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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved: that the Safeguarding Adults in Denbighshire 2025 / 2026 report be received and noted.
Resolved: That the Committee had read, understood and taken account of the contents of the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service (ASCH) – Transformation, – Older People’s Service report, including the activity to date and future areas for development.
Resolved: that i) the Committee had read, understood and had taken account of the contents of the report, including activity to date and future areas for development and ii) a further report be presented to the Committee after a period of 12 months in order to evaluate the impact on the service of the additional Social Care Practitioner Posts.
Resolved: subject to the inclusion of the Transformation Programme Projects agreed by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group, to approve its programme of future work as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brian Jones and David Williams.
Councillor Jonathan Harland declared a personal interest in Business Item 7 because one of the care providers within the report was a sponsor of a Sports club he was involved with.
No items of an urgent nature had been drawn to the Chair’s attention prior to the commencement of the meeting.
The minutes of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 21 April 2026 were submitted. Resolved: that the minutes of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 21 April 2026 be approved as a true and accurate record of the proceedings. Matters arising: Domiciliary Care (page 9). The Chair asked whether the number of staff recruited to an area was determined by the level of deprivation within the area covered or if that aspect had been taken into account? The Scrutiny Coordinator agreed to seek a response from the reporting officer and share it with the Chair.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: that the Safeguarding Adults in Denbighshire 2025 / 2026 report be received and noted.
The Lead Member for Health and Social Care presented the report (previously circulated) on Adult Safeguarding in Denbighshire for 2025/2026. Members were informed of the Team's continued strong performance in completing safeguarding enquiries, alongside notable progress in addressing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Although the number of safeguarding referrals had increased significantly, it was noted that this should not be viewed negatively, as it may indicate improved awareness of safeguarding issues and greater confidence in reporting concerns. The recent Care Inspectorate Wales inspection was also highlighted, with inspectors finding that safeguarding practices were robust. They recognised the strength of the multi-agency approach and commented positively on the support provided by the safeguarding team. In response to the questions raised by members, the Lead Member and officers explained: • That safeguarding referrals had increased as people were taking referrals seriously. Referrals had risen across all sources rather than from any single area, and each had been scrutinised to ensure appropriate action was taken. Trends would continue to be monitored over the next 12 months. • The Welsh Government Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) grant required the Council to submit activity reports to the Welsh Government twice a year, which were typically prepared by the Locality Manager. It was also noted that a recent Supreme Court judgment, known as the 'Attorney General Northern Ireland’ (AGNI) judgment, could affect future eligibility for DoLS. • Once a report was received, the safeguarding team had up to seven working days to investigate, although some investigations were completed sooner. Following the investigation, the team decided whether the case required progression to formal safeguarding strategy meetings or could be managed through case management. Depending on the outcome, the case either remained open under safeguarding procedures or was closed and transferred to a locality or social work team to support the citizen in reducing risk. • The safeguarding team decided how each report was managed. The team, which included experienced managers, a deputy team manager, and experienced social workers, gathered relevant information by contacting the citizen, family members, GPs, and other appropriate professionals. The process was robust, ensuring that all decisions were evidence-based. Any reports involving a criminal matter were referred directly to the police, and the safeguarding investigation was suspended until the criminal investigation had been completed. • The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were introduced under the Mental Capacity Act in 2009 and applied to people who lacked the capacity to consent to their care and support arrangements. They applied in hospitals, care homes, and community settings, including a person's own home. An example of this was if an individual living in a care home who was under continuous supervision and would have been prevented from leaving if they attempted to do so, may have required a DoLS authorisation. DoLS provided a legal framework that enabled individuals to challenge restrictions on their liberty. Where individuals were unable to express dissatisfaction verbally, indicators such as changes in behaviour, low mood, refusal of care, or attempts to leave were considered. These factors were taken into account during the assessment. • A citizen's safety and wellbeing were prioritised immediately. When an allegation of abuse was made, prompt action was taken by the Safeguarding Team, regardless of whether a police investigation was underway. A police investigation did not prevent safeguarding measures from being implemented, ensuring that citizens were never left without support. • It was confirmed that the data presented within Appendix 1 of the report referred to both care homes and individuals receiving care in their own homes. It was further confirmed that this data would be reported separately in future reports. The data for the 'Other' category referred to organisations such as the Ambulance Service, Red Cross, and Salvation Army. It was noted that smaller organisations had lower referral numbers and, therefore, were not recorded individually but were instead grouped under the 'Other' category. • Eight referrals were reported to the safeguarding team by relatives, while 182 referrals involved reports of physical abuse. However, it was difficult to determine whether the physical abuse had been reported by a family member or to identify the perpetrator. • The team had sufficient Welsh speaking assessors and used the grant funding to ensure they have additional resources to cover the need to provide Welsh language provisions. • During the investigation stage, the safeguarding team examined all available information before reaching an outcome. Where an allegation was considered to be potentially malicious, this was recorded as a suspected malicious allegation and monitored accordingly. At the conclusion of a comprehensive discussion, the Committee: Resolved: that the Safeguarding Adults in Denbighshire 2025 / 2026 report be received and noted.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: That the Committee had read, understood and taken account of the contents of the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service (ASCH) – Transformation, – Older People’s Service report, including the activity to date and future areas for development.
