(i) Mayor (or person presiding)
(ii) Members of the Cabinet
(iii) Chief Executive
(iv) Monitoring Officer
Minutes:
Mayor
The Mayor informed Council of the official engagements which he and his Consort had attended in the past month which included attending a blessing of Betws Primary School and the 100th birthday celebration of Mrs Elsie Criddle. The Mayor and Consort had attended three school production shows and the Festival of Learning, the symposium and the Bridgend learner’s day. They had also attended the INSPIRED for life awards and a RAF presentation with Madelaine Moon MP. Further events had been attended with Pyle and Kenfig community youth service, Judging a ” just giving” competition at Pencoed comprehensive, Dogs Trust Summer Fun Day, Key stage 3 awards at CCYD, record of Achievement Ceremony at Ysgol Bryn Castell, Samaritans AGM, Brackla Fun Day, Maesteg Children’s Choir Annual Concert, Little fingers Kidz family fun day in Evanstown, Happy 4th July Event at Vine Christian Centre, South Wales Fire and Rescue service awards, Caerphilly Civic service, Samtampa & Prince Edward of Wales Exhibition, Splice and Child family project, Bridgend County Show, Pencoed Choir Annual concert, Neath Port Talbot Civic Service, Tondu Primary Citizenship Award Ceremony, Celebration evening at Ysgol Bryn Castell.
Deputy Leader
The Deputy Leader informed Members of the efforts to boost recycling in the Wildmill area to tackle issues with waste and fly tipping around communal bin areas, with the provision of additional recycling bins in the Tairfelin area to create new dedicated collection points for refuse and purple bags. Similar improvements have already had a positive effect in the Glanffornwg part of the estate, where recycling points were moved to make them more accessible and easier to use. He also informed Members that education officers have been speaking to residents to raise awareness throughout the community. Two additional recycling stations will be added at Glanffornwg. By the end of the summer, improvements will have been made in all parts of Wildmill, and the impact that new collection points have made on residents in Maesyfelin and Trem Garth will be reviewed.
The Deputy Leader announced that Keep Wales Tidy had awarded Green Flag status to eight facilities within the County Borough to mark the high standard of park and green spaces at Bryngarw Country Park, Coychurch Crematorium, Maesteg Welfare Park, Wilderness Lake in Porthcawl, Glanrhyd Hospital, Caerau Market Garden, the Badgers Brook Allotments and the Wilderness Allotment Association.
The Deputy Leader also announced that positive feedback had been received from the recent Festival of Learning. The festival had been designed to showcase new and innovative learning and teaching methods, and encouraged schools to share their experiences and knowledge while establishing new training opportunities for teachers and staff. More than 800 teachers, pupils, educators, trainers and employers gathered for the festival, and up to 100 school-based workshops were held which demonstrated how latest modern classroom developments can be used to benefit local children. The Festival featured a keynote address by the
from Children’s Commissioner Dr Sally Holland, and also included a symposium which focused upon how the health and well-being of pupils can be developed, maintained and improved, and a learner’s day where pupils from local schools offered stalls, displays and practical demonstrations of some of the techniques that are in use. Joining the Council, Welsh Government, Estyn, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and local schools for the festival were organisations that included Bridgend College, Cardiff University, the University of South Wales, the Central South Consortium Joint Education Service, Public Health Wales, Wellbeing In Secondary Education and the Art of Brilliance. He expressed his gratitude to everyone who had helped organise the festival.
Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help
The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help asked Members to inform their constituents that applications are now open for places at the County Borough’s two new Extra Care developments. He stated that Ty Llwynderw, which is taking shape at the site of the former Maesteg Lower Comprehensive School, and Ty Ynysawdre, which is being developed next to Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, are set to be completed this Autumn. Both schemes are being built in partnership with Linc Cymru and will enable tenants to continue to live independently and meet people’s changing needs as they grow older. A total of 45 one or two bedroom Extra Care flats are available across the two developments and applicants must be a Bridgend County Borough resident, be in the main over 65 years old, and must already have a social services’ plan of care and support or be waiting for an assessment.
The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help announced that Linc Cymru had organised a community consultation event last week where they discussed their proposals for establishing the Sunnyside Wellness Village on the site of the former council offices and magistrate’s court. Featuring an all-new doctor’s surgery, pharmacy, dental practice, community clinics and supported housing, the proposal is being led by Linc Cymru in partnership with ABMU Health Board.
The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help announced that Maesteg Canoe Club has been recognised for its focus upon disability and inclusion. The club has won a Gold-category in sport award for its efforts which recognises the club’s motivation, commitment and enthusiasm towards changing the lives of disabled people through the power of sport.
Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations
The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations was pleased to inform Members that the winners of Bridgend County Borough Council’s first ever ‘Inspired for Life’ awards were revealed last week. Designed to celebrate local Champions, groups and organisations who have helped improve the health and wellbeing of people in their communities, the awards covered five different categories. She congratulated Maesteg Alternative Curriculum Base at Maesteg Comprehensive for winning the Innovation category and to Community Furniture Aid for the ‘Made A Difference’ category. Simon Green of Bridgend Coalition for Disabled People was successful in the ‘Power Of One’ category, Geoff Cheetham of SHOUTwon the ‘Above and Beyond’ award, and the ‘Young Volunteer’ category award was presented to Nora Hardy from Bryntirion Comprehensive School. The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations was delighted that the call for people to nominate unsung heroes and heroes who work for the good of others, drew a massive response and she thanked the all the nominees and congratulated the winners.
