This report was presented by the Policy and Performance Manager the purpose of which was to provide an update on the Council’s second corporate self-assessment report and judgements, and to seek comments on the draft report within Appendix 1 of the report.

She stated that the self-assessment was the same as 2022 and aimed to demonstrate 3 things. Namely that the Authority were performing well, improving outcomes and utilising resources as well.

She stated that the process was a bit different in 2023 because it was the authorities second year. Performance had been reviewed as part of the regular annual performance process.

Use of resource templates had been completed and governance had been reviewed as part of the regular annual governance statement. The Policy and Performance Manager stated they had used internal and external evidence, heads of service and member challenges. She mentioned a CPA challenge session in June which was for cabinet members, scrutiny chairs and group managers. She also mentioned that a more formal consultation that had gone out the week before the meeting.

The Policy and Performance Manager stated the report included three wellbeing objectives derived from the old corporate plan.

·         Well-being Objective 1 was judged to be good,

·         Well-being Objective 2 as adequate and

·         Well-being Objective 3 as good.

She pointed out that the scores were the same as the scores in 2022 and explained that this was not because performance has been exactly the same but because other scores have fluctuated.

The Policy and Performance Manager concluded that day-to-day management of resources is good, same as in 2022, utilising clear working models and strong relationships. She stated that the use of resources overall was only adequate, and improvements were happening particularly on workforce planning, asset management and performance management.

She stated that there were detailed improvement plans that followed the judgments received from audit Wales in the regulatory reviews of 2022.

She further stated that the authority were keen to implement those recommendations.

She advised that there were still some vacancies and capacity issues in corporate teams and the senior managers who work alongside them and while there was much to improve, such improvements were underway.

The Policy and Performance Manager invited thoughts, ideas and suggestions from the forum around context in the report asking if there was a need to provide additional information.

A Member asked what process was followed in bringing empty properties back into use and asked how the Authority would benefit financially for the efforts in bringing the properties back into use.

The Chairperson responded that, in relation to Valleys to Coast properties, there was a specific agreement in place where the Authority brought properties that had a significant backlog of repairs and required significant modernisation back into use. The properties were then secured for nominations by the Authority from the common housing register. People having the greatest housing need would be housed thereby bringing the property back into use.

He stated that there was a range of different grants and loans available, however, they all had conditions that needed to have been satisfied. When they were brought back into use, the properties have be made available for rent as a form of social housing. It is therefore protected and the grant or loan that has been made would result in a benefit because the authority would be helping to house a person/persons who are in a housing need or indeed homeless.

He stated that quite often that requirement is from the Welsh Government, and there is a partnership arrangement with Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC who administer this on behalf of Welsh Government.

A member suggested including a mention of the positive link with the town and community councils within the report.

The Chairperson agreed with The Policy and Performance Manager that while it is a challenge, when producing such a report, to ensure that the report is succinct and comprehensive, sometimes, assumptions were made and information was taken for granted. He however accepted the suggestion made as a vital one and suggested that it was included in the report for the following year. The Policy and Performance Manager agreed that there was scope to include the suggestion for the current year and that this would be incorporated accordingly.

A member suggested that Council and Public finance were placed on the next agenda because any impact on public finance not only had an impact on the authority as local government, but on all Community councils and town councils. She also suggested that it may be useful to have discussions with all community councillors about an expectation of the borough’s residents because there needed to be an understanding of expectations for all public services and responsibilities.

The Chairperson concluded by inviting contributions that members may want to make outside the meeting. He stated that the authority were keen to make the process effective as it could be. He stressed the importance of town and community councils as being the voices of the communities and reminded members that if they wished to place an item on the agenda, then they should submit details prior to the next meeting.

RESOLVED:                               That the report and the debate generated

                                                    from this, be noted