Education, Youth & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee

The Education, Youth and Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee meets on 22 October 2026 to consider four items. The items are the forward work programme, the Youth Justice Plan 2026-2029, the role of school governors and the training available to them, and the 2027/28 budget at its second stage. No minutes have been published yet, so this summary records what is proposed, not what was decided.

1. Forward work programme and action tracking

   Proposed

   The report recommends that the Committee considers the draft forward work programme and approves or amends it. It also recommends that the Facilitator, with the Chair, can vary the programme between meetings, and that the Committee notes progress on outstanding actions.

   Why

   The programme sets out the topics the Committee will look at. Members can suggest topics, and the public can too. The action tracking list shows requests made at earlier meetings and their progress, for example a draft letter to Welsh Government on school balances is awaiting Members’ approval.

   Based on the minutes, Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (EY&C), Enc. 1, Enc. 2

2. Youth Justice Plan 2026-2029

   Proposed

   The report recommends that Members are assured the plan’s priorities will let the Council meet its duties under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It also recommends that Members are assured the priorities will support young people already in the justice system and deter others from offending.

   Why

   The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires the Youth Justice Service, a partnership of agencies, to publish a plan each year (Section 40), and the service aims to prevent children aged 10 to 17 from offending. In the past 12 months it supported 115 children and 90 victims, and about a third of its work (33%) was prevention, which the report links to Home Office funding. The report says funding is a key risk: the Council provides a core budget of 40%, the rest depends on annual grants, and gaps in probation and speech and language staff have been raised with national bodies.

   Based on the minutes, Youth Justice Plan, Enc. 1

3. The role of school governors and training available

   Proposed

   The report recommends that the Committee notes the report. It is for information only.

   Why

   Governing bodies have statutory duties, and all new governors must complete mandatory induction and data training, while chairs must also complete chair training. The report says 109 of the 1,084 governor posts were vacant in 2024/25, and an Estyn inspection (the schools inspectorate) in July 2026 found the Council does not hold enough information on how far governors use training or evaluate its impact. A post-inspection action plan will address this, and a Welsh Government review of school governance is expected to report to the Minister in autumn 2026.

   Based on the minutes, The Role of School Governors and the support and training available

4. Budget 2027/28, stage 2

   Why

   No report was provided for this item, so this summary cannot say what is proposed or why.

   Based on the minutes

Written by AI from the reports on the agenda, before the minutes are published. Reports say what council officers recommend; the meeting can decide differently. Once the minutes are out, this becomes a summary of what was decided.

1. 2

   Declarations of Interest (Including Whipping Declarations)

2. 3

   Minutes

   Papers: Minutes 18.09.26, Minutes 24.09.26
3. 4

   Urgent Matters as Agreed by the Chair

4. 5

   Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (EY&C)

   Papers: Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (EY&C), Enc. 1, Enc. 2
5. 6

   Youth Justice Plan

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Youth Justice Plan, Enc. 1
6. 7

   The Role of School Governors and the support and training available

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: The Role of School Governors and the support and training available
7. 8

   Budget 2027/28 - Stage 2

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.

Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.

• Gina Maddison, Vice-ChairLabourSent apologies and a substitute
• Allan Marshall, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Bill Crease, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Carolyn Preece, Committee MemberFlintshire People's VoicePresent
• Dave Mackie, Committee MemberTrue IndependentsPresent
• Dave Vernon, Committee MemberReform UKSent apologies
• David Evans, ReserveLabourPresent as a substitute
• David Healey, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Fran Lister, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Gladys Healey, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Ian Hodge, Committee MemberReform UKPresent
• Ryan McKeown, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Sean Bibby, Committee MemberLabourPresent

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