The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing submitted a report on the Director of Social Services’ Annual Report for 2018/18 for approval, and requesting that Members note the judgements reached locally about social care services in Bridgend. The report gave some background information, following which it explained, that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, places a strong emphasis on promoting the wellbeing of people who need care and support, as well as carers who also need the same.

 

She explained that the main aim and objective of the report (and accompanying presentation), was to provide Council and people living in Bridgend County Borough, with an overview of social care. It also aimed to highlight progress that had been made during the year, as well as to identify priorities for 2019/20.

 

Paragraph 4 of the report referred to the guidance, which set out the various sections that related to the six national quality standards for wellbeing, detailed in bullet point format in this section of the report.

 

The report and supporting information, demonstrated that services were generally effective when gauged against meeting the needs of individuals who require social care support. Whilst information in the report and presentation confirmed that services provided are improving overall, they also identified areas where improvement was needed and these were shown in the priorities for 2019/20.

 

The draft Report was attached at Appendix 1 to the covering report, whilst a letter from Care Inspectorate Wales outlining a review of the local authority’s performance in this area, was attached at Appendix 2.

 

Paragraph 4.11 of the report gave some key aims and actions being implemented/proposed, with regards to whole service priorities and also some added priorities for Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care per se.

 

The presentation then gave details of the Annual Report 2018/19, as follows:-

 

Adults – Key facts and figures                                             2017/18   2018/19

 

Total number of referrals and re-referrals for                           7604          7469

adult social care

 

Number of adults supported in the community                         5177          5198

 

Number of people who received a Telecare package              3162          3451

 

Number of referrals to Assisted Recovery in the Community   1010          1043

(ARC)

 

Number of people diverted from mainstream services to help   116           122

Them remain independent for as long as possible                     857           1162

                                                                                                 (in ARC)   (in ARC)

 

Number of people supported in residential/nursing care            676           700

 

Rate of delayed transfers of care for social care reasons          1.52          4.79

per 1,000 population aged 75 and over

 

Children’s – Key facts and figures

 

Number of contacts during the year                                          6677         7945

 

Number of children looked after as at 31 March                         384          381

 

The percentage of all care leavers who are in education,           61%         64%

training or employment 12 months after leaving care

 

The percentage of children aged 7-17 years who are satisfied   84%        86%

with the care and support they received

 

Number of care leavers receiving support from the local           116         153

Authority and its partners at 31 March

 

The percentage of assessments completed for children            86%        72%

Within statutory timescales

 

Number on the Child Protection Register                                   161        191  

 

Adults – our journey in numbers

 

By doing the right thing…

 

–      Supporting individuals to live in their own homes for longer, by developing and investing in our care at home and assistive technology services (please note performance in facts & figures section); and

–      Increasing our Extra Care capacity (doubling from 39 beds in 17-18 to 79 beds in 18-19) which gives individuals the security of a setting where care can be accessed on a 24/7 basis, but maintaining the independence of having your own front door

 

Savings have followed…

 

–      As an Extra Care scheme placement costs BCBC in the region of £115 - £120 per week, when compared to costs in the region of £600 per week for a care home placement – resulting in savings of over £600k

 

Children’s – our journey in numbers

 

By doing the right thing…

 

Developing and investing in specialist placement and supported/independent accommodation options within the county borough, and enhancing our internal fostering services, which addresses the balance between our use of independent fostering agencies (IFA’s) and our internal fostering team

 

 

Savings have followed…

 

With actual total spend on LAC Fostering and Accommodation placements reducing between 17-18 and 18-19 – in spite of inflationary pressures

 

Key Priorities for 2019/20

 

The key aims and actions are as follows:

 

