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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that the Joint CIW & HIW Assurance Review of Learning Disability Services in Carmarthenshire be received.
RESOLVED that the Children and Families’ Services Transformation Programme update be received.
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 15th October 2026 be noted.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A. Evans, N. Evans, D. Owen and F. Walters.
Councillor Minute No (s) Nature of Interest M. Palfreman 4 - Joint CIW & HIW Assurance Review of Learning Disability Services in Carmarthenshire 5 - Children And Families' Services Transformation Programme Update 6 - 2026/27 End of Quarter 1 Performance Report (01/04/2026-30/06/2026) He runs a Health and Social Care Consultancy. Has been granted a dispensation to speak but not vote at meetings of Carmarthenshire County Council in relation to the provision of social care services in Carmarthenshire and across the South West Wales Region. There were no declarations of prohibited party whips.
The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Joint CIW & HIW Assurance Review of Learning Disability Services in Carmarthenshire be received.
(NOTE: Councillor M. Palfreman having earlier declared an interest in this item remained in the meeting and took part in the discussion but did not vote). The Committee considered a report that detailed the outcome of a joint assurance check inspection of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Community Learning Disability Team and Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Learning Disabilities Directorate. The review had been undertaken by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) in November 2025. The inspection reviewed the effectiveness of health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities and considered evidence relating to leadership, governance, service delivery and outcomes. It was reported that the inspection findings were positive and highlighted strong strategic alignment between health and social care services, effective partnership working at senior management level, a commitment to prevention and early intervention, and positive recruitment and retention outcomes. The report also recognised a supportive organisational culture, person-centred approaches to care planning, effective safeguarding practice, and the promotion of Welsh language services. Members noted that a number of areas for improvement had been identified. These included improving the availability of accessible and easy-read information, strengthening communication between service users and professionals, addressing challenges in recruiting personal assistants, reducing waiting lists for day opportunities and short breaks, monitoring delays and waiting lists more effectively, improving access to services in rural areas, enhancing partnership communication with stakeholders, exploring solutions to barriers created by separate IT systems, and strengthening safeguarding decision-making and record keeping It was noted that the Council had accepted the recommendations and had developed an improvement action plan to address the areas identified. Members were informed that progress would continue to be monitored through CIW’s performance review arrangements and that learning from the inspection would be shared more widely across Wales to support continuous improvement. Numerous issues/questions were raised on the report. The main matters were as follows: • It was queried whether the review had been scheduled as part of a routine programme rather than in response to any specific risks. The Head of Adult Social Care confirmed that this was the case. CIW and HIW were undertaking a programme of reviews across Wales and working through authorities according to its schedule. Members were advised that details of areas already reviewed could be found on their website, and it was noted that the authority was relatively early in the review programme, which was expected to continue for over a year. • It was asked how the strategic partnership with the Health Board support the Council in addressing service issues and were there concerns about operational communication despite strong strategic relationships. The Head of Adult Social Care reported that strong strategic relationships existed with the Health Board, enabling regular dialogue and escalation of issues affecting service users. A Learning Disability Partnership structure was being established to provide a more formal mechanism for addressing shared challenges. While good working relationships existed between health and social care teams, operational communication could be affected by factors such as separate IT systems and the lack of fully integrated teams. Ongoing work was taking place to improve information sharing and collaborative working across services. • In response to a question about engaging with the LD Partnership Board and the timescale for its establishment, it was reported that discussions had only recently commenced following the conclusion of the LD Strategy consultation. It was noted that the Board would be established as soon as possible, with a focus on ensuring that service users were central to its structure and partnership arrangements. Members were advised that an update would be provided once a date had been confirmed. • It was asked whether follow-up checks or dip sampling of reports could be undertaken to assess whether decision-making had improved and to ensure a consistent