CRAFFU : CEFNOGAETH AC ADNODDAU CORFFORAETHOL

CRAFFU : CEFNOGAETH AC ADNODDAU CORFFORAETHOL

3.00 pm DYDD MAWRTH, 25AIN EBRILL, 2023 SIAMBR Y CYNGOR - TIMAU MICROSOFT

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Cafodd yr Agenda hwn ei baratoi gan yr Adran Gwasanaethau Democrataidd. Dylai unrhyw aelod o’r cyhoedd xxxx xxxxx gwybodaeth gysylltu â’r adran ar (01685 725284) neu e-bostio xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx .

Gellir dod o hyd i unrhyw ddogfennau cyfeirio, y cyfeirir atynt ond nad ydynt yn cael eu cyhoeddi fel rhan o’r agenda hwn ar wefan neu mewnrwyd y Cyngor, o xxx Papurau Cefndir

AGENDA

1. Ymddiheuriadau am absenoldeb

2. Datgan buddiant (yn cynnwys datganiadau chwipio)

Atgoffir Aelodau o'u cyfrifoldeb personol i ddatgan unrhyw fuddiant personol a niweidiol mewn perthynas â materion sydd wedi'u cynnwys yn yr agenda hon yn unol â darpariaethau Deddf Llywodraeth Leol a Cyllid 1992 sy'n ymwneud â Treth Cyngor, Deddf Llywodraeth Leol 2000, Cyfansoddiad y Cyngor a Chod Ymddygiad Aelodau.

Nodyn:

(a) Mae Aelodau yn cael eu hatgoffa bod rhaid iddynt nodi rhif eitem a’r mater xxx drafodaeth, a bod rhaid iddynt nodi natur y buddiant personol; a

(b) Lle mae aelod yn ymneilltuo o gyfarfod o ganlyniad i ddatgelu buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu rhaid hysbysu'r Cadeirydd pan fyddant yn gadael.

Adroddiadau

3. Cynllun Sefydliad Iach
I ystyried adroddiad y Prif Weithredwr	5 - 18

4. Cyfranogiad Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful a Strategaeth Gyfathrebu ac Ymgynghori
I ystyried adroddiad y Dirprwy Brif Weithredwr	19 - 38

5. Argymhellion yr Adroddiad

Ydyn ni wedi xxxxx â’r argymhellion ymhob adroddiad a sut yr ychwanegwyd gwerth atynt?

RhaglenniGwaith

6. Blaenraglen Waith 2022/2023
I ystyried yr adroddiad amgaeëdig	39 - 52

7. Ailgyfeiriadau Craffu

Ystyriaethau

8. Adborth ar Graffu Weithrediadau

Unrhyw weithrediadau heb eu cwblhau? Adborth gan weithdai/grwpiau cyflawni a chwblhau tasgau/diwrnodau ymchwilio

8.1	Adborth ar Weithdy: Gwasanaethau Cwsmeriaid – Modelau Gweithredu	53 - 54
	I ystyried yr adroddiad amgaeëdig

9. Unrhyw fater arall y mae'r Cadeirydd yn ei ystyried yn bwysig

CYFANSODDIAD:	Cynghorwyr: X Xxxxxx (Cadeirydd)
	X Xxxxx (Is-gadeirydd)
	Cynghorwyr L Xxxxxx, X Xxxxx, L Xxxxxx-Xxxxx x X Xxxxxx Aelodau cyfetholedig C Xxxxx x X Xxxxxx ynghyd â swyddogion priodo

Os byddai’n well gennych xxxx o’r agenda hwn mewn Iaith arall, cysylltwch a xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx neu ffoniwch 01685 725284

Xxxxxx y dudalen hon yn wag yn fwriadol

Agenda

Eitem 3

Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AN

Main Tel: 00000 000000 xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORT

Date Written	20th February 2023
Report Author	Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Service Area	Human Resources & OD
Committee Date	25th April 2023

Healthy Organisation Plan

1.0 SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1.1 This report details the journey of the Healthy Organisation Plan and how this is going to help us in meeting the objectives of the Council.

2.0 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

2.1 The purpose of this report is to outline the Healthy Organisation progress and review to incorporate any areas of improvement for the finalised Healthy Organisation Strategy.

3.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

3.1 In order to drive the Council forward, it’s vital to have a Human Resource strategy which details the organisations overall plan for managing its workforce to align with its organisational activities.

3.2 The Healthy Organisation Strategy sets the direction for key areas of HR, including attraction and recruitment, performance management, workforce development, leadership and management and wellbeing. We recognise and value that our people are our most important asset in achieving our Organisational Goals.

3.3 One of the key successes to any high performing organisation is ensuring that you have the right people with the right skills at the right time and that we are putting the people agenda at the forefront. It is through our people that an excellent service experience will be delivered. We need exceptional leaders who champion our culture, live our values and facilitate high performance, and a highly talented, diverse, skilled and motivated workforce who are empowered and engaged through

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working in a developmental, collaborative, inclusive and supportive working environment.

3.4 The aims outlined in the Healthy Organisation Strategy will help drive the required changes in culture, leadership, talent management, performance, reward and recognition, personal development and efficient ways of working that will be needed to ensure Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council achieves its Corporate strategic goals and our residents receive a service that meets their needs.

3.5 The Healthy Organisation Plan was formed as part of the Recovery, Transformation and Improvement Plan which grouped together six key themes that focused on transforming the organisation. This now needs to formulate into a wider HR Workforce Strategy that focuses on embedding and implementing change in order to drive the organisation into a sustainable future.

The Healthy Organisation Strategy outlines six themes including:

1. Skills and Development

2. Culture

3. Attraction and Retention

4. Leadership and Management

5. Health and Well-being

6. Performance Management

4.0 WHERE WE WERE

4.1 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has a wealth of skills and experience across its most valuable resource; the workforce. Our employees work with partners to provide services that meet the needs of our residents in delivering our well-being objectives and priorities.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is a lean organisation meaning our challenges include ensuring that resources are appropriately targeted and are used to meet our priorities. We have moved through a period of transformation and as this continues, we need to ensure that we deliver the services to the people of Merthyr that they really need, whilst making changes and improvements to the way that is delivered. It is a challenging time, but transformation can allow us to deliver value for money services and make the improvements required. Some of the areas we developed are:

4.1 Skills Development

Aim: Our workforce is highly skilled and can develop to their full potential

4.2 Apprenticeships

4.3 Investment in the apprenticeship programme has allowed us to strengthen capacity to many areas of the local Authority. We invested an apprentice in areas which were critical to us achieving the Recovery, Transformation and Improvement plan (RTI Plan). These were:

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• Data Analytics

• Horticulture – Parks department

• Energy and Carbon

• Learning and Development

• Social Media

These apprentices have made considerable progress over the last 18 months and continue to help us deliver on key actions and plans.

4.4 Corporate Induction

4.5 Prior to January 2022, there was no structured induction process apart from information on the Intranet and departmental managers providing overviews of the key areas of the Council and general policies and processes. As part of the Healthy Organisation Plan, it was decided that focus would be given to recruiting a team within the OD function and to design and deliver a Corporate Induction for 2022.

4.6 Other Skills Development

4.7 Prior to the formation of the OD team, skills development for staff was ad hoc with limited opportunities readily available. Requests would be received, and support would be given to help source training externally as no internal resource was available to deliver training, upskilling or development opportunities.

4.8 Leadership & Management

Aim: our leaders model our values and inspire and motivate others

4.9 Focus On Your Performance

4.10 Over the last 2 years, the organisation has been on a journey to introduce a new performance management process called Focus on Your Performance. Performance management is a fundamental part of a manager/leader’s role and ensures that their employees are developed, engaged and inspired whilst also meeting their responsibilities. Regular performance discussions allow a manager to get to know their employees and to encourage and, if necessary, improvements to their performance.

4.11 It is recommended that managers align an individual’s goals with the Council’s overall objectives and clearly communicate this link to employees. This ensures that each team member can see how they are contributing to the Council’s success, contributing to job satisfaction and engagement.

4.12 During 2021- 22, work was carried out to transfer the paper version of Focus On Your Performance to an online system. An online performance management system, if set up well, can encourage employees and managers to review performance progress regularly. This ensures that objectives are updated to stay relevant throughout the year. This encourages more regular conversations between employees and managers.

