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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED to support in principle that Cabinet: · approve the proposed increase in Foster Care Allowances from an average of £290 per week to an average of £560 per week for eligible Ceredigion foster carers, with implementation proposed from 1 October 2026. · approve the introduction of full Council Tax Relief for eligible Ceredigion foster carers as part of the wider fostering support offer, subject to the necessary implementation and budget arrangements. The proposed implementation date was 1 April 2027. · noted the financial modelling, including the estimated full-year gross cost of approximately £850,000 and the potential cost avoidance arising from reduced reliance on independent fostering agency and residential placements.
AGREED to note the report and give assurance to Council that the information provided in the report had been robustly interrogated, and to recommend the progression of the report to Cabinet for full endorsement.
AGREED to note the report.
AGREED to: · note the Council's statutory duties as the local feed authority to carry out feed standards inspections and other official controls in accordance with domestic legislation and assimilated Regulations. · note the oversight role of the Food Standards Agency and the consequences, including default powers and audit intervention, if the authority fails to discharge those duties effectively. · note that earned recognition schemes such as FAWL and Red Tractor may reduce the frequency of inspection for compliant members, but do not replace the Council's statutory official control duties. · note the enforcement sanctions available to address non-compliances under the feed law framework. · recommend that a Members’ Panel be arranged once the consultation by Welsh Government to cut farming red tape was live.
AGREED to: 1. note the findings of the Food Standards Agency audit of allergen controls and relevant open audit actions for Ceredigion County Council; 2. note the implications of the audit for the Council’s Food and Feed Service Plan and future service delivery planning; and 3. scrutinise the proposed service response set out in this report. 4. request an update to the Action Plan in 6-8 months. Best wishes were extended to Alun Williams, Corporate Lead Officer: Policy, Performance and Public Protection on his retirement and to Lawrence Martin, Trading Standards & Licensing Manager who was leaving his role with the local authority. Both were thanked for their work.
AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme, subject to the following: · Carers and Community Support Annual Report - September 2026 · Age Friendly Plan - September 2026 · WLGA report on technology-enabled care by local authorities in Wales - November 2026 · Update on Foster Care Allowances and Council Tax Relief - in 12 months · Update on FSA Audit Action - early 2027
No apologies were received.
Councillors Eryl Evans and Wyn Evans declared a personal interest under item 7.
None.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to support in principle that Cabinet: · approve the proposed increase in Foster Care Allowances from an average of £290 per week to an average of £560 per week for eligible Ceredigion foster carers, with implementation proposed from 1 October 2026. · approve the introduction of full Council Tax Relief for eligible Ceredigion foster carers as part of the wider fostering support offer, subject to the necessary implementation and budget arrangements. The proposed implementation date was 1 April 2027. · noted the financial modelling, including the estimated full-year gross cost of approximately £850,000 and the potential cost avoidance arising from reduced reliance on independent fostering agency and residential placements.
Councillor Alun Williams (Cabinet Member for Through Age and Wellbeing) explained that the proposal was to increase Foster Care Allowances and introduce Council Tax Relief for Ceredigion foster carers, to strengthen recruitment and retention of in-house foster carers, reduce reliance on higher-cost external placements, and support delivery of the Welsh Government’s removal of profit agenda. The number of children looked after had increased from 85 on 31 March 2021 to 149 in Ceredigion, creating increased demand for suitable local placements. At the same time, local authority foster carers were being targeted by independent fostering agencies which could offer higher allowances. Where carers transferred to an independent agency, the children already placed with them usually remained in that placement to preserve continuity, meaning the Council could become liable for substantially higher external placement costs for the same care arrangement. An overview of the proposal as outlined in the report was provided. The proposal supported the statutory requirements arising from the Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025 and the amended Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, which required every local authority to actively pursue sufficient not-for-profit accommodation for looked after children and to prepare annual sufficiency plans for submission to Welsh Ministers from 01.04.27. Audrey Somerton Edwards, Executive Corporate Lead Officer: Porth Cynnal stated the proposal was bold, and if implemented, would be a groundbreaking change for eligible foster carers and would bring Ceredigion’s offer broadly in line with regional benchmarks. At least 6 local authorities had already introduced Council Tax Relief as part of their efforts to recruit and retain foster carers. The proposal was intended to support placement sufficiency, longer-term financial sustainability and to ensure children were placed locally where possible. Duncan Hall, Executive Corporate Lead Officer: Finance and Procurement o explained in a worst-case scenario should there be no increase in the number of local authority foster carers following implementation, current modelling suggested a financial risk of £850,000. If services were delivered in-house, the costs would be circa £30k per placement per year for local authority foster carers, compared to £60k or more for independent foster carers and a minimum of £400k-£500k for residential placements. Clearly, no placements were the same and factors such as age affected costs. Further modelling work would be carried out should the Committee support the proposal in principle, ahead of consideration by Cabinet. Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Officers and Councillor Alun Williams. The main points raised were as follows: · Members acknowledged the lack of foster carers and the increase in the number of children in care, as was the case nationally. It was noted that obtaining a care order and supporting the removal of a child from their family was the last option and the aim was to provide early intervention to avoid escalation to statutory services, but this was not always possible. · In response to suggestions that the proposal could have been presented earlier, Officers clarified there had been no revision to the allowances in Ceredigion for 10 years. Following several years of instability within the service, the local authority was now in a position to move forward with the proposal. Local authorities were in a unique position as they could only offer Council Tax Relief. The technical aspects of the relief were yet to be confirmed. · In relation to questions related to the safety of the decision, it was noted that legal implications were covered in any Cabinet report, and an Integrated Impact Assessment would be fully completed with the proposal, prior to consideration by Cabinet on 01.09.26. · In response to suggestions the Council had financial problems, it was noted that the accounts for 2025/26 had been submitted on time, and the Council had a strong and robust balance sheet. There was a financial risk to the proposal, but the aim was to attract new along with some returning foster carers who had previously transferred to Independent Agencies, and to reach a breakeven position. · The local authority’s children looked after were placed in a variety of placements, including local authority, independent agency and kinship foster carers, out-of-county and in-county residential placements. It was noted that careful consideration was given to each placement, and if a child in an expensive out-of-county placement started to thrive, the wellbeing of the child would be prioritised. · The Chair congratulated the local authority for holding a Fostering Conference recently and thanked all involved. She added that they hoped to hold a Members’ Workshop with the Fostering Team to promote the service and she encouraged all to follow Maethu Cymru on social media. · In relation to concerns raised on the suitability of foster carers and whether the proposal would attract people for the incorrect reasons, there was a rigorous process in place when potential new foster carers were assessed. · If the estimated gross cost of increasing the allowances exceeded £850k, the report would be re-presented to the Committee. Subject to Cabinet approval, the Committee requested an update after 12 months. It was AGREED to support in principle that Cabinet: · approve the proposed increase in Foster Care Allowances from an average of £290 per week to an average of £560 per week for eligible Ceredigion foster carers, with implementation proposed from 1 October 2026. · approve the introduction of full Council Tax Relief for eligible Ceredigion foster carers as part of the wider fostering support offer, subject to the necessary implementation and budget arrangements. The proposed implementation date was 1 April 2027. · noted the financial modelling, including the estimated full-year gross cost of approximately £850,000 and the potential cost avoidance arising from reduced reliance on independent fostering agency and residential placements.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the report and give assurance to Council that the information provided in the report had been robustly interrogated, and to recommend the progression of the report to Cabinet for full endorsement.
Councillor Alun Williams (Cabinet Member for Through Age and Wellbeing) explained that the Annual Report provided an overview of the context, culture and performance of the Council in meeting its statutory duty to deliver social care services. The report set out what was planned, the achievements, future priorities and any challenges encountered during the year, with a particular focus on how services had supported and improved the well-being of people accessing care and support. The requirement to produce the Annual Report was set out in Part 8 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the associated Code of Practice on the Role of Directors of Social Services. He thanked Audrey Somerton Edwards, Statutory Director of Social Services and Executive Corporate Lead Officer: Porth Cynnal and the team for their work. Audrey Somerton Edwards stated the report reflected the work undertaken across the Pyrth Services, which had faced financial challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis to ensure there was sufficient residential and domiciliary care provision. Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Audrey Somerton Edwards and Councillor Alun Williams. The main points raised were as follows: · The Committee congratulated the service for an informative and readable report and thanked the service and the Cabinet Member for their work. · In relation to the 517 mental health referrals received as of March 2026, it was noted that whether the matter needed to be managed by health or the local authority depended on the assessment and the needs of the individual. The Council’s Mental Health Wellbeing Team included approved Mental Health Practitioners. It was AGREED to note the report and give assurance to Council that the information provided in the report had been robustly interrogated, and to recommend the progression of the report to Cabinet for full endorsement.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the report.
