Items
No. |
Item |
1. |
Declarations of Interest
Minutes:
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2. |
Public Open Forum
Scrutiny Committee Public Open Forum ~
Guidance
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Minutes:
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3. |
School Exclusions PDF 194 KB
To scrutinise the
latest figures and the Council’s performance.
Minutes:
Cabinet Member Martyn Groucott and
Morwenna Wagstaff introduced the report. Dr Wagstaff answered the
members’ questions with Keeva McDermott:
- The
Chair asked for clarity between the numbers of children excluded in
5.2 and 5.3 of the report. It was clarified that the table in the
report refers to instances of fixed-term exclusions, which can
range from half a day to a longer period. The number 520 represents
the unique learners who experienced exclusions, while the 1810
instances include repeat exclusions for some learners. Therefore,
some children had multiple exclusions, leading to the higher number
of instances.
- A
member asked for how long problems can be attributed to the
pandemic, and if the problem will be generational. Dr Wagstaff
emphasised the anxiety and stress caused by the pandemic and
explained that, for children, its impact varied depending on their
age and the protective factors in their lives. The pandemic
disrupted key developmental stages, affecting social skills,
emotional regulation, and behaviour. While the hope is that the
impact will phase out, some children, especially the more
vulnerable, may experience long-lasting effects.
- It
was asked if the number of FSM children who are currently absent on
any given day (1 in 4) might get worse. Dr Wagstaff noted that many
children who were educated at home during the pandemic now find it
challenging to return to the busy and noisy school environment, and
some children, particularly those with complex needs or barriers to
learning, preferred the online learning style and find it difficult
to re-acclimate to traditional schooling. There has been an
increase in the population of children receiving education other
than at school (EOTAS) due to mental health and emotional needs,
particularly anxiety about attending school. The hope is to enable
these children to move on to positive post-school options and
prevent them from becoming not in education, employment, or
training (NEET).
- A
member asked if it would be possible to have a detailed breakdown
of exclusions by school, including the stories behind them,
possibly in a closed session. It was explained that while detailed
breakdowns of exclusions by school are scrutinised through various
checks and balances, including Pupil Disciplinary Committee
meetings and independent appeals, sharing such detailed information
publicly could risk identifying individuals. However, it might be
possible to provide this information in a closed session for
scrutiny purposes. The Chair suggested that for a particular
concern, members pick up directly with the team.
- Clarity was sought about the connection between the appointment
of the CYP Data officer and exclusions. It was clarified that the
appointment of the Data Officer has improved the capture and use of
data around exclusions, making the recording process more robust
and streamlined. A lot of work has gone into how reintegration is
managed safely, using learner behaviour risk
assessments.
- Further detail was sought about managing pupils coming back
mainstream education from the Pupil Referral Unit, especially given
the reductions in school staff. It was explained that a
comprehensive risk assessment and management process is in
... view
the full minutes text for item 3.
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4. |
Planning Annual Performance Report
Scrutiny of the annual performance report
prior to submission to Welsh Government.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Phil
Thomas delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered
the members’ questions with Craig O’Connor and Andrew
Jones:
- Members asked about the timescale for digitising all the
microfiches and tree records and were advised that the digitisation
process is quite complicated and largely dependent on budget
constraints. The process may take a few years to complete and that
there is no definite timeline at the
moment. The process might be expedited if secure funding
through the migration of Land Registry data could be secured, but
this is not guaranteed.
- A
member enquired about the figures and percentages related to the
pre-application advice service, noting its potential as a revenue
earner and was advised that during the period 2023-2024, they
closed 263 applications seeking pre-application advice and received
282 new submissions. Of those that had pre-application advice, 35
led to planning applications, with 34 approved and one withdrawn,
resulting in a 100% success rate. The revenue from this service was
around £55,000.
- Concern was expressed about the low percentage (4.5%) of
enforcement cases resulting in notices served, out of 286 cases.
Officers explained that enforcement action is only taken for
serious breaches of planning control in the public interest. Many
breaches are resolved through negotiation or retrospective planning
applications, and some cases do not warrant enforcement action due
to minor breaches or lack of expediency. Informal negotiations
often resolve breaches without the need for formal notices, and all
decisions go through a delegated panel process for
scrutiny.
