Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Alistair Neill was proposed by Councillor Rachel Buckler, seconded by Councillor Peter Strong. All were in favour: Councillor Neill was elected as Chair.

Councillor Rachel Buckler was proposed by Councillor Martin Newell, seconded by Councillor Paul Pavia. All were in favour: Councillor Buckler was elected as Vice-Chair.

None.

Dr Morwenna Wagstaff introduced the report, Jacquelyn Elias and Hayley Page delivered a presentation, and they answered the members’ questions:

·        The Chair requested that acronyms and initials be properly explained in reports and asked about the possible stigmatising effect of terminology.

The team acknowledged the importance of avoiding acronyms and stigmatising terminology in reports.

·        A member asked about the additional learning provision and partnership lead role, evidence for statements in the report, and numbers of children in the service.

The additional learning provision and partnership lead role was initially a two-year secondment, extended for another year. The role is funded by Welsh Government grant funding. Evidence for improvements comes from the additional learning provision reviews conducted in 2023 and 2025, with summary reports and action plans available. There are currently 194 children placed in specialist resource bases, with a total of 229 available spaces.

·        A request was made for evidence to support statements in the report.

Summary reports of the additional learning provision reviews and action plans can be shared, and the team will consider making these available on the external site– ACTION

·        The Chair asked to what extent terminology is used within range of the pupils, thinking in terms of stigma.

Efforts are made to ensure children in Specialist Resource Bases feel part of their host school community, and the language used within schools is more inclusive.

·        A member asked about annual spending on out-of-county placements, the quality of individual development plans (IDPs), and funding models for Specialist Resource Bases.

Annual spending on out-of-county placements is approximately £2.3 million, excluding transport costs. The Council aims to reduce this figure by developing more local provision to keep children within their communities, which also helps to reduce transport costs. The quality of IDPs varies, and there is ongoing work to ensure consistency through cluster meetings and sharing best practices. Funding models for Specialist Resource Bases are being reviewed to ensure they reflect actual needs and staffing demands. Partnership agreements have been developed with host schools.

·        The Chair asked if transport dependency has changed in light of home to school legislation changes?

Transport dependency has not changed following the home-to-school legislation changes. This is because there remains a statutory entitlement to transport for children attending specialist provisions. The local authority continues to work closely with the pupil transport unit to identify efficiencies. Where appropriate, families are offered personal transport budgets if they choose to transport their children themselves. However, decisions are needs-led and based on what’s best for the child and family. The high cost of transporting children with disabilities – particularly out of county – also motivates efforts to develop more local specialist provision – ACTION: to provide transport costs

·        Clarity was sought about the number of pupils currently in out-of-county provision.

There are currently 55 pupils in out-of-county independent or specialist provisions.

·        A member asked about the impact of travel time on attendance and well-being, capturing learner and family experiences, and risk of non-compliance with legislation.

Travel time is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Dr Morwenna Wagstaff introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Dr Lucie Doyle, Jacquelyn Elias and Hayley Page:

·        A member asked if ELSA training is available to all pupils, and if we are promoting emotional literacy in schools.

ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) training is for staff, not pupils, but emotional literacy support is available to all pupils. ELSA training is targeted at teaching assistants, and every school in Monmouthshire has at least one trained ELSA. While the training itself isn’t for pupils, schools use it to deliver time-limited interventions and ongoing support like morning check-ins. Additionally, there’s a broader commitment to emotional well-being through the Healthy Settings service, aligned with Welsh Government’s statutory framework. This includes action plans for schools to become emotionally healthy environments. Universal, trauma-informed professional learning is also offered to ensure all pupils benefit from inclusive, preventative approaches.

·        A member asked for more qualitative and quantitative information about the 68 to 70 placements that have been maintained.

The 68 to 70 placements refer to the number of children who have been maintained in their current placements due to the support provided. The Council is working on providing more detailed qualitative and quantitative information in their reports.

·        More information on the risks or concerns mentioned in the report was sought, specifically regarding schools having the time and commitment to changing processes, and the over-reliance on grant funding.

The concerns highlighted in the report include:

-        Time and Commitment: Schools face pressures on the availability of support staff, which can impact how situations are responded to, especially with children presenting distress or dysregulation. The Council supports schools with ongoing professional development and training.

-        Changing Processes: Schools are in the process of aligning with new statutory frameworks and guidance around emotional health and well-being, which requires changes in policies and practices.

-        Over-reliance on Grant Funding: The trauma-informed work initiated post-COVID is funded by Welsh Government grants, which are provided on a year-by-year basis. The Council is developing an in-house model of professional learning and training to ensure sustainability should the grant funding end.

·        It was noted that additional reports that are linked in the main report can’t be opened – ACTION

·        A member asked for more information about the concerns in 3.4.10.

The key issues include staffing pressures, systemic change and funding uncertainty. There is a risk that schools may not always have enough emotionally attuned adults available to support children in distress, due to limited support staff. Schools are adapting to new statutory frameworks on emotional health and well-being, which requires ongoing support from the local authority to align policies and practices. Much of the trauma-informed work began with Welsh Government COVID-related well-being grants. While this funding continues, it’s allocated annually, creating uncertainty. In response, Monmouthshire is developing a sustainable in-house training model in partnership with Traumatic Stress Wales to ensure continuity if external funding ends.

·        A member asked about the provision of educational psychologists, and whether officers feel they can manage the expectations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Richard Jones introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Cabinet Member Ben Callard:

·        A member asked for more detail on the identification of major, substantial, moderate, minor, and likely, probable, and unlikely risks.

The identification of these risks is underpinned by the strategic risk management policy, which includes categorisation of different levels of impact and probability. This policy can be shared with the committee for further clarity– ACTION: to send further detail

·        A member asked who checks the equivalence of these assessments, and how consistency is applied.

The risk assessments are initially identified in service business plans and reviewed by the senior leadership team. They ensure the assessments are robust and consistent, guided by the risk management policy.

·        A member asked if there is a risk matrix that shows how risks like major adult social care provider failure fit into the risk register.

The risk radar identifies potential risks that could impact the Council or the community. The strategic risk register focuses on high or medium-level risks to the delivery of objectives. Specific risks like adult social care failure are considered and can be escalated if needed.

·        A member reiterated the request for more detail on the forward work plan to understand the impact on residents and identify what needs to be scrutinised.

The comments will be fed back to those responsible for coordinating the work planner to consider when updating it – ACTION: to follow up with SLT

·        A member asked if the criteria for risk identification could be appended to the document for residents to understand without searching for another document.

A summary of the different levels of categorisation used to inform the risk assessments can be included in future reports.

·        A member asked if there a lack of mitigation detail in the risk register, and if there are specific mitigation actions, progress to date, or timescales?

The risk register captures significant mitigations in place to address risks. More detailed mitigations may be found in directorate risk registers and service plans. The key mitigations are included in the strategic risk register to ensure they are maintained and up to date.

·        A member asked if there is an underdeveloped link between risk and budget, and how budget implications or reserve strategies are captured.

The risk register identifies specific risks related to finances. It informs budget considerations and decision-making, ensuring that risks are taken into account within the limited resources available.

·        A member asked how the climate emergency is integrated into the risk register and Council budgets and plans?

The risk register identifies risks related to the climate and nature emergency, which are linked to the objectives in the Community Corporate Plan. The register captures significant mitigations and considers how risks integrate with other priorities and plans.

·        A member asked why the threat of legal challenges has been de-escalated, given the increasingly litigious nature of society.

The risk of legal challenges has not necessarily diminished but will be managed within the legal team's directorate risk register. This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.