To be accompanied by a presentation.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing presented her Annual report for 2016/17 for approval and requested that Council note the judgements reached locally about social care services in Bridgend.  She stated that this was the eighth Annual Report of the Director of Social Services and was based on the Authority’s self-assessment of the performance and delivery of social services.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed Council that from October 2016, the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) changed the way they inspect children’s and adult social services.   

The new framework will ensure that authorities are inspected using the wellbeing outcomes of the Act.  This placed an emphasis on hearing the views and voices of people and their carers who need care and support.  She stated that Authorities were advised that the new framework could be tested in this transitional year and Bridgend, like most other authorities, had adopted this approach for the 2016/17 report.   

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing presented a summary of performance in Adult Social Care, whereby 4923 adults had been supported in the community; the number of people who received a Telecare package had increased from 2643 in the previous year to 2921 in the current year.  Demand for services in Adult Social Care had continued to increase in 2016/17 with 7623 referrals received, being an increase of 136 in the previous year.  The number of people supported in residential / nursing care had reduced from 1493 to 986.  The number of people who received a reablement service had increased from 388 in the previous year to 394.  The service had supported 420 people at home through the Better at Home service which enabled people to be discharged from hospital and not kept in hospital for a package of care.              

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing presented a summary of performance in Children’s Social Care, whereby 6134 new contacts had been received during the year, while the number of children and families the service was involved with had led to an increase in demand of 42%.  The number of children that required a child protection intervention had decreased to 689, which were 75 less than in the previous year and the number of children on the child protection register at the end of the year was 175.  The number of looked after children as at the end of March 2017 was 390.    

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing highlighted the key parts of the annual report template and the 6 quality standards which must be answered.  In addition, the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and National Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS) were implemented.  The Population Assessment across the region which will inform future service planning and commissioning was completed.  Key drivers for the year were the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014; Western Bay; Medium Term Financial Strategy and WCCIS.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing highlighted the key actions for the Directorate in 2017/18.

A Member of Council whilst commending the Directorate for its performance expressed concern at performance being variable and in the UK context commented on the timeliness of support from partners which had led to a number of high profile public inquiries.  The Member also expressed concern at the potential for a failure in communication or something being missed between the daytime service and the emergency duty team.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing commented that the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) would be going live in 3 - 4 months, which will bring a number of agencies together, sharing information and making collaborative decisions.  She stated that the Directorate has a sound infrastructure in place and has a sound relationship with the police.  The Head of Children’s Social Care that the development of the MASH will have a compliment of full time staff to carry out assessments and referrals.  She stated that the Inspector had observed good multi agency work and a well-established Safeguarding Board.

Ann Rawling, representing the CSSIW stated that she had met the Head of Children’s Social Care to discuss the Action Plan and found evidence of very positive joint working not only within the Council but with partner agencies.  This was evidenced by the development of the MASH.  She stated that the CSSIW constructively challenges processes within the Directorate and many of the areas identified by the Inspectorate were already the subject of review by the Directorate.  The Leader stated that the implementation by the authority of the WCCIS had greatly assisted communication between agencies and where there were risks to a child, swift action had been taken by the authority to safeguard the child. 

The Cabinet Member Social Services & Early Help thanked the Corporate Director, Heads of Service and the whole team in the Directorate for producing the Annual Report which is a good reference document.  He also commented that multi-agency and preventative work is at the forefront of the Directorate’s focus.

A Member of Council asked what support was given to carers and for respite and the impact caring responsibility could have on young carers’ education.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed Council that there is a young carers group in being and each young carer is issued with a card to show to teachers at school who will understand that they may have difficulty in meeting homework deadlines.  Young carers cards would now be rolled out to young carers across the Western Bay region in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea Councils.  She also informed Council that a young carers conference is held annually.  The Head of Adult Social Care informed Council that there is respite in place for carers and that the Act gives carers an entitlement to respite.  She stated that support services would be developed over the next 6 months.  There is also a Carers Development officer whose remit is to actively support carers.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed Council that it is a priority of the Directorate to support carers.

A Member of Council how was the population assessment done.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed Council that the population assessment was done across the region using 3 work streams in which officers produced evidence against work stream.  She stated there had been a number of performance management surveys and a series of public meetings over a 6 – 9 month period across region.  The work on the population assessment would result in a Bridgend plan and there would also be a commissioning plan in place over the coming months.

A Member of Council commented that demand for social services continued to be high and asked whether the MTFS could cope with the demand.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing commented that it had been difficult to meet the requirements of the MTFS and that the Directorate had started this financial year with £2.3m less than the previous year’s budget.  She stated there is a strategy in place to meet the requirements of the MTFS.  The Directorate in the previous year had broken even with its spending and that it would be difficult to repeat that situation.  She stated that the Directorate had to pursue a strategy of doing things differently and through service transformation.

A Member of Council congratulated the Directorate for its implementation of the When I am Ready scheme and for its role in safeguarding all vulnerable people.       

RESOLVED:           That consideration of the Annual Report be deferred to the next meeting of Council due to the unavailability of certain documents electronically to Members.