The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations congratulated Pencoed Comprehensive School for winning the Best Team Identity Award and coming third in the Development Class at this year’s ‘F1 In Schools’ competition, which aims to encourage young engineers. She stated that the all-girl team designed, developed and manufactured a ‘mini-car’ and pit display using the team name of ‘Nemesis Inferno’. As a result of their efforts, the girls have won sponsorship from the Sinclair Group who will support them in their future aspirations. Other local teams competed with the likes of Brynteg Comprehensive also making it to the finals. The The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations stated that eencouraging more females into STEM careers is a national priority, and she commended schools for inspiring their pupils to develop skills that are required in the engineering industry.
The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations asked Members to remind their constituents that the School’s Out programme is offering a wide range of free activities designed to keep children fit, healthy and occupied during the summer holidays. The programme was launched last weekend and the programme is organised by the Council in partnership with Awen, Halo, Menter Bro Ogwr and local town and community councils. This year’s School’s Out Programme also includes the Park Lives initiative, Active 4 Life sessions, free swimming and much more. The full programme of activities will be available on the Council website from Friday 20 July, and more information about the Summer Reading Challenge is available from Bridgend Library.
Monitoring Officer
The Monitoring Officer requested that Members note a change to the date of the next meeting of the Audit Committee from 13 September to 6 September 2018. The change is being made at the request of the Chairperson and members of the Audit Committee have been consulted on the change of date.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive welcomed Mr Greg Lane, the newly appointed Head of Democratic Services to his first meeting of the Council.
The Chief Executive announced that the Leader had previously updated Council on the consultations and discussions led by Welsh Government over the changes to the health board boundaries. He stated that Members will be aware that the Cabinet Secretaries agreed that the administration of health services in the Bridgend locality will move from ABMU to Cwm Taf with effect from 1 April next year.
He informed Members that a joint programme board had been established, co-chaired by the chairs of the two health boards. It includes both health board Chief Executives as well as the Leader of this Council and himself. He stated that this Council also has provision for the Director of Social Services and the Cabinet Member Social Services and Wellbeing to attend to ensure that this Council is represented. Initial meetings had been positive and productive and he outlined the principles which had been agreed to guide this project.
1. Continuity of the quality and delivery of patient care will be central to all actions and decision-making.
2. Both Health Boards will work together and with Welsh Government to ensure that neither population nor organisation is disadvantaged by the operational or financial consequences of the changes. By neither population it would mean the new Cwm Taf population across Merthyr, RCT and Bridgend and the new ABMU population across Swansea and Neath and Port Talbot.
3. The commissioning responsibility for Health services for the Neath Port-Talbot and Swansea populations will be retained, in full, by ABMU. The continuity of any services into Neath Port Talbot Hospital from Bridgend is confirmed with service level agreements being put in place as appropriate.
4. The commissioning responsibility for Health services for the Bridgend population will transfer in its entirety to Cwm Taf UHB from 1 April 2019.
5. The provider responsibility for all NHS services to the Bridgend population will transfer to Cwm Taf UHB from 1 April 2019 unless there is a jointly agreed legitimate reason that the provision of a particular service should remain with ABMU either in the short-term (to mitigate de-stabilisation during the transition period) or on a more substantive basis where, for example:
· A given service is part of a specialist service that ABMU already provides to the wider population.
· A single low volume or highly specialised service is currently provided to the Bridgend population from Swansea or Neath Port Talbot (or vice versa) and the critical mass is so small that legitimate concerns are raised about sustainability if disaggregated.
6. In all such instances, the commissioning responsibilities of Cwm Taf UHB for the population would need to be discharged through an appropriate SLA.
The Chief Executive stated that this Council’s involvement in the Board is important and gives the Leader and he (and the Director and Cabinet Member) the opportunity to influence and speak for Bridgend both in terms of the interests of its population and with regard to the integration of services with health both now and going forward. Much of the work of the Board is concerned with the internal workings of the two health organisations. However the Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing is leading the strands of work that relate to partnerships across the two health board areas. The Chief Executive informed Council that as a health board Cwm Taf are ambitious and as a Council BCBC is ambitious and he looked forward to both parties working closely together.
The Chief Executive informed Council that it would be advertising for the role of Director of Education and Family Support. He stated that the current Director Lindsay Harvey was appointed by the Council in an interim capacity when his predecessor was seconded to the Welsh Government and who has subsequently left and taken up a role as Children’s Commissioner in Jersey and will not be returning to her post. He stated there is a need to appoint to the substantive role and that role will be advertised this month. The advert will also make reference to the exploration of a combined education service with Merthyr Council, but would be a BCBC appointment. The Appointments Committee will be convened to oversee that process and make the final decision on appointment following an assessment centre process.
The Chief Executive also informed Council that he and the Interim Head of Finance are reviewing the substantive head of service role and he was taking further advice on the market before an advertisement is placed for that role and he would keep all Members advised on how that work progresses.