4.13 ILM - Managers have been offered a variety of management courses through the ILM. Over 25 managers completed the ILM Level 5 in Leadership & Management.

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4.14 HR21- The HR Self-Service system allows managers to be able to review their staff’s online timesheets, authorise annual leave and flexi days, record and monitor sickness absence and include any return-to-work interviews.

4.15 Other Leadership and Management Development - There have been many other management development programmes offered in previous years but a challenge has always remained in having the capacity to offer anything internally.

4.16 Culture

Aim: Our culture is one of positivity and continuous improvement

4.17 Within Focus On Your Performance, the reviews include a theme dedicated to Continuous Improvement and process improvement to allow staff to think about how they can improve systems and processes within their teams and departments.

4.18 The Culture Survey was issued to staff in Autumn 2019 which allowed us to review the results providing insight into our staff engagement. In 2022, the survey was re- issued in February and this was important as the impact of the pandemic has provided a huge change to the way in which the Council works and the way in which staff culture has changed. These results will be important as it will provide the opportunity to compare figures to identify trends and patterns.

4.19 As reported previously, a large part of staff culture change has been through the introduction of the agile operation model. Staff were required to review how they carry out their role from an agile approach, whilst still delivering the same service or an improved service to all our internal and external customers.

4.20 Following the results of the culture survey, we have carried out staff awareness training on various policies and processes. We have created new training content which have been incorporated into the mandatory staff e-learning programme, Bobs Business. Also, Service specific training has been carried out.

4.21 Attraction & Retention

Aim: as an employer of choice, we attract and retain a diverse workforce

4.22 E-recruitment - A priority for this theme has been the agreement and purchase of the E-Recruitment system. This allows a more automated process for the potential candidates who are attracted to Merthyr Tydfil Council roles. This system will streamline the advertisement and recruitment process to allow applicants to register an account and apply through an online portal saving their job application at each stage.

4.23 Corporate Induction - Previously, the authority had no structured induction process other than information and general policies and processes on the Intranet and departmental managers providing overviews of the key areas of the Council. Developing a Corporate Induction for all new starters, will help with the attraction and retention and welcoming of new employees to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. This will ensure that all new starters have a positive onboarding process throughout the employee lifecycle.

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4.24 Employee Benefits - Employee benefits continues to be promoted through emails, advertising up-to-date benefits and new schemes available.

4.25 We have reviewed the Cycle to work programme and we have expanded the reward scheme to schools who are able to access some of the benefits.

4.26 We will continue to review and add additional rewards packages in the future.

4.27 Health & Wellbeing

Aim: our workplace enhances the wellbeing, health and happiness of our staff

4.28 Much focus has been given to the health and wellbeing of our staff in particular, supporting them through the Covid-19 pandemic.

4.29 Health and Wellbeing is designed to give staff the resources, information, links and tools to make positive changes to their lifestyle choices which are well documented to improve both physical and mental well-being.

4.30 A health and wellbeing promotion calendar of wellbeing initiatives was published at the start of 2021 to showcase a topic each month. October is about raising awareness of the menopause and will incorporate World Menopause Day on 18th October 2021. We will be raising awareness about the menopause and breaking the stigma surrounding the menopause and the workplace. Through all staff emails/Promotion via intranet/Poster campaign/ Update current menopause guidance.

4.31 The occupational health intranet site was updated with intranet signposting, staff guidance and training.

4.32 Social media platforms such as the staff Facebook page have been utilised to promote wellbeing but to also reach our staff who may not have access to the intranet pages.

4.33 As part of the Environmental Wales Act and The Merthyr Tydfil Nature Recovery Action Plan, MTNRAP (2019-2024) which was adopted by Council on 29th January 2020, we have promoted through the staff Facebook page, events to help promote looking after the environment at home such as wildflower planting and biodiversity.

4.34 Performance Management – FOP EPM system, data

Focus on Your Performance

4.35 Performance management is a fundamental part of a manager/leader’s role and ensures that their employees are developed, engaged and inspired, and also meeting their responsibilities. Regular performance discussions allow a manager to get to know their employees and to encourage and, if necessary, improve performance.

4.36 It is recommended that managers align an individual’s goals with the Council’s overall objectives and clearly communicate this link to employees. This ensures that

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each team member can see how they are contributing to the Council’s success, contributing to job satisfaction and engagement.

4.37 Performance management therefore clearly feeds into other critical elements of the Organisational Development strategy, such as employee engagement. It is a valuable opportunity for staff members to voice ideas, concerns, or feedback.

4.38 Managing staff performance will ensure the Council’s overall performance improves. This has positive effects in relation to budget management for the long-term.

4.39 It is critical that CMT lead the way in performance management and encourage all managers to view the process as a central feature of their role.

4.40 In order to embed the Performance Management process, having an online system would allow better control over who is following the process. Paper-based appraisal processes can be described as a once or twice-a-year affair, with objectives locked in a draw and never looked at or updated between reviews.

4.41 An online performance management system, if set up well, can encourage employees and managers to review performance progress regularly. This ensures that objectives are updated to stay relevant throughout the year. This encourages more conversation between employee and Manager.

4.42 We are working towards obtaining better quality performance data. Obtaining meaningful performance data from paper-based appraisal forms is both difficult and time consuming. For example, compiling training needs across the Council typically involves reading through every employee’s personal development plan and identifying common needs, which can take considerable time to complete. A good online system will produce data like dashboards at the touch of a button which will enable managers to have better workforce data.

4.43 Streamlining the Focus on Performance process is key as a paper-based process requires physical forms to be passed around the organisation between employees, managers and HR for completion and signature. Not only is this laborious for staff, trying to keep track of who is at what stage of the process is nigh-on impossible. An online system will offer automated workflows and approvals, making the process simpler and quicker for employees and managers to complete.

4.44 ‘Generation Y’ expect everything to be online. The ‘internet generation’, now making up an increasing percentage of the workforce, typically manage their lives online. Organisations wishing to present themselves as an employer of choice to these individuals will struggle if they are still using paper-based forms, or even Word documents, to manage their processes.

5.0 WHERE WE ARE NOW

The Healthy Organisation Strategy is designed to support the Council in achieving its objectives by anticipating the workforce implications and help set out some specific actions that affect its workforce. The workforce plan has been designed in line with service areas requirements and manager input to ensure it supports the delivery of critical services within the council.

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In delivering the objectives set out in the Healthy Organisation action plan, we will be creating the conditions necessary to ensure the future sustainability and high performance of our Council. It is our staff who are the key to our success along this journey, and so this Healthy Organisation Strategy sets out our commitment to creating a people-focused environment, where every employee can thrive and perform to their full potential.

5.1 Skills Development

5.2 Apprenticeships

During 2022 - 2023, the apprenticeship programme scheme has received ongoing continued support with regular 1:1 meetings outlining support and to identify any training needs. In conjunction, there has been a number of development days that have taken place which enables each apprentice to receive general skills training in the form of Presentation and Communication skills which will no doubt increase their skillset as they continue through the apprenticeship scheme. Some of our apprentices have completed their apprenticeship qualifications and have undertaken further training. The rest of our apprentices continue to work towards their completion date of 31st August 2023.

5.3 Blended Learning

Since the OD team was formed in 2021, a main focus of their remit has been on exploring the training opportunities available to staff. The team have worked with a number of areas to deliver a curriculum of blended learning approaches by offering a mixture of hybrid and electronic training opportunities taking the form of e-learning, webinars and online delivery sessions. An e-learning platform (Skillshub) was sourced to provide a range of over 650 short courses to all staff across the council to encourage and promote self-development. In addition to this, a range of bespoke face to face sessions including Difficult Conversations, basic essential IT skills for frontline employees, Safeguarding, Bullying Awareness and Performance Management support session have been designed and delivered.

5.4 Throughout the year, the organisation has continued to promote learning through raising national awareness and linking in with campaigns such as National Apprenticeship Week and Learning at Work Week. Some of the learning subjects offered during Learning at Work Week covered: SMART objectives, Autism Awareness, Unconscious Bias, Keeping you safe from Frauds and Scams, Emergency First Aid, Welsh Conversation, Digital Literacy, GDPR Awareness and Managing Data.