- A
member asked about the target for member decisions against
officers' recommendations, noting that the target was less than 5%
and enquiring what "good" would look like in this context. Officers
explained that the target of less than 5% is set by Welsh
Government, and the range of 5-9% is considered fair. They
emphasised that planning officers and committee members should
generally align in their decisions, but
acknowledged that the Planning Committee exists to make balanced
judgments in the public interest. They noted that the current
figure of 6% sits comfortably within the fair range and reflects
the collaborative working between officers and committee
members.
- A
member suggested improving public understanding of how planning
works, possibly through a statement at the beginning of each
planning meeting. Officers acknowledged the complexity of planning
processes and the need for better communication. They mentioned
that there is a preamble in the agenda with key principles and
policies, but agreed to take the
suggestion away and consider how to make the information more
concise and accessible to the public.
- A
question was asked about the £800,000 collected in fees and
how often this is reviewed. Members were advised that the fee
structure and planning services are currently under review by Welsh
Government, with a consultation running until January
17th. This review aims to make planning services more
resilient and cost recoverable.
- An
enquiry was made about the low action rate (4.5%) from 286
enforcement complaints and whether this highlights the need for
improved training ...
view the full minutes text for item 4.
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5. |
Community & Corporate Plan progress update PDF 1 MB
To inform members of the plan's progress at
the six-month stage.
Minutes:
Leader Mary-Ann Brocklesby introduced the report and answered
the members’ questions with Richard Jones and Matthew
Gatehouse:
- The
Chair asked if more could be done to remove the perception of the
Council ‘marking its own scorecard’, given the lack of
benchmark information and regional or national comparisons in the
report. He asked further if neighbouring authorities could form
working clusters. Councillor Brocklesby acknowledged the need for
benchmarking and agreed that it is important to include such
comparisons where data is available. She mentioned that the Council
is committed to improving this aspect and highlighted the upcoming
peer assessment in 2025, which will provide an objective external
evaluation. She also noted that the Council is already engaging in
cross-learning with neighbouring councils and looking at ways to
improve data management and analysis.
- An
explanation was sought for the number of businesses assisted
declining by 75%. It was explained that this is primarily due to
the reporting period: the current figure of 42 businesses covers
only six months, whereas the previous period's figure was an annual
total for the full 12 months of 23-24. However, even if the current
six-month figure is projected forward, it would still be lower than
the target but, in any case, it is expected that the number will
increase by the end of the full year, making the comparison more
meaningful. The progress update acknowledges the ongoing efforts to
support businesses and plans to continue these efforts in the next
six months.
- A
member asked why the work that Monmouthshire Partnerships is doing
with the three farms on regenerative farming was not included in
the report. The officer responded that while the work on
regenerative farming is important, the report focused on
significant areas related to the measurement framework. He assured
members that the outcomes from the regenerative farming project
would be included in future reports, particularly in the
self-assessment report at the year-end.
- The
Chair enquired as to whether there was any understanding of why
Free School Meals uptake is lower in areas of deprivation. The
officer acknowledged the question and mentioned that the team is
monitoring and tracking the uptake of free school meals. He
suggested that the relevant team would be best placed to provide a
fuller understanding of the reasons behind the lower uptake in
areas of deprivation – ACTION
Chair’s Summary:
The
Chair highlighted the need for benchmarking information, whether
regional or national, to provide a more objective view of the
Council's performance, emphasising the importance of removing the
perception that the Council is marking its own scorecard, and
reiterating the idea of exploring peer reviews with neighbouring
authorities. He appreciated the Leader's engagement on this matter
and acknowledged the ongoing efforts to work more closely with
other councils and share best practices. The Chair thanked the
Leader and officers, and moved the
report.
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6. |
Performance and Overview Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme 2024 and Action List PDF 490 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Officers noted that the first point in the Action List has been
addressed, with the amount of Consultancy spend clarified as being
£1,277,584 for 2023-24. Members were reminded about
invitations to briefing sessions on
Corporate Insurance and Emergency Planning on 28th
November and 15th January, respectively.
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7. |
Cabinet and Council Planner PDF 248 KB
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8. |
To confirm the minutes of previous meetings: PDF 293 KB
·
7th October 2024 (Special)
·
8th October 2024 (Special)
·
15th October 2024
Additional documents:
Minutes:
- 7th October 2024 (Special)
- 8th October 2024 (Special)
- 15th October 2024
The
minutes were agreed.
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9. |
Next Meeting:
Minutes:
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