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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
It was resolved to elect Councillor Sian Williams as Vice-chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.
To elect Councillor Elwyn Jones as Chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.
Decision as recorded
It was resolved to elect Councillor Sian Williams as Vice-chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.
It was resolved to elect Councillor Sian Williams as Vice-chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.
Apologies were received from Councillors: Elin Walker Jones, Geraint Wyn Parry, Jina Gwyrfai, Gareth Coj Parry, Anwen J. Davies, Beca Roberts, Berwyn Parry-Jones, Gwynfor Owen.
There were no declarations of interest.
None to note.
The minutes of the meetings held on 13 January 2026 were accepted as correct.
The report was presented by the Chair of the Panel. He highlighted the importance of the Panel's work and acknowledged that the last year had been challenging from a safeguarding perspective. The importance of steps being taken to ensure adequate scrutiny of all Council procedures was also noted. Reference was made to the statistics set out on the first page of the Report, and the increase in the number of staff who had completed safeguarding training and the percentage of schools that had delivered safeguarding training to all staff was praised. It was also recognised that there was a significant increase in the number of referrals to children's services. The attempt made by service staff to meet targets in a timely manner by addressing each case was mentioned, but that the national increase in relation to this put a strain on resources. It was highlighted that more staff had now qualified to be able to carry out DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Arrangements) assessments, and it was asked when it would be possible to see a reduction in the numbers waiting for assessments as a result. In response, it was confirmed that additional funding had been received last year to address the waiting list for a DoLS assessment. It was mentioned that the Council had succeeded in recruiting qualified officers, despite the difficulties encountered in trying to do so, and therefore the figures were starting to decline as a result. This was elaborated upon by mentioning the recent Supreme Court ruling against a well-known case in the care field. While the guidance regarding this decision was yet to be developed, the decision was welcomed, anticipating that it would change practice as well as the expectations placed on social services. It was pointed out that there was no external member who was part of the membership of the Panel, and it was asked whether the membership was robust enough as a result. It was emphasised that consideration had been given to this and to the remit of the Panel, but it was highlighted that it was an internal strategic Panel to ensure that the Council carried out its work properly. Although there were no external members of this Panel, bringing the report before the Scrutiny Committee gave members the opportunity to challenge and offer views on the work of the Panel. It was proposed that the Council should be able to satisfy itself that it was able to scrutinise its work internally. Reference was made to the role of the Response Board and the Board's Independent Chair in scrutinising the work of the Council also. It was acknowledged that this Board could not continue forever, but it was noted that the Council's work was often monitored by people from external organisations. Although it was an internal Panel, support was given to taking a closer look at the potential role of external members as part of this Panel. In response to a question about how many of those on the DoLS waiting list were waiting for a first assessment and how many were waiting for a second assessment, it was noted that the service had been prioritising in relation to risk as a result of the pressures of the waiting list. In discussing the pressures on staff in this field, it was elaborated that staff turnover and the demographics in Gwynedd were challenging. The varying numbers applying for trainee roles were also highlighted. It was reiterated that the increasing numbers of referrals reaching the children's department put significant pressure on the Department, on resources, and on all child safeguarding and support procedures. It was confirmed that additional funding had been received to invest in job creation to relieve this pressure. It was added that the recruitment of qualified social workers was proving challenging, and therefore there was work to be done in terms of workforce planning to ensure continuity. It was noted that a number of these posts related to the Section 5 field and the safeguarding field in general, in order to be able to address some of the recommendations identified by the Our Bravery Brought Justice report. Further information was provided on a post that had been created, noting that some of the officer's main responsibilities would be to lead on chairing Section 5 meetings and lead the work on the quality assurance framework across the Children's Department. A discussion ensued on the increasing number of children being home educated, and a question was asked about the situation in terms