5.5 Since 2021, two National Apprenticeship Week campaigns have been organised which brings together everyone that is passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunity that apprenticeships bring. It was a great opportunity to celebrate with all the apprenticeship community, promote the benefits of apprenticeships, of progression opportunities, of new exciting standards and showcase how apprenticeships work for individuals, employers, local communities, and the wider economy. There was much participation from our previous and current apprentices, our Managers and gave the opportunity for our training providers to showcase what apprenticeships are available to staff. These national events were well received as it encouraged staff to sign up to the offering of a variety of training

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throughout the week as well as informing staff of the many benefits of continued learning.

5.6 Training Calendar

To facilitate the ease of accessing and raise awareness of the learning opportunities available throughout the organisation, an online training calendar was developed and can be accessed by all staff through the Councils intranet page. For frontline staff, a monthly infographic is generated and Managers are encouraged to print and put up in common areas for all frontline staff to be aware. For Neighbourhood Services frontline staff, an IT suite has been created in our Unit 20 site where staff can access online training through a variety of IT equipment.

5.7 Leadership & Management

5.8 Aspiring Managers Programme

Following on from feedback received through our Managers population, Staff Forum and our Culture Survey results, it became clear that there was an identifying need for training for a foundation or aspiring managers programme. This opportunity could be accessed by staff that may be in team leading roles or supervisor style roles that could have potential to evolve into more structured Management roles over time. In partnership with Coleg Y Cymoedd, an ILM Level 3 accredited course for Aspiring Managers was developed which focused on 3 units including Leading and Motivating a Team, Solving Problems and Understand how to motivate. Staff had to express an interest by completing an application form which detailed how they would benefit from attending this course in their current roles. 26 staff attended from a variety of departments across the organisation which led to increased networking opportunities. All staff successfully completed the course and feedback from each attendee expressed an interest for further aspiring management modules.

5.9 Managers Network

Managers Network was formed in 2021 with the aim to inform, cascade and engage by actively encouraging networking and training opportunities for Line Managers to help you to contribute to Xxxxxxx’x Corporate Objectives. The role of Managers Network is to open a two-way dialogue between all levels of Managers across all departments within the Council to encourage open discussions and debate on a number of topics. The purpose of the Managers Network is to inform any upcoming areas of concern that may impact Service areas, relay any legislative or strategic direction and operation of working practices as well as for information to be cascaded further down the organisation. As well as this, it is an opportunity to engage and network, encourage cross collaborative working relationships, provide further training opportunities and include a 360-feedback platform for peer support. It takes place every quarter and is chaired by the Chief Executive and some Corporate Management team member and has been well attended by our Line Manager population.

5.10 Managers Hub

An emerging need for our Managers was identified through the Managers Network forum as well as an increase in trends from the HR department for Managers guidance. The creation of Managers Hub on the Councils intranet page focuses

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solely on providing helpful guides, toolkits and information on processes, policies and procedures for our Managers. There is sections dedicated to Managers Managing Performance, Managers Managing Wellbeing, Managers Induction and a Managers e-learning platform.

5.11 Managers Induction

November 2022 saw the launch of the Managers Induction which provided sessions to support new managers into the organisation outlining them of their management responsibilities, corporate wellbeing objectives and advising on key HR policy and procedures. In addition to this, a programme of sessions to further support new and existing managers in their roles was developed which focuses on Performance Management, Leadership styles, Coaching and Giving and Receiving Feedback.

5.12 Culture

5.13 Staff Forum

The Staff forum was re-instigated in February 2022 and runs online via Microsoft Teams on a monthly basis. It is a platform whereby it enables two-way communication between Merthyr Tydfil Council and its employees in order to contribute to the Councils’ Success and Vision. The main aim of the forum is to:

1. Gather views, ideas, and suggestions from staff members.

2. Provide representation from across the authority.

3. Consultation and discussion of matters relating to employees.

4. A chance for staff to have their say

The Staff Forum has attendees each month ranging between 6-15 staff members mostly from the corporate centre. Throughout 2022, a variety of topics were debated by the Staff Forum attendees which included the Corporate Plan, What is it like to work for MTCBC, Health and Wellbeing, Getting to know your Corporate Management Team, Staff Benefits and Training. The challenges faced have been to reach our frontline staff in order to increase participation and discussion of new themes.

5.14 Headteachers Welcome

2022 saw a variety of new Headteacher appointments which provided an opportunity for a welcome session. The welcome session was attended by the Chief Executive, Director of Education, Director of Social Services, Head of Finance and the Head of HR and included 8 Headteachers. The sessions included an outline of Merthyr Tydfil’s Corporate Priorities and Wellbeing Objectives and provided the chance for Headteachers to meet with CMT members.

5.15 Staff Newsletter

The feedback gathered from the Culture Survey, Staff Forum and Managers Network expressed a need for recognition of staff for achievements which included length of service, welcoming new employees and sharing staff celebration stories. The staff newsletter “The Message” is released on a bi-monthly basis and promotes the achievements of our employees and has received positive feedback so far. Staff and

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Managers are encouraged to contribute by submitting stories to the staff newsletter email address.

5.16 Culture Survey Action Plan

The 2022 Culture Survey that was shared with employees in February 2022 received 285 staff responses. Following on from the responses received, workshops were held with CMT, SLT, Managers Forum and Staff Forum to share the responses and ask for contribution to activities, initiatives and measures that could be implemented to address any of feedback received. A Culture Survey Working group was set up and members of CMT were each tasked with themes relating to the question responses and asked to devise a plan of action. Following on from these sessions, a Culture Survey Action Plan has been created which outlines ‘You Said, We Did and Next Steps’ to take forward. This will be communicated with staff in early 2023.

5.17 Attraction & Retention

5.18 E-recruitment

5.19 Following the agreement and purchase of the e-recruitment module, a project team was created to begin work on scoping the needs of the advertisement and recruitment process. This project is currently in its infancy stage and further work is required by the system in order to fulfil the requirements of a recruitment process before work can be fully commenced on implementation.

In addition to the work on e-recruitment, work has been carried out on streamlining the recruitment process and updating the Councils internal and external job vacancies page to include more focus on Merthyr Tydfil Council as an employer of choice. This has included endorsements from the Chief Executive, inclusion of terms and conditions and staff testimonials from areas that have previously been identified as ‘hard to recruit’ areas. This is due to be launched in 2023 in conjunction with the e-recruitment module.

5.20 Corporate Induction

Our Corporate Induction training programme was launched in February 2022 which enables all new employees into the Council to learn about our organisation, our policies and processes and will aim to ease the new starter into the culture of the organisation and make them aware of our values for all new starters will help with the attraction and retention theme to ensure that all new starters have a good onboarding process from recruitment through to starting with the Council. Our induction training programme enables new starters to learn about our organisation, our policies and processes and will aim to ease the new starter into the culture of the organisation and make them aware of our values. The corporate induction is evaluated on a monthly basis and the necessary amendments are made to ensure the information provided is up-to-date and relevant.

5.21 Benchmarking

A benchmarking exercise was carried out during summer 2022 which focused on specific job roles that had been advertised on multiple occasions. This exercise included liaising with other Local Authorities in order to compare salaries of specific

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posts, job descriptions and job advertisements to ensure that our roles were comparable and competitive.

5.22 Health & Wellbeing

5.23 Following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the health and wellbeing of our workforce has remained our utmost priority. Our workforce has undergone a transformation in terms of working practices through adopting agile/hybrid working, our changing needs as an organisation, financial pressures and demands in service delivery which all adds to continuing pressures on our workforce to deliver.

5.24 Health and Wellbeing is designed to give staff the resources, information, links and tools to make positive changes to their lifestyle choices which are well-documented to improve both physical and mental well-being.

5.25 An impact of this has been most notable in health and wellbeing of our workforce. Through engagement in a variety of forums throughout 2022, it was identified in each that health and wellbeing was at an all-time low.

5.26 Utilising funding from Welsh Government, we were able to provide an extensive health and wellbeing offering to our workforce that included a mixture of face to face and hybrid sessions focused on emotional health, financial health and physical health.

5.27 Sessions were conducted with a two-way approach focusing on supporting employees through management wellbeing training and employees managing their own health and wellbeing.