approach for staff and service users. The Head of Adult Social Care explained that the department had a well-established quality assurance process, including regular audits of files and processes. Findings were reported through internal quality assurance meetings, and any relevant improvements identified incorporated into ongoing audit and assurance arrangements. • It was asked what proportion of service users, practitioners and partner organisations were represented by the survey responses. The Head of Adult Social Care explained that survey responses were returned directly to the inspectorate and therefore the Council did not have access to detailed response rates or percentages. The Committee was advised that surveys had been distributed widely to service users, carers, families, staff and partner agencies, with support provided to enable participation. It was also noted that inspectors had gathered feedback directly through meetings with service users, carers, families, staff and partner organisations. Information on the total number of service users could be provided separately if required. • The Committee queried the ongoing challenges in recruiting Personal Assistants (PAs), noting the increase in pay rates, and sought information on how pay compared with other Welsh authorities. It was also asked whether factors other than pay were issues and recruitment, what actions the Council was taking to address these issues, and requested further information on work being undertaken with micro-enterprises and social enterprises. The Head of Adult Social Care advised that a full response would be provided following discussions with the Head of Commissioning, who leads this area of work. It was noted that significant work had been undertaken to ensure PA pay rates remained competitive in order to support recruitment, although the role was recognised as being suited to a limited pool of individuals. The Committee was advised that further information on recruitment challenges and the development of micro-enterprises and social enterprises would be provided at a later date. • It was noted that the report highlighted good involvement of individuals in decisions about their care, but also identified a need to improve the availability of easy-read and accessible documentation. It was asked whether there were opportunities to work more closely with service users in developing and co-producing care plans. The Head of Adult Social Care acknowledged that improvements were needed to ensure easy-read documentation was consistently available. It was advised that easy-read materials were developed with service users, but that technical limitations within current systems had created challenges. A working group had been established to address these barriers and improve accessibility across services and partner organisations. It was also noted that opportunities to use AI were being explored to support this work, while ensuring that service users remained central to the process. • The Committee queried the absence of waiting lists within social care assessments and sought clarification on partnership working with health services to address delays in health assessments, as well as progress in tackling the challenges of service delivery in rural areas. Officers reported that there were no waiting lists for learning disability social work assessments or care plan reviews and highlighted ongoing work to maintain this position. It was noted that delays within health services continued to be raised with health colleagues and would be monitored through new governance arrangements. The Head of Adult Social Care acknowledged the ongoing challenges of delivering services in rural areas and outlined measures including transport provision, outreach services, direct payments, and micro-enterprise initiatives to improve access, while recognising that challenges remained. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Joint CIW & HIW Assurance Review of Learning Disability Services in Carmarthenshire be received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Children and Families’ Services Transformation Programme update be received.
(NOTE: Councillor M. Palfreman having earlier declared an interest in this item remained in the meeting and took part in the discussion but did not vote). The Committee considered the update report on the delivery of the Children and Families’ Services Transformation Programme and noted progress across the key workstreams. Significant developments included progress in fostering, transitions for children with disabilities, workforce and performance improvements, implementation of the Early Help Strategy, expansion of family support services, and continued support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Members also noted progress in the development and refurbishment of children’s homes, with key milestones having been achieved in relation to planning, funding and programme delivery. It was noted that future work would focus on sustaining service improvements, increasing capacity, strengthening preventative services and delivering the remaining priorities within the transformation programme. A number of questions were raised to which officers responded. The main matters were as follows: • The Committee asked about the potential to offer council tax reductions as an incentive for foster carers and sought assurance on the Council's ability to meet forthcoming placement sufficiency requirements under the new legislation. The Interim Head of Children & Families reported that