of ensuring that these children were not at risk. It was declared that parents had the right to withdraw a child from school or not to send their child to school. It was explained that officers monitored the work being done by the child, but unless there was a safeguarding concern, a parent had the right to refuse this monitoring. Concern was expressed in relation to the Council's lack of rights in this field. It was added that the increase in the number being home educated was also seen nationally, and it was confirmed that it was one of the Education Department's performance challenge measures. It was recognised that many families did a great job in home-educating their children, but there was concern that this was not the case for all children who were educated at home. It was recognised that some parents believed that their child did not receive adequate support in schools, and therefore they decided to take the child out of school. The financial challenges that meant schools might not be able to meet expectations in terms of providing the best support for each child on every occasion were identified. It was hoped that the new Government could develop solutions to these challenges facing education authorities. In response to a question about the age range of those children who were home educated, it was confirmed that some children decided to de-register and leave school and others never started attending school in the first place. In addition, it was explained that Gwynedd had been involved in a pilot scheme in order to gain a better understanding of the situations of those children who were not registered in schools. The advice and support offered to those who chose to educate their children at home were elaborated upon, noting that officers were available to support and that sessions and activities on specific topics were also held for the children. It was emphasised that this provision was an offer, and that the Council had no right to impose it on anyone. It was further noted that 124 children were new to the home education register as of September 2025. It was asked whether the Panel was satisfied with the progress made by the Response Board. It was confirmed that the Board's Independent Chair reported every quarter to the Cabinet on the Board's progress, and that she had expressed her satisfaction with this progress when reporting back. Assurance was given that each stream was led by a different officer, and they were challenged in relation to the timely progress of that stream. The Welsh Government's support in this field was also appreciated. Pride was expressed in the progress being made by the Board, noting that independent observers and the Welsh Government had also indicated their satisfaction with this progress. Attention was drawn to the fact that four young people in Gwynedd were located in an unregistered setting, and it was asked how the Council ensured the safety of these individuals. The lack of registered settings nationally was acknowledged, and it was noted that two of the individuals were in placements that were currently in the process of being registered. Assurance was given that the companies hired to provide care were national ones, and were therefore subject to the necessary safeguarding processes and arrangements. It was added that all other safeguarding processes took place in the same way as they would at registered settings. The need for an adequacy plan was mentioned, as well as the need to consider the exact needs of the Authority. It was also revealed that there were examples of settings rejecting children as they would not be able to meet that child's needs. It was explained that there had been no increase in the numbers in unregistered settings in recent years. It was emphasised that the Council did not want any child to be in an unregistered setting and therefore planning was underway to find how to ensure that the needs of every child were met, and that there were enough not-for-profit settings in Gwynedd. It was recognised that there was strong collaboration between the Council and the Police in general, and it was highlighted that Police officers were also members of some of the Council's committees. It was stated that a draft agreement was being developed following the Our Bravery Brought Justice report, to look at how staff could be seconded across the organisations in the event of major investigations in the future. It was noted that there was good overall collaboration between the Council and the Health Board, but that strategic planning, for example, could be challenging at times. It was mentioned that there was room to strengthen interdepartmental internal collaboration too. It was stated that work had been commissioned to see whether the domestic violence services were cohesive and working well, and to assess any better way of delivering. As the role of the Police Commissioner was coming to an end in a few years' time, it was explained that a Government consultation was in the pipeline to look at how to secure these services and the system that would be in place across Wales going forward. It was hoped that the money previously given to the Police Commissioner would be allocated to the Local Authorities, so that a complete package of these services could be created in one place. DECISION 1. To accept and note the report.