5.28 In conjunction with our Occupational Health department who continued to run occupational health clinics, raising awareness of national campaigns and provide daily guidance and signposting of support functions available i.e. employee assistance programmes, local charities.

5.29 A wellbeing programme was launched in 2022 that focused on areas including coping, thriving and succeeding tools that staff could implement to cope with the daily pressures of home and work life. Over 50 staff attended the sessions and feedback received commented around how they were grateful for the organisation to facilitating sessions that encouraged staff to talk about wellbeing.

5.30 Other health and wellbeing initiatives included an online session with a trained physician on musculoskeletal health which was highly received and shared across the organisation. Sessions included excelling under pressure, stress and burnout included practical solutions and coping mechanisms to strengthen the wellbeing and resilience of our workforce.

5.31 Performance Management

5.32 The continuation of embedding Performance Management throughout the organisation remains. HR continue to support staff and managers through the transition of performance management to the new online platform.

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5.33 Staff are supported through training opportunities to attend sessions on the importance of performance management and how essential the process is to the performance of individuals and organisationally.

5.34 The use of Focus on Your Performance provides data to HR which includes the amount of objectives set and ensures that wellbeing discussions are taking place as part of those conversations.

5.35 in addition to this, a career development section has been added which encourages conversations around career aspirations which will support succession planning and workforce development.

6.0 WHERE WE WANT TO BE

6.1 It is clear that the Council’s Healthy Organisation objectives and ambitions are intrinsically linked with effective financial management and planning and as such must be clearly demonstrated and reflected in the Medium-Term Financial Plan. HR is committed to continuing to work proactively and strategically in partnership with each Directors and Heads of Service to ascertain workforce priorities towards a Healthy Organisation and mitigate potential people risks. This will include proposals to ensure we support our current workforce to develop within their roles, have a return on investment from the apprenticeship levy, and look at supporting the people of Merthyr Tydfil.

6.2 We aim to offer an easy-to-use recruitment process, where we can attract the best talent to work for the Council and can offer a career path to future roles and progression. We will continue to offer work experience options to develop skills, obtain experience of a workplace environment and to showcase the wide range of careers within the Council.

6.3 Working with stakeholders to get feedback on finalising the Healthy Organisation Strategy to ensure it aligns with the Corporate Plan and departmental goals.

6.4 Issuing the HR questionnaire to seek the feedback from our senior leaders to ensure that the Healthy Organisation Strategy aligns and supports them in achieving their departmental plans. It will also ensure that our HR function meets the needs of the organisation.

6.5 Work with CMT/SLT on embedding robust workforce development plans, using data to make key workforce decisions.

6.6 Continuing to build training plans around workforce needs ensuring we have the right skills to carry out roles, including carrying out a training needs analysis to tailor programmes to service need.

6.7 As part of the transformation, the Human Resources (HR) Service is active with this requirement in supporting the Council in undertaking work to develop a Healthy Organisation. This includes looking at workforce planning and transformational projects such as digitalisation. There is a strong focus on Performance Management and supporting the workforce to develop and review their performance and providing training and upskilling opportunities.

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6.8 Utilising Performance Management data will enable our Leaders to identify and contribute to the development of succession planning across the organisation to ensure that we are training current and future leaders of the organisation.

6.9 In order to achieve the actions within the Healthy Organisation Strategy, considerable investment in the development of our staff has been supported. Further plans are in place to increase the development of our Leaders and Managers by creating a Leadership and Management Curriculum. Within the curriculum will be a blended approach to training opportunities such as e-learning, videos and training programmes that will focus on a tier-led level of New, Intermediate and Strategic Management. Further skills development activities and wellbeing is being developed and will benefit our staff during the agile working plans.

6.10 We will continue to xxxxxx an environment where our leaders champion our culture, live our values, facilitate high performance, motivate our workforce to become empowered and engaged whilst working in an aspirational, collaborative, inclusive and supportive working environment.

7.0 WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT

7.1 HR is committed to continuing to work proactively and strategically in partnership with each Director and Head of Service to ascertain workforce priorities towards a Healthy Organisation and mitigate potential people risks. This will include proposals to ensure we support our current workforce to develop within their roles, have a return on investment from the apprenticeship levy, and look at supporting the people of Merthyr Tydfil. We aim to offer an easy-to-use recruitment process, where we can attract the best talent to work for the Council and can offer a career path to future roles and progression.

7.2 The HR Questionnaire and focussed working groups with stakeholders will allow us to obtain feedback on the HR function they want so all of these considerations can help formulate the final version of the wider HR strategy and action plan.

7.3 Use the new Corporate Wellbeing objectives to align and shape the Healthy Organisation Strategy to support departments in working towards these goals and outcomes for the people of Merthyr Tydfil.

7.4 Publish HR Strategy so it becomes a document everyone ‘owns.’ It needs to be more than words on paper, it needs to come to life to help create a culture and a working environment where people are motivated and accountable in their roles and have the right skills and knowledge to deliver an exceptional service to the people of Merthyr Tydfil.

8.0 CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING OBJECTIVES

8.1 The Healthy Organisation Strategy will be a stand alone plan which will be aligned to the Corporate wellbeing objectives. HR is committed to continuing to work proactively and strategically in partnership with each Directors and Heads of Service to ascertain workforce priorities towards a Healthy Organisation. This will allow better alignment to the Corporate Plan.

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XXXXX XXXXXX CHIEF EXECUTIVE

XXXXXX XXXXX PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR GOVERNANCE & RESOURCES

BACKGROUND PAPERS
Title of Document(s)	Document(s) Date	Document Location
Does the report contain any issue that may impact the Council’s Constitution?

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Agenda

Eitem 4

Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AN

Main Tel: 00000 000000 xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORT

Date Written	10th April 2023
Report Author	Xxxx Xxxxxx
Service Area	Communication, Consultation and Cabinet Office
Committee Date	25th April 2023

MERTHYR TYDFIL COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL’S PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSULTATION STRATEGY

1.0 SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1.1 On 1st February 2023, the draft Participation strategy was presented to a Corporate Support Scrutiny for consideration.

1.2 Due to changes to legislation on the Local and Government Elections Act 2021, all local authorities have a duty to encourage local people to participate in the Council’s decision-making process. Based on these changes to legislation all local authorities were required to produce a Participation Strategy to outline their strategic approach.

1.3 The Participation strategy must sit in-line with the engagement process contained in the Council’s Communication and Consultation strategy. This strategy is currently being reviewed and, on this basis, Xxxxxxxx requested that both strategies be brought back to this Scrutiny meeting for consideration and challenge.

2.0 RECOMMENDATION(S)

2.1 That the committee receives this report, and the content be debated and noted.

3.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

3.1 In recent years, there has been a greater prominence across the Council on consultation and engagement as a key principle of service delivery. Activity has shifted away from a focus on formal consultation to a more complete public engagement approach.

.

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3.2 The Council has had a Communications and Engagement Strategy since 2015. This is regularly reviewed to ensure that the Council has an effective framework to complete consultation activities and provide ongoing development and improvement of services for the community. The legislative changes referred to above as part of the Local Government and Elections Act 2021 are reflected in the Council’s updated Communications and Engagement Strategy.

3.3 The Participation Strategy is for everyone who wants a voice in influencing Council decisions. It is also for the community and the Council to become more informed and empowered in the process.

3.4 The strategy is designed to support the knowledge of how we carry out successful, meaningful, and robust consultation and engagement and to provide a framework to encourage public participation in the democratic decision-making process. Both the Communications and Consultation Strategy and the Participation Strategy has been re-developed into an easy read version to encourage all stakeholders to understand the process and get involved. (Please see Appendix 1 to view a copy of the Communications and Consultation Strategy and Participation Strategy)

4.0 RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPLEMENTATION

All members of staff and elected members have a responsibility for the successful implementation of the Communications and Consultation and the Participation Strategy. For both strategies to be effective, it has to be part of the Council’s culture and there needs to be a genuine commitment to communicate and engage with the local community.

5.0 WHERE WE ARE NOW

5.1 Following challenges on certain contentious consultation and engagement exercises, a review of the Council’s Communications and Engagement Strategy was undertaken. These changes have been incorporated as part of the Local Government and Elections Act 2021 with the request to increase participation. We want to ensure that we provide all our stakeholders with the opportunity to get involved and, as a result of this, we are currently engaging with our communities on the Participation Strategy.