Councillor Gareth Davies (Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement) presented the final Revenue position and Capital Programme Outturn Position for 2025/26, presented to Cabinet on 07/07/26. The final overall revenue outturn position to report was an improved underspend of £278k, against a 2025/26 Budget of £209.2m. This equated to a variance of 0.13% and the underspend would be moved into General Balances. It was noted that the 2025/26 accounts had been submitted to Audit Wales by 30/06/26 as required, with 13 of the 22 local authorities across Wales meeting the deadline. Councillor Gareth Davies congratulated the Finance and Procurement Service for this achievement, and he thanked all Council services for monitoring budgets closely. Duncan Hall, Executive Corporate Lead Officer: Finance and Procurement explained that the overall positive outturn position had enabled some transfers to earmarked reserves and included a £212k transfer to increase the Cost & Inflationary Pressures reserve to £1.0m in recognition of the elevated level of financial risk in relation to the impact of the Middle East conflict. £2.0m had also been set aside in the Placement Equalisation reserve in recognition of the ongoing risks and challenges in relation to Children’s out-of-county placements. A transfer of £239k had also been made to the Community Housing Scheme reserve to ensure it was maintained at £2.0m in accordance with the Full Council decision of 29/02/24. The scheme was due to be re-branded and re-launched soon. In relation to the 3 Pyrths, there was a collective overspend of £154k against a combined Budget of £65.8m (a 0.2% variance). With a small underspend of £169k in 24/25 and a small overspend of £154k in 25/26 – there had now been 2 successive years of a more stable overall financial position within Social Care. As always though, caution should be exercised, as the Services were particularly volatile and remained under considerable pressure at the ‘front door’. Reference was provided to the Budget Performance - Key Points in relation to the Committee’s remit and to the Budget Performance – Council Tax (Including Premiums) as outlined in the report. From a Capital perspective, a report on the Aberaeron Coastal Defence scheme was presented to the Thriving Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 16/06/26. In relation to the Committee’s remit, there was significant investment across the Through Age & Wellbeing model (3 Pyrths), such as upgrading the residential homes that included Hafan y Waun. Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Duncan Hall and Councillor Gareth Davies. The main points raised were as follows: · In response to a question relating to the Senedd voting against the Welsh Government's First Supplementary Budget for 2026-2027, it was noted there would be no immediate impact on local authorities; however, there would be delays in receiving any additional funding, which would result in less time to spend the funding before the end of the financial year. · In relation to the possibility of the 4 out-of-county placements returning in-county, it was noted that relevant services were working hard on plans, but it may not always be suitable for placements to return. It was AGREED to note the report.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to: · note the Council's statutory duties as the local feed authority to carry out feed standards inspections and other official controls in accordance with domestic legislation and assimilated Regulations. · note the oversight role of the Food Standards Agency and the consequences, including default powers and audit intervention, if the authority fails to discharge those duties effectively. · note that earned recognition schemes such as FAWL and Red Tractor may reduce the frequency of inspection for compliant members, but do not replace the Council's statutory official control duties. · note the enforcement sanctions available to address non-compliances under the feed law framework. · recommend that a Members’ Panel be arranged once the consultation by Welsh Government to cut farming red tape was live.
