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RESOLVED that: 4.1 The 2026/27 – 2028/29 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation be received; 4.2 the proposals for delivery of efficiency savings as identified in Appendix A(i) be received; 4.3 the Charging Digest for Health and Social Services, as detailed in Appendix C to the report, be endorsed.
RESOLVED that the Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2025/26 be received.
RESOLVED that the Draft Business Plans 2026/27 be received.
RESOLVED that: 7.1 the Children’s Services Transformation Programme update be received; 7.2 the concerns regarding the decreased frequency of reporting be noted by the Director of Social Services and Housing.
RESOLVED that the Suicide Prevention report be received.
RESOLVED that the Performance Monitoring Report – Quarter 2 2025/26 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 19th March, 2026 be noted.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors F. Walters and M. Donoghue.
There were no declarations of personal interest or of any prohibited party whips.
The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.
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RESOLVED that: 4.1 The 2026/27 – 2028/29 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation be received; 4.2 the proposals for delivery of efficiency savings as identified in Appendix A(i) be received; 4.3 the Charging Digest for Health and Social Services, as detailed in Appendix C to the report, be endorsed.
The Committee considered a report on the Council’s Revenue Budget Strategy 2026/27 to 2028/29 which provided Members with the current view of the revenue budget for 2026/2027, together with indicative figures for the 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 financial years. The report was based on officers’ projections of spending requirements and took account of the provisional settlement issued by Welsh Government (WG) on the 24th November 2025. It was reported that whilst significant work had already been undertaken in preparing the budget, the report represented an initial position statement which would be updated following the consultation process. Accordingly, Members were reminded that the report had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 15th December 2025 and members of the Committee had attended recent consultation events which had provided an opportunity to analyse and seek clarification on various aspects of the budget. The report highlighted that Welsh Government's budget process for 2026/27 involved a steady-state approach with a 2% uplift for day-to-day spending. The draft budget left £380 million unallocated to secure political agreement in the Senedd, avoiding severe financial restrictions. The provisional settlement, delayed until 24th November 2025, provided figures only for 2026/27 without projections for later years. Some key points within the report include: • Local government revenue funding set at £6.443 billion, a 4.9% increase from 2025/26; however, after accounting for grant transfers (notably for Employers National Insurance and partial pay awards), the like-for-like increase is 2.7% across Wales. • A funding floor of 2.3% resulted in Carmarthenshire receiving the minimum increase, equating to a cash increase of £17.1 million and an Aggregate External Finance (AEF) of £393.626 million. • Inflation assumptions included a 2.5% contractual price growth plus 0.5% catch-up for 2026/27, stabilizing at 2% thereafter. • Pay increases assumed at 1% above inflation, indicating slight real wage growth. • The budget forecasted a £29 million savings requirement over the three-year period. • Service-specific grants largely remained at previous cash values, further straining outputs due to inflation and pay rises. • Education grants increased by about 2%, likely insufficient to cover staff pay cost rises. Growth pressures submitted total over £35 million; after evaluation, £17 million is allocated for 2026/27, including a £2 million unallocated contingency. Social Care being the largest pressure area with £10.3 million across Adults and Children’s services due to demographic shifts, increased costs from the Foundation Living Wage increase, and rising external placements. The weekly client contribution cap in Adult Social Care remains at £100 since 2021, despite rising costs. The Committee thereupon considered the following detailed budget information appended to the Strategy, relevant to its remit:- · Appendix A – Corporate Budget Strategy 2026/27 to 2028/29 · Appendix A(i) – Efficiency summary for Health and Social Services · Appendix A(ii) – Growth Pressures summary for Health & Social Services · Appendix B – Budget monitoring report for Health and Social Services · Appendix C – Charging Digest for Health and Social Services The final budget proposals would be presented to County Council on the 25th February 2026. The issues/observations raised by the Committee were addressed as follows:- · In reference to the 3-year efficiency programme the Committee expressed concern that approximately 75% of the efficiency savings was derived from services within the remit of the Health & Social Services Scrutiny Committee. · In response to a query regarding the right sizing of individual care packages and increasing the Shared Lives placements, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that work continued to progress well and that reviews of care packages were undertaken on people already in the system and receiving care as well as working with social workers for new people going into placements to ensure that packages were right-sized at the point of entry. This area of work continues to deliver savings while also ensuring that people’s independence is maximised. It was noted that the Shared Lives programme continued to increase the number of carers, however this was not a quick fix and was reliant on people signing up and going through the process of vetting and training. It was stated that the strategic aim was to actively recruit and expand into supporting slightly different populations, such as people who were in crisis as well as longer term placements. · The Committee asked how confident officers were that the savings efficiencies could be achieved especially as the Authority was reliant on receiving a fair contribution from the Health Board for placements. The Head of Integrated Services stated that a shift was already evident this financial year with regards to the contributions received. The Authority had been proactive in terms of getting the right assessment to ensure the right level of care and support. Joint working with the Health Board was being undertaken with regards to training and education of the teams so that there was an early warning of when an individual was starting to require nursing care. It was highlighted that in terms of efficiency savings the Authority had already exceeded targets for this year and that it was felt that although the next couple of years would be challenging the savings could be delivered. RESOLVED that: 4.1 The 2026/27 – 2028/29 Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation be received; 4.2 the proposals for delivery of efficiency savings as identified in Appendix A(i) be received; 4.3 the Charging Digest for Health and Social Services, as detailed in Appendix C to the report, be endorsed.