6.0 WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT

6.1 On receipt of the feedback to the engagement exercise and any further comments or suggestions from Xxxxxxxx, both the revised strategies referred to above, will be presented to full Council for approval.

7.0 CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING OBJECTIVES

7.1 The improvement activities identified in this report directly contribute to our wellbeing objective:

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7.2 Best Start to life: Children and young people get the best start to life and are equipped with the skills they need to be successful learners and confident individuals.

7.3 Working Life

(Community Regen/ Housing/PASS

People feel supported to develop the skills required to meet the needs of businesses, with a developing, safe infrastructure which makes Merthyr Tydfil an attractive destination.

7.4 Environmental Wellbeing

(Neighbourhood Services/Planning)

Communities protect, enhance, and promote our environment and countryside.

7.5 Living Well

(Children’s & Adults Services) People are empowered to live independently within their communities, where they are safe and enjoy good physical and mental health.

Environmental Wellbeing.

XXXX XXXX

DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE

COUNCILLOR XXXXXX XXXXX PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR GOVERNANCE AND CORPORATE

SERVICES

BACKGROUND PAPERS
Title of Document(s)	Document(s) Date	Document Location
• MTCBC’s		Communications, Consultation and
Consultation and		Engagement Office.
Engagement
Framework
• Consultation and
Engagement
Request Form
• Draft
Communications
and Consultation
Strategy
• Feedback from
Engagement
exercise on
Participation
Strategy.
Does the report contain any issue that may impact the Council’s Constitution?			No

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Xxxxxx y dudalen hon yn wag yn fwriadol

Participation Strategy

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2023-2028

Introduction

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has a firm commitment to delivering high quality, sustainable services. Fundamental to the success

of this is a strong relationship between the Council, its residents, and the communities across the whole of Merthyr Tydfil.

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This Participation Strategy sets out our approach to encouraging two-way communications and making the process of influencing decision making more accessible. It considers elements of both the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 to cover two distinct but comparable areas:

Consultation and Engagement Process Influencing the Democratic Process

What is Participation?

Participation is defined as ‘the action of taking part in something’.

Approval and Review

This strategy will be approved by Full Council with a commitment to take on board the views of our audiences. It is a ‘living’ document, meaning that it will change as and when needed; and will be evaluated and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that we are evolving with new legislation.

Part 1: Consultation and Engagement

What is engagement?

‘Engagement means anything that we do that informs citizens about what we do, or involves citizens in the Council’s decision-making process.’

Who do we engage with?

The Principles of Engagement

The Consultation Institute Charter states that the seven key aspects of good consultation are:

Integrity The consultor must be willing to listen to the views of consultees and be prepared to be influenced when making subsequent decisions.

Visibility All those who have a justifiable right to participate should be reasonably made aware of the exercise.

Residents

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Businesses and investors Visitors

Media Partners

Community groups

Why do we engage?

Staff Councillors Trades unions Local charities MPs and AMs Government

Accessibility Methods of informing and consulting must be ‘appropriate for the intended audience’.

Transparency Stakeholder invitation lists, consultee responses (with consent) and consultation results should be published.

Disclosure Consultors are under a duty to disclose information, including financial details, which could materially influence the nature and extent of consultees’ reports.

Fair interpretation Responses to the consultations must be collated and assessed

By meeting our statutory duty to engage with our audience we will help keep them informed and enable them to shape the decisions we make.

By listening and understanding we will empower our audience to have greater influence over the issues that affect them. It will also help us to be inclusive and act with purpose; understanding the needs of our communities to ensure that the services we deliver meet those needs, supporting them to take action and develop community-led solutions.

objectively. If weighting methods were used, these must be disclosed.

Publication There is a ‘proper expectation’ that the output and outcome of the consultation will be published within a reasonable time.

These are implicit in all the authority’s communication practices.

How do we engage?

At times, engagement may simply be about informing, while at other times engagement will involve a combination of providing and gathering information, consultation, feedback, and evaluation.

The Spectrum of Engagement according to the International Association of Public Participation outlines five levels of engagement:

The Legal Context

Essentially, where people have come to legitimately expect a process of consultation, for example, with local authority budget cuts, there are grounds for a judicial review should a public consultation not take place. Similarly, a consultation must be conducted properly should the choice be taken to embark on one, whether a legal requirement exists for it or not.

This is part of ensuring that the consultation process remains a fair one.

The legitimate expectation applies:

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Informing

Providing information to localities to enable them to understand problems, alternatives, opportunities,

and solutions

keep everyone informed

Consulting

Obtaining local feedback to inform decision-making

Obtaining feedback on formal proposals

keep you informed, hasten to acknowledge concerns, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision

Involving

Working directly with local people to ensure that issues, concerns, and aspirations are understood and considered

So that we will...

work with you to ensure your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision

Collaborating

Working in partnership with localities on all aspects of decision-making including development of options and identifying preferred solutions

look to you for direct advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Empowering

Placing final decisions in the hands of the locality

implement what you decide

• when there has been a clear promise of consultation

• where official guidance or policies imply a promise to act in a particular way

• where there is a withdrawal of a benefit with significant impacts to be considered

• where the nature of the relationship would create unfairness if there were to be inadequate consultation.

Gunning Principles

If it has been determined that consultation is required, it is important that the following princi- ples are adhered to, to ensure legal compliance.

• Proposals are still at a formative stage – a final decision has not yet been made, or predetermined, by the decision makers.

• There is sufficient information to give ‘intelligent consideration’ - the information provided must relate to the consultation and must be available, accessible, and easy to interpret for consultees to provide an informed response.

• There is adequate time for consideration and response - there must be sufficient opportunity for consultees to participate. There is no set timeframe for consultation, despite the widely accepted twelve-week consultation period, as the length of time given to respond can vary depending on the subject and extent of impact of the consultation.

• ‘Conscientious consideration’ must be given to the consultation responses before a decision is made - decision-makers should be able to provide evidence that they took consultation responses into account.

Part 2: Influencing the Democratic Process

Residents can directly influence decisions that are made in the Council Chamber. This section of the strategy will provide an understanding of how local government works, how decisions are made, what information is available and how members of the public can become involved.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council operates under the executive model, where the majority of decisions are taken either by Full Council or Cabinet.

Full Council is made up of 30 elected members across 11 Wards, who appoint the Leader of the Council. The Leader then creates a Cabinet which includes themselves and five additional members, each of whom takes the lead in a specific service area.

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What do the different committees do?

There are a number of meetings that regularly take place. Click on the links below for further information on each one:

Full Council Cabinet Scrutiny Planning And Licensing Governance and Audit Democratic Services Committee Standards

How can I see what is being discussed?

At the Annual General Meeting each May the Council agrees a full committee cycle for the coming year. Agendas are published for these meetings at least three working days before they take place.

Can I attend meetings?

All committee meetings are open to the public, although some agendas may include exempt items which are required to be considered in private. Members of the public cannot speak at meetings without prior arrangement.

How can I find out what happened if I can’t attend?

Minutes are published for every meeting. They act as a record of the meeting and resolutions made.

Most Council meetings are recorded, streamed and stored in an archive to be watched online. These are available on the Council’s website, either through the news and events stream or directly via the meeting.

How can I influence decisions?

Voting

When voting, you are having your say on who represents you within the Council and who the spokesperson is for the area you live in. Next time there is an election, think about who you believe will best represent your beliefs and values and make that point by using your vote.

Local elections are usually held every five years. To vote you simply need to be age 16 or over and registered on the electoral roll with the Council.

You can register online at xxx.xxx.xx/xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Contact your local councillor

You can contact your local Councillor to discuss issues within your Xxxx.

A list of all Councillors and their contact details is available on our website. If you are not sure which Xxxx you live in you can search here.

Stand as a councillor

If you feel strongly about not voting because you do not believe that any of the candidates represent you, there is always the option to stand for election yourself.

To stand for election you must be at least 18 years old; be a British, Commonwealth, European or qualifying foreign citizen; and meet at least one of the following four criteria:

• You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector within the local authority area;

• You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the local authority area for the whole 12 months previous to the day of nomination and election;

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• Your main or only place of work has been within the local authority area for the whole 12 months previous to the day of nomination and election;

• You have lived within the local authority area for the whole 12 months previous to the day of nomination and election.

