Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
This statement provides a further update to members of the Senedd on the ongoing statutory support package, provided under section 28 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009, to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (the Council) following the independent assessment of the Council’s key challenges undertaken during late summer 2019\.


At the end of October last year I confirmed my intention to provide the Council with a further focused package of statutory support. As part of this, I agreed, in conjunction with the Council, to establish an Improvement and Assurance Board (the Board) chaired by Steve Thomas to assist the Leader, Councillor Kevin O’Neill, in driving forward the required change and improvement in the Council. I also agreed that I would provide short term and targeted governance, corporate and service support.


To inform the appointment of suitable external advisers I asked Steve Thomas and the external members of the Board to undertake a rapid assessment of the skills and capabilities required to provide this support.


The purpose of the rapid assessment was not to duplicate John Gilbert’s review but to drill down to determine what support was needed. The rapid assessment was also used as an opportunity to take a wider look at other service areas, such as education, to inform the understanding of the improvements required.


The rapid assessment, attached at the annex, is now complete and it recommends a number of short term, targeted governance measures across a number of areas, including what support is required and how it can be best delivered to maximise impact. As a result I have since agreed to provide the Council with external advisers in the following areas:


* **Education and Social Services**


The exact remit and purpose of these external advisers will be developed in conjunction with the relevant external member of the Board and the respective Director of Service/Chief Officer.


* **Corporate Governance**


I have agreed to appoint an external adviser to assist with developing a fit for purpose and meaningful transformation and improvement agenda, as well as an effective performance management and scrutiny system. This should be informed by, but not limited to, responding to the key findings and recommendations from the scoping review and rapid assessment. 


* **Leader, Cabinet and Member Development**


 An adviser has also been appointed to provide support for political leadership and relations. Running alongside this, a longer term programme of support will also be developed, in conjunction with the WLGA, in relation to wider member development, chairing skills and scrutiny training.


All external advisers will be appointed on a short term basis only (for a period of three to six months maximum) to help the Council address its immediate and longer term challenges.   My officials are currently working with the Council and the Board to agree arrangements, which I hope will be completed by the next meeting of the Board in early March.


In addition, the Board will continue to monitor progress and seek assurance from the Council that it has a robust improvement plan in place and is delivering at pace. As I have said previously, there needs to be widespread commitment from all members and officers to achieve a sustainable future for the Council and to deliver good quality services to the people of Merthyr Tydfil.


This will enable the Board to form a view on the Council’s capacity and capability to address its challenges independently and sustainably. I will be looking for a view on the whole Council’s progress at the end of May.


Further details and updates on progress will be provided to the Senedd.  





### Documents


* #### Rapid Assessment for Welsh Government,
 file type: pdf, file size: 1 MB



1 MB







Translation:


 
Mae'r datganiad hwn yn rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i aelodau'r Senedd am y pecyn cymorth statudol a roddwyd i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful (y Cyngor) o dan adran 28 o Fesur Llywodraeth Leol (Cymru) 2009\. Rhoddwyd y pecyn cymorth hwnnw i’r Cyngor yn dilyn asesiad annibynnol o’r prif heriau oedd yn ei wynebu. Cynhaliwyd yr asesiad hwnnw ar ddiwedd tymor yr haf 2019\.


Ar ddiwedd mis Hydref y llynedd, cadarnheais fy mwriad i roi pecyn cymorth statudol pwrpasol arall i'r Cyngor. Cytunais, ar y cyd â'r Cyngor, i sefydlu Bwrdd Gwella a Sicrwydd (y Bwrdd). Dan gadeiryddiaeth Steve Thomas, byddai’r bwrdd yn helpu'r Arweinydd, y Cynghorydd Kevin O’Neill, i fwrw ymlaen â'r newidiadau a'r gwelliannau oedd eu hangen yn y Cyngor. Cytunais hefyd y byddwn yn darparu cymorth tymor byr wedi'i dargedu ar gyfer llywodraethu, materion corfforaethol a gwasanaethau.