council tax reductions for foster carers were being actively considered, with examples already operating in other local authorities. It was stated that proposal would need to progress through the appropriate approval processes and be considered alongside wider measures to support foster carers and increase placement capacity. It was further reported that work on the placement sufficiency assessment and plan was progressing at pace, with a dedicated working group established and key reporting timelines agreed. While challenges remained regarding future market arrangements and the costs associated with increasing internal provision, officers were working towards submitting the required plan to Welsh Government by 1 December. • Assurance was sought that, in addition to training, staff undertaking Section 47 enquiries were monitored to ensure they gained the necessary experience and achieved key performance standards. The Interim Head of Children & Families explained that training and performance was overseen by senior management through ongoing training programmes, policy updates, and performance monitoring. Staff regularly received refresher training, including updates on legislative changes, and opportunities were provided for new and existing staff to learn together. Assurance was given that maintaining staff competence in Section 47 work was a priority to ensure safeguarding decisions were made effectively and at the earliest opportunity. • It was noted that the use of agency social workers had increased since April and the Committee asked for the reason for the increase. It was also asked whether the eight newly trained social workers joining teams would reduce the number of agency workers. The Interim Head of Children & Families stated that the newly trained social workers had only recently joined teams and therefore had not yet impacted agency worker numbers. The increase in agency workers was attributed to key workforce absences, particularly at managerial level, which had required temporary cover to maintain critical decision-making capacity. It was noted that while the authority aimed to minimise the use of agency workers and expected numbers to reduce as new staff became established, some reliance on agency workers would continue from time to time to cover operational needs and staff absences. • The Committee sought information on how multi-agency partnerships with services such as education, housing, youth support and third-sector organisations supported early intervention and prevention work, particularly in the context of financial pressures, and examples of specific initiatives were requested. The Interim Head of Children & Families explained that prevention and intervention work was delivered through the Children and Communities Grant, which funded a range of projects including youth support initiatives, school-based youth work in secondary schools, and youth justice programmes aimed at preventing offending, reducing reoffending and supporting restorative justice. Examples of partnership working included collaboration with education services through youth support provision and joint working with housing services through the Families Connected initiative, which brought professionals together around vulnerable young people at risk of homelessness. It was noted that these arrangements helped provide coordinated support and reduced the need for young people to navigate multiple services independently. Future plans included building on established partnerships and exploring innovative approaches to strengthen preventative support. • Clarification was sought on the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children living within and outside the county and it was asked why some children were placed out of county. The Interim Head of Children & Families explained that placements were determined by the individual needs of the child, including access to specialist support, cultural or religious considerations, and placement availability. Some children had been placed in neighbouring authorities or further afield, particularly in earlier years, but the overall aim remained to accommodate as many children as possible within the county where appropriate. The reference to increased numbers during improved weather conditions was also queried. It was explained that weather conditions could influence migration patterns, although other factors, such as enforcement action against traffickers and wider international circumstances, also affected the number of arrivals. It was noted that following a request by the Committee a briefing session had already been scheduled for later in the day. • Assurance was sought that, beyond the construction of new children’s homes, emphasis would be placed on creating warm, stable and homely environments for children and staff, rather than institutional settings. In response, the Interim Head of Children & Families explained that the homes had been designed as small, family-style units, with significant consideration given to their layout, decoration and furnishings. Consultation with children had informed the planning process, and the importance of well-trained, trauma-informed staff was highlighted. It was confirmed that considerable emphasis had been placed on ensuring the homes felt and functioned like family homes rather than institutions. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Children and Families’ Services Transformation Programme update be received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the report be received.
