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Cabinet agreed to join a new Gwent-wide social care workforce development service, which Caerphilly County Borough Council will host. It also agreed to award a framework for building and electrical maintenance work and to appoint contractors for Lots 3 and 4.
Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families & Education Fiona Cross - Executive Member for Communities David Daniels – Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing Joanne Gauden - Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Peter Jones - Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Officers: Roger Allonby - Joint Director Economy and Place Rachel Beale – Personal Assistant to Leader and Deputy Leader Delyth Harries – Monitoring Officer Hayley Hawkins – Solicitor Neil Jones - Head of Public Relations and Resilience Dave Leech – Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Adults and Communities Andrew Lovegrove - Strategic Director Resources Gerry Mills - Joint Assistant Director Property Investment and Economic Development Jason O’Brien - Strategic Director for Children and Family Services Mark Thomas - Joint Director Neighbourhoods and Environment Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive
2.1 There were no apologies received.
3.1 There were no interests declared.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 15th September 2026 were agreed as a true and accurate record.
5.1 The update on actions was noted.
6.1 The Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing introduced the report and made the following comments: • The report was seeking approval to participate in the establishment of a new regional Gwent Social Care Workforce Development Service. • All five Gwent Local Authorities were experiencing shared challenges in the recruitment, development and retention of a skilled social care workforce, alongside increasing statutory demands and financial pressures. To address these issues, a unified regional approach was proposed, with Caerphilly County Borough Council acting as the lead host and managing authority for the service on behalf of the five Gwent social services departments. • The proposed hub-and-spoke model builds upon the successful long-standing collaboration between Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly and would focus on three key areas: social work careers, social care workforce skills development, and business strategy and support. • The arrangement would reduce duplication, maximise economies of scale, and provide consistent, high-quality workforce development support across the region. • The service would be funded from existing workforce development budget allocations and would not require additional budget growth. • No compulsory redundancies were anticipated as a direct result of the proposal. 6.2 The Strategic Director for Children and Family Services highlighted the key advantages of the proposal and made the following comments: • The proposed regional workforce development model would improve recruitment, development and retention of the social care workforce across both children's and adults' services through a coordinated Gwent-wide approach. • The proposal would reduce duplication, promote greater efficiency and enable the sharing of resources and expertise across the five Gwent Local Authorities. • The model would deliver improved value for money and economies of scale, with implementation expected to be achieved within existing workforce development budgets and without requiring additional budget growth. • The proposed arrangements would strengthen organisational resilience and provide greater consistency in training, professional development and workforce standards across the region, thereby enhancing workforce capability, service quality and outcomes for service users. Additional benefits included enhanced support for staff wellbeing, leadership development and career progression opportunities. • The proposal aligned with the Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent Federation agenda by supporting increased collaboration and consistency across federated authorities. • Whilst the proposal carried implementation and governance risks, particularly in relation to transitional arrangements, maintaining local responsiveness and coordinating activity across five authorities, Members were advised that the risks would be mitigated through a phased implementation approach, formal partnership arrangements and established regional collaborative working. The hub-and-spoke model would ensure that regional priorities could be addressed while maintaining the ability to respond to local service needs. • The proposal presented an opportunity to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the social care workforce across Gwent through a cost-neutral regional model that improves consistency, value for money and workforce development while maintaining local service delivery. 6.3 Cabinet Members: • Welcomed the proposal and the opportunities it would provide for enhanced workforce development, professional training and greater consistency of practice across the region. • Highlighted the importance of extending workforce development opportunities across the full range of social care roles, including domiciliary care workers and the commissioned care workforce. The significant skills, expertise and responsibilities associated with these roles were acknowledged, together with the importance of providing clear pathways for career progression, recognition and professional support. 6.4 In response to a number of questions asked the Strategic Director for Children and Family Services provided the following replies: • The workforce arrangements would be considered through the management board as part of the implementation process. Whilst the Workforce Development Hub in Caerphilly was expected to be the primary base for the service, local authority office facilities would continue to be available, maintaining a strong local presence and connection within each council area. • The regional approach would enhance career progression, professional development and workforce recognition across a broad range of social care roles. The model would provide greater consistency in training and development for both local authority and provider workforces, supporting improved workforce capability and service quality across the region. • The development of workforce skills within local authority residential care settings would form an important part of the programme and would support longer-term ambitions to strengthen local authority capacity and reduce dependence on external providers. • Members were advised that greater consistency in workforce development across the region would also support a more consistent experience for service users, particularly where individuals move between local authority areas. • The branding and promotion would be a key aspect of the initiative and would be developed through the management board arrangements as the service progresses. • Workforce demographic information, including gender balance, would be captured and monitored through regional performance measures and could be reported to Cabinet and Scrutiny as part of future evaluations of the service. • The consistent regional framework would support workforce planning, leadership development and career progression opportunities across the five authorities, helping to develop and retain future talent within the sector. 6.5 Cabinet agreed to: • Approve Torfaen County Borough Council’s participation in the establishment of a Gwent-wide Social Care Workforce Development Service for the five Gwent Local Authority Social Services Departments hosted and managed by Caerphilly County Borough Council. • Delegate authority to the Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Families, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder and statutory officers, to finalise and enter into the necessary partnership, implementation and operational arrangements, following appropriate legal, financial, HR and digital advice. • Note that the establishment of the regional service will be subject to formal consultation with affected staff and Trade Unions, and completion of the necessary due diligence and impact assessment processes.
