Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Social Care presented the Safeguarding Evaluative Report:

·       To evaluate the progress of Monmouthshire County Council’s key safeguarding priorities, in the period April – October 2017, using identified measures to highlight progress, identify risks and set out clear improvement actions and priorities for further development.

·       To inform Members about the effectiveness of safeguarding in Monmouthshire and the work that is in progress to support the Council’s aims in protecting children and adults at risk from harm and abuse.

·       To inform Members about the progress made towards meeting the standards in the Council’s Corporate Safeguarding Policy approved by Council in July 2017.

In response to questions we heard that the DBS exception report has been moved from quarterly to periodic due to the importance of the check in terms of the safer recruitment process and it being not appropriate to wait for a quarterly check, and to ensure immediate risks are managed.

In terms of addressing issues surrounding loneliness in adult social care, this would come under the preventative approach to safeguarding and the wellbeing workforce has been introduced who work with people who are lonely and isolated to connect them to certain services and social opportunities. 

Councillor Batrouni sought assurance that the framework would identify weaknesses or breaches.  The Chief Officer responded that the report aims to be an honest appraisal of where we are. A review report is expected April 2018

Councillor Pratt thanked the social services team, specifically for the work being undertaken in Llanelly Hill.

The External Reference Group had provided helpful point, the minutes could be forwarded to Members.  

In response to a question regarding the Faithful and Gould asset survey of Chepstow School, The Chief Officer for Social Care, Safeguarding and Health advised that she would ask the Chief Officer for Children and Young People to provide a response.

There was concern that the Council had been commissioning services without a risk based management and quality assurance process across all providers.  In response we heard that the majority of placements made in Children’s’ Services go through the ‘Four Cs’, a commissioning consortium across South Wales here providers come onto a framework, and accreditation, quality and safeguarding checks are undertaken  In Children’s Services a contracts officer does some of that work for the off contract provider.  This is being moved in to the commissioning function in Social Care and Health.

In terms of the assessment of safe services having important weaknesses, it is recognised there are a vast array of services around safeguarding and analysis is showing that safeguarding is built in but we do not have a full picture as a Council.  There is to be an internal audit of the whole programme to be undertaken in the new year.

Council resolved to agree the recommendation:

To note the key safeguarding risks and approve the priority improvement actions as set out at Appendix 2 to this report.

To endorse the evaluation of safeguarding progress set out in Appendix 5 to this report.