I helpu gyda'r broses o benodi cynghorwyr allanol addas, gofynnais i Steve Thomas ac aelodau allanol y Bwrdd gynnal asesiad cyflym o'r sgiliau a'r galluoedd sydd eu hangen i ddarparu'r cymorth hwn.


Nid dyblygu adolygiad John Gilbert oedd diben yr asesiad cyflym, ond ymchwilio’n ddyfnach er mwyn penderfynu pa gymorth oedd ei angen. Defnyddiwyd yr asesiad cyflym hefyd fel cyfle i edrych yn fwy eang ar feysydd gwasanaeth eraill, megis addysg, er mwyn cael gwell dealltwriaeth o'r gwelliannau oedd eu hangen.


Mae'r asesiad cyflym, sydd i'w weld yn yr atodiad, bellach wedi cael ei gwblhau. Mae'n argymell nifer o fesurau tymor byr, wedi’u targedu, ar gyfer llywodraethu ar draws nifer o feysydd, gan gynnwys ystyried pa gymorth sydd ei angen a sut y gellir ei ddarparu er mwyn cael yr effaith fwyaf bosibl. O ganlyniad, ers hynny rwyf wedi cytuno i roi cynghorwyr allanol i’r Cyngor yn y meysydd canlynol:


* **Addysg a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol**


Bydd union gylch gwaith a diben y cynghorwyr allanol hyn yn cael eu datblygu ar y cyd â'r aelod allanol perthnasol ar y Bwrdd a'r Cyfarwyddwr Gwasanaeth/Prif Swyddog priodol.


* **Llywodraethu Corfforaethol**


Rwyf wedi cytuno i benodi cynghorydd allanol i helpu gyda'r gwaith o ddatblygu agenda trawsnewid a gwella ystyrlon, sy'n addas i'r diben, yn ogystal â system effeithiol ar gyfer rheoli perfformiad a chraffu arno. Dylai hyn lywio’r ymateb i brif ganfyddiadau ac argymhellion yr adolygiad cwmpasu a’r asesiad cyflym, ond ni ddylai gael ei gyfyngu i hynny.


* **Datblygu'r Arweinydd, y Cabinet a'r Aelodau.**


Mae cynghorydd wedi cael ei benodi hefyd i roi cymorth gydag arweinyddiaeth a chysylltiadau gwleidyddol. Yn ogystal â hyn, bydd rhaglen gymorth tymor hwy yn cael ei datblygu, ar y cyd â Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, er mwyn datblygu aelodau a sgiliau cadeirio a darparu hyfforddiant craffu.


Bydd yr holl gynghorwyr allanol yn cael eu penodi am gyfnod byr yn unig (am gyfnod o dri i chwe mis ar y mwyaf) i helpu'r Cyngor i fynd i'r afael â'i heriau uniongyrchol a’i heriau tymor hwy. Mae fy swyddogion wrthi'n gweithio gyda'r Cyngor a'r Bwrdd i gytuno ar drefniadau. Y gobaith yw y bydd y rhain wedi cael eu cwblhau erbyn cyfarfod nesaf y Bwrdd ar ddechrau mis Mawrth.


Yn ogystal, bydd y Bwrdd yn parhau i fonitro cynnydd y Cyngor a cheisio sicrwydd fod ganddo gynllun gwella grymus ar waith a'i fod yn ei gyflawni'n ddi\-oed. Fel rwyf wedi dweud o'r blaen, mae angen i'r holl aelodau a'r swyddogion ddangos ymrwymiad er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol cynaliadwy i’r Cyngor a darparu gwasanaethau o safon uchel i bobl Merthyr Tudful.


Bydd hyn yn caniatáu i'r Bwrdd lunio barn ynglŷn â chapasiti a gallu'r Cyngor i fynd i'r afael â'i heriau yn annibynnol ac mewn modd cynaliadwy. Byddaf yn disgwyl cael barn ar gynnydd y Cyngor cyfan ar ddiwedd mis Mai.


Bydd rhagor o fanylion a'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynnydd yn cael eu rhoi i'r Senedd. 





### Dogfennau


* #### Asesiad Cyflym i Lywodraeth Cymru,
 math o ffeil: pdf, maint ffeil: 1 MB



1 MB