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AGREED – That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1 to the report (COGC/08/23S) be agreed.
AGREED:- i) The Chair thanked the Lead Member and the NEWCIS officers for the report. ii) That a report be brought back next year that will include supporting young people and example case studies.
AGREED:- The Chair thanked the Lead Members and Officers for the positive report and the Committee looks forward to further improvements being made to the foster care service that will be highlighted in the next report.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Malcom C King OBE and Rondo Roberts.
The minutes of the meeting held on the 8 February 2023 were submitted. AGREED- That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 February 2023 be signed as a correct record.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED – That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1 to the report (COGC/08/23S) be agreed.
The Chief Officer Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/08/23S) asking Members to consider the Committee’s Work Programme. The Scrutiny Facilitator presented the report and highlighted that at the previous meeting there had been gaps within the work programme and that it was currently being reviewed. Members were informed about the following items to be scheduled for May, July and October 2023: · The Place Efficiency report agenda to be scheduled for May 2023 · Items on Community Safety Partnership and Police Community Support Officer to be added to the July Agenda. · The Heath and Early Intervention Action Plan to be programmed for October 2023 The Chair made reference to the Erlas Garden Project and the Cunlife Enablement and encouraged all Members to visit them before the April 2023 meeting. Members were also informed that there was also a review of the service taking place that will be reported to the Committee and then the report will go before the Executive Board for approval. AGREED – That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1 to the report (COGC/08/23S) be agreed.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED:- i) The Chair thanked the Lead Member and the NEWCIS officers for the report. ii) That a report be brought back next year that will include supporting young people and example case studies.
The Chief Officer Social Care submitted a report (COSC/03/23) providing members with an update on the adult unpaid carers’ provision in Wrexham, the children and young carer provision was provided via a separate sub regional contract. The contract for young unpaid carers has just been renewed and was currently held with WCD Young Carers (Wrexham, Conwy and Denbighshire). The Lead Member for Adult Social Care introduced the report and highlighted the main points within it. The Chief Officer for Social Care informed Members that it was a challenging time and explained that NEWCIS delivered a respite service, bridging the GAP. The following officers and NEWCIS representatives were thanked and introduced: · The Chief and Deputy Officer for the North East Wales Careers Information service (NEWCIS). · The Unpaid Carer Development Officer; and · The Commissioning and Planning Officer. The Chief Officer for NEWCIS informed Members that: · NEWCIS was awarded a contract to support unpaid carers in Wrexham in 2018 and had supported 4295 carers since holding that contract. · There recently been an open day for the new premises based at the Wrexham technology park. · NEWCIS received between 36 to 40 referrals a week. A discussion ensued and the following was discussed: · Members were informed about how unpaid carers were identified and the methods on how they could contact NEWCIS via social media and community areas. · Officers have been working with NEWCIS to develop a communication strategy that incorporated communication methods such as filming, blogging and liaison with the local press. · The contract term was initially 5 years and an exemption was sought and agreed to further extend the contract by 12 months giving a current contract end date of July 2024. · The contract was extended because Wrexham Council required time to evaluate the current provision and consult extensively with unpaid carers to ensure a robust service specification could be created for the next tender. · The Commissioning and Planning Officer confirmed that Wrexham Council needed to ensure that the tender would reflect and incorporate those quite dramatic changes which took place over the Covid period. · It was confirmed that should an unpaid Carer contact NEWCIS then the response time scale would be five working days. · A duty system was in place where unpaid carers contact a well-being NEWCIS officer who, depending on the enquiry, would be either able to help the unpaid carer immediately or they may suggest booking an appointment if the unpaid carer felt that they required more help or support. · Members were assured that there was a good robust partnership working process in Wrexham where there were quite a lot of third sector organisations including hub workers and community agents that were able to support unpaid workers as well as the statutory support provision that Wrexham Council offered. · It was confirmed that the unpaid cares café was located in the well-being hub at the crown buildings. · Members were informed that the unpaid carer’s survey took place at the back end of Covid. · Over 300 unpaid carer assessments have been carried out within the year. · It was understood that some people did not realise that when they completed the what matters assessment that it was related to the carers needs assessment and that future questions included within the assessment needed to be clearer. · Consultations with unpaid carers will be face to face because written work could be misinterpreted and it was important to receive quality data. · The Welsh Government is considering developing an unpaid carer’s register. · The Chief Officer for Social Care was happy to communicate with Community Councils regarding unpaid Carer support. · One of the biggest challenges was sufficient respite and some unpaid carers would like overnight respite provided through care homes or other services. · NEWCIS aims to offer and deliver respite options for everyone such as trips, creative breaks which would allow unpaid carers time to take up a hobby or go out for a meal. · NEWCIS will be holding an unpaid carer roadshow during the spring and summertime. · An unpaid carer report that included supporting young people will be brought back to Committee in twelve months’ time. · A member enquired about an article that was mentioned in Wrexham.com where it highlighted that there had been a sharp rise in the need for counselling for young people. AGREED:- i) The Chair thanked the Lead Member and the NEWCIS officers for the report. ii) That a report be brought back next year that will include supporting young people and example case studies.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED:- The Chair thanked the Lead Members and Officers for the positive report and the Committee looks forward to further improvements being made to the foster care service that will be highlighted in the next report.
