Wrthi'n llwytho
Does dim crynodeb o'r cyfarfod hwn eto. Caiff crynodebau eu hysgrifennu pan fydd y cyngor yn cyhoeddi'r cofnodion, sef ei gofnod swyddogol o'r hyn a benderfynodd cyfarfod. Maen nhw fel arfer yn ymddangos ychydig wythnosau ar ôl y cyfarfod.
Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families & Education David Daniels – Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing Joanne Gauden – Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Peter Jones – Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Officers: Rachel Beale – Personal Assistant to Leader and Deputy Leader Delyth Harries – Monitoring Officer Neil Jones - Head of Public Relations and Resilience Jason O’Brien - Strategic Director for Children and Family Services Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive
2.1 Apologies were received from Fiona Cross Executive Member for Communities.
3.1 There were no interests declared.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 24th February 2026 were agreed as a true and accurate record.
5.1 The update on actions were noted.
6.1 The Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing introduced the report making the following points: • The report outlined the case for Torfaen Council to withdraw from the Gwent Frailty Section 33 Agreement, originally established in 2011 to pool budgets and deliver integrated services for older and frail residents. • Although the partnership has supported effective multidisciplinary care, increasing financial pressures, uneven resource allocation, and outdated governance arrangements now pose significant challenges. • The report therefore seeks Cabinet approval to serve notice of withdrawal and move toward more locally responsive arrangements. • All Gwent local authorities have been part of the regional review Monmouthshire and Caerphilly have already made a decision as this could be carried out at Director level, with Newport and Blaenau Gwent also considering withdrawal via their own Cabinet processes. • A 12‑month notice period would allow for an orderly transition and joint work with the Health Board on a more effective place‑based model. Continuity and quality of services for residents would remain a priority throughout. 6.2 The Strategic Director for Children and Family Services presented the report to Cabinet in detail making the following comments: • The report seeks Cabinet approval for Torfaen Council to serve notice on the current Section 33 Agreement, triggering a 12‑month withdrawal period. • The agreement which had been in place since 2016, had not been formally reviewed. In 2025, the Regional Partnership Board commissioned a review to assess whether the Section 33 remained the most effective mechanism for delivering frailty services, to consider alternatives, and to ensure business continuity. The review identified that the governance arrangements within the agreement were now outdated and no longer aligned with current structures. • All five Gwent Local Authorities have indicated their intention to exit the agreement, with some able to make this decision at Director level and others, including Torfaen, requiring Cabinet approval. • The 12‑month notice period would allow development of updated, community‑based arrangements, with Local Authorities managing their own resources to strengthen local service delivery and reduce hospital admissions. There were no immediate staffing or service implications. • A regional working group had been established to oversee the transition, and a joint communication plan between the five authorities and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board would be issued following any decision to proceed. 6.3 Cabinet Members asked a number of questions around continuity, reassurance for service users, opportunities stemming from the federation work with Blaenau Gwent Council and preventing people falling between health and social care, the Strategic Director for Children and Family Services and the Chief Executive gave the following responses: • Existing good practice and strong regional relationships with the five Local Authorities and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board would be maintained. A regional group would oversee continuity, while elements of the new approach would also be incorporated into Integrated Service Partnership Boards to shape local services. The move would provide greater local control while still retaining necessary regional collaboration. • The 12‑month notice period allowed time to design updated local and regional arrangements with no disruption to service users. The governance changes would take place in the background, and service users should experience little to no noticeable change during the transition. Regional work and Integrated Service Partnership Boards structures would support continuity. Service users and their families were a priority, and they should notice little to no change in how services were delivered during the transition. • All partners were committed to ensuring seamless support and preventing disruption. Existing relationships, oversight through the Regional Partnership Board, and close local working with the Health Board would be maintained. • The federated model aligned well with the already integrated Adult Services directorate across Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, giving both Councils greater collective influence and enabling future scaling across Gwent. • Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent were keen to work more closely together as two authorities to improve the integrated health and social care pathway. • There was internal experience and expertise available to lead this work initially, with the intention of expanding successful approaches across Gwent if other authorities decide to participate. These discussions, were at an early stage but aligned with the opportunities created by the 12‑month notice period. • A key aim was to make a stronger shift toward preventative services to address pressures around hospital discharges and reduce the need for reactive responses. Strengthening preventative support would allow the system to intervene earlier, helping people before they reached crisis and reducing overall demand. • There was interest in exploring direct employment models for care staff, as this could provide greater control over the workforce and improve outcomes for both employees and people receiving care. • The ongoing discussions with Health, focus on improving the urgent care pathway, including rehabilitation, reablement, rapid community response, and home‑based assessments. Improving these services would help people avoid hospital admissions, support faster and more appropriate discharges, and reduce the likelihood of people entering long‑term care unnecessarily. All of these efforts contributed to helping people remain well at home and preventing them from becoming reliant on long‑term support, which was often difficult to step back from once in place. • The new arrangements would create opportunities to enhance community‑based prevention and strengthen local signposting within the new service model. 6.4 Cabinet considered the information within the report and the options presented to them and agreed to endorse and approve option 2 to give notice on the Section 33 agreement and work towards a replacement with a local agreement, which would be defined by respective Directors and the Executive Team within the 12 months’ notice period.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Caiff datganiadau eu darllen o'r cofnodion unwaith y byddan nhw wedi'u cyhoeddi.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.