing development at Caldicot Comprehensive School and what is the proposed timeline?

The land was sold to Monmouthshire Housing Association, which initially failed to appoint a contractor but has since re-tendered and appointed one. The target is to start on site by the end of summer, with a commitment to proceed as soon as possible.

• Regarding the council’s digital and data strategy, how is digital transformation being used to improve operational efficiency, data-driven decision making, citizen engagement, and procurement processes?

Improving digital and data maturity is an ongoing task, with continuous efforts in service areas to enhance digital capabilities. A new assessment is planned across the SRS partners (Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, and Monmouthshire) to ensure a coordinated approach. The assessment will help to target resources effectively, but work is already underway to improve digital maturity. Digital maturity assessments should not slow down progress on digital and data initiatives, especially given the financial challenges facing the council. There is a need to inject pace into digital and data work, and that it is not necessary to complete all digital/data maturity assessments before prioritising and moving forward with key projects.

E-procurement tools and systems are a high priority due to new transparency requirements from the Procurement Act, which require more notices and digital processes. Currently, "Sell to Wales" and "Proactis" are used for e-tendering, sourcing, and contract management; there have been some teething problems with the digital platform but there is ongoing collaboration with Welsh Government and other authorities to resolve these. Microsoft Forms is used for scoping and governance documents to improve procurement visibility. While improvements have been made, the digital procurement system is not yet perfect, and the team continues to investigate better solutions and learn from other local authorities.

• Is a particular local authority leading on this, and how will processes be coordinated?

Monmouthshire will lead this process, using a common template to identify skills gaps  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To scrutinise the self-assessment and identify areas for further scrutiny.

Hannah Carter and Leader Mary-Ann Brocklesby introduced the report. Richard Jones and Craig O’Connor answered the members’ questions.

• What are the barriers to FSM uptake? Are meals produced regardless of registration?

The uptake of free school meals is about 72%, and the council is working to improve this through various schemes. The council is collaborating with Sustainable Food colleagues to provide food education in schools.

• Has Flying Start increased in Caldicot? How do we help people top get meal kits? What is the reason for the increase in permanent exclusions between 2010-22? Where do the students go and what is the effect on social and emotional learning?

Specific updates on Flying Start, meal kits, and permanent exclusions will need to be provided in writing. – ACTION

• What are the measures of processes and project management, the number of reviews conducted with users, and the assessment of the impact on residents?

The Council's performance management framework includes service business plans, performance measures, and annual self-assessments to track progress and learn from outcomes.

• Could an external body – such as Audit Wales or the Future Generations Commissioner’s office – validate whether the right data is being collected and the right things are being measured? Perhaps we could hold a collaborative workshop with the Commissioner’s office and invite officers to consider this suggestion – such leadership could position the authority as an example across Wales?

External scrutiny is already embedded in the self-assessment process through the inclusion of findings from regulators like CIW, Audit Wales, and Estyn. Audit Wales recently reviewed the council’s performance management arrangements and found them sound, while also recommending improvements – such as better reporting on underperformance – which have been addressed in the current report. Additionally, the council is preparing for a peer panel performance assessment, scheduled for February, to further strengthen external evaluation. We welcome the idea of working more closely with the Future Generations Commissioner’s office, noting existing good contact and alignment with the Well-being of Future Generations Act. There is also ongoing collaboration through WLGA networks to improve performance management and share best practice.

• To clarify, did Audit Wales take into account our reporting in their review of performance management?

Audit Wales did consider the council’s self-assessment as part of their review of performance management arrangements. Their findings were reported to the Governance and Audit Committee, and the officer offered to share the report more widely. One key recommendation was to improve how underperformance is explained – an area that has been a focus in this year’s reporting.

Chair’s Summary:

Thank you to the Leader and to officers. The report was moved.

Councillor Bond reiterated her request from Place committee that this plan be amended to show more clearly which reports have already gone to Cabinet/Council, and which are still forthcoming. Officers reassured members that this point has been passed on to Democratic Services to form part of the overall changes being made to the planner.

A Special meeting has been added on 3^rd December, and another is being arranged for January. Note that some of the 3^rd June Actions have been sent to the committee since the agenda was published.

Councillor Pavia noted that there are too many items on each agenda, and that this volume of work needs to be worked through with the Chair. Officers assured members that this is already something that they wish to address, and will indeed discuss options with the Chair as soon as possible. – ACTION

Councillor Bond noted that the Grants item should ideally be covered before Spring so that there is the possibility of the committee’s comments feeding into next year’s strategy. The scrutiny team will pass this point on to the finance officers – ACTION

The minutes were confirmed.

23rd September 2025 at 10.00am.