Agenda item

To conduct pre-decision scrutiny

Cabinet Member Ian Chandler and Diane Corrister introduced the report and answered the members questions: 

 

Councillor Ian Chandler: 

 

• Presented the updated corporate parenting strategy, emphasizing shared responsibilities for children and young people in care across all council members, officers, and partner organizations. 

 

• Stressed that corporate parenting is a council-wide commitment, not limited to children's services.

 

• Explained the strategy updates reflect progress since 2022, including placement strategies, enhanced foster carer recruitment, and treating care experience as a protected characteristic. 

 

• Highlighted changes in external context, such as eliminating profit from children's care, and clarified priorities and actions.

 

• Invited feedback before presenting to full council, underscoring the importance of corporate parenting responsibilities. 

 

Diane Corrister: 

 

• Noted the strategy sets out vision, priorities, and roles for corporate parents, with little change in core priorities. 

 

• Detailed recent changes, including demographic shifts and reduced numbers of looked-after children due to investment in prevention services. 

 

• Explained active planning for children in care, leading to a significant drop in numbers and improved outcomes. 

 

• Addressed the inclusion and support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and the impact of the national transfer scheme. 

 

• Discussed development of local residential care units to align with council vision and Welsh Government policy, supporting local placement and family relationships. 

 

Questions: 

 

How are care experienced children and young people involved in writing the strategy, and how does their input shape the final document? How often does Cabinet hear directly from young people? 

 

Care experienced young people are involved through a range of formal and informal mechanisms, including twice-yearly meetings with the corporate parenting panel, participation in recruitment panels for staff and foster carers, and visits to residential homes to provide feedback. Their priorities – education, employment, accommodation, and mental wellbeing – directly inform service development, particularly in relation to accommodation for those aged 18 and over. The strategy is shaped by continuous engagement rather than a single consultation exercise. Cabinet members attend engagement sessions to hear directly from young people, rather than young people attending Cabinet meetings. 

 

How is staff instability in the long-term support team being addressed, and what is being done about significant staff turnover in the looked after nursing service, which has led to delays in health reviews? 

 

The backlog in health reviews was raised at senior level with the Health Board, leading to a regional approach that has reduced the backlog from 76 to 35 children. Recruitment challenges remain due to the complexity of cases, but the situation is improving and closely monitored through safeguarding and partnership meetings. 

 

Why were foster carer recruitment targets not met in previous years, and what is being done to achieve the target of 10 new foster carers this year? 

 

Monmouthshire faces demographic challenges in recruiting foster carers, as many residents are retirees or less likely to take on challenging placements. The strategy now focuses on consistent community engagement and making fostering appear as a real option. Currently, 14 people are in assessment, so the target is expected to be met. Competition from independent fostering agencies has been a challenge, but the council has improved its financial and support offer to make in-house fostering more attractive.

 

Has COVID affected the complexity of presenting children? 

 

The pandemic has led to a significant rise in mental health and emotional well-being issues, compounded by social media pressures and family dysfunction. This has resulted in more complex needs and challenging behaviour among children. The council has increased the number of children residing with parents under shared parental responsibility, allowing for rehabilitation and safer family placements. 

 

The support offered to foster carers is more than just "soft" support, emphasizing the importance of reassurance, experience, and knowledge available to foster carers, which helps retain them. This level of support is comparable to what independent fostering agencies provide, including access to experienced staff and financial incentives. 

 

"Soft" refers to non-tangible support, such as building a fostering community, regular coffee catch-ups with senior managers, and partnership working groups. These initiatives allow foster carers to directly share issues and actively shape processes and documents used by children's services. 

 

A member noted that some foster carers have transferred from private agencies to the council because they value the comprehensive support available, rather than financial incentives alone. Membership of the corporate parenting panel is a powerful reminder of the responsibility to support children who have experienced significant disadvantage. 

 

Appreciation was expressed for the commitment of staff, particularly personal advisers supporting care leavers and care-experienced young people through advocacy, ongoing support, and preparation for independent living. It was emphasized that young people continue to receive support throughout their transition to adulthood. 

