Agenda, decisions and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

None.

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

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

Approved.

Resolved that the Minutes of the Social Care & Tackling Poverty Service Transformation Committee held on 23 October 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Noted.

Helen Williams, Principal Officer, Adolescent & Young People Services, accompanied by Amy Barrett, Team Leader provided a report which presented the development of services in relation to young people living in ‘When I’m Ready’ arrangements.

The report outlined the commitment, vision, and ambitions for support services for children, young people and families in ‘When I’m Ready’ arrangements.  It also outlined how we intend to ensure that the needs of service users inform our practice, and how we develop and adapt the service if or when these needs change.

‘When I’m Ready’ is a scheme developed by Welsh Government, in partnership with local government and key third-party sector partners to enable care leavers to continue to live with their former foster carers after the age of eighteen.  A ‘When I’m Ready’ arrangement can continue until the young person reaches their twenty-first birthday or completes their agreed programme of education or training after their twenty-first birthday, if they had been continuously living in the arrangement since their eighteenth birthday.

The Committee asked various questions, which the officers answered appropriately. 

In respect of the ‘When I’m Ready’ Policy (Appendix A), the Committee suggested that the penultimate paragraph in Section 4 be expanded on to give examples of the types of skills development that a young person could be committed to undertake.

Resolved that:

1)             The Social Care & Tackling Poverty Service Transformation Committee note the ‘When I’m Ready’ Policy.

For information.

Claire Edwards-Matthews, Principal Officer, Commissioning & Care Services, supported by Donna Lukes, Team Manager presented a “For Information” report which presented the development of services in relation to children and young people living in Special Guardianship Order arrangements.

They explained that a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) provided an alternative legal status for children and families, offering greater security than long-term fostering placements but without the legal severance from the birth family that stemmed from an Adoption Order.  Most importantly it ensured that children were offered the opportunity to grow up and be cared for within their family network and the Special Guardian would have parental responsibility for the child.

Information on relevant legislation and practice guidance for Special Guardianships Order was outlined in the Special Guardianship Order Policy at Appendix A.

The Committee asked various questions, which the officers answered appropriately.

The Chair requested that the Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Service Development Review at Appendix B be emailed to all Councillors so they were aware of the clear identified priority areas of development to achieve the vision for children, young people and their family networks.

Noted.

The Chair presented the Work Plan for 2023-2024.

It was noted that there was currently no item scheduled for the next meeting on 15 January 2024, Discussions were ongoing, and the Committee would be updated in due course as to whether the meeting would proceed.

Resolved that the Work plan be noted.