(NOTE: Councillor M. Palfreman having earlier declared an interest in this item remained in the meeting and took part in the discussion but did not vote). The Committee considered the Performance Monitoring Report for the period 1st April to 30th June 2026 (Quarter 1), which set out the progress against actions and measures in the Corporate Strategy to deliver the Well-being Objectives relevant to the Committee’s remit. It was noted that performance was assessed using a new RAG-based framework, which categorised actions and measures according to progress and risk levels. The report highlighted a number of positive performance outcomes, and it was noted that the majority of actions were progressing as planned. It was stated that three Early Years performance measures relating to Flying Start childcare attendance, social welfare interventions and unauthorised absences were unavailable for Quarter 1 as reporting was aligned to school terms and would be reported in later quarters. The Committee noted that one performance measure relating to the timeliness of initial child protection case conferences was assessed as progressing with possible risk, having fallen below target due to conference scheduling challenges and attendance issues. Officers outlined measures being taken to improve performance. An action relating to the development of additional residential placements for children looked after was also reported as progressing with some risk, pending confirmation of external funding approvals. A number of questions were raised to which officers responded. The main matters were as follows: • An update was requested on the proposed partnership agreement between the Health Board and the Authority, including the development of pooled budget arrangements. The Senior Delivery Manager for Long Term Care explained that the new partnership agreement would replace the existing Section 33 agreement from 2009 and was being updated to reflect current legislative requirements. Final discussions between the respective legal teams were ongoing, with the agreement reported to be nearing completion. Clarification was also provided that pooled budget arrangements were not new and had been in place for a number of years, including joint funding arrangements for equipment services and regional placement budgets overseen by the Regional Partnership Board. The Committee noted that further detail on the scope, governance and financial contributions associated with the pooled budget arrangements would be welcomed once the agreement was finalised. • The Committee queried the reasons for delays in holding multi-disciplinary case conferences, noting that 11 delayed cases appeared significant. The Interim Head of Children & Families explained that delays were primarily due to the non-attendance of key participants, particularly family members, despite being given opportunities to attend. Reasons included illness or an inability to attend on the scheduled date, often notified at short notice, making it difficult to proceed with or rearrange conferences. It was agreed that further information on the specific delayed cases could be provided if required. • It was asked whether recent investments in active travel and leisure infrastructure, including the cycle path, half marathon and leisure development projects, were contributing to improved outcomes under the prevention strategy and whether data was available to demonstrate their impact on community health and wellbeing. The Senior Delivery Manger for Long Term Care noted that the relevant data was not immediately available and would be obtained from the officers within leisure services. • In relation to dementia services, the Senior Delivery Manger for Long Term Care reported that the Dementia Action Plan was being developed through a multi-agency partnership involving health, social care and third-sector organisations. Two meetings had been held, with a third scheduled to finalise the plan. Subsequent workshops and working groups would focus on implementing identified improvements. The Committee requested a further update on progress and the impact of the actions being taken. • Clarification was sought on the clinical streaming element of the hospital avoidance and discharge support model. It was explained that Advanced Medical Practitioners, including GPs and advanced nurses, worked with the Acute Response Team to support individuals at home and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Recruitment was underway to extend the service across a seven-day period. • Regarding seven-day working arrangements, the Senior Delivery Manger for Long Term Care advised that a phased approach was being taken, initially focusing on Delta Response, reablement and home-based support services. It was noted that wider implementation would require supporting infrastructure, including brokerage and commissioning functions, to ensure effective service delivery. Officers confirmed that the model was already established during weekdays and that expansion to seven-day working was under consideration, subject to recruitment and resource availability. • The Committee asked about the increasing number of children looked after and whether the preventative and early intervention measures discussed would help address the trend. The Interim Head of Children & Families reported that the upward trajectory reflected a national trend and was influenced by increasing complexity of need. The Committee was advised that preventative initiatives and innovation projects were expected to have a positive impact, although benefits would take time to materialise. The importance of supporting families through early intervention, family-focused services and preventative measures was emphasised, alongside recognition of wider factors such as economic pressures, the impact of COVID-19 and social isolation. It was noted that demand and associated costs continued to be monitored and projected, and that the Council remained committed to working with families to improve outcomes and reduce the need for children to enter care where possible. RESOLVED that the report be received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
The Committee received an explanation for the non-submission of the following scrutiny reports. • An Active & Healthy Start T&F Progress Update • First Point of Contact for Social Care Services • LD Regional Strategic Action Plan • Council Annual Report 25-26 RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 15th October 2026 be noted.
RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 15th October 2026 be noted.
UNANAMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 22nd July 2026 be signed as a correct record.
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