Agenda and minutes

Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 3 - Monday, 12th December, 2022 16:00

Venue: Hybrid in the Council Chamber - Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend, CF31 4WB. View directions

Media

Items
No. Item

19.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including whipping declarations)

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Members listed below declared personal interests in Agenda item 3 - Play Sufficiency Duty, Assessment and Action Plan to Secure Sufficient Opportunities in Bridgend County Borough, as indicated:

 

Councillor Ian Williams, Member of Bridgend Town Council, Governor of Oldcastle Primary School and Brynteg Comprehensive School.

 

Councillor Jonathan Edward Pratt, Member of Porthcawl Town Council.

 

Councillor Melanie Evans, Member of Pencoed Town Council, Community Governor of Pencoed Comprehensive and Croesty Primary Schools.

 

Councillor Paul Davies, Member of Maesteg Town Council, Governor of Caerau Primary and Nantyffyllon Primary Schools.

 

Councillor Steven Bletsoe, Member of Bridgend Town Council, Member of Coity Higher Community Council and Governor of Penybont School.

 

Councillor Martyn Williams, Member of Coity Higher Community Council and St Brides Minor Community Council.

20.

Play Sufficiency Duty, Assessment and Action Plan to Secure Sufficient Opportunities in Bridgend County Borough pdf icon PDF 113 KB

Invitees

 

Councillor Jane Gebbie - Deputy Leader of Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help

Councillor Rhys Goode – Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations

Councillor John Spanswick - Cabinet Member Communities

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell – Cabinet Member Education

 

Claire Marchant - Corporate Director - Social Services and Wellbeing

Janine Nightingale - Corporate Director - Communities

Lindsay Harvey - Corporate Director - Education and Family Support

 

Andrew Thomas - Group Manager - Sports and Physical Activity

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Director - Social Services and Wellbeing presented the report and explained that the right to play was a central right for children in Wales not just for smaller children but through to the age of 25. The report reflected the impact on children and young people of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extended periods of lockdown. She explained that as well as understanding the assessment, it was also important to note the action plan which was attached and the whole Council and partnership approach, which was required to deliver that action plan. 

 

The Group Manager for Prevention and Wellbeing gave a presentation on the draft assessment, explaining that the draft had been submitted to Welsh Government as required in June, and the process continued through scrutiny and eventually to Cabinet for sign off. This was a three year cycle but there was also annual action planning and an opportunity for engagement on the various matters throughout the year.

 

The Chair thanked the Group Manager for Prevention and Wellbeing for the presentation and Members discussed the following:

 

A Member referred to the phrase “One Council” and asked how this worked in relation to this report.

 

The Group Manager for Prevention and Wellbeing advised that there was National Guidance on how this should work, with strategic leadership through the Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations, a lead Corporate Director and support from both the Communities and Education Directorates. The matters crossed over and all relevant partners should be thinking beyond their own specific area of work and how it interfaced and the impact in terms of a broader Council. The Corporate Director of Social Services and Wellbeing advised that this was demonstrated by the number of Cabinet Members, Corporate Directors and Representatives in attendance at the meeting and that the key partners Halo, Awen, BAVO and schools were all key to the delivery both individually and collectively.

 

The Chairperson asked for a link to the National Guidance to be circulated to Committee Members.

 

A Member referred to 4.3c of the report: “To have regard to children and young people with diverse needs, including those living with disabilities or additional needs” and asked if the Authority had been consulting with and involving disabled people, children, parents and carers over the plans for improvement.

 

The Group Manager for Prevention and Wellbeing advised that he had children with disabilities and was until recently, a Board Member of Disabilities Board, Wales who ran bespoke programmes and that there was feedback from discovery days that shaped the activities and opportunities. They surveyed around 300 young people with additional needs as part of a bigger survey that had provided specific data. They had tried to capture the voices of young people with disabilities, without people speaking for them.

 

The Member explained that his question was predominantly concerned with playgrounds having accessible equipment for children in wheelchairs and that there was not one piece of wheelchair accessible playground equipment in the Bridgend Central Wards, meaning this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

Forward Work Programme Update pdf icon PDF 173 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Officer presented the Committee with the proposed draft outline Forward Work Programme (FWP) attached at Appendix A to the report for discussion and consideration. The SOSC forward work programme would be included in the next report to COSC with any updates from each meeting included.

 

The Scrutiny Officer explained that the Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet was attached as Appendix B to track responses to the Committee’s recommendations. She drew Members’ attention to Appendix A and the addition of the Draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 to 2025/26 and Budget Proposals which was on the 23rd of January 2023. She advised that the Homelessness Strategy would now be scheduled for April and with the Committee’s agreement, the Bridgend 2030 Net Zero Carbon Strategy, the Biodiversity Action Plan and the Future Waste Services Work Streams would be scheduled for future meetings. 

 

A Member explained that he was disappointed that they had not seen the Just Solutions report into Major Parks for BCBC. This was aimed at Newbridge Fields, Maesteg Welfare Park and Aberfields including Waun Llwyd Playing Fields and he hoped there were no recommendations in that report which overlapped with decisions being made at that meeting. The Chair confirmed that the report was not yet available but it was expected shortly. The Member asked if the report could be included in the Forward Work Programme. 

 

The Democratic Services Manager suggested that when the report was published, they could consider the detail and decide if it should come to a future meeting for consideration or be circulated as an information item. No officers had seen the report but it could be linked to Community Asset Transfers in which case it would be more appropriate to have an item on overall community asset transfers. They could send the report to committee members inviting comments and decide on the best way forward.  

 

A member referred to page 141, the Shared Prosperity Fund and asked if any feedback had been received from UK Government, Dr Jamie Wallis or Chris Elmore in relation to the letter regarding the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Scrutiny Officer replied that she had not seen anything and she would follow it up.

 

RESOLVED:       That the Committee approved the Forward Work

                            Programme in Appendix A, noted that the Forward Work 

                            Programme would be reported to a meeting of the

                            Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, following the

                            next cycle of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee

                            meetings and noted the Recommendations Monitoring

                            Action Sheet in Appendix B.

22.

Urgent Items

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

 

 

Minutes:

None.