Agenda and draft minutes

County Councillor P. Jones was elected Chair. 

County Councillor P. Farley was elected as Vice Chair.

No declarations of interest were made by Members.

Key Issues:

What is the Monmouthshire Young Carers Strategy?

1. The strategy will bring a voice to and visibility of young carers in Monmouthshire. This strategy is the tool by which we can ensure the young carer’s voice is heard to instigate change, action and improvement for their lives of young carers. This is the first strategy young carers have had in Monmouthshire.

Outcomes for Carers

2. The Strategy focuses on achieving improved outcomes for young carers, and to minimize the reliance placed upon young carers in providing inappropriate and disproportionate, health, wellbeing and social care for the person they are caring for. By minimising the level of care that young carers undertake they will have the ability to develop as a child and young person in their own right, so that when they reach adulthood they can feel confident that the choices they make will not have a negative impact on the cared for. The outcomes identified are to provide preventative mechanisms so the cared for needs do not engulf that of the young person.

Outcomes for Service Provision

3. The strategy will shape a cohesive and collaborative partnership that ensures the earliest identification and support of young carers in Monmouthshire over the next 3 years. The strategy has clearly defined 8 themes, identified and agreed by young carers, which offer young carer focussed outcomes.

4. This document will be used in partnership with young carers, service providers (both statutory and third sector) and commissioners as a tool to identify where ownership is placed in providing long term sustainable plans to meet the needs of young carers, and for the provision of care planning. The strategy will be used as a monitoring tool for current and future service provision.

Member Scrutiny:

A Group of Young Carers were welcomed to the meeting by the Chair of the Council and the Chair of the Joint Children and Young People’s and Adults Select Committee and introductions were made.

The Committee was informed that a letter had been received expressing concern that funding was only confirmed until September 2017.  An update was provided by the Chief Officer, Directorate for Children and Young People who confirmed that the Young Carers Project has been funded to date to the fullest extent recognising its work and outcomes.  It was explained that this year, Welsh Government (WG) is changing the conditions of Communities First and Families First funding and consequently, the authority must ensure it is meeting expectations of how money is spent. In view of this, it has been decided to conduct a review of all projects. 

The Chief Officer acknowledged the points made in the letter and understood the challenges of maintaining a project when funding isn’t guaranteed.  It was anticipated that the outcome of a proportional and pragmatic review will hopefully secure funding into the medium term thus providing better certainty for the future.  It was confirmed that the authority is keen to work with the Young Carer’s Project and also that the review  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Key Issues

      i.        A Safeguarding Strategy and Activity Programme was endorsed by the Cabinet and approved by the Council in July 2016. This include a Strategy to steer the Safeguarding policy, changes to the WASCG terms reference and membership to ensure senior accountability and for whole authority safeguarding, and a programme of safeguarding activity supported by a

            measures scorecard.

     ii.        These have provided direction to drive safeguarding standards and activity.

            WASCG has reviewed the original 19 sections of the activity programme into

            five clear priorities to better articulate and focus the programme. This report

            recommends that Cabinet members endorse this renewed programme to

            support clarity of safeguarding priorities and to facilitate future measurement

            and reporting.

            The five priorities are:

                                      i.        Good governance

                                     ii.        A safe workforce

                                    iii.        A preventative approach

                                   iv.        Robust protection

                                    v.        Safe services – delivered through commissioning arrangements, grants, partnerships and volunteering.

            3. These priorities are used to report on the progress against the programme

            agreed by Council.

            4. A revised safeguarding policy will be presented to the Council in early

            2017/18 and subsequent reports on whole authority safeguarding will be

            brought at mid and end of financial / reporting year in line with other Council

            reports.

Recommendations:

That members:

      i.        Note the progress and challenge the self-assessment of the Whole Authority

            Safeguarding Co-ordinating Group (WASCG);

     ii.        Support the intention to focus the safeguarding programme approved by the

            Council in July 2016 against five key priority areas.

Member Scrutiny:

A Member asked for details of the Whole Authority Safeguarding Co-ordinating Group and was informed that the Group is chaired by the Chief Officer, Social Care, Health and Housing and membership includes colleagues from each Directorate at Chief Officer or Head of Service level.  Its aim is to monitor the Whole Authority Plan and to ensure accountability for what happens regarding safeguarding in each Directorate.  Some other members of the group include Officers with responsibility for developing volunteering and colleagues from the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit.  It was further queried why there were no elected member on the group and responded that such inclusion could be considered when the new Council is in place. 

The Cabinet Member, Social Care, Safeguarding and Health recalled that he had initially attended the Group meetings, and reported after some time the focus became more operational and therefore it was less appropriate as a Cabinet Member role.  However, he agreed that membership of an elected member could provide a wider perspective at this time.

A Member referred to the Appendix and a statement that “Directorates are at different developmental levels in fully integrating safeguarding into operational activity e.g. Kerbcraft” and questioned what can be done to accelerate the developmental progress in some Directorates commenting that it was disappointing to hear of the gap that had been exposed regarding Kerbcraft.  He questioned how to ensure a consistent approach.  In response it was accepted that there had been a failure in processes and that there is a role for the Whole Authority Safeguarding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.