Become a co-opted member of a Scrutiny Committee

All five of the Council’s scrutiny committees have public appointment positions for co-opted members. As a co-opted member of a committee you would take part in meetings alongside Councillors. There is no salary or allowance for the role, but reimbursements are made for reasonable travel expenses. For information on current vacancies, contact Democratic Services.

• If you are aged between 11-25, you can also become a member of the Merthyr Tydfil Borough Wide Youth Forum (MTBWYF), whose members are also represented on each of the scrutiny committees.

Attend a public meeting

Anyone can attend any meeting of the Council and observe the proceedings and debates taking place. Most meetings take place in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN. Remote attendance has also been introduced in recent years, so even if you are unable to attend the meeting in person you can contact Democratic Services to request to join remotely.

Any person attending may be excluded from items if sensitive or confidential information is expected to be discussed. These are classed as exempt items and they are clearly marked on the agenda.

Ask a question at Committee or add an item to a Forward

The Constitution allows for the public to ask questions or request that items be added to forward work plans for all committees.

Requests should always be submitted in writing or by electronic mail, and there are deadlines for submission.

for Scrutiny committees, send your enquiries to: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

for all other committees, send your enquiries to: xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

Submit a Comment or Complaint

A member of the public may comment or complain about a service received by the Council by:

• using the Council’s complaints procedure

• contacting their local Councillor

• contacting the responsible Cabinet member responsible for the service area

• contacting the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Comments or complaints regarding the conduct of a Councillor should be directed to the Council’s Monitoring Officer via Democratic Services or the Complaints Department.

Submit a petition

The petitions process allows members of the public to have direct influence on the political process and to raise concerns that are important to them.

Anyone who lives, works or studies in Merthyr Tydfil, including under 18’s, can organise a petition. The minimum age of a person who can sign the petition is 10.

Members of the public can submit petitions on the following:

• Issues relating to the Council’s responsibilities.

• Issues which affect the County Borough or communities in Merthyr Tydfil, as long as the Council is in a position to exercise some degree of influence.

• Anything relating to an improvement in the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area to which any of the Council’s partners could contribute.

All petitions sent or presented to the council will receive an acknowledgement from the council within 14 days of receipt. This acknowledgement will set out what we plan to do with the petition.

Paper petitions must include the detail that the petition wants to address on the top of every page so that is clear that everyone signing knows what they are signing for.

Xxxx completed petitions to:

Democratic Services, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN.

For more detail about how you can influence the democratic process: xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx Tudalen 29

Xxxxxx y dudalen hon yn wag yn fwriadol

Communications & Engagement Strategy

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2023-2028

Introduction

What does this strategy mean?

This Communications Strategy has been developed to explain the way in which Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (MTCBC) communicates with residents, partners, businesses and all our other key audiences.

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The Council is committed to delivering value for money and quality public services to the residents of our County Borough, keeping our audiences informed and engaged throughout our journey.

Our approach is to ensure communications and engagement activity is fit for purpose and helps to achieve our vision and objectives. It also defines how we will listen and respond to what our audience is telling us through two-way communication.

Our Audience

Who they are

Our Audience

And how we engage with them

Our Communications, Consultation and Engagement team provides high quality,

bilingual communications and support to a range of audiences.

Engagement: online and face to face

Consultation

Advertising

Digital Communications

Residents Staff

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Businesses and investors

Visitors Media Partners

Community groups

Councillors Trades unions Local charities MPs and AMs Government

Campaign Management

Social Media

Media Relations

Event Management

Internal Communications

Crisis Communications

Our Aim

We will actively engage with our audiences, encouraging feedback to help shape

future services, talking with - not at - those who matter: the people we serve, the people

we employ and those we do business with.

Our aim is to provide high quality, relevant communications in a variety of ways to

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increase people’s understanding of the Council and its services.

We also consult and engage with residents, employees and partners in order to listen to their opinions and concerns and, where possible, act upon these.

The Council’s Vision.

To strengthen Merthyr Tydfil’s position as the regional centre for the Heads of the Valleys,

and be a place to be proud of where:

People learn and develop skills to fulfil their ambitions. People live, work, have a safe, healthy and fulfilled life.

People visit, enjoy and return.

Our Corporate Priorities

Read our full Corporate Strategy here

An Aspirational Merthyr Tydfil focused on learning

We will strengthen how we enable people to grow and reach their potential

A Healthier Merthyr Tydfil

We will empower people to live independent and dignified lives

A Safe & Prosperous Merthyr Tydfil

We will support how our economy recovers and grows

A Clean & Green Merthyr Tydfil

We will support the creation of a clean and green environment now and in the future

1

2

Our Key Objectives

And how we will achieve them.

Making the Council easy to understand

Making the Council easy to talk to

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We will create content that is clear and concise with easy to read language that is accessible to all.

We will communicate in a transparent, honest and open way, keeping accessibility at the

forefront of our communications.

We will encourage two-way conversations, creating a listening environment where people can share their views, influence change and have a voice, by working together.

Read our full Participation Strategy here.

3

4

-

Our Key Objectives

And how we will achieve them.

Making people proud to be part of Merthyr Tydfil

Ensuring our workforce is involved and engaged through

good internal communications

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We will continue to promote our success stories, raising the profile of Merthyr Tydfil and instilling pride in our residents, staff, businesses and partners.

We will build on our reputation, becoming more recognisable and trusted, and a place where people are proud

to work, live, visit and do business with.

We will ensure our staff and councillors are well informed to represent and champion the council in the community, through regular updates and two-way conversations.

5

6

Our Key Objectives

And how we will achieve them.

Building, growing and strengthening our partnerships

Using digital communication channels to tell our stories and improve engagement with

all our audiences

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We will continue to build on the existing and excellent partnerships we have already established, through collaboration with local community groups, the voluntary sector, health boards and the police.

We will create innovative and engaging online content that is relevant to our audiences.

We will grow and develop along with the changes in digital trends.

Evaluation

Learn what works and what needs improving.

It can be challenging to monitor some elements of communications however we can

easily evaluate the following areas:

• The number of responses to consultations

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• Social Media engagement – reach, likes, comments, shares across our channels

• Social Media Followers – the number of new people who ‘like’ or ‘follow’

our pages on various platforms, alongside the retention of existing followers

• Website hits for news items

Legislative Framework

The Communications, Consultation and Engagement Team and its activities are bound by the Welsh Government’s Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity in Wales in letter and in spirit, as well as adhering to Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

We are also bound by the Council’s own constitution along with the various policies and procedures adopted by the organisation.

Contact Us

xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

01685 725166

Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN

Merthyr Tydfil CBC

MerthyrCBC

Merthyr Tydfil CBC

Agenda

Eitem 6

Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AN

Main Tel: 00000 000000 xxx.xxxxxxx.xxx.xx

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORT

Date Written	13th April 2023
Report Author	Councillor Xxxxx Xxxxxx - Chair of Corporate Support and Resources
Service Area	Scrutiny
Exempt/Non-Exempt	Non-Exempt
Committee Date	25th April 2023

To: Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen

Forward Work Programme 2022/23

1.0 SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1.1. To provide Scrutiny Members with the Scrutiny Forward Work Programme (FWP) (Appendix 1) for consideration and approval, and to use it to prepare in advance of future scrutiny meetings.

1.2. To remind Scrutiny Members that they need to consider the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 in all aspects of scrutiny work.

2.0 RECOMMENDATION(S)

2.1 Scrutiny Members agree the items set out in the Forward Work Programme (Appendix 1)

3.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

3.1. Scrutiny Members will be aware of the work programme report presented to the Corporate Support and Resources Scrutiny meeting on the 28th of June 2022. This provided Scrutiny Members with the four principles of scrutiny (as set out by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny). These are:

• Scrutiny provides constructive, critical friend challenge to executive policymakers and decision-takers

• Amplifies and enables the voice and concerns of the public and its communities

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• Is led and owned by independent minded Councillors on behalf of the public

• Drives improvement in public services

3.2. Building on this, we have used the ‘4R’s’ model (which sets out how good scrutiny should work).

3.3. Xxxxxxxx is required to prepare and keep under review a programme for their work. By reviewing and prioritising issues, Members can ensure that the work programmes deliver a member-led agenda and add value to delivery of outcomes for our residents.