The Lead Member for Health and Social Care introduced the report (previously circulated) on the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service (ASCH) Transformation Programme. It was noted that the Service represented a significant area of budget spending and provided support to a large number of residents whilst at national level, adult social care continued to face significant workforce and sustainability challenges. The transformation programme was not primarily designed to deliver financial savings but to increase capacity, improve system resilience and control, reduce demand where possible, and promote earlier intervention. It was reported that those measures had improved outcomes for residents. Research showed that 60% of individuals who received reablement regained their independence and no longer required long-term care. The report examined all aspects of the service, from organisational culture to everyday practice, and represented an important step towards developing a more preventative and sustainable system. In response to the questions raised by members, the Lead Member and officers explained: • The service assessed individuals in their home environment to determine the appropriate level of support required. Where appropriate, care packages were reduced to reflect the person's assessed needs. It was considered more effective to begin with a smaller care package, as additional support could be introduced if the individual's condition deteriorated. Care packages were reviewed six weeks after implementation and subsequently on an annual basis to ensure they continued to meet the person's needs. • Moving with Dignity was a new approach based on person centred care that had been shown to achieve better outcomes by focusing on individuals' wellbeing and dignity. It improved comfort and reduced disruption by decreasing the number of care staff required to visit a person's home. An additional advantage was that use of the specialist equipment enhanced the safety of care staff during the delivery of care. As a result of a more efficient service there were also savings achieved, however, that was not the service’s primary focus. • The service had community navigators who connected citizens with local services through signposting. It also had dementia support workers within the Community Resource Teams in Denbighshire, who had received specialist training to support people with dementia and worked alongside existing services, such as dementia centres. • Risk management was ongoing, with increased capacity supporting engagement and negotiations with providers. The management team regularly reviewed service performance and maintained oversight. The service focused on preventative, strengths-based practice to reduce demand on statutory services. A reablement pilot, launched in the South in January, aimed to identify people earlier and promote independence more quickly, with plans to roll it out across the service over the following 12 months. • There was no variation in how the service was delivered to citizens based on their place of residence. The service had adopted a person-centred approach, with delivery based on individual needs and the support required. Members were advised that the South based team had been in a more stable position and was therefore better placed to commence the pilot than the North based team. It was further noted that the service had been working alongside the Marmot Places project in relation to deprivation. It was explained that the service recognised the wide range of determinants affecting health and wellbeing and worked closely with Betsi Cadwaladr Public Health professionals. Their investment in the Community Navigator Service supported the recruitment of an additional post in the Rhyl and Prestatyn area to identify and support people experiencing these determinants. • The Independence Clinic was launched in September 2025. Fortnightly clinics were held in Ruthin and Rhyl through the Single Point of Access (SPoA), providing timely occupational therapy assessments for people experiencing difficulties with bathing and personal care, along with quicker access to the equipment they required. • Within section 4.5.1, the term ‘leaders’ referred to the Senior Management Team of the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service. It was recognised that the service lacked sufficient performance data to enable informed decision-making; therefore, it was important to develop more robust performance trends to better understand the impacts and support improved judgement. Resolved: That the Committee had read, understood and taken account of the contents of the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service (ASCH) – Transformation, – Older People’s Service report, including the activity to date and future areas for development.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: that i) the Committee had read, understood and had taken account of the contents of the report, including activity to date and future areas for development and ii) a further report be presented to the Committee after a period of 12 months in order to evaluate the impact on the service of the additional Social Care Practitioner Posts.