 

How are placements with friends or other connected persons safeguarded and monitored? 

 

Placements with connected persons are subject to clear regulatory requirements. These include both kinship carers (family members) and connected carers (friends or individuals with an existing relationship with the child). All connected carers undergo the same safeguarding checks, training, and assessments as foster carers. Placements are overseen by independent reviewing officers and fostering panels, and carers are encouraged to join the wider fostering community for support. The local authority retains shared parental responsibility. 

 

How many children are currently placed in private sector provision, and what is the impact of the Eliminate agenda from April 2026? 

 

Two young people are currently placed in private sector provision and will remain there until their placements end. Welsh Government policy aims to eliminate profit from children’s care by 2029-2030. From April 2026, no new for-profit children’s homes will be registered, and the regulator ceased accepting new applications after December 2025. Existing homes will continue to operate pending further guidance. The council remains in contact with providers regarding the future use of their properties. 

 

Why does the private sector appear to recruit staff more easily than the council? 

 

Recent recruitment to council run children’s homes has attracted experienced staff from the private sector, largely due to instability created by forthcoming policy changes. The council has benefited from this shift and has strengthened its workforce as a result. 

 

Will private children’s homes be able to accept children from England following implementation of the Eliminate agenda? 

 

The Welsh Government is still working through this issue. There may be a small number of homes allowed to take children from England, but the details are not yet clear. The government is aware this could be a loophole and is considering how to regulate it. 

How robust is the foster carer recruitment and retention process, and is the terminology used in the strategy appropriate (e.g. “resignation”)? 

 

The recruitment process is lengthy (six to eight months), with extensive training and checks. Some candidates drop out during the process, and some resign after experiencing the reality of fostering. "Resignation" is the formal term used for any foster carer leaving, whether due to retirement or other reasons. Most resignations are due to life changes, not dissatisfaction. The process is designed to be open and honest to ensure suitable matches. 

 

How does the strategy reflect Welsh identity while remaining inclusive, given Monmouthshire’s context as a border county? 

 

References to Welsh identity could be retained with additional context. While promoting Welsh language and culture remains important, the council works to meet the cultural needs of all children, including those from diverse backgrounds. 

 

Is the council improving its approach to preventing unplanned placement disruptions? 

 

Placement stability is closely monitored, recognising its importance for positive outcomes. While emergency moves are sometimes unavoidable due to market pressures, teams work quickly to stabilise placements. All placement moves are tracked and reported, enabling targeted support. The size of the authority supports detailed oversight and close understanding of individual circumstances. 

 

Councillor Peter Strong emphasized the importance of maintaining Welsh identity for young people in Monmouthshire, noting that even if they do not identify as Welsh, knowledge of the Welsh language and political context is valuable for full citizenship and future opportunities. He advocated keeping Welsh identity in the strategy, while recognizing the diverse backgrounds of care-experienced children. 

 

Chair’s Summary: 

 

The Chair recapped the thorough scrutiny of the strategy, highlighting discussions on care-experienced children's involvement, input into new homes, recruitment challenges, the eliminate agenda, support for foster carers, the role of the corporate parenting panel, clarification of placement types, and technical aspects like acronyms and private sector challenges. She acknowledged positive steps and staff contributions. 

 

The Chair asked for clarification on how progress would be reported back to the committee or cabinet. 

 

Councillor Chandler explained the strategy would go to full council for adoption, with mid-term reporting planned (every 18 months), and regular monitoring via the corporate parenting panel. Annual reports from the Chief Officer of Social Care would also come to the committee, and specific topics could be revisited if requested. 

 

Councillor Howarth suggested updates on government legislation affecting the private sector, noting potential risks and the need for committee updates as regulations evolve. Councillor Chandler confirmed the legislative timetable is fixed, with unresolved issues mainly affecting England, and reassured the committee about oversight and reporting mechanisms.