Cabinet

At its meeting, Cabinet considered the Council's quarter 1 performance, risk and finance report, and approved the annual corporate risk report and the annual health and safety enforcement service plan. It also agreed an action plan following Care Inspectorate Wales's May 2026 visit to children's services, and received information reports on Flying Start and local authority school governor appointments.

1. Quarter 1 performance, risk and finance report 2026/27

   Decided

   Cabinet approved the report's recommendations. No questions were raised.

   Why

   The report says the Council is strengthening its governance and now reports performance, risk and finance together each quarter. The quarter 1 finance projection, based on figures to 30 June 2026, shows a projected net deficit of £1,418,000 for 2026/27, mainly in Social Services (£939,000) and Education (£651,000). The report notes that a 3.3% pay award for council staff has been accepted, while the Welsh Government's proposed 3.5% award for teachers has not yet been accepted.

   Based on the minutes, Report, Appendix 1, Appendix 4, Appendix 5, Appendix 2, Appendix 3

2. Annual corporate risk report 2025/26

   Decided

   Cabinet approved the recommendation in the report. No questions were raised.

   Why

   The report summarises the Corporate Risk Register, which is the list of the Council's main risks. Twelve corporate risks were on the register at the end of 2025/26, and two of them had higher scores at year end than at quarter 1. Internal audit's rating for risk management moved from 'reasonable assurance' to 'substantial assurance', which the report describes as the outcome it had set as a goal. The report was presented to the Governance and Audit Committee on 28 September 2026.

   Based on the minutes, Report, Appendix

3. Health and safety enforcement service plan 2026/27

   Decided

   Cabinet approved the service plan and noted the resource challenges in it. No questions were raised.

   Why

   The Council must enforce health and safety law in the businesses it regulates, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The plan says the service has about 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, and that projects planned for 2025/26, such as checks on commercial UV tanning and Legionella control, were not carried out. The report warns that this capacity may be insufficient, and that a new food standards model and the need to reprioritise resources will add pressure.

   Based on the minutes, Report, Appendix, IIA

4. Care Inspectorate Wales assurance visit to children's services, May 2026

   Decided

   Cabinet agreed the action plan and noted the content of the report. No questions were raised.

   Why

   Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), the body that inspects social care in Wales, visited Merthyr Tydfil Children's Services on 18 to 20 May 2026 and asked about voice and control, prevention, well-being and partnership. CIW found strengths, including a prevention-led approach, a motivated workforce and fewer children entering care, and areas for improvement, including that the voice of the child is not consistently heard and that thresholds are not applied consistently. The report says the actions will be managed within the usual social care processes and finances.

   Based on the minutes, Report, Background Paper 2, IIA, Background Paper 1

5. Flying Start performance 2024-25

   Decided

   Cabinet received the report for information. The minute records no decision.

   Why

   Flying Start is the Welsh Government's early intervention programme for children aged 0 to 47 months and their families, and this report shares its 2024-25 results. The report says a seven-month gap in health visitor data, caused by industrial action, limits comparison with earlier years and other councils, and that numeracy was the slowest-improving area, with 55% of children working within or above expectations at year end. Merthyr Tydfil became the first council in Wales to offer funded childcare to all two-year-olds from April 2025, and 92% of places in the original areas were taken up.

   Based on the minutes, Report

6. Appointment of local authority school governors

   Decided

   Cabinet received the report for information. The minute records no decision.

   Why

   The report updates members on the latest meeting of the Local Authority Governor Appointment Panel, held on 8 September 2026, which agreed to appoint seven local authority governors. Each governor serves a four-year term, and four local authority governor vacancies remain unfilled. The next panel meeting is in the Spring Term 2027, and the report states there are no financial implications.

   Based on the minutes, Report

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 1

   Apologies for absence

   Minute

   No apologies for absence were received.

2. 2

   Declarations of Interest

   Minute

   No declarations of interest were received.

3. 3

   Minutes of meeting Wednesday, 1 July 2026 of Cabinet

   Minute

   Approved as an accurate record

   Papers: Minutes
4. 4

   Minutes of meeting Wednesday, 15 July 2026 of Cabinet

   Minute

   Approved as an accurate record

   Papers: Minutes
5. 5

   Quarter 1 - Performance, Risk and Finance Report 2026/27

   Minute

   Presented by Cllr B Carter No questions were raised Resolved; That the recommendations as contained within the report by approved

   Part of an issue followed across 3 meetings

   Papers: Report, Appendix 1, Appendix 4, Appendix 5, Appendix 2, Appendix 3
6. 6

   Annual Corporate Risk Report 2025/26

   Minute

   Presented by Cllr B Carter No questions were raised Resolved; That the recommendations as contained within the report by approved

   Papers: Report, Appendix
7. 7

   Annual Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2026/27

   Minute

   Presented by Cllr D Jones No questions were raised Resolved; That the recommendations as contained within the report by approved

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Report, Appendix, IIA
8. 8

   Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) Assurance Visit (May 2026)

   Minute

   Presented by Cllr L Minett Vokes No questions were raised Resolved; That the recommendations as contained within the report by approved

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Report, Background Paper 2, IIA, Background Paper 1
9. 9

   Flying Start Performance 2024-25

   Minute

   Received for information

   Papers: Report
10. 10

    Appointment of Local Authority Governors

    Minute

    Received for information

    Part of an issue followed across 4 meetings

    Papers: Report
11. 11

    Any Other Business Deemed Urgent by the Chair

    Minute

    No other business was deemed urgent by the Chair

12. 12

    Exempt

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.

The minutes record no declarations of interest.

• Brent Carter, ChairLabourPresent
• David Jones, Vice-ChairLabourPresent
• Anna Williams- Price, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Gareth Lewis, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Geraint Thomas, OthermbrsIndependentRecorded
• Jamie Scriven, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Lisa Mytton, OthermbrsIndependentRecorded
• Louise Minett-Vokes, Committee MemberLabourPresent

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