The Lead Member for Health and Social Care introduced the report (previously circulated) on the Adult Social Care and Homelessness Service – Complex Disabilities Service Review. The service had changed significantly in recent years, with the number of referrals increasing and the complexity of need expanding and evolving. The team had learned and adapted throughout that period, with much of the work focusing on establishing strong foundations. That included reviewing each resident’s care arrangements to ensure they remained appropriate and developing robust evidence ahead of the re-tendering process. The review also highlighted the volatility of pricing within this area of care. Overall, the findings confirmed that expanding supported living provision should be the priority going forward. In response to the questions raised by members, the Lead Member and officers explained: • The North Wales Strategy highlighted a range of work opportunities; however, Co-options were not included despite the service working closely with them. Co-options held a contract to deliver services through the Regional Supported Employment Group, which had achieved positive outcomes. The supported employment project demonstrated that people could progress into employment, with a key focus on engaging with schools to encourage disabled children from a younger age to develop future career aspirations. It was noted that the report did not criticise any providers but recognised that services had not traditionally focused on progression or developing people’s skills. Instead, the report provided context for the work being undertaken to create more opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Denbighshire was developing a clear strategy and delivery plan, working in partnership with organisations such as Co-options. • Just Enough Support was an Occupational Therapy-led service within the Learning Disability Service that had been in place for 3–4 years. It provided short-term, goal-focused support to help citizens develop the skills needed to access community activities, access to work, or travel independently. The team assessed each citizen's abilities and developed a step-by-step plan to increase their independence. • Meifod continued to thrive, with citizens developing valuable skills, although there was limited aspiration to progress beyond the service. It remained an integral part of service delivery and provided significant value to those who attended. Services at Trem Y Dyffryn also continued, offering opportunities for citizens to develop life skills and progress. The team agreed to explore ways to raise the profile of both services and celebrate their successes. Cynnig remained an established service in Denbigh, with the service continuing to commission support from the organisation. Cynnig worked with many citizens across the county, particularly in the South. It was noted that the regional North Wales Flyers group supported people with learning disabilities to self-advocate. Denbighshire had also established its own self-advocacy group, called the Denbighshire Dragons. • In relation to the savings, it was explained that there were 137 citizens in supported living. The service had reviewed care packages as part of the re-tendering process and identified savings where some citizens no longer required the same level of one-to-one support. However, some citizens' health had deteriorated and required increased support, while others had newly entered supported living. As a result, although savings had been achieved, additional costs had also been incurred to meet increasing and new support needs. • The additional Social Care Practitioner role provided specialist support for citizens with autism and offered advice and guidance to colleagues working with autistic individuals. As the post was relatively new, demand and impact would be monitored. The service also aimed to upskill other team members to strengthen support for citizens with autism. • With regard to timely reviews, the service completed both annual and interim reviews promptly. As citizens' circumstances often changed unexpectedly, the service visited and reviewed their care and support as soon as possible following any significant change. • There were six out-of-county placements that had remained stable for several years. These were specialist placements, as the required care and support could not be sourced within Denbighshire. The service continued to carry out regular reviews and had plans to repatriate these individuals back to Denbighshire where appropriate. It was confirmed that no new out-of-county placements had been made within the previous three years. • Improving citizens' aspirations was linked to how people with learning disabilities were perceived. An independent advocacy service had undertaken work with children attending special schools in Denbighshire to explore their aspirations for adulthood, including where they wanted to live and work. Feedback indicated that conversations had largely focused on the support they would need, rather than their ambitions for independent living or employment. This had contributed to low aspirations among some children, reflecting wider societal attitudes and parental concerns about their future. The cultural change had been a gradual process aimed at raising the aspirations of people with learning disabilities, their families, and the staff supporting them. As part of this work, the service had supported six people into paid employment and a further six into voluntary work as well as developing a campaign to support these people. • In relation to consultation and briefings, the service had presented to the Budget and Transformation Board. It was suggested that a further Members' briefing be held to focus on aspirations and outcomes, demonstrating how the team was improving outcomes for people with complex disabilities. The Chair thanked the officers for their commitment to pursuing good practice and stated that there was confidence that the service was moving in the right direction. Resolved: that i) the Committee had read, understood and had taken account of the contents of the report, including activity to date and future areas for development and ii) a further report be presented to the Committee after a period of 12 months in order to evaluate the impact on the service of the additional Social Care Practitioner Posts.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: subject to the inclusion of the Transformation Programme Projects agreed by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group, to approve its programme of future work as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.
The Scrutiny Coordinator introduced the report and its appendices (previously circulated), which sought the Committee to review its programme of future work. The next meeting of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee would be held on 10 September 2026. Two items had been added to the forward work programme following the last Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs group meeting. These were as follows: 1. Increasing the number of in-house foster carers and in-house placements. 2. Increasing in-house Children Service Residential provision. The meeting after that would be held on the 22 October 2026 and would contain the following transformation project: 1. Working closer with communities. The Scrutiny Coordinator reminded members to complete the Scrutiny Proposal Form attached at Appendix 2 to the report if there were any topics which they felt merited being scrutinised. Any requests would be considered by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group at their next meeting on 29 September 2026. Resolved: subject to the inclusion of the Transformation Programme Projects agreed by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group, to approve its programme of future work as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.
None. Meeting concluded at 11.55am.
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