The Policy Review and Performance Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Annual Progress Report, a sickness absence update, and the month six budget for 2025/26, with a focus on pre-decision scrutiny. Councillors scrutinised progress against equality objectives, questioned sickness absence management, and examined budget performance and savings targets. The committee agreed to send letters to the relevant cabinet members to request further information on several topics.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Progress Report

The committee discussed the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Progress Report, the first review of its kind, which assesses the council's progress against agreed equality objectives. Councillor Judy Sangani, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Public Health and Equality, emphasised the importance of addressing inequality and removing barriers for disadvantaged groups, noting the strategy captures contributions from almost every council service area. Dylan Owen, the Operational Manager for Policy and Improvement, presented the report, highlighting Cardiff's population growth and increasing diversity, which have implications for service delivery.

Key discussion points included:

• Anti-Racist Ambitions: Councillor Calum Davies, Chair of the Committee, questioned whether Cardiff is a racist city, given the report's reference to becoming an anti-racist city, a direct response to the Welsh Government's anti-racist strategy. Councillor Sangani clarified that the city aims to achieve this status, acknowledging room for improvement.
• Satisfaction with Services for People with Disabilities: Councillor Susan Elsmore raised concerns about the low satisfaction levels among residents with disabilities regarding access to services. Mr Owen responded that the council is committed to engaging with these groups to understand their specific challenges and co-produce solutions.
• Vaccination Inequality: Councillor Jasmin Chowdhury highlighted inequalities in childhood vaccination rates, particularly in deprived areas and among ethnic minority communities. Councillor Sangani outlined ongoing engagement with Public Health Wales¹ and schools to address vaccine hesitancy and improve uptake.
• Women's Safety: Councillor Chowdhury also raised concerns about women feeling less safe in Cardiff. Mr Owen said that the Community Safety Partnership² is focused on the night-time economy, and offered to provide a summary of their work.
• Bullying in Schools: Councillor Bernie Bowen-Thomson noted the low number of schools recording race and hate incidents and bullying on the MyConcern³ reporting system. Councillor Sangani said that the council is encouraging schools to raise awareness and improve reporting.
• CEDAW Commitments: Councillor Bowen-Thomson also asked if the council could be more explicit about what Cardiff is doing in relation to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Councillor Sangani confirmed that the council passed a motion in March 2023 to declare Cardiff a CEDAW city and is planning a celebration in 2026.
• Additional Learning Needs (ALN): Councillor Joe Carter raised concerns about the challenges in providing ALN places and the high costs of private provision. Councillor Sangani said that the council is planning a pupil referral unit (PRU) to provide early intervention and signposting.
• Community Engagement: Councillor Carter asked whether some communities are better engaged with than others, particularly the Jewish community. Councillor Sangani said that the council is keeping an eye on tensions between communities and has an action plan in place to support the Jewish community.
• Equality Training: Councillor Graham Hinchey questioned why the target for equality impact training for managers is 85% rather than 100%. Mr Owen explained that this figure accounts for natural staff turnover, but that the target could be reviewed.
• Ex-Offenders: Councillor Garry Hunt suggested that older ex-offenders may be a group whose voice is not being heard. Councillor Sangani agreed that this is an area that should be addressed.
• Accessibility: Councillor Hunt also raised concerns about how budget restrictions are affecting the council's ability to address inequality. Councillor Mike Ash-Edwards noted that the council has a two-tick policy to guarantee interviews for disabled applicants.
• Self-Criticism: Councillor Ash-Edwards said that the report seemed to overstate progress and asked whether the council was being sufficiently self-critical. Mr Owen said that the council welcomes feedback and is open to a more nuanced assessment.
• Accessibility for Older People: Councillor Ash-Edwards also raised concerns about accessibility for older people, particularly regarding pavements, public transport, and toilets.
• Supreme Court Ruling: Councillor Davies noted the absence of any reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act in the report. Debbie Miles, the Director of Governance and Legal Services, explained that the ruling came out after the period covered by the report and that the council is awaiting further guidance from the Welsh Government.

The committee agreed to request further information on community safety, hate crime reporting in schools, CEDAW, and ALN in a letter to Councillor Sangani.

Sickness Absence Update

The committee received an update on sickness absence within the council. Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation and Performance, introduced the item, emphasising the council's commitment to improving staff health and wellbeing. Tracy Thomas, the Chief Human Resources Officer, presented the report, highlighting that Cardiff rates well against core cities but less well against other Welsh local authorities.

Key points from the discussion:

• Age Profile: Councillor Ash-Edwards asked about the age profile of staff and its impact on sickness absence. Ms Thomas said that musculoskeletal issues are more common among older workers, but cancer and mental health issues affect all age groups.
• Children's Services: Councillor Ash-Edwards also asked about the high sickness absence rates in children's services. Ms Thomas said that this is due to the demanding nature of the work and the need for staff to stay off work longer if they have infectious illnesses.
• Homeworking: Councillor Hunt asked whether homeworking has made a difference to sickness absence rates. Ms Thomas said that it has improved short-term sickness absence, as people are more likely to work from home with minor illnesses.
• Spot Checks: Councillor Carter asked whether occupational health staff conduct spot checks to monitor workplace safety. Ms Thomas said that this is not possible due to resource constraints and is the responsibility of managers.
• Cost of Sickness Absence: Councillor Hinchey asked about the cost of sickness absence to the authority. Ms Thomas said that this varies depending on the service area and whether cover is required.
• Support for Schools: Councillor Hinchey also asked about support for headteachers and senior staff in schools. Councillor Weaver said that this is a priority and that the council welcomes suggestions from members.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Councillor Chowdhury asked whether employees can self-refer to the Employee Assistance Programme. Ms Thomas confirmed that this is a confidential service that employees can access at any time.
• Public vs Private Sector: Councillor Davies questioned the claim that the public sector is a more physical workplace than the private sector and asked why Cardiff's sickness absence target is higher than the public sector average. Ms Thomas said that the public sector average includes many office-based jobs and that Cardiff has a high proportion of physical and complex roles.
• Effectiveness of Interventions: Councillor Davies also asked whether the council is concerned that its interventions are not having a significant impact on sickness absence rates. Ms Thomas said that the interventions are keeping a lid on sickness absence and that Cardiff is performing well compared to other core cities.
• Core Cities Comparison: Councillor Hinchey said that core cities are the best comparators and that the council should focus on these.

The committee agreed to request further information on the core cities used for comparison, the breakdown of the other category in the reasons for long-term absence, and the evidentiary basis for the claim that the public sector is a more physical workplace than the private sector in a letter to Councillor Weaver.

Budget Month 6 2025/26

The committee received an update on the council's budget position at month six of the financial year. Councillor Weaver presented the report, noting that the projected overspend has decreased slightly since month four.

Key discussion points:

• Capital Financing: Councillor Carter raised concerns about the reliance on reduced capital financing to balance the books. Councillor Weaver explained that this is due to the timing of borrowing and the internal use of cash.
• Council Tax Collection: Councillor Carter also expressed concerns about the additional million pounds of council tax income being budgeted. Ian Allwood, the Chief Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer, said that this is based on improved collectability and a reduced bad debt provision.
• Robotics in Adult Services: Councillor Ash-Edwards asked about the efficiency savings expected from the use of robotics in adult services. Councillor Weaver said that these savings have not yet been realised.
• Digital Advertising Income: Councillor Davies asked about the underperformance in digital advertising income and whether the council's rates are competitive. Councillor Weaver said that the council is working to get more sites on board and that the savings will continue into the next financial year.

The committee agreed to request further information on the reasons for the underperformance in digital advertising income in a letter to Councillor Weaver.