The report was presented by the Chair of the Strategic Safeguarding Panel. It was explained that this Policy was reviewed every two years, and that it was therefore an opportunity to update it following feedback. It was highlighted that the Policy would also go before the Cabinet and Full Council in due course, which offered more opportunities for scrutiny of the Policy. This review was welcomed, and it was asked if the Policy would be published on the Council's website. It was confirmed that it would be uploaded onto the website and it was explained that a Task and Finish Group had reviewed it, and that there was also an intention to promote it. It was added that the Council's procurement agreements, which had been updated recently, would also include a reference to this Safeguarding Policy. It was added that the role of safeguarding promotion was now operational within the Council, and that extensive safeguarding promotion work was taking place within the Council. In response to a question about monitoring compliance with the Policy, the desire to ensure the workforce's awareness of this Policy was emphasised, as well as the action to be taken should they have any safeguarding concerns. It was revealed that the Council's Internal Audit section would be actively engaging with the workforce regarding their understanding of the Policy and the appropriate safeguarding procedure that should be followed. It was explained that the responsibilities of individuals were highlighted within it, and it would be emphasised that safeguarding was a key issue in all departments. It was noted that safeguarding was a corporate priority and that it was essential that it was incorporated into all of the Council's systems. It was proposed that the Definitions list included in 2.1 and 2.2 of the report be moved to the first page of the document, so that they were clear to everyone. It was agreed that the Policy should be refined to include this recommendation. Not all members of the Council's workforce had access to a laptop in order to complete training, so reference was made to the ongoing work to ensure that safeguarding training reached all parts of the workforce in a different way. In light of the challenges arising from the increase in online grooming and bullying, it was discussed that consideration should be given to the inclusion of a clause within the Policy relating to raising awareness of the signs that a child was being groomed or bullied online. DECISION 1. To accept the report and recommend that the full Council approve the revised policy. 2. To request to move the Definitions list in 2.1 and 2.2 to the first page of the document. 3. To ask to consider including a clause within the Policy relating to raising awareness of the signs that a child is being groomed or bullied online.
The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families. The Cabinet Member reported that she was satisfied with the work of the Department as a whole. It was confirmed that positive progress was being made in relation to the Department's two main projects, namely the Autism Plan and the Plan for developing a residential provision for looked after children in small group homes. The positive impact of the Autism Plan was mentioned and reference was made to some of the risks facing the Plan, in particular, the funding of the Plan and the waiting list. The development of the residential provision was mentioned, with progress having been made by bringing homes into operation and other homes about to become operational, subject to registration by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). It was noted that there had been a significant increase in demand for these services, and additional pressure on staff as a result. Pride was expressed that additional funding had been attracted through bids, which would enable the Department to strengthen the workforce and services provided, and offer better support for the children. It was highlighted that the Department was working with the Education Department to respond to the recommendations of the Our Bravery Brought Justice report, and it was acknowledged that additional funding had been earmarked to assist with this work. A joint inspection was carried out by Care Inspectorate Wales and Estyn in November last year, which focused on safeguarding. It was explained that positive work had been achieved but that some areas needed attention; it was noted that work was now underway to respond to these findings. It was asked whether there was a reason behind the increase in the number of referrals. In response, it was highlighted that that was challenging to answer because these referrals were made from various different places, such as the Police, and Education or Health agencies. It was explained that this increase came about despite premature intervention efforts, where possible. The challenge of a lack of timely referral by other agencies was mentioned which meant that preventative opportunities were missed, and therefore that many of those children who reached the Department went into care. Mention was made of the Department's failure to find a setting to offer residential provision for looked after children in small group homes in the south of the county, and it was asked whether there were plans to continue looking for a suitable setting in the same area. It was confirmed that such provision was needed in Meirionnydd, but at the moment, no suitable setting had been found. This was expanded on, stating that it had proved challenging to find a suitable setting that met the requirements of CIW in the area. It was added that a small percentage of the children who went into residential care were from that area, but at times having a distance between residential care and the home address was beneficial. It was intended to continue the search for a suitable setting, proposing that the search should be moved to north Meirionnydd. It was noted that grant schedules were a barrier to the construction of a suitable house, as grant money had to be spent within a certain timeframe. The growing demand for the work of the Autism Plan was acknowledged, with concerns about its future in the wake of financial uncertainty. It was noted that a letter had been written to the Welsh Government in an attempt to secure funding, but it was confirmed that the Department was looking at other ways of financing it should this funding not be secured. It was explained that developing this service was essential. Confirming that the recruitment challenges facing the county were also evident nationally, it was noted that Gwynedd was in a good place compared to other counties. A discussion ensued on how it was intended to improve the relationship between the Children's Department and the Education Department, recognising that open conversations needed to be held to discuss the best way forward. This was elaborated upon, noting that a member of the Education Safeguarding and Well-being Team regularly attended meetings of the Children's Department Management Team, to ensure that there was an understanding between the departments about priorities and responsibilities. In addition, it was noted that a role was being developed that would bridge the two departments. Information was requested in relation to the difficulties in finding suitable accommodation for those aged 16+. Finding suitable accommodation was declared to be a challenge, as the number of cases was very high. The joint assessment with the Housing Department when a 16/17-year-old presented as homeless was identified as one of the biggest challenges, with high demand and a lack of placement options for this age. It was revealed that there were agreements with GISDA and North Wales Housing to provide accommodation, which improved provision. It was added that a joint analysis would be carried out with the Housing Department, to see how it was possible to work through the challenges to develop better options. DECISION 1. To accept the report and note the observations.