3.4. The Scrutiny FWP (Appendix 1) identifies the topics for consideration at scrutiny. These were discussed and developed following a series of scrutiny work planning sessions held with the Chair, Scrutiny Members, the Director and supported by officers from the Policy and Improvement Section. The items for consideration were subsequently agreed by all Members of the Corporate Support and Resources Scrutiny in readiness for this meeting on the 25th April 2023.

3.5. The Scrutiny FWP sets out the items for consideration by scrutiny; however, the Scrutiny FWP is subject to change when the Cabinet Forward Work Programme is produced. This will allow Scrutiny Members the opportunity to undertake pre-decision scrutiny, i.e., prior to items being presented to Cabinet for approval.

3.6. Quarterly technical meetings with the Chair, Cabinet Member and Director will also enable scrutiny to build in items for pre-decision. The technical meetings will also ensure that the Scrutiny FWP captures public voice through member engagement with their constituents. Other key considerations such as Corporate Risk and strategic priorities can also be considered.

3.7. It is important that the Scrutiny FWP remains flexible enough that we can add value and ensure we are still scrutinising the right issues. For example, task and finish groups are likely to be developed from the items in the Scrutiny FWP.

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BACKGROUND PAPERS
Title of Document(s)	Document(s) Date	Document Location
Statement of Well-being and the Corporate Well- being Plan	March 2022	Council Website
Does the report contain any issue that may impact the Council’s Constitution?			No

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Xxxxxx y dudalen hon yn wag yn fwriadol

Appendix 1

Scrutiny Forward Work Programme

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Corporate Support & Resources Scrutiny

Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
	Scrutiny Forward Work Programme	Link to Well-being Objectives, priorities for improvement: • Best Start to Life • Working Life • Living Well • Environmental Well-being	N/A – Chair of Transformation, Commercialisation and Corporate Services Scrutiny	Venue: MS Teams	Adding value through critical friend challenge and ensuring a robust work programme is in place. This will adhere to the 4 principles of scrutiny and 4R’s model.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
		RTI Plan – Priorities for improvement and supporting programmes
28th June 2022		Ensuring public voice and customer experience. Drive improvement. Addressing corporate risk.
	Neighbourhood Services Thematic Review – Well-being Objective: Environmental Well-being	Link to Well-being Objectives: • Environmental Well- being RTI Plan: Environmental Well-being	Senior Managers – Neighbourhood Services Please note this is a thematic review and will be taken by senior officers with	Venue: MS Teams	Adding value through critical friend challenge whilst gaining a further understanding to better challenge strategic approaches going forward. The loop will be closed by using this to provide critical friend challenge to the Council’s Self-
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting

			the Cabinet Member for Governance Resources present as findings will be used to fit into strategic plans for the Council.		Assessment Report and Corporate Well-being Plan. Outcomes from this item will also be used to inform the work programme.
	Social Services Thematic Review – Well-being Objective: Living Well	Link to Well-being Objectives, priorities for improvement: • Living Well • Best Start to Life • RTI Plan – Increasing Resilience in Social Care RTI Plan – Raising Aspirations Raising Standards	Senior Managers – Social Services Please note this is a thematic review and will be taken by Senior Officers with the Cabinet Member for Governance Resources present as findings will be used to fit into strategic plans for the Council.	Venue: MS Xxxxx	Adding value through critical friend challenge whilst gaining a further understanding to better challenge strategic approaches going forward. The loop will be closed by using this to provide critical friend challenge to the Council’s Self- Assessment Report and Corporate Well-being Plan. Outcomes from this item will also be used to inform the work programme.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
28th July 2022	Corporate Risk – Policy/ Strategy development	RTI Plan - Governance Improvement Programme Corporate Risk Register – this includes improving	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources	Venue: MS Teams	Adding value through critical friend challenge to test if the policy/strategy is fit for purpose and providing input into policy development.

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performance, capacity and budget risks (along with other corporate risks); this will have a wide-reaching impact on services to all residents
Scrutiny can inform policy development and compliment the work of the Governance and Audit Committee (GAC) Head of Policy and Improvement
Senior Change Management Officer Scrutiny Type: Workshop
This also provides pre-decision scrutiny challenge of the corporate risk register and strategy development (Cabinet and Council).
Information and data will be provided in advance of the workshop (including peer input). Officers and Cabinet Member will be present at the workshop.
Updates will be provided to the scrutiny meeting in September as per the agenda changes to accommodate new ways of working.
Closing the loop - Input and/or suggestions from scrutiny will inform GAC, Cabinet and Council reports.

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Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
10th October 2022 (Rescheduled from the 20th September)	Scrutiny Forward Work Programme	Link to Well-being Objectives, priorities for improvement: • Best Start to Life • Working Life • Living Well • Environmental Well-being RTI Plan – Priorities for improvement and supporting programmes Ensuring public voice and customer experience. Partner involvement and collaboration. Drive improvement. Addressing corporate risk.	Chair of Corporate Support & Resources Committee	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Adding value through critical friend challenge and ensuring a robust work programme is in place. This will adhere to the 4 principles of scrutiny and 4R’s model.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
	Welsh Public Library Standards	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our Community Statutory Libraries and Museums Act 1964.	Chief Executive of Merthyr Tydfil Library Service	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Public Library Services in Wales are required to submit a report to Welsh Government regarding the performance against the Welsh Public Library Standards. The Welsh Public Library Standards are the measure by which the Minister with responsibility for Libraries can make a decision about their compliance with the statutory Libraries and Museums Act 1964. The Council are required to review the completed assessment forms
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting

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					prior to their submission to Welsh Government for assessment.
	MTCBC: Self- Assessment Report	RTI Plan - Governance Improvement Programme Requirement of the Local Government and Elections Act 2021 to produce an Annual Self-Assessment Report (this replaces the annual performance report)	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, Directors of the Council and the Head of Policy and Improvement	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Provide critical friend challenge prior to decision. This will focus on consistency with scrutiny findings and scrutiny of data. It should be noted that the MTCBC: Self-Assessment Report will also be presented to the Governance and Audit Committee (GAC). This is not duplication as the GAC will take a ‘helicopter’ view in line with the legislation.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
	Corporate Risk – Strategy/Policy development Include in scrutiny feedback/ activity etc. Agenda item 8 on last meeting. Would still go in under agenda item 8 on scrutiny reports pack.	RTI Plan - Governance Improvement Programme Build understanding of risk management Corporate Risk Register – to inform scrutiny forward work programmes For scrutiny to inform policy development and compliment the work of the Governance and Audit Committee (GAC)	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Policy and Improvement Senior Change Management Officer	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Scrutiny to be made aware of outcomes from the risk workshop undertaken on the 28th of July 2022. Reflect on whether the workshop met its purpose. Reflect on whether proposals were considered as part of the risk strategy/policy decision-making process.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting

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Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
15th November 2022	Customer Services and the One Stop Shop	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our communities Links to the Corporate Risk – Performance This links to a critical piece of work being carried out by the Council to improve customer service	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Revenues, Benefits and Customer Services	Venue: Hybrid meeting	The Customer Services One Stop Shop fully re-opened on the 17th of October, operating from 8:30am – 5:00pm Mon-Thurs and 8:30am – 4:30pm on a Friday. Scrutiny Members will look to explore: • the accessibility and delivery of council services with limited officers available due to agile working arrangements • the change in customer interaction and engagement with council services i.e. more online applications, customer care requests, telephone queries etc. Scrutiny to use the findings of the review to explore different proposals that are available and to address any public concerns in relation to accessing the services they need. Outcomes to be used to inform future plans.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
20th December 2022	Annual Equalities Report	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our Community	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Scrutiny to provide critical friend challenge when reviewing the Annual Equalities report prior to

