The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing submitted a report, in order to present to Council, the Director of Social Services’ Annual Report for 2020/21, and request that Members note the assessments reached locally about social care services in Bridgend. 

She explained that this is the eleventh Annual Report of the Director of Social Services and is based on the Authority’s self-assessment of the performance and delivery of social care services over a two year period 2019/20 and 2020/21.  The report was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

The report outlined some background information, following which it stated that the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, placed strong emphasis on promoting the well-being of people who need care and support and carers who need support. It was important that the views and voices of people and their carers are heard, the report identified.

The guidance for the report sets out the sections in relation to the six national quality standards for well-being.  These were:

·         Working with people to define and co-produce personal well-being outcomes that people want to achieve;

·         Working with people and partners to protect and promote people’s physical and mental health and emotional well-being;

·         Taking steps to protect and safeguard people from abuse, neglect or harm;

·         Encouraging and supporting people to learn, develop and participate in society;

·         Supporting people to safely develop and maintain healthy domestic, family and personal relationships;

·         Working with and supporting people to achieve greater economic well-being, to have a social life and live in suitable accommodation that meets their needs.

The report provides a summary of the main achievements in 2019/20 and 2020/21 taking into account the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and references areas where progress has been delayed, or priorities needed to change as a consequence of the unprecedented global pandemic.  The report also highlighted the priorities for social services in 2021/22.  The analysis draws on progress against the business plans, performance data for each service area in both adults’ and children’s social care, as well as feedback from people, carers and staff.

The report also demonstrated that despite the challenges of the pandemic, BCBC, together with its key partner organisations, have continued to progress key service developments and improvements, and have continued to be effective in supporting those who need care and support. It did however, further identify areas where improvement was needed and the most significant risks and challenges facing BCBC and its stakeholders going forward, and these were detailed in the priorities for 2021/22.

The report further highlighted that in November 2021, a full regulatory inspection had been carried out of BCBC’s Domiciliary Care Services, the outcome of which was extremely positive, confirmed the Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing.

In April 2021 CIW had carried out an assurance check of how well BCBC and partners, had ensured the safety and well-being of people who use or may need to use services, the safety of services they access, and the safety and well-being of people who work in those services. Overall CIW had found that the local authority had made clear its strategic and operational intent to support vulnerable young people, adults and carers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing confirmed that there were some whole service priorities and then more specific priorities for Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care, moving forward. The Directorate would implement the actions as set out in the 2021-22 Social Services and Wellbeing Directorate Business Plan. The 8 highest priorities for social services and wellbeing in 2021/22 were detailed in paragraph 4.11 of the report and she gave a resume of these for the benefit of Members.

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing also gave a power point presentation with the support of immediate colleagues, that covered the main key areas of the Social Services Annual Report. This was further supported by a number of short video clips from key workers in Social Care settings, acknowledging the job satisfaction that came about from supporting the most vulnerable.

The Annual Report of the Director of Social Services had been presented to Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee (COSC) on 1st September 2021, and the COSC comments and suggestions given by Members of the Committee, she confirmed had been taken into account in the most up to date version of the report.

The Mayor paid tribute to all those who had supported the care service, particularly over the last 18 months or so during Covid-19, particularly those who were voluntary and/or unpaid carers. He felt all carers had given some invaluable support during what were unprecedented times, the like of which had never before been experienced.

The Leader commended the report, adding that it was one of the most important statutory report’s the Council considered annually. He thanked the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their input in the previous consideration of the Annual Report, for the high level of scrutiny and focus they had given to it. He wished to remind the public and Members alike, that in addition to the Annual Report, that there was intense scrutiny of BCBC Social Services by its regulators, which had only intensified during the pandemic. He recognised the fact that the CIW had completed a full inspection of the Authority’s Domiciliary Care Services which had proven to be very positive in terms of its outcomes, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic on top of normal day to day work. This had been the subject of a further subsequent assurance check in April 2021, analysing the ways and methods that BCBC and its partners adopt, to keep people safe. This had also been a very positive follow-up review. The Leader thanked all frontline staff within the care workforce for their unrelenting efforts, who had gave their undying commitment to support the most vulnerable in society, risking their own health in doing so, which he thought was so very admirable. The Council would now going forward, target the eight priorities detailed in the Annual Report, he added. These sentiments were echoed by the Deputy leader.

A Member asked what was being done for both the recruitment and retention of Care Workers.

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing advised, that the Council had a very detailed and comprehensive Recruitment and Retention Action Plan, which Officers were meeting weekly upon to improve and perfect this further. She urged Members also, to promote the need for Care Workers through the likes of their newsletters and on Social Media. The Council continued to work with HR, Employability Wales and the Communications Department, to similarly promote this important role. Flexibility in Contracts for Care Workers was also being looked at she added, in order to encourage people to come forward in this line of work.

A Member referred to the Baby in Mind Service concentrating upon new parents, particularly during the time of the pandemic. This period had been very hard for parents of newly born children. She asked how this was progressing and if support was continuing for this, with parents with other problems other than may be that of a financial nature.

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing, confirmed that the Baby in Mind Project was excellent and quite unique, in that it was something that had not been pursued by other neighbouring authorities, that was invaluable in terms of supporting the most vulnerable, including the new born during the time of the pandemic. This was a service that was primarily outside of the Social Services arena and more in the Early Help area of BCBC. Early Help Services also included Flying Start as well as ongoing support through various Hubs that were situate throughout the County Borough. Health visits had also been maintained during the pandemic she added. The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing concluded, by confirming that the Council would continue to review pre-birth interventions also during the future.

RESOLVED:                             That Council approved the Director of Social Services’ Annual Report for 2020/21.