The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being. It was highlighted that the Department was working on the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-2028, and that the report included an overview of these six main projects. It was mentioned that the report also discussed the day-to-day work of the Department, and the financial situation. There was pride in the department's major achievements, listing some of them: · An increase in care provision within the county. · Two new houses for individuals with ALN had opened in Harlech and Penrhyndeudraeth, with work progressing in Penyberth. · Increasing use of technology and telecare to enable people to live independently. · An increase in the number of social assessments and a reduction in the occupational therapy list. · Dementia Actif was very successful, with carers also involved. · The bed occupancy rate in internal homes had increased back to 87%. · The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) waiting list was falling, with new officers having qualified. · Original budget deficit projections had improved by the end of the financial year, but pressure on the Department's services remained. The discussion then moved on to some of the concerns, specifically referring to the high demand for domiciliary care, with recruitment challenges continuing. The desire for work to improve support for unpaid carers was noted, recognising their valuable contributions. It was identified that the Department's budget deficit for the year was £1.4million, and that cuts of £1.5million were included in the budget. The pressure on delivery services was reported to account for £1m of the departmental pressure, which was mainly on staff overspend and use of agency staff within residential care. It was emphasised that the Department had to provide for the people who needed the services, and therefore these services were not driven by money. Concerns were raised about the waiting lists from a financial point of view, and the increase in need. Reference was made to the uncertainty surrounding the RIF funding that was key to how these services were funded, and the risk in terms of the savings yet to be achieved was also mentioned. The Department's successes were welcomed, confirming that there was an awareness of the underfunding they were facing. It was clarified that it was not possible to say whether the additional funding received this year would improve the Department's position, as it was not possible to predict what additional pressures or complex cases would reach the Department. It was detailed that around £6 million of RIF funding was coming to Gwynedd, noting that this funding was for Adults and Children as well. Although domiciliary care was being restructured, it was observed that the figures were still increasing. In response to this, it was explained that the complexity of cases was increasing, and while the extra care homes would assist with this, it would take time to be able to see the change. It was reported that the Department was dealing with ongoing changes, and that review work was underway to look at the options going forward. It was proposed that this field could be pre-scrutinised when the report was published. It was added that it was an area where problems were dynamic and moved from area to area, such as staffing challenges or provider failure. Staffing challenges were mentioned in relation to these waiting lists. It was confirmed that the Department had been working with the Community Catalyst organisation to support people who wanted to develop small care initiatives themselves, to help with the pressure. Although this agreement had now expired, it was stated that the work was now being done in-house, with a leader appointed in relation to the work. The percentage of residential beds being used in the county's care homes was discussed, noting that it was a low percentage. In response, it was explained that there was a desire to increase the figure again, but the numerous factors affecting this use were mentioned, such as upgrading and re-registration, and staffing proportions. There was concern that the upgrade was taking a long time to complete, and it was asked whether it could be better prioritised so that the beds could be used. There was agreement with this concern, assuring that steps would be taken to try to make the system faster and more effective. Reference was made to the findings of the Llechen Lân report - that there was an increase in demand for the service but not enough manpower to respond to that. It was reiterated that these staffing challenges were a combination of a number of extensive factors. It went on to note that Gwynedd was more likely to put people in homes for the elderly or nursing homes than other counties, so it should be questioned whether this was a good thing or took away people's independence prematurely, taking up several placements unnecessarily. It was recognised that change within the system was needed to promote independence and to enable better and faster implementation. Questions were asked about the job vacancies situation within the service, and it was suggested that councillors should be promoting these positions through their social media platforms. It was noted that a number of jobs were being advertised at the moment, but in order to be able to address the waiting lists and the increasing demand, much more recruitment would be required. It was identified that a high number of vacant beds in some homes was due to a lack of adequate staffing levels. To address that, a larger budget would be needed to be able to recruit more staff. Concerns were raised about the lack of nursing beds in Pen Llŷn and the lack of beds in hospitals, also mentioning