The Chief Officer for Social Care submitted a report (COSC/07/23) providing members with an overview of progress in eliminating profit from care, and outlined the strategy for 2023-24. The Lead Member for Children’s Services introduced the report and highlighted that: · In 2022 Welsh government set up a programme Board that was committed to ‘Eliminate private profit from the care of looked after children’. · The children have expressed that they were upset at being looked after by profit making organisations and that that they felt ‘bought and sold’. The Chief Officer for Social Care informed Members that: · Wrexham Council provided an in house fostering service that supported young children who lived in the Wrexham area. · Wrexham Councils aim was to move the fostered children out of the care system and move them into long term permanent families. · Welsh government’s ambition was to move away from profit making provision. · Wrexham is committed to the Senedd agenda which had four key strategic objectives that focused on eliminating profit in Wrexham. · Over the next four years Wrexham Council will be transitioning from using for profit carers into supporting non-profit organisations where returns will be ploughed back in to sustain services in the long term. During consideration of the report the following matters were discussed: · The Chief Officer Social Care gave an explanation of the improvements that had been implemented to increase the amount of foster carers within Wrexham County. · Wrexham Council have been targeting potential carers across the region with an emphasis that they will be supported financially, emotionally and would receive professional service support. · The Council was thanked for backing the investment of the increases in foster carer rates because it would encourage foster carers back into the local authority scheme. · Members were informed about how Wrexham Council foster services had compared to the other regions that included: a) Council tax reduction for foster caring. b) Being a foster carer friendly employer. c) Increased recruitment package. d) A mixture of days out throughout the year. e) Appointment of two recruitment and retention Officers. · Wrexham Council was leading the way regionally and nationally and Welsh Government were using Wrexham Council as a good example. · There was a whole capital programme namely the housing with care fund and Regional Integration Fund to support authorities to develop local Children’s homes it was explained that there had been a change in the Special Guardianship orders and the offer we make as a council (SGO). · Members were assured that in-house carers were being supported. · Experienced Foster carers were now being rewarded for additional training they were completing to enhance their skills. · It was explained that some foster carers were highly skilled in the areas where the children had specific challenges and that this level of skill has been built into the foster carer rates. · The Foster Carers were seen as professionals and have been given a voice where they were now involved with policy and its delivery. · A Member enquired about the gaps in the foster care service. · There were a number of high risk children that have mental health conditions that were not in education where the carers did not receive any respite which are high risk. · A task and finish group will be set up on how to improve the outcomes for the most complex children rather than them going into residential care. · Members were given an update of the 2021 survey and it was highlighted that the majority of carers now felt supported which was a big improvement from the previous year. · Officers asked members if they could raise the awareness regarding the supportive lodgings offer made in Wrexham and that an increase in these placements would assist the younger people leaving foster care who continued to need a family orientated environment afterwards. AGREED:- The Chair thanked the Lead Members and Officers for the positive report and the Committee looks forward to further improvements being made to the foster care service that will be highlighted in the next report.
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.
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