Wrthi'n llwytho
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1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and Officers to the meeting. 1.2 Apologies had been received by Councillor Gaynor James
2.1 The below interests were declared during agenda item 5: • Councillor Steve Evans declared an interest as chair of the Board at Thornhill Community Hall. • Councillor David Williams declared an interest as a Board member of the Torfaen Voluntary Alliance.
3.1 The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8 July 2025 were confirmed as an accurate record.
4.1 The TLS went through the action sheet, there were no outstanding actions. Members agreed to note the action sheet.
5.1 The Deputy Chief Executive noted that this was a complex report and invited scrutiny on this topic to ensure the current journey was on track and long-term support provided was working appropriately. 5.2 In response to Members’ questions, the Deputy Chief Executive, Executive Member for Adult Services & Housing, Head of Adult Services, Group Manager, Integrated Reablement Service and the Group Manager, Change Management, Sustainability & System Support provided the following answers: · A number of structured engagement events had been held since the launch of the Early Intervention Hub in April 2025. These began with the presentation of initial proposals and were followed by targeted workshops to gather feedback from staff. Relationships across teams had become more positive. The Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) function was now fully embedded, and feedback indicated that the new structure was beginning to deliver the intended outcomes. · Evaluation had been embedded into the system. Team members had contacted service users to gather feedback on their experience of the new IAA model. The feedback received had been largely positive, with residents indicating that their outcomes had been met and that the support provided had been appropriate. · Demographic data for individuals requiring long-term care had been recognised as important to monitor. However, the service had previously faced challenges in consistently tracking trends and volumes of people receiving care and support. Efforts had been made to improve this, with finance colleagues monitoring data to inform budget setting, · The Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) team had a small management structure comprising of twelve staff and managers. Daily briefings and a duty system were overseen by a team manager which had informed decision-making and service delivery. Staff brought significant knowledge and experience to the front door of the service, which contributed to effective triage and support. In addition, a substantial volume of management information and quality assurance activity were undertaken daily to monitor performance and ensure individuals were appropriately directed and not overlooked. · Average caseloads had been closely monitored, with full-time social workers typically managing between 30 and 35 cases, which was recognised to be quite high. Although there hadn’t been a formal framework in place to define ideal caseload levels in Adult Services, team leads had kept a close eye on pressures through regular quality assurance. There was a confidence that caseloads were being managed well, and support was available to help staff where needed. · Transition planning covered both children moving into adult services and adults transitioning into older people’s accommodation. A dedicated Transition Lead had been in place, with involvement starting from age 14 through school reviews and increasing as young people approached adulthood. Due to pressures elsewhere in the system, it had been difficult to consistently target and prioritise these cases, and the level of support provided hadn’t always been as effective as hoped. The service would continue to work on improving this area to ensure smoother transitions. · Localised data had been linked to the County Plan to better understand which health determinants were having the greatest impact on residents which helped target prevention work more effectively. Whilst the Prevention Hub had only been operating for under six months, and the data was still developing, it had begun to shape how services were being redesigned to better meet local needs. · The 60% IAA-only response rate had been recognised as an ambitious target, but this had been based on academic research and best practice across similar service areas. There had been some confusion around the data, as certain types of contact had not initially been included. It was believed that including this broader data set would bring the response rate closer to 70%. Officers remained confident that the target was achievable and that supporting individuals within their communities would continue to deliver the best outcomes. · It was recognised that winter typically brought increased pressure across the system, which was not reflected within the data.. Although the data at the front door had remained relatively consistent, additional support had been put in place where possible, including increased funding for care assessments. These measures were intended to provide flexibility and help manage the expected rise in demand during the winter period, ahead of the full implementation of the redesigned model. · The Integrated Strategic Partnership Board (ISPB) had become a robust mechanism for collaboration across sectors. It brought together partners to agree on shared outcomes, which were monitored quarterly. This forum enabled open discussion about what was working and what needed to change. Feedback from partners— had already influenced the case for change. · Steps had been taken to support staff wellbeing and staff resilience had been a key focus. Daily meetings had been held to discuss cases, with support available across the wider team. Monitoring of both short- and long-term pressures had been ongoing, supported by HR. Whilst there had been some staff absence during the redesign phase there had not been a sustained increase in sickness levels following implementation · There had been ongoing efforts to improve communication between community resources, though it was acknowledged that further work was needed. The Council’s role had focused on enabling and resourcing organisations to come together and address shared challenges, rather than directly controlling activity at the community level. The flow of information into community groups had not yet reached the level of effectiveness hoped, but the monitoring of this remained a priority as part of the system review. · The Community Wellbeing Strategy had identified several areas of action to strengthen community capacity, including support for volunteering and active citizenship. Much of the community infrastructure was organic, requiring minimal intervention. The Council had taken steps to directly support growth, including targeted resource allocation and increased financial support through grants. Section 16 requirements