• Give people more choice and control over what support they receive by providing early access to advice and information;
• Continue to improve the ways in which the Council provides good information, advice and assistance to the public, including increasing the support available through local community co-ordinators;
• Continue to involve service users, carers and communities in developing commissioning services;
• Reduce demand through targeted early help and intervention programmes;
• Support the development of a new generation of community health and wellbeing centres for our residents with health partners;
• Establish a new model of residential provision for looked after children and young people and seek the best ways of meeting their individual needs including support beyond the age of 18 by offering specialist accommodation;
• Finalise a transition service model to help disabled children move smoothly into adulthood;
• Support care leavers to secure appropriate accommodation;
• Work in partnership with the third sector, town and community councils and community groups to meet local needs;
• Work with partners and the third sector to strengthen communities and identify the best way of providing services locally;
• Enable community groups and the third sector to have more choice and control over community assets;
• Ensure a smooth transition into the new Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board region to ensure no citizen is adversely impacted as a result of the change;
• Support carers in maintaining their roles;
• Recruit and retain carers across the range of fostering services;
• Ensure Safeguarding is core business across the Council;
• Achieve the budget reductions identified in the medium term financial strategy;
• Develop the culture and skills required to meet the needs of a changing organisation;
• Provide learning and development opportunities for staff to meet future service needs.

 

There were additional specific priorities identified at the end of each section in the body of the report.

 

A Member noted that Sickness Absence had gone up in the Social Services Directorate by 8.8%, and he asked if there was a known reason for this and what was being done to try and reduce this increase in absenteeism. He also asked what the sickness percentage was overall in the Directorate.

 

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing advised that though there had been an increase in sickness absence across the Directorate, Group Managers were following the guidelines outlined in the Council’s Sickness and Absence Policy, and the situation was being closely monitored with the assistance of Human Resources in order to reduce current levels. It had been noted, that levels had increased in areas/sections of the Directorate where there had been some significant transformation and change, ie through staff restructuring and rationalisation etc.

 

A Member noted the savings that Social Services had to make as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), bearing in mind also that an Action Plan was in place to pay back also a previous overspend in the Directorate. He asked how this could be achieved without the high levels of service currently being provided slipping.

 

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing replied by stating that high standards of service to the elderly and our most vulnerable will have to be maintained, though this would be a challenge, particularly as further savings are required to be made year on year as part of the Council’s Budget.

 

It was about doing things differently and more innovatively than had been previously the case, and working increasingly with key stakeholders, and external providers such as our Health colleagues. She conceded however, that it was becoming very difficult and challenging to achieve the high standards delivered within previous years, in terms of levels of support which were dwindling internally year on year, under the restraints imposed by the MTFS.

 

A Member commented that the Council’s Education and Social Services Departments, in particular, were providing essential statutory services for the young, elderly and most vulnerable, and were governed by regulations and inspected on levels of service and performance. It was important therefore that the high standards people throughout the BCB had been accustomed to receiving in terms of different support systems in place, would be maintained.

 

The Cabinet Member – Social Services and Early Help, confirmed that both the Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing and himself had honest and frank discussions regarding the level of savings that had to be made in the Social Services and Wellbeing Directorate and the effect of this, particularly with regard to future service provision. The current MTFS covers the next 4 years and the savings the Authority have to make during this period are unprecedented, particularly when considering that £10m was required in 2020/21 followed by a further £8m in 2021/22. In the area of Social Services, he assured Members that the high standards the service presently provided would be maintained. What he could not guarantee however, was maintaining the wide variety of the level of services currently on offer.

 

A Member was aware through research, that statistics used to be made available across Wales under the appropriate legislation, outlining the number of people who had taken up Respite Care and the offer of Short breaks etc, for a period, as part of their convalescence after an illness or operation. He asked if this data was still made available.

 

The Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing confirmed that under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, which came into force in 2016, a Performance Framework had been introduced, involving all welsh local authorities which would reflect outputs such as that the Member referred to. However, this piece of work was presently in progress. She added that the Directorate had just undertaken a project in relation to Respite Care also, in order to look to improve and have more flexible options for clients, and she would share information regarding this with the Member outside of the meeting.

 

A Member concluded debate on this item by commending the Rota System and he urged all Members to become involved in this moving forward.

 

RESOLVED:                      That Council approved the Director of Social Services Annual Report for 2018/19.