Minutes of the inaugural WEA Cymru Council meeting Held at WEA Cymru s office, 7 Coopers Yard, Curran Road, Cardiff CF10 5NB on Friday 24 January 2014

Transcription

1 Minutes of the inaugural WEA Cymru Council meeting Held at WEA Cymru s office, 7 Coopers Yard, Curran Road, Cardiff CF10 5NB on Friday 24 January 2014 Present: Rob Humphreys (Chair), Jeremy Gass, Jon Parry, Gerry Jenson, Viv Davies, Helen Mary Jones, Alison Hill, Chris Franks. In attendance: Maggi Dawson (Chief Executive Officer); Stephen Thomas (Clerk to the Council). Apologies: Alwyn Rowlands. Item No. 1. Minutes of the final Shadow Board meeting of 10 January 2014 and matters arising not on the agenda Action The minutes were approved as a true record. The Press Launch held on 14 January in the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay had largely met its purposes, with the Minister s involvement and subsequent coverage in the Western Mail, South Wales Echo and Daily Post. A BBC Radio Wales interview the following day on cuts in adult learning budgets had also featured a WEA Cymru learner. 2. Confirmation of current WEA Cymru Council membership and signing of declaration forms The list of nine appointed governors, who formed the Council until the AGM on 29 March, and the duration of their differing terms of office, was noted. Declarations, confirming that each governor was willing to act as a trustee of WEA Cymru (in conformity with article 10.4 of the Articles of Association), and listing any potential conflicts of interest arising from their respective posts, affiliations, or immediate family connections, were signed by the eight governors present. 3. Future provisions for governors handbook, and induction/training sessions It was agreed that a governors handbook (to include a compendium of relevant constitutional, legal and financial documentation, plus policy statements) should be prepared in time for the Council s expansion after the March AGM, when a further 11 elected governors would join it. That was also accepted as the most appropriate timescale for commencing training sessions for governors, some of which could be held 1

2 on the same days as Council meetings. It was agreed that compiling a matrix of induction needs, which would differ from governor to governor based on their background, would result in a more suitable training offering than a blanket provision. Lisa Parkhouse, co-clerk, would assist in the preparation of these written materials and sessions. /ST/LP 4. Committees of the Council and recruitment for elected governors A paper setting out the proposed generic remits for Committees was discussed and agreed in broad terms, with the following detailed amendments: a) that there be a norm of five Council members on each Committee, with the exceptions of the Finance and General Purposes Committee (six) and the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee (four), as an equitable sharing of responsibility once the full Council was in place; b) in terms of co-optees, that Council itself needed to endorse their inclusion, rather than the respective Committees themselves; and that because the skills matrix for the full Council following the elections procedure remained uncertain, it was correct to provide for two suitably qualified co-optees on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee; c) that reference to a minimum of three for the number of meetings annually was preferable, as this was inevitably going to vary from Committee to Committee; d) that there be no Staff Governors on the Staffing Committee, but that their presence was not debarred from any other Committee. An extra phrase should be added to clarify that they had voting rights when a Member of a Committee, as distinct from being a staff member in attendance; e) additional clauses, stating that there would be a mixture of elected and appointed governors on each Committee; and that all senior staff members on Committees reported through the CEO in their capacity (even when the CEO was not in attendance on a Committee). /ST The paper setting out the current position relating to Committee memberships (which would obtain until the AGM) was noted. Co-optees for each Committee could only join and be confirmed after the AGM, however, in reaction to who had and who had not been elected as governors. Progress in the process of recruiting candidates to stand for nomination for the various categories of elected governor was then discussed. JG suggested that there was an urgent need to convene a task and finish group related to the Voluntary 2

3 Movement Committee, to ensure that as many as possible of the democratic opportunities were being effectively pursued. This should be in liaison with Dafydd Rhys (Democracy Manager), Learning Managers, membership co-ordinators and the co-clerks. This was agreed. The following governors JG, JP, VD and HMJ (by ) as well as Huw Williams, exchair of the Voluntary Movement Committee of WEA South Wales were delegated to undertake this task and finish role. JG/JP/VD/ HMJ Emlyn Thomas, former CHWEAN governor, might become a member/co-optee for the Welsh Language Scheme Committee: if so, JP offered to move to be a member of the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee instead. As for inaugural meetings for all seven Committees, it was thought important that they meet prior to the AGM to show the serious intent behind their creation and role. It was re-affirmed that Committees could meet by video conference where necessary. 5. Preparations for the AGM and for the Main Launch of WEA Cymru The split of elected governors, between the 5 to emanate from the respective Regional Forums, and the 6 resulting from differing electoral colleges, was reiterated. While the former would be known before the AGM (as all Regional Forums were being convened in mid-february), the latter would be confirmed only at the AGM itself. All 11 would become active governors only after the AGM. Other aspects of the AGM were discussed. There should be a keynote speaker of reasonable renown, with fees/expenses made available if necessary for them. The Sian Thomason Award, open to learners from all over Wales, would be presented on that day. With Llanelli branch hosting the AGM as part of its centenary, there would be a slot for it to look back at its history. A participatory workshop session, enabling all attendees to comment on WEA Cymru s proposed aims and objectives, would form an additional session. Simultaneous interpretation facilities should be made available throughout, and a reasonable budget earmarked for the day. Tinopolis, a TV company with its studios in Llanelli, should be approached to consider broadcasting a human interest story in the lead-up to the event. As for AGM motions from the Council (to be submitted by the deadline of 31 January), it was agreed that JG would draw up a motion on future evolving priorities for the organisation, reflecting the Chair s comments at the Press Launch. This should join the two other emendatory motions relating to Clause 4 and Clause 12 of WEA Cymru s Standing Orders respectively, which set out revised membership fees and a set date for starting the process of inviting AGM resolutions in future which were passed by the Council. A discussion on /ST JG ST 3

