The Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee meeting on 23 October 2026 reviewed the Council's Annual Report for 2025/26, noting the scale of the organisation and suggesting wider publicisation of its services. The committee also discussed the Council Complaints Annual Report for 2025-26, acknowledging significant progress in handling complaints within timescales, though highlighting areas for continued improvement. Discussions also covered the Digital Strategy's annual progress report for 2025/26, the revenue budget outturn for 2025/26 which showed a net overspend of £1.755 million, and the Q1 revenue and capital budget monitoring report for 2026/27, which forecast an £11.3 million overspend. Further topics included the annual treasury management report for 2025-26, the mid-year treasury management report for 2026-27, and the end of quarter one performance report for 2026/27. The committee also received updates on the Transformation Programme, noting progress in various workstreams and the development of a revised strategy, and reviewed forthcoming items and minutes from previous meetings.

The Council's Annual Report 2025/26

Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability, presented the draft Council's Annual Report for 2025/26. He emphasised that the report was an opportunity to honestly assess progress, recognise challenges, and ensure it reflected reality. Councillor Vaughan Owen highlighted the scale of the organisation, noting the number of residents, schools, waste collected, and staff, as well as the budget and expenditure. He suggested that the information on pages 19 and 20, detailing the breadth of services provided, should be publicised more widely. He also questioned the expense of producing such a detailed report and suggested exploring shorter, punchier formats for public consumption. Gwyneth Ayers, Corporate Policy, Performance, and Partnership Manager, reassured the committee that an executive summary and potentially an easy-read version would be available. Councillor Alun Lenny, Cabinet Member for Resources, pointed to a graphic on page 13 showing that only 17% of revenue comes from council tax, with significant expenditure on education and children (39%) and adult care (23%). Councillor Terry Davies raised concerns about the report's coverage of deprivation within Tisha and Glanamore wards, asking for a more detailed assessment of progress and planned next steps. The committee agreed to take back these comments, with a note made to consider referencing published reports on the Transforming TSHR programme in the report's appendix.

Council Complaints Annual Report 2025-26

Councillor Philip Hughes, Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce, introduced the Council Complaints Annual Report for 2025-26, noting a positive picture with fewer corporate complaints, fewer redirected inquiries, and improved response times. He highlighted the Council's improved ability to learn from feedback and act upon it. However, the report also identified areas needing progress, such as the continued concentration of complaints within a small number of high-volume frontline services. Councillor Alex Evans commended the progress made in handling complaints within timescales, citing the training of 178 officers. However, he also noted that significant room for improvement remained, pointing to Stage 2 complaints in the PIED department where completion within timescales had increased from 0% to 48%, but the majority were still not completed on time. He also highlighted the Chief Executive's department, which, despite having the lowest number of complaints, saw a fall in the number of complaints responded to within timescales. Rob Davis, Complaints Management Officer, credited for much of the improvement, explained that most chief executive complaints related to the contact centre's call handling and response times. Councillor Kim Broom inquired about how the committee could see the outcomes of changes made as a result of complaints, and Rob Davis suggested providing an update report to the committee during the year. Councillor Steve Williams raised concerns about inaccuracies in case recording and assessments on page 254, asking what work had been done to ensure these inaccuracies do not continue and how all information regarding inaccuracies would be clarified. Gwyneth, a policy manager, explained that social services have a specific review group for learning from complaints and that independent investigating officers are appointed for Stage 2 complaints, which contributes to increased costs. Councillor Gareth John agreed with the complexity in social care and noted the improved format of the report, but questioned the call handling response times, which had increased by nearly two minutes. Gareth Jones, Chief Digital Officer, reassured members about the PHP issue and its impact on resident-facing services, stating that transactional services were back online. He also highlighted the potential of AI in improving complaints handling and online services. Councillor Terry Davies suggested feeding complaint data into AI to bring out operational procedures and department cohesion. The committee received the report.