had also guided more effective commissioning of the community sector. While the system remained under review, early indications suggested that community-based interventions were working well, and officers were confident that this area was resilient. · The proposed structure had included teams covering north, south, adult mental health, and disability, as well as a transition team. While final arrangements had not yet been confirmed, the intention had been to align teams more closely with community council boundaries within Torfaen. This approach aimed to improve coordination by aligning data with community councils, GP practices, and social care. · The redesign had been delivered using all available existing resources, including both staffing and financial. No additional or new resources had been allocated. · Team size and structure had been reviewed to make the best use of existing resources, with a focus on supporting more people within their communities and reducing the need for higher-level interventions. Caseloads, staff sickness, and wellbeing had been closely monitored to maintain a balanced approach. The reorganisation meant that, instead of several smaller teams, there would be two larger teams, which allowed for greater flexibility in covering absences and vacancies. This structure created a better buffer which supported both resilience and the ongoing quality of service. · As the service moved to a patch-based model, the RIF funding was provided to ease the transition. The team had reviewed how to structure services going forward, including whether vacancies needed to be filled and how best to allocate resources to manage pressures. The larger team structure was designed to absorb more capacity. The redesign aimed to ensure that the service could continue to meet local needs sustainably, even after the loss of RIF funding. · Tracking mechanisms had provided confidence in the figures cited surrounding Young Person Transitions. These had related primarily to transition planning; however, young people experiencing other life transitions had often been identified through Initial Assessment and Advice (IAA). Where appropriate, they had been referred to the team, and the cohort had been expected to evolve over time. · The IAA redesign had shown how important staff engagement and timely consultation were, and these lessons were carried forward into the redesign of longer-term care teams. Good practice from other authorities, had been looked at, and contact links were maintained to share learning. Strong project management had been put in place, with a clear timeline being developed. The first year had been key to understanding and embedding the changes, and that learning continued to shape the current approach. · The redesign had been completed without the need for additional resources, so there had been no direct financial implications. However, colleagues had highlighted the potential need for one-off staff training to embed the new principles effectively. This had been considered, and efforts had been made to ensure training was aligned with the redesigned approach from the outset. · Adult Services had begun developing a detailed project plan, with timelines and milestones, ahead of the planned implementation date of April 2026. The initial design structure had been scheduled for completion imminently, with the management team reviewing it to begin consultations. Central management support had been secured to help keep the project on track. · The feedback on Appendix 2 had been noted. While efforts had been made to simplify the pathway diagram, it had remained complex and difficult to explain to the public. · Appendix 3 had provided data on contacts received through IAA, helping to track their source and outcome. Of the 294 contacts from the community, 68 had required no further action, 53 had gone on to long-term care, and 73 had been referred to Intensive Reablement (IR). Of those referred to IR, 42% had their needs met solely through CASP, while 52% had been supported through other means. This analysis, driven by Welsh Government performance data, had helped identify which individuals were likely to require long-term support. The aim had been to increase the proportion of needs met earlier through IAA, reducing longer-term demand. 5.3 Officers left the meeting and members and the TLS and SD&MSO remained. 5.4 Recommendations Upon completion of their scrutiny activity, the Committee offered the following recommendations:- Recommendation 1:- Members welcomed the reassurance that since publication of the report, enquiries had taken place with the IPC to identify the reasons why our outcomes of 47% IAA-only response rate was off the target of 60%. The advice received was that we should be including calls such as enquiries for blue badges, referrals to universal services etc. Members therefore recommended this data be updated and accurately reflected in future reporting and analysis Recommendation 2:- Committee recommended as an area of priority; we continue to improve our tracking of demographic data to better enable us to track the trend lines of those currently receiving care and support, against the trend lines of the number of people we predict may come into care and support. Recommendation 3:- It was recommended, as an area of focus, the team continues to build and improve the flow of data into the community by supporting the co-ordination of appropriate mechanisms to join up community groups to share and utilise this data. Recommendation 4:- Whilst members were assured that the redesign of the longer-term care teams would provide more resilience within the teams, they recommended social worker caseloads continue to be closely monitored to ensure they do not go above the levels they are currently working at. Not only will this ensure staff wellbeing but ensure a consistent standard of service can be delivered. Recommendation 5:- The committee welcomed and supported the proposal for development of a transition team withing the redesign structure and recommended a focus on neurodivergence be integral to the work of the team. Recommendation 6:- Members recommended that consideration be given during the redesign process as to whether a one-off training budget allocation would be required through implementation and if so, potential funding sourced and reserved for this purpose. The Adults & Communities O&S Committee welcomed the improvements seen since the introduction of the IAA and support the proposals for redesigning the longer care teams, to ensure resilience and sustainability in meeting the projected growth in demand. The committee would welcome an all-member’s seminar following finalisation of the redesign to inform all members of the plans and to also address more broadly, how we are building community resilience in adult social care support.
6.1 The Committee agreed to scrutinise Third Sector Grants at the next meeting.
7.1 The next meeting was scheduled to take place on 13th November 2025
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