7.1 The Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration introduced the report and made the following points to Cabinet: • The report was seeking approval to award a framework agreement for the delivery of urgent and reactive building repairs, planned inspections, project works, electrical maintenance and refurbishment works across the Council's property portfolio. • The procurement exercise had been undertaken in accordance with the Council's Contract Standing Orders and that a recommendation had been made to award the framework accordingly. • Local small and medium-sized enterprises had been encouraged to bid where they could demonstrate the required capacity and quality standards. • The framework had been developed in collaboration with Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire County Councils to support the delivery of an effective, responsive and value-for-money service. • The framework was intended to support preventative maintenance programmes, ensure statutory compliance, and reduce the risk of service disruption and health and safety issues. The proactive approach would assist in protecting the Council's property assets whilst minimising the need for more costly repairs in the future. 7.2 The Joint Assistant Director Property Investment and Economic Development added the following further information: • The report was seeking approval to appoint five contractors under a regional framework agreement for the provision of general building works, electrical works, reactive and emergency repairs, planned preventative maintenance, and statutory compliance activities. • The framework would operate collaboratively across Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire providing a consistent and responsive service while ensuring value for money and compliance with legislative requirements. • Significant effort had been made to encourage local and regional participation throughout the procurement process. A market engagement exercise, including both drop-in sessions and online engagement opportunities, had been undertaken prior to the tender process to maximise interest from local suppliers. • The framework also included Community Wellbeing Benefit requirements designed to support local SMEs and maximise economic and social value from the contract arrangements • 29 bids had been received, with approximately 90% submitted by Welsh-based contractors, including businesses located within the local and surrounding authority areas. • Robust contract management arrangements had been incorporated within the framework, including the use of key performance indicators to monitor contractor performance. Mechanisms were in place to address underperformance promptly and, where necessary, to transfer work to alternative contractors within the framework to ensure service standards were maintained. • Regular performance monitoring and reporting arrangements would be established to provide assurance on the effectiveness of the framework and the performance of appointed contractors. 7.3 In response to a number of questions asked by Cabinet, the Joint Assistant Director Property Investment and Economic Development gave the following replies: • Comprehensive due diligence would be undertaken prior to award of contract, including assessment of contractors' financial standing, trading history and reputation. It was noted that contractor performance and financial indicators would be monitored throughout the contract period to identify any emerging concerns at an early stage. Should a contractor fail, the Council's financial exposure would be minimised through established payment arrangements and contract management processes. The framework also provided flexibility to reallocate work and utilise alternative contractors within the framework, ensuring continuity of service and preventing disruption to essential and emergency maintenance activities. • Market engagement activities undertaken prior to the procurement process had contributed significantly to the high level of local contractor participation. It was confirmed that where such approaches were found to be effective, they would be considered for use in future procurement exercises. Additional support was available through economic development services to assist SMEs in accessing public sector tender opportunities. • The procurement exercise could provide a useful case study for engagement with local business groups and economic development forums. It was noted that sharing examples of successful local participation could help increase awareness, confidence and ambition amongst businesses seeking to engage with public sector procurement processes. • Where applicants progressed through the initial qualification stages but were unsuccessful in securing an award, detailed feedback was provided on scoring outcomes and areas for improvement. It was important to maintain an open, fair and transparent procurement process and support suppliers to strengthen future bids. 7.4 Cabinet Members welcomed the robust performance management arrangements and the significant level of participation by local and Welsh-based SMEs, recognising the balance achieved between value for money, support for the local economy, quality employment and a fair and transparent procurement process. 7.5 Cabinet agreed to the award of the framework and agreed to appoint the contractors in Lots 3 and 4 as part of the collaborative arrangement and in accordance with Contract Standing Orders.
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The minutes record no declarations of interest.
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