4 the need to conduct a broader review of membership fees, packages and incentives ensued. The Main Launch was now scheduled for Thursday 1 May at the Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndŵr University, Wrexham. Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Ken Skates AM would be present, and invitations would be sent to all staff. A diary marker had already been issued to key invitees and partners for this date. 6. WEA Cymru s future strategic direction Two papers were tabled. The one titled Draft Strategic Aims had been seen by the Shadow Board, and continued to be in the process of change and update. The context behind WEA Cymru s existence was changing, however, which explained the other paper titled Context in which to write the WEA Cymru Strategic Plan. Both of these were works in progress, in anticipation of a full Strategic Plan. Governors were given time to read the documents before discussing their contents. RH declared an interest (as the Open University was mentioned in the second document) and Chris Franks similarly (in relation to the Vale of Glamorgan Council). spoke to the context paper in some detail. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of a merger of WEA Cymru with YMCA Wales Community College. The latter s work, scope and size were briefly discussed. It was agreed that a paper to the Council was needed on the issue, fully explaining its work (in the field of probation as well as elsewhere), and how and when any proposed merger might happen in practice, including the financial implications. There were suggested additions to the list of organisations with which WEA Cymru should collaborate: universities, the prison service, and Betsi Cadwaladr/other health boards in Wales were mentioned. It was also felt that progression, health and well-being, and communities should be given greater prominence, and that the list of alliances should be sub-divided into particular themes that were in turn linked to the organisation s overall strategies. RH commented that in order to influence the Welsh Government / National Assembly agenda, WEA Cymru should aspire to be a contributor to the writing of its appropriate policy documents, rather than merely responding to consultation processes after the event. He felt it was right to be ambitious and take advantage of the political context and the opportunities that existed at present. JG and VD concurred with the desirability of that, but questioned the capacity for strategic and policy development within the organisation, especially given the number of priorities for innovation and sharing services that were listed. 4

5 7. Consolidated accounts and Risk Register for WEA Cymru There was no updated information relating to the organisation s financial position since the previous month s Shadow Board meeting in Bangor. As for the Risk Register, it was accepted that the former version essentially related to the merger process: a new one, looking to the current and future priorities of the unified body, should be produced for the next Council meeting. 8. Estates issues: options paper relating to the purchase of 9 Coopers Yard, Curran Road, Cardiff RH read the last paragraph from the minute of the Shadow Board meeting in Bangor of 20 October 2013 relating to this matter, viz.: It was agreed that a more strategic document in terms of estates needs should be brought to the (Shadow) Board when ready, and that the purchase should not proceed prior to that point. It was felt that this continued to be the position. The paper before governors was consequently withdrawn. 9. Personnel matters provided an update on the situation in terms of Senior Management Team recruitment: 2 appointments had thus far been made, with 3 more to come in the following days (with the last interview scheduled for 4 February). The Joint Consultative and Negotiating Committee (JCNC) meeting on 7 January had agreed with the proposal that no governors sit on it in future. The overall staffing structure was now open to consultation to all staff for a period that would end on 11 February, on which day it would be discussed at the next JCNC meeting. It would then be presented to the following Council meeting for approval. The team-building exercise was being planned for 7/8 April in the Newtown area. 10. Task Group updates The pre-merger IT and Management Information Systems task group would continue to meet, as the IT Strategy Group, and continued to report directly to the governors. The Operational Management Group, meeting in lieu of a Senior Management Team a week earlier, had reacted to the task group s latest report by authorising the purchase of a suitable number of IPads and laptops for tutors, learners and workers in the former CHWEAN area. 5

6 The Curriculum task group had written a draft WEA Cymru Provision Delivery Plan, which would be presented to the first meeting of the Curriculum Committee. 11. Sculpture conundrum A sculpture named Y Bont, by Jonah Jones, formerly gifted to Coleg Harlech, was to be returned to the sculptor s daughter with the agreement of the CHWEAN Board. She had recently claimed that there had been a breakdown in communication, however, and that details regarding payment for the packing, transport and re-assembling of the structure at its new place of abode had yet to be resolved. The precise minute of the decision by the CHWEAN Board on this matter was needed in order to see what commitments had been made and how the matter should be amicably resolved. /JP/LP 12. Future Council meeting dates Friday 28 February 2014 at 12 noon Wrexham (now Cardiff) office Friday 28 March 2014 at 12 noon Ebbw Vale (now Wrexham) office (Also noted: Saturday 29 March 2014 at 11 a.m. AGM at Llanelli Town Hall) Final approval: Date: Rob Humphreys: Chair 6