Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

 

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.  

 

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 14 October 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

 

There were no public questions.

The Cabinet Members for Children Services presented a report on the key headlines for the Children Services Portfolio.

 

Questions and Discussions with the Cabinet Members, the Head of Child and Family Services and the Strategic Lead Commissioner focused on the following: -

 

Flying Start

·            Measuring performance, success, outcomes and comparison with others

·            Upcoming Commissioning Reviews  - possible consideration of Flying Start activities and ability to stretch aspects of the Programme across other areas of Swansea e.g. around parenting support

·            Collaboration work across the Council – links with education and transition to foundation phase, and with the provision of new houses in Penderry and their inclusion in Flying Start

·            Offer available to children that may fall outside of Flying Start postcodes

 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

·            Promotion and development of respecting rights and eco-Committees / eco awareness in schools

·            Links with global rights, pupil voice and the Council organised ‘Big Conversations’

·            Effects on pupil behaviour – both positive and negative

 

Child Poverty

·            Effect of Universal Credit - promoting and providing advice

·            Use of Communities First Legacy Funding to support families and advice

·            Family Inclusion Officers – providing advice on financial inclusion

·            Spending Choices

·            National Minimum Wage – appropriate rate

 

Safeguarding

·            Recent press on issues at private sector care homes

·            Care Inspectorate Wales – inspections and guidance

·            Placement of Children – consideration of inspection report, regular reviews and offer of independent advocate

·            Funding of inter county placements and education

·            Care homes in-house education provision

 

Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

·            Recent increase in young people who are NEET

·            Tracking of young people who are NEET and correlation with Flying Start

·            Upcoming Commissioning Reviews that would include focus on NEETS

·            Ongoing work on opportunities available to care leavers

·            Difficulties in relation to performance information and comparison with others

 

Play Opportunities

·            Play Team’s offer

·            Play Sufficiency Assessment and availability of latest report

·            Areas where there was no playground / play offer

·            Provision of play therapy in Swansea

 

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS)

·            Monitoring of service improvement

·            Ongoing issues of accessing the service – working towards a single front door model

 

Youth Justice Service

·            Progress of the Youth Justice Service since being brought back in-house

·            Transformation of Youth Justice Board

·            Opportunities for integration with other services

·            Reoffending rate / offer available for reoffenders

 

Portfolio Responsibilities  

·            Clarity on scope and meaning of portfolio topic ‘Opportunities for Young People’

 

Resolved that the Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write to the Cabinet Members, reflecting the discussion and sharing the views of the Committee. 

Councillor Paxton Hood-Williams, Convener of the Child & Family Services Performance Panel, provided an update on the work of the panel to date.

 

Further to the written report provided, he highlighted the ongoing work with monitoring of CAHMS as well as concern regarding Parent Carer Assessments in both Adult and Child Social Services. He added that the Panel had spoken directly with parent carers about their experiences. The Convener provided clarity on Signs of Safety Metrics and the Bright Spots Survey, which had been discussed in previous Panel meetings.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

 

The Chair presented a report on ‘Membership of Scrutiny Panel and Working Groups. Further to the written report provided the Scrutiny Team Leader informed the Committee that Katrina Guntrip had stepped down from her role as co-optee on the Adult Services Performance Panel.   

 

Resolved that Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald be removed from the Procurement Inquiry Panel 

 

The Chair presented a report on ‘Scrutiny Dispatches – Quarterly Impact Report’.

 

Resolved that the content of the draft Scrutiny Dispatches be approved and presented to Council.

Discussion on:

a)       Committee Work Plan.

b)       Opportunities for Pre-Decision Scrutiny.

c)       Progress with Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups.

The Chair presented the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2019/20.

 

She highlighted that the Scrutiny Programme Committee scheduled for the 9 December 2019 had been cancelled and the Question and Answer Session with the Cabinet Member for Care, Health & Ageing Well would be rescheduled.

 

The Committee discussed the possibility of holding a pre-decision scrutiny on the upcoming cabinet report on Foreshore Sites, listed in the Cabinet Forward Plan.  

 

Resolved that: -

1)     the report be noted;

2)    the Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee would consider options in relation to scrutiny on the cabinet report on foreshore sites.  

The Chair presented a report on “Scrutiny Letters” for information.

 

The Scrutiny Letters report was noted.

The Audit Committee Work Plan was noted.

The dates and times of upcoming Panel / Working Group Meetings were noted.