Agenda and draft minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

No disclosures of interest were received.

No declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting(s) and agree as an accurate record.

Panel agreed the Minutes of the meeting on 7 January 2025 as an accurate record of the meeting.

Letter to Cabinet Member following the meeting on 7 January 2025 was noted.

Questions can be submitted in writing to scrutiny@swansea.gov.uk up until noon on the working day prior to the meeting. Written questions take precedence. Public may attend and ask questions in person if time allows. Questions must relate to items on the open part of the agenda and will be dealt with in a 10-minute period.

No questions were received.

Julie Davies, Head of Child and Family Services

Helen Williams, Principal Officer Adolescent and Young People Services

Amy Barrett, Team Leader, Child and Family

Helen Williams, Principal Officer Adolescent and Young People Services and Amy Barrett, Team Leader, Child and Family attended to present a briefing on this issue and answer the Panel’s questions.

Discussion Points:

·       Young People experiencing homelessness (age 16-21) can be referred through the Supported Accommodation Pathway (SAP) and current demand is high.

·       The process has a number of challenges including a limited number of providers and young people having to complete multiple assessments.  As a result, Child and Family Services (CFS) together with providers have developed one assessment process, and a supported accommodation framework is being developed to provide more options for young people needing accommodation. 

·       Panel pleased to hear that with the new framework the number of providers should increase from 3 to up to 16.  Panel will want to monitor closely the availability of supported living provision.  

·       The Panel was also briefed on the Youth Homelessness Prevention Service which moved into CFS in July 2024 and the ambitions for the service.

·       Panel asked questions about what happens if providers have no space available; young people’s situation before referral; reasons for trend of increasing referrals; types of accommodation; young people being accommodated away from older homeless people; timescales from coming in to moving on; contact details for homelessness team; school worker in the Youth Homelessness Prevention Service; working between this service and Adult Social Services.

Actions:

·       Homelessness Team contact details to be provided to Panel Members

·       Panel to consider adding ‘Update on availability of Supported Living Provision for Young People Leaving Care’ to future work plan.

Louise Gibbard, Cabinet Member for Care Services

David Howes, Director of Social Services

Julie Davies, Head of Child and Family Services

Louise Gibbard, Cabinet Member for Care Services and Julie Davies, Head of Child and Family Services attended to provide an update on the work of the Board over the past year.

Discussion Points:

·       The work of the Corporate Parenting Board focuses around the seven pledges developed a few years ago by care experienced young people working with Board members. 

·       There has been much better engagement this year from Health Board colleagues and there has been excellent collaboration with Education.

·       Officers have attended a national corporate parenting event in Cardiff for the first time to share good practice and learn from others. They will continue to attend.

·       Panel asked questions about Health -  how performance is going to be monitored; the number of Looked After Children (LAC) nurses; what the Health Assessment involves; Health Assessment Compliance; Education – LAC attendance compared to Swansea overall and impact; reasons for flat  and worsening performance figures; educational results at Year 6 and Year 11 for LAC;

·       There is a webpage called ‘My Local School’ which contains a lot of data about free school meals etc and it shows a breakdown on a school-by-school basis. 

Actions:

·       Head of Service to speak to Education about data collected on LAC performance and inform Panel.

Panel considered the work plan and noted items for the next meeting.