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		Strategic Equalities Plan	Senior Change Management Officer	Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting Potential workshop prior to this meeting	being presented to Cabinet for decision in January 2023. Scrutiny will review the work undertaken and planned in relation to this topic. Outcomes from scrutiny to inform ways forward and decisions made.
Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
31st January 2023	EU Replacement Funding Programmes: Levelling Up and Shared Prosperity	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our Community RTI Plan – Economic Recovery Corporate Risk Register – EU Transition (BREXIT) Following up a previous report - Implications of Brexit and the loss of EU Funding	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Deputy Chief Executive	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Scrutiny have identified risks with the end of EU funding and how this has and will continue to impact on a number of services. Xxxxxxxx will examine the replacement funding arrangements i.e. Levelling Up and Shared Prosperity and assess how these funding streams will support service delivery going forward. Outcomes from scrutiny will be used for consideration in future decisions and risks.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
	Participation Strategy This item has been deferred to the 25th April	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our communities Ensuring public voice and customer experience	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Corporate Communications	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Local Authorities are required to produce a Participation Strategy as part of the Local Government and Elections (LGE) Act 2021. Xxxxxxxx will provide critical friend challenge of the strategy and, where appropriate, make proposals to be
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting

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					considered prior to presenting the item to Full Council for decision. This item has been deferred to the 25th April Scrutiny due to members’ requests for further information. Consultation and engagement exercise on the Participation Strategy is to be undertaken, as well as presenting the Council’s Communication Strategy at the same meeting.
Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
14th March 2023	Meeting cancelled. Items deferred to 25th April 2023
Date / Timing	Overarching Item/Issue	Why is this on the work programme?	Cabinet Member & Officer	How will this be scrutinised?	Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?
25th April 2023	Participation Strategy This item was deferred from the 31st January 2023	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our communities Ensuring public voice and customer experience	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Corporate Communications	Venue: Hybrid meeting	The Participation Strategy is underpinned by the Council’s Communication and Consultation Strategy. Local Authorities are required to produce a Participation Strategy as part of the Local Government and Elections (LGE) Act 2021. Xxxxxxxx will provide critical friend challenge of the strategy and, where appropriate, make proposals
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting

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					to be considered prior to presenting the item to Full Council for decision.
	Communication and Consultation Strategy	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our communities Ensuring public voice and customer experience	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Corporate Communications	Venue: Hybrid meeting	The Corporate Communications and Consultation Strategy and the Participation Strategy are interdependent. Scrutiny members have requested to review both items together in order to best challenge and support the strategies.
				Scrutiny Type: Scrutiny meeting
	Human Resources (HR) Outline Strategy	RTI Plan – Healthy Organisation	Cabinet Member for Governance and Resources Head of Human Resources	Venue: Hybrid meeting	The HR Strategy is being developed to strengthen and support the council’s key objectives and will form a significant part of the council’s governance improvement programme. The Strategy is being developed in line with the Council’s Corporate Plan which is currently under review. Xxxxxxxx will review the 6 key elements of the draft strategy and provide critical friend challenge of the work undertaken and planned prior to it being presented to Council for approval in May/ June 2023. The 6 key elements of the draft strategy under review are: • Skills and development • Leadership and management • Attraction and retention

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					• Organisational culture • Health and wellbeing; and • Performance Management
	Feedback on Workshop: Customer Services – Operating Models	Focus on the Future – Well-being in our communities Links to the Corporate Risk – Performance This links to a critical piece of work being carried out by the Council to improve customer service	Cllr Xxxxx Xxxxxx (Chair)	Venue: Hybrid meeting	Scrutiny to be made aware of outcomes from the workshop undertaken on the 3rd of February 2023. Reflect on whether the workshop met its purpose. Reflect on whether proposals made during the workshop were considered by officers, and how they plan to address these going forward.

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Additional Items for Consideration

It should be noted that this is a live document aimed to be flexible enough to adapt to the scrutiny the Council’s need. Scrutiny will review this plan when it receives the Cabinet Work Programme.

• Inquiry Day with transport providers – Stagecoach, Arriva Trains/ Transport for Wales – Quarter 3 or 4

• Corporate Wellbeing Plan

• Scrutiny Improvement Programme. Workshops to be held with feedback provided at scrutiny meeting. This work is scheduled to commence in May 2023 with WLGA

• Agile Working Arrangements

• Feedback from thematic well-being reviews – from workshops

• Workforce development, Capacity, staff wellbeing (pandemic recovery) - Economic, effective and efficient use of resources

• Corporate Self-Evaluation (workshops)

• Tackling poverty – been covered in various workshops across other scrutiny committees

Eitem Agenda 8a

Corporate Support & Resources Scrutiny

Feedback on Workshop: Customer Services –

Operating Models

Date Written	28th February 2023
Report Author	Cllr Xxxxx Xxxxxx – Chair of Corporate Support & Resources Scrutiny
Committee Date	25th April 2023

Background & Purpose

A report on Customer Services and the One Stop Shop was presented to the Corporate Support & Resources Scrutiny on the 15th November 2022. Some concerns were raised by members during the meeting around accessibility of front line services since the introduction of agile working and removal of core hours.

Given the concerns raised by members, it was decided that a workshop would be held between members of the scrutiny committee and a selection of officers from across different departments. The workshop was held on the 3rd of February 2023 with senior officers from Social Services, representing both Adults and Children Services; officers from Housing and Homelessness; and an officer from Highways was also in attendance. These areas were selected based on discussions at the scrutiny meeting on the 15th of November and following discussions with staff from Customer Services.

• Gain a better understanding of the existing operating models and how these support the delivery of effective customer services

• Scrutiny to be made aware of outcomes from the Customer Services – Operating Models workshop undertaken on the 3rd of February 2023

• Reflect on whether the workshop met its purpose

• Reflect on whether proposals were considered as part of the scrutiny and challenge at the workshop

Scrutiny Focus – What are we trying to achieve?

Outcomes of workshop and how did Scrutiny add value?

A number of actions were noted following the scrutiny workshop on the 3rd of February. These have been recorded below for reference.

Corporate Support & Resources Scrutiny
Action	Progress
Telephone directory to be updated across the authority – Deputy Chief Executive to liaise with Chief Executive to address this issue.	The current return rate of the staff telephone directory is around the 70% mark. The requirement for staff to update their contact details needs to be re-circulated to all staff and reinforced by management.
Operating models to be discussed offline by senior officers including members of Corporate	Officer meeting held on the 13th of February to discuss the concerns raised by members at the workshop. A working group is to be set-up whereby senior officers and managers

‘Making a Tdiuffedreanlceentog5e3ther’

Management Team (CMT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Officers to review the volume of calls and how services can agree solutions going forward.	will meet on a monthly or quarterly basis to discuss any concerns surrounding operating models and customer service delivery. The Customer Services Manager will be in attendance at these meetings to raise any concerns in terms of interface between the Contact Centre and the delivery services.
No formal assessment has been undertaken of accessibility of services in relation to equalities and the Act. Can this be looked into across all departments?	This will be an extensive desktop exercise and will need to be thought out. Further discussions to take place at the officer working groups to explore how this exercise can be undertaken.
Some training may be required for Contact Centre staff on triaging calls / queries for Highways. It was established that some queries are being relayed to the wrong department.	Highways Manager to share roadmap with Customer Services to confirm which service(s) to relay queries to. This will help address issues with triaging calls going forward.
Could there be an option to have 1 day per week or fortnight where the Contact Centre opens up at 10:00am instead of 08:30am to facilitate any training needs and to hold team meetings.	This is to be discussed and explored at CMT level.
Health Board have set up a navigation hub with a flow chart which the Director of Social Services will share with the Contact Centre.	Director of Social Services to share this information with the Customer Services Manager.
Social Services staff – when booking meetings on the system, ensure that the officer name and contact number is included on the booking.	This request is to be circulated with staff to ensure that future bookings contain the officer’s details.

The actions and proposals listed above were accepted by officers at the workshop and will be continually monitored at the officer working groups until they have been implemented. Progress of the actions will be shared with members and fed back to scrutiny for information at a future meeting.

Some of the actions identified can be addressed swiftly, and in-turn, can provide an immediate level of support to Customer Services and the Contact Centre. However, some of the actions will require more time to address, and as mentioned above, these longer-term actions will be monitored at the officer working groups.

The workshop enabled scrutiny to add value by holding senior officers to account on existing operating models, and by exploring ways to strengthen these by utilising a collaborative approach. It is envisaged that the introduction of the officer working groups will enable a more joined-up approach to deliver effective customer services by highlighting areas off good practice and identifying areas for improvement where necessary. Scrutiny offers its continued support to officers with the development and implementation of this work.

‘MaTkiungdaadleiffnere5n4ce together’