Digital Strategy 2024-27 (Annual Progress Report 25/26)

Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability, presented the Digital Strategy Annual Progress Report for 2025-26. He noted that digital is integral to nearly every service and is the basis for communication and serving communities. Gareth Jones, Chief Digital Officer, addressed concerns about the PHP situation, stating that resident-facing transactional services were back online. He also highlighted the potential of AI in improving productivity and workforce efficiency. Councillor Philip Warlow raised concerns about the monitoring of residence parking areas in Llanelli and how digital monitoring would work. Councillor Kim Broom questioned the impact of moving services online on people with low internet connectivity, especially with the end of BT telephone lines. Gareth Jones confirmed that the council has all the data on not spots and has seen significant progress in digital infrastructure with over £35 million invested in recent years. Councillor Stephen Williams inquired about fallback systems for cyber threats and the use of dark fibre. Gareth Jones confirmed satisfaction with backup systems but stressed the need for continuous monitoring and investment. He also noted that while transformation benefits are demonstrated in service reports, more direct correlation could be drawn in future reports. Councillor Dot Jones highlighted the lack of consideration for elderly residents struggling with digital changes and inquired about online digital systems in emergency conditions. Gareth Jones agreed that climate change and cyber threats are the biggest threats, and that business continuity planning is robust. Councillor Alex Evans questioned the impact of increasing AI development on the council's net zero carbon commitment. Gareth Jones clarified that AI is still in pilot modes and that net zero considerations would be part of procurement. Councillor John Owen asked about measures to judge service improvement and financial sustainability, and the council's partners. Gareth Jones explained that measures would be case-by-case due to the widespread deployment of AI, and that the WLGA forum is actively collaborating on AI and cyber security. Councillor Jane Tremlett highlighted the positive impact of the early intervention and prevention team in children's services. The committee received the report.

Revenue Budget Outturn Report 2025/26

Councillor Alun Lenny, Cabinet Member for Resources, presented the Revenue Budget Outturn Report for 2025/26. He stated that the report showed a final net overspend of £1.755 million, a significant improvement compared to in-year monitoring. This was achieved through effective corporate financial management and mitigating actions. However, significant underlying financial pressures remain, particularly in children's services, adult social care, and schools. Corporate underspends and lower capital financing costs helped mitigate service pressures. Councillor Lenny noted that the Chief Executive's department had an underspend of £849,000, and Corporate Services had an underspend of £1.286 million. The committee noted the report.

Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2026/27

Councillor Alun Lenny presented the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report for the first quarter of 2026/27. He stated that the monitoring position currently forecasts an overspend of £11.3 million on the net revenue budget. Key factors contributing to this forecast include schools forecasting a £6.9 million spend above available funding, children's services forecasting a £5.4 million overspend due to high-cost residential placements, and adult social care forecasting an overspend of over £2 million due to demand from an aging population. Savings delivery also remains a significant issue, with £1.2 million of approved savings forecast not to be delivered. Councillor Lenny noted that £2.6 million was set aside in the budget for service pressures, of which £300,000 had been committed for increased HMRC mileage rates, leaving £2.3 million available. Capital financing costs are forecast to be £1.5 million below budget. Councillor Gareth John raised a question about the logic of presenting service improvement and transformation team expenditure under separate headings, which Randall Hemingway, Head of Financial Services, agreed to investigate. Councillor Kim Broom asked about actions being taken to address unachieved salary efficiencies and vacancy factors, which the chair agreed to pick up with Paul Thomas. Councillor Stephen Williams inquired about vacancy factors, particularly in employee and customer service centres, and Randall Hemingway agreed to provide an update outside the meeting. Councillor Terry Davies asked about the position on legal services vacancies. Randall Hemingway agreed to provide an answer outside the meeting. The committee received the report.

Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report 2025-2026

Councillor Alun Lenny presented the Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for 2025-26. He highlighted that the year-end investment stood at £85 million, with an average balance of £135 million. The council overperformed against its investment benchmark by 0.03%, earning an additional £33,600. £30 million of new PWLB borrowing was taken, bringing the total outstanding borrowing to £434.13 million. The report confirmed compliance with the code of practice and that prudential indicators were within set limits. Councillor Kim Broom recognised the work involved in outperforming benchmark rates and asked about the reasoning behind the short-term loans taken out. Randall Hemingway, Head of Financial Services, explained that this was due to the unattractiveness of longer-term borrowing rates and balancing affordability with commercial attractiveness. Councillor Terry Davies asked if the council was looking to reduce long-term borrowing. Councillor Linda Evans, Leader of the Council, echoed Randall Hemingway's points, stating that borrowing is for capital investment and not speculative investments, and that the council's borrowing level is well below its capacity. Councillor Stephen Williams questioned the 6% financing cost as a proportion of the revenue stream compared to the UK national debt. Randall Hemingway clarified that the council can only borrow for capital investment programmes, unlike the UK government. The committee received the report.

Mid-Year Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report 1st April 2026 to 30th September 2026

Councillor Alun Lenny presented the Mid-Year Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report. He noted that the Bank of England had kept the interest rate at 3.75% during this period, but there were indications of potential future increases due to rising energy prices. The investment balance stood at £87.5 million, with gross interest earned of £2.5 million. The council's investment performance outperformed the SONIA rate by 0.01%. No new borrowing was taken during the period, and interest paid was £8.81 million. The prudential indicators were within set limits. The committee received the report.

2026/27 End of Quarter 1 Performance Report

Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability, presented the End of Quarter 1 Performance Report for 2026/27. He described the report as having a positive outlook, with most actions and measures moving in the right direction despite challenges and pressures on staff. Councillor Kim Broom asked about the improvement in remedial action performance for council tax reduction applications, which Randall Hemingway agreed to take away and provide a written answer. Councillor Alex Evans questioned how targets for Welsh language translations and meetings requiring translation were set, noting the specificity of the numbers. Luke Howells, Strategic Performance Manager, stated that discussions would be held with colleagues in media marketing to provide a more suitable response. Councillor Gareth John commented on the increased contact centre response times, noting that the remedial action did not address how the target would be met. Randall Hemingway explained that the ambition is to provide better information online to mitigate the need to call the contact centre. Councillor Kim Broom noted that while there had been an improvement in e-learning completion for violence against women training, a 100% target might be ambitious given staff turnover. Councillor Terry Davies linked sickness figures to budget vacancies and staff stress. The committee agreed to seek answers outside the meeting. Councillor Alex Evans questioned the causal link between creating a dashboard and subsequent spending reductions. Randall Hemingway explained that the dashboard is used to scrutinise expenditure and identify opportunities for control, and that specific work has been done in areas like agency spend. The committee received the report.

Transformation Programme - Progress Report

Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen presented the Transformation Programme Progress Report, highlighting positive progress in digital innovation, service improvement, and financial sustainability. He noted a 45% reduction in the council's carbon footprint. Councillor Kim Broom asked about embedding transformation and reviewing outcomes, to which John Owen, Transformation Manager, explained the use of progress reports and the corporate performance management framework. Councillor Alex Evans questioned the causal link between creating a dashboard and subsequent spending reductions. John Owen explained that the dashboard helps scrutinise expenditure and identify opportunities for control, with specific work done in areas like agency spend. Councillor Jane Tremlett highlighted the positive impact of the early intervention and prevention team in children's services. The committee received the report.

Forthcoming Items

Kelly Evans, Democratic Services Officer, presented the list of forthcoming items for the next meeting. The committee noted that the Task and Finish final report on the Contact Centre would be coming next time, along with the usual revenue reports. The committee received the list of forthcoming items.

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 7th July 2026

The committee agreed to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 7th July 2026 as a correct record.

The meeting concluded with the Chair declaring it closed.