Agenda and minutes

Councillor Ceris Jones together with the Leader of the Council, Councillor Bryan Davies apologised for their inability to attend the meeting.

Councillor Paul Hinge apologised for his inability to attend the meeting as on other Council duties.

None.

Consideration was given to the Report on Ceredigion Senior Coroner’s 2023 Statistical Return and Report of the Chief Coroner.

It was reported that the Ceredigion Statistical Return for 2023 was yet to be published but the report was expected by the end of June 2024 and would be presented to the next Committee in meeting on 8th of October 2024. In relation to the report of the Chief Coroner, the Annual Report of the Chief Coroner for 2023 had now been published and could be found on their website. The Report outlines the findings of the Chief Coroner for 2023. These were as follows:-

•         The service had insufficient personnel

•         There was an unacceptably wide variation in the provision by local authorities of material resource

•         There remains a general need for more salaried Area Coroners

•         The ‘triangle of responsibility’ creates operational difficulties

•         Judicial independence was impacted by the current resourcing structure

•         Court security arrangements vary considerably and were rarely adequate

•         Recent work increases were likely to be permanent

•         Delay

•         Judge-led inquests

•         The appointment of coroners

•         Coroner support

Prospective actions were as follows:-

•         engaged with the Senior Coroner and relevant local authority to try to encourage improvement

•         challenged many local authority representatives about inadequate office and court accommodation

•         encouraging local authorities and police forces to consider simplifying the funding model in their coroner areas by arranging for the relevant local authority to assume responsibility for providing and line-managing the coroner’s officers

•         provide general education on constitutional matters of particular relevance to coroners.

•         plans to implement the statutory medical examiner scheme and reform the death certification system with effect from April 2024

•         To educate local authorities on security considerations

In conclusion, it was reported that:-

•         many coroner areas had not yet been modernised to reflect the deeper implications of those national reforms.

•         need for structural change to simplify and streamline the governance and management of individual coroner areas

•         moving away from the outdated ‘triangle of responsibility’ to adopt a simpler and more efficient system of governance.

•         shortage of pathologists

•         The report also looked at the number of cases over 12 months old for 2023 compared to 2022.

•         Ceredigion had 10 cases over 12 months old for 2023 compared to 2 in 2022

It was also reported that a new Chief Coroner has been appointed on the 25th of May 2024, namely Her Honour Judge Alexia Durran for a term of three years.

The National statistics for the Coroner for 2023 had been published

The report shows that in 2023 across the UK there were 36,855 inquests opened which is a 2% increase on 2022. This was the highest number of inquests opened since the start of the annual time series in 1995, excluding

the years when DoLS investigations were required. Reported deaths which led to inquests represented 19% of all the deaths reported to coroners in 2023, an increase from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The People & Organisation Service has been continuing to review, develop and update key policies. Following consultation, the following policies and guidance documents had been discussed, amended, and agreed by the recognised corporate trade unions:

•         Safe Recruitment Policy

•         Annual Leave Purchase Scheme

•         Travel, Subsistence and Accommodation Guidance

The purpose of all employee policies and procedures was to clearly set out the

behaviours, processes, and procedures required, how they could gain advice and support and, where applicable, the consequences of not adhering to the policy and/or procedure.

Safe Recruitment Policy

The Safe Recruitment Policy sets out Ceredigion County Council’s standards

towards the safe recruitment and retention of people who wish to work with

vulnerable groups, both children and/or adults. The current Policy, introduced in 2017, had been reviewed to ensure that it remains compliant with legislation and wsa fit for purpose. Only minor amendments had been proposed and these were detailed below. The revisions were to maintain a robust and

thorough vetting process for all staff, volunteers and contractors that work for, or with, Ceredigion County Council.

There are no changes to the current practice of DBS checks only on appointment for roles undertaking regulated activity. Periodic rechecking would only take place where it was required by legislation or if a concern, complaint or information is received relating to the conviction or caution of an employee in a regulated activity role.

The proposed changes to the Policy were as follows:

•         Amendments due to the Council no longer being a registered body. All DBS

•         checks are now undertaken online in agreement with Powys County Council as the registered body.

•         Further clarification provided on pre-employment screening/vetting checks

•         Re-formatting the policy to provide a separate section on Disclosure & Barring

•         Service and moving sections from the main body in to the appendices.

•         Greater clarification on portability of DBS checks

•         Removing reference to pre-2012 definition of regulated activity.

In addition to trade union consultation, the Policy has been reviewed by the Council’s Corporate Safeguarding Board.

Annual Leave Purchase Scheme

Annual Leave Purchase Schemes were voluntary arrangements which provided employees greater flexibility over their leave entitlement through the purchase of additional leave in a salary repayment arrangement. These schemes were widely ound across public and private sector organisations.

The scheme offers savings to the Council due to no salary costs for the period of the additional annual leave and a reduction in employer National Insurance

contributions. The benefit to the employee was the opportunity to spread the cost of unpaid leave over a period of up to 12 months.

A summary of the scheme’s conditions were as follows:

•         The maximum amount of additional leave that an employee could purchase would be twice their weekly contractual hours

•         The minimum amount of additional leave which can be requested was the equivalent of one day contractual hours

•         Applications signed off by the Corporate Lead Officer.

•         The Council reserves the right to refuse an application if it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

It was AGREED to note the Forward Work Programme as presented subject to a report on the sale of the Council assets at the October 2024 meeting.

It was RESOLVED to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the previous meeting subject to noting that Councillor Carl Worrall was present at the meeting.