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RESOLVED that the Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2025/26 be received.
The Committee considered the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report in relation to the Health and Social Services, which provided an update on the latest budgetary position as at 31st October, 2025 in respect of the 2025/26 financial year. The report included updates on revenue and capital budgets, savings monitoring, and new projects within the service area. The Health and Social Services was projecting an overspend of £5,167k on the revenue budget and net variance of -£1,574k against a net budget of £2,316k on Social Care projects. The award of £307k Play Opportunities Grant for improvements to North Dock Park, under the Children’s Service portfolio was noted. It was asked if an indication of a more up to date position could be provided. In response the Head of Financial Services advised that the latest projections would be up to the end of December, however he had not yet had sight of the fist draft. The latest report was due in the next 48 hours or so once the report had been through the individual service areas. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2025/26 be received.
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RESOLVED that the Draft Business Plans 2026/27 be received.
The Committee received for consideration the Business Plans relevant to the Health and Social Services Committee for 2026/27 as follows: • Adult Social Care • Business Support & Commissioning • Children’s Services • Integrated Services The plans comply with duties under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Local Government and Elections Wales Act 2021, including ongoing performance monitoring, self-assessment, and arranging panel assessments to demonstrate effective governance and resource use. It was highlighted that the plans now contained expanded contextual information such as executive summaries, forewords, key achievements, organisational structure, budget summaries, workforce and continuity planning, risk management, governance, policies, self-assessment findings, and resident survey responses. The draft status of these plans allow the Scrutiny Committee to review and provide recommendations to Cabinet Members and Directors before finalisation, supporting budget discussions and ensuring appropriate performance monitoring and interventions. A number of questions were raised to which officers responded. The main matters were as follows: • In response to a query regarding risks, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that the actions linked through to a table in another section of the report but noted that there wasn’t an explanation included within the report on how risk scores were calculated but that it was based on likelihood and impact scores. Additionally, it was noted that work was being undertaken across the directorate to review the measures that support business planning as the measures were historic and predominantly focused on safeguarding and therefore did not incorporate the breadth of work that was currently being undertaken. It was stated that work was underway regarding performance monitoring and the creation of new dashboards that would support day to day management around demand, capacity and waiting lists. The Head of Adult Social Care advised that in terms of measures in business planning the emphasis would be on outcomes and time based measures that would encapsulate a range of priorities. • In response to a query regarding funding for Rapid Response, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that the Authority was still reliant on RIF funding however other sources of funding was being sought as it was acknowledged that the Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator post should be a permanent role. It was highlighted that this area of work was a shared responsibility and that everyone was willing to support. • Concern was raised regarding issues with the occupational health support provided to staff and the lack of face-to-face contact made available. The Head of Social Care advised that the department didn’t manage how support was commissioned however face-to-face meetings could be requested. • In response to a query regarding the potential 7-year timescale for recruiting foster carers, the Senior Manager Early Help and Assessment clarified that the process was not inherently lengthy. It was explained that some individuals may enquire about fostering and later decide the timing was not suitable and that it was not uncommon for them to revisit the idea and re-engage with the process at a later date. This pattern of initial enquiry followed by a period of reflection can contribute to misconceptions about the overall duration of the recruitment journey. Despite delays based on prospective carers’ personal circumstances, it was emphasised that efforts were underway to streamline and improve the assessment process for potential foster carers to ensure that those interested were able to progress smoothly when the time is right for them. • In response to concern raised regarding the refurbishment of Tir Einon Respite Unit and the urgent structural repairs required, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that phase 1 had been completed in Summer 2025 and that stage 2 would be commencing once the costings had been finalised. It was noted that the project was being financed by the sale of a redundant property. • In response to concerns regarding issues discharging people from hospitals to their homes, it was asked what could be done to make the process quicker. The Head of Integrated Service reported significant investment in pathway care over the past six months. This investment aimed to increase both social care and occupational health capacity, with the intention of expediting the discharge process. It was noted that discharge delays were widespread issues experienced throughout the UK and that compared to the rest of Wales, Carmarthen was in a relatively strong position. Furthermore, the Health Board had recently approved a new business plan to implement seven-day working within the hubs, which was expected to enhance efficiency and continuity of care. While these developments represent positive progress, it was acknowledged that further improvements were necessary, particularly within community-based services, to ensure an even smoother transition for patients leaving hospital. • A question was raised regarding the involvement of the Health Board in the development of the business plan. The Head of Integrated Services advised that the plan had been developed to included priorities that were interdependent with those of the Health Board. It was further noted that the Health Board was currently engaged in its own annual planning cycle. Once the Health Board formally signs off the report, it was agreed that this could then be shared with the Committee. • It was asked if the data and figures for clients in care homes only include those the Authority provided support for or did the data also include self-funded residents. The Head of Integrated Services advised that to her knowledge the data likely only covered those receiving support from the Authority. However, it was agreed to verify this and provide confirmation at a later date. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Draft Business Plans 2026/27 be received.