Councillor Matthew Vaux (Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection) presented Members with an oversight of the authority’s statutory feed duties and the relationship with Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved assurance schemes. The Council’s responsibilities as the local feed authority in Ceredigion arise from domestic legislation and assimilated EU Regulations governing feed hygiene, feed safety, feed standards, official controls, registration and approval of feed businesses, and enforcement. An overview of the following was provided as outlined in the report: · Current position and legal framework · Role and oversight of the Food Standards Agency · Earned recognition schemes, including FAWL and Red Tractor · Perceived duplication and why local authority inspections remained necessary · Enforcement sanctions for non-compliances · Consequences if the authority failed to carry out feed inspections and official controls Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Officers and Councillor Matthew Vaux. The main points raised were as follows: · In relation to Plaid Cymru’s commitment to commission an independent review to cut farming red tape, it was noted that any feedback from the Council would be dependent on the information requested in the consultation by Welsh Government. · Only the Council had enforcement powers, and it was important that enforcement continued. It was noted that 2% of farms inspected yearly for feed control were farm assured, as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding with FSA. The inspection programme for the current year included 150 businesses, the majority of which were newly registered. It was AGREED to: · note the Council's statutory duties as the local feed authority to carry out feed standards inspections and other official controls in accordance with domestic legislation and assimilated Regulations. · note the oversight role of the Food Standards Agency and the consequences, including default powers and audit intervention, if the authority fails to discharge those duties effectively. · note that earned recognition schemes such as FAWL and Red Tractor may reduce the frequency of inspection for compliant members, but do not replace the Council's statutory official control duties. · note the enforcement sanctions available to address non-compliances under the feed law framework. · recommend that a Members’ Panel be arranged once the consultation by Welsh Government to cut farming red tape was live.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to: 1. note the findings of the Food Standards Agency audit of allergen controls and relevant open audit actions for Ceredigion County Council; 2. note the implications of the audit for the Council’s Food and Feed Service Plan and future service delivery planning; and 3. scrutinise the proposed service response set out in this report. 4. request an update to the Action Plan in 6-8 months. Best wishes were extended to Alun Williams, Corporate Lead Officer: Policy, Performance and Public Protection on his retirement and to Lawrence Martin, Trading Standards & Licensing Manager who was leaving his role with the local authority. Both were thanked for their work.
Councillor Matthew Vaux (Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection) provided an overview of the findings of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) focused audit of allergen controls and relevant open audit actions, undertaken at Ceredigion County Council between 13-15 January 2026. The FSA was responsible for monitoring and auditing local authority food law enforcement services in Wales. The audit found that arrangements for allergen-related food standards controls were generally in place and identified areas of good practice, but also highlighted matters requiring improvement in service planning, intervention backlogs, officer training records and internal monitoring. The updated FSA action plan for Ceredigion showed that substantial progress had already been made against previous audit recommendations, with 23 recommendations completed, 7 showing good progress, 4 showing limited progress and 11 remaining outstanding at the time of publication. Councillor Matthew Vaux noted there were many positives from the report, and he commended the team for their work. Alun Williams, Corporate Lead Officer: Policy, Performance and Public Protection agreed and noted there remained work to be done on some aspects as outlined in the report. It was AGREED to: 1. note the findings of the Food Standards Agency audit of allergen controls and relevant open audit actions for Ceredigion County Council; 2. note the implications of the audit for the Council’s Food and Feed Service Plan and future service delivery planning; and 3. scrutinise the proposed service response set out in this report. 4. request an update to the Action Plan in 6-8 months. Best wishes were extended to Alun Williams, Corporate Lead Officer: Policy, Performance and Public Protection on his retirement and to Lawrence Martin, Trading Standards & Licensing Manager who was leaving his role with the local authority. Both were thanked for their work.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme, subject to the following: · Carers and Community Support Annual Report - September 2026 · Age Friendly Plan - September 2026 · WLGA report on technology-enabled care by local authorities in Wales - November 2026 · Update on Foster Care Allowances and Council Tax Relief - in 12 months · Update on FSA Audit Action - early 2027
It was AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme, subject to the following: · Carers and Community Support Annual Report - September 2026 · Age Friendly Plan - September 2026 · WLGA report on technology-enabled care by local authorities in Wales - November 2026 · Update on Foster Care Allowances and Council Tax Relief - in 12 months · Update on FSA Audit Action - early 2027
It was AGREED to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2026. Matters arising: Councillor Ann Bowen Morgan noted that she had sent her apologies for the meeting.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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