To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Councillors Heidi Bennett, Paul Davies and Graham Walter gave their apologies that they would need to leave the meeting early.

Officers

Laura Kinsey – Head of Children’s Social Care

Andrew Thomas - Group Manager, Sports and Physical Activity

Invitees

Councillor Rhys Goode - Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell gave his apologies that he would need to leave the meeting early.

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including whipping declarations)

Councillor Heidi Bennett declared a personal interest in agenda item 3 as she is employed by organisation which delivers prevention and wellbeing support in connection with Bridgend County Borough Council.

Invitees

Councillor Jane Gebbie - Deputy Leader of Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help

Councillor Rhys Goode - Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations

Claire Marchant - Corporate Director - Social Services and Wellbeing

Jacqueline Davies - Head of Adult Social Care

Laura Kinsey - Head of Children’s Social Care

Andrew Thomas - Group Manager - Sports and Physical Activity

Pete Tyson – Group Manager - Commissioning

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Services introduced the report by commending the Corporate Director, Social Services and Wellbeing on her leadership and for keeping the workforce engaged and informed throughout the challenges they had faced and expressing her thanks to their Officers who had been innovative and proactive.

The Corporate Director, Social Services and Wellbeing presented the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2021 to the Committee, for scrutiny prior to consideration by Council on 20 September 2023.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Director, Social Services and Wellbeing and Members discussed the following:

·        The key aspects of the service being shown in the report regarding balance between agency staff and council staff, overall cost, churn of staff in the breakdown across different parts of the service and the number of open vacancies.

·        Initiatives underway, including working with Bridgend College, bringing in people from different sectors, growing their own social workers, international recruitment, looking at how to convert agency workers into permanent workforce and applications for market supplement policy in children’s social care.

·        Clarification that the pressures were external and an all-Wales issue.

·        The process for and how the critical incident referred to in the report had been triggered by the situation they had found themselves in within the Information, Advice and Assistance Service previously.

·        The increase in the number of people contacting the service and concern over the number of assessments undertaken and the significant increase in demand being seen.

·        Discharges from hospital and high levels of staff absence in-house, whether Care and Repair were being used to their full potential, the new discharge hub at the hospital having recently been introduced with Care and Repair sitting alongside with their social workers and Discharge Liaison Service and minor adaptations.

·        Examples of how best practice from other local authorities was incorporated following the Care Inspectorate Wales Quality Assurance Inspection, to further reduce the need for statutory interventions, including reviews in the area of prevention, Local Area Coordinators, conversations with colleagues in Carmarthenshire about contracts, electric vehicles and overcoming barriers, conversations with authorities who had implemented the Signs of Safety Model, investment in earmarked reserves and working with an Improvement Partner from the Institute of Public Care.

·        Operating models being considered going forward, multi-agency support model needed, implementing trauma informed models of practice (given the complexity of children requiring residential provision), looking at how it could be reflected within the Signs of Safety Plan, and integrated working with Health and the Third Sector.

·        Conclusions and recommendations of the Improving Outcomes for Children Board to date.

·        The high levels of staff absence in Adult Social Care in-house services attributed to Musculoskeletal or Non work-related stress.

·        The significant reduction in the percentage of assessments completed within the statutory timescale of 42 days in the Children’s Performance dashboard, the particular pressures impacting on performance of the service and the focus on improving both the quantitative and qualitative performance.

·        Reducing the number of hours of care provided and mitigating the need for support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer – Scrutiny presented the Committee with the Forward Work Programme (FWP) in Appendix A for discussion and consideration, requested any specific information the Committee identified to be included in the items for the next two meetings, including invitees they wished to attend, requested the Committee to identify any further items for consideration on the Forward Work Programme having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.3.

She also advised that the Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet was attached as Appendix B to track responses to the Committee’s Recommendations made at previous meetings.

Members requested that the report upon Progress on the Performance of Disabled Facilities Grants, including the support arrangements provided by Neath Port Talbot report, be scheduled as soon as possible.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer – Scrutiny referred to the item already listed on the FWP in Appendix A and advised that a written response on a position statement at the end of the year would be provided from Officers shortly and the report would then follow.

Members requested a report upon the housing crisis, particularly looking at a partnership approach and inviting Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), Private Landlords and the Authority’s Housing Officers.

Members requested that Scrutiny Officers look at the scheduling of the following reports on the FWP having regard to the availability of the key invitees: 
-    Delivery of the Cost of Living Payment Scheme;

-        Workforce Recruitment and Retention;

-        RSL Invitees for the Homelessness, Housing and Empty Properties.

There were no further items identified for consideration on the Forward Work Programme having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.3 and this could be revisited at the next meeting.

There were no requests to include specific information in reports for the next meeting.

RESOLVED:                        The Committee considered and approved its Forward Work Programme in Appendix A subject to the above additions and requests and noted the Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet to track responses to the Committee’s recommendations made at previous meetings, in Appendix B.

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.