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RESOLVED that: 7.1 the Children’s Services Transformation Programme update be received; 7.2 the concerns regarding the decreased frequency of reporting be noted by the Director of Social Services and Housing.
The Committee considered an update on delivery to date against the Children and Transformation Programme plan and programme measures. It was noted that a review in November 2025 identified that the Programme Board was overwhelmed with data, lacked clarity on data usefulness, and had misalignment between Board and Scrutiny Committee reporting. Consequently, data reporting was streamlined, meeting frequency reduced to quarterly, and focus areas realigned for the next 12 months. The Programme Board agreed on six key priorities: fostering recruitment and retention, children with disabilities and transitions, performance and data including workforce, early help and assessment, family support and resources, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. It was advised that children's residential portfolio developments, previously monitored by the Programme Board, would now primarily be overseen by the Modernising Education Programme to avoid duplication, with summary updates provided to the Children’s Services Programme Board. A number of questions were raised to which officers responded. The main matters were as follows: · In response to a query regarding the fostering package and its limited success in achieving the anticipate outcomes, the Senior Manager Early Help and Assessment explained that there were many contributing factors as to why it wasn’t as a successful as hoped and that a project group had been tasked with identifying the specific issues that prevented the package from delivering the expected results. The outcomes of the assessment would be presented in the next update report. · In response to a question regarding the use of agency staff for managing the two OWR provisions, the Committee was advised that some core staff had been released to assist and that the aim was for these provisions to be a short-term arrangement. · In response to a concern raised regarding the recent increase in staff sickness levels the Senior Manager Early Help and Assessment advised that the wellbeing of staff was paramount and that the matter was currently under discussion with HR. The Committee suggested that future reports should incorporate data spanning a longer period. This would allow for year-on-year comparisons, providing better insight into trends. · Concern was expressed regarding the decreased frequency of reporting highlighting the potential risks associated with this change. The Committee requested that the Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Children and Adult Social Services relay these concerns to the Director of Social Services and Housing. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that: 7.1 the Children’s Services Transformation Programme update be received; 7.2 the concerns regarding the decreased frequency of reporting be noted by the Director of Social Services and Housing.
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RESOLVED that the Suicide Prevention report be received.
The Committee considered the Suicide Prevention report that had been requested by the Committee to enable them to review the work being undertaken regarding Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The report provided an update on suicide prevention efforts in Carmarthenshire, focusing on current data, strategies, and local delivery mechanisms within Wales and specifically Carmarthenshire. It emphasised the importance of respectful language and evidence-based approaches to reduce stigma and support communities in addressing suicide. A number of questions were raised to which officers responded. The main matters were as follows: • In response for additional information regarding ‘trigger incidents’, the Head of Adult Social Care provided assurance that the majority of cases that present in distress are not normally known to the service. However, potential trigger dates would be known for those people that the service were already aware of and a wrap around service would be provided. • In response to a query regarding the permanent Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator role, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that currently the post was RIF funded however alternative sources of funding was being investigated. • In response to a concern regarding the 2 working days response time, the Head of Adult Social Care clarified that this timescale referred specifically to the provision of proactive support to family and friends following incidents where someone had already taken their own life. The Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator advised that relevant organisations were involved ensuring that dedicated and timely support was provided. • A question was asked regarding support provided to 3rd sectors and other organisations such as Mind. The Head of Adult Social Care advised that commissioned arrangement were in place with 3rd sector organisations and that the data would be provided to the Committee. • In response to a question regard the 3 guidance documents being rolled out, the Head of Adult Social Care advised that it was hoped these would be made available within the next 3 months following which a training plan would be created. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Suicide Prevention report be received.
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RESOLVED that the Performance Monitoring Report – Quarter 2 2025/26 be received.
The Committee considered the Performance Monitoring Report for the period 1st April 2025 to 30th September 2025 (Quarter 2), which set out the progress against actions and measures linked to the Corporate Strategy and the Well-being Objectives relevant to the Committee’s remit. The Committee stated that with regards to data regarding the Child Protection Register, due to the nature of the data this should not be reported as on or off target but with the emphasis being on monitoring instead. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Performance Monitoring Report – Quarter 2 2025/26 be received.
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RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
The Committee received an explanation for the non-submission of the following scrutiny reports. · Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Reports April 2025 to February 2026 – due 29th April. Moved to 8th June 2026. RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.
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RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 19th March, 2026 be noted.
RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 19th March, 2026 be noted.
UNANAMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 27th November, 2025 be signed as a correct record subject to the Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Children and Adult Social Services and Cabinet Member for Resources being added as attendees.
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