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Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 5, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Liz Jordan 01792 637314 

Items
No. Item

1.

Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.

Minutes:

No disclosures of interest were made.

2.

Notes of previous meetings pdf icon PDF 365 KB

To receive the notes of the previous meetings and agree as an accurate record.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel agreed the notes as an accurate record of the meeting.

3.

Public Question Time

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

Minutes:

No members of the public were present at the meeting.

4.

Presentation - Update on Impact of Prevention and Early Intervention on Child and Family Services

Rachel Moxey, Head of Poverty and Prevention

Gavin Evans, Poverty and Prevention

Minutes:

Rachel Moxey, Head of Poverty and Prevention and Gavin Evans, from the Poverty and Prevention team attended to update the panel on progress since they attended the Panel meeting in June 2018. 

 

Discussion Points:

·       Wavehill Consultancy have built a cost avoidance tool on behalf of the Welsh Government, in partnership with all 22 Local Authorities in Wales, which the Department is using to estimate cost avoidance to the Authority of early intervention and prevention. 

·       Panel queried if more needs to be invested into early intervention to further increase the amount of cost avoidance for CFS.  Informed too early in IAA process to identify if resource needs to shift.

·       Panel offered standing invitation to representatives of Poverty and Prevention to come back to the Panel when they have something to evidence it is making a difference

·       Need to tap into the right level of resource at the right time.  Integration with qualified social workers is important. ‘The right person at the right time for the right service.’

 

5.

Presentation - Safeguarding: Child Sexual Exploitation (is there a problem in Swansea? What is happening to prevent it?)

Julie Thomas, Head of Child and Family Services

 

Minutes:

Julie Thomas, Head of Child and Family Services attended to present this item and answer the Panel’s questions.

 

Discussion Points:

·       Panel informed vulnerable children are most at risk.

·       Less Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) cases have been identified in the last 12 months.  However there has been an increase in recent months. 

·       Young people at risk of CSE have been identified across all areas of Swansea.  Most CSE cases have been girls. 

·       Some of the young people have been Looked After Children placed in Swansea by other authorities (Cardiff, Wiltshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff).

·       CSE is a key priority area for the Local Safeguarding Board this year.

·       Authority is taking a contextual safeguarding approach going forward.  Criminal exploitation is also included in contextual safeguarding.

·       Authority successfully bid for a grant following the successful piloting of this approach in Hackney and was one of only 3 sites in the UK selected and the only one in Wales. 

 

6.

Child Disability Update pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Chris Francis, Principal Business Development and Commissioning Lead

Minutes:

Chris Francis, Principal Business Development and Commissioning lead attended to provide an overview of the Child Disability Service area and update on recent developments.

 

Discussion Points:

·       When Parent Carer Forum is established, it will be used to obtain views on using a system like direct payments for support.  Flexi home support service is an alternative to direct payments.  Up to parents which they choose for their child’s care package.

·       An initial meeting has been held to discuss the Local Offer, some parents/carers attended and there was discussion about third sector organisations bidding for Welsh Government monies to get website up and running.

·       A great deal of time has gone into improving services for child disability in last few months.  It takes time as need to consult with parents and carers all through the process.

·       Vocal parents often take the lead in group meetings and it is difficult to get the views of the quiet ones.  Training is now being provided and a new forum established to try and move away from this. 

·       Plan in place now which gives opportunity to engage more with third sector.

 

7.

Work Programme Timetable 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Minutes:

The Panel considered the Work Programme. 

 

Action:

·       Add to Work Programme a joint CFS/Schools Panel meeting on 2 May to discuss Looked After Children educational performance/outcomes in Swansea. 

 

8.

Letters pdf icon PDF 257 KB

a)    Convener’s letter to Cabinet Member (18 December 2018 meeting)

Minutes:

Letter received and considered by the Panel.

Convener's letter to Cabinet Member (25 February 2019 meeting) pdf icon PDF 262 KB