the strain placed on unpaid carers. It was hoped for assurance regarding the timescale of work for the Penrhos site as soon as possible. A Member highlighted that low wages within the care sector was one of the reasons why these positions could not be filled. It was noted that things were progressing well in relation to the nursing home in Penrhos, and it was confirmed by the Cabinet Member that he was part of regional discussions in relation to unpaid carers, and fair pay and working conditions for staff in the care field. In response to a question about measuring the quality of care provided, it was confirmed that the Department frequently discussed with those receiving the service and asked residents about what was important to them in terms of provision. This was elaborated upon, stating that a Quality Assurance Team monitored the quality of care supplied by providers and asked people about that service. It was observed that there was diversity in the needs of those on the waiting list for domiciliary care, with a number of individuals on the list but not ready for care for reasons such as their property being unsuitable. It was mentioned that these figures would be subjected to a more detailed analysis in order to better understand them. It was noted that around half of the individuals on the waiting list were currently ready for care, so the figures were rather misleading. It was asked how the people waiting for these care packages were supported in the meantime. In response, it was explained that there was a specific technology that offered support to those individuals, but that a package needed to be developed to offer it while they waited for care. The priority was the safety of the individuals as they waited, adding that more should be done to tackle the waiting list. In addition, it was highlighted that some of those on the waiting list were individuals who were already receiving care but were keen to change the time of care, but the company providing the care perhaps was not able to provide during that time. Pride was expressed that an increasing number were taking advantage of the Dementia Actif service, enquiring about the provision available and the nature of the activities carried out at the sessions. It was confirmed that the sessions were delivered in various locations across the county, and the numerous entertaining activities and mobility work carried out at these sessions were described. It was revealed that a men's group had recently started, with many of those attending being young men who were starting to show symptoms of dementia. The work done by the team of five was praised, but it was reported that discussions were underway about the way forward as the funding for the team's work ceased next year. It was hoped that the team's work could also be developed into a preventative measure for people who were starting to show symptoms. It was assured that the Committee would be involved in implementation following the Housing LIN report, which would outline the demand for care accommodation. It was noted that the findings were likely to be challenging and would suggest that there was a need for a number of specialist properties for older people across the county. DECISION 1. To accept the report and note the observations.
The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property. It was explained that the report included reporting on the progress made in relation to the promises within the Council's Plan 2023-28, as well as the Department's day-to-day work. It was stated that the topic of 'dealing with the energy cost crisis and fuel poverty' had been removed from the Council's Plan, as the energy team was now in place and work was underway to provide advice and support to residents. There was pride that the milestone of building 500 social houses had been reached, but despite this, there was concern that there had been opposition to the erection of social housing in a particular area within the county, with some members of the Planning Committee going against officers' recommendations. It was reported that this caused unnecessary delays and costs, and made it challenging to meet the need for social housing. The increase in carbon emissions from Council buildings was highlighted as a concern. It was noted that some of the tools previously used to report on this were flawed, and therefore it had been under-reported in the past. It was then identified that the main risk to the Department was the fact that it was not possible to ensure that no one was homeless in Gwynedd. It was added that the Department worked hard to try to address the problem. In addition, pride was expressed that the Department managed to stay within its budget again last year. It was asked why applications to develop social housing were being rejected, emphasising that there was a high demand for one- or two-bedroom houses. Concerns were also raised about the number of Council buildings that were out of use and it was asked whether these buildings could be used to create flats, for example. The Department's work was praised but further concern was expressed about the high number of homeless people in the county, and the empty houses figures in Gwynedd. Referring to the concern about planning applications being rejected, it was noted that the target of 500 social houses had been met despite this. It was suggested that these applications were rejected due to a possible misconception of a lack of need in certain areas. It was confirmed that officers constantly monitored the Council's vacant properties, disposing of unnecessary properties and looking for more suitable sites for a number of the schemes that were in place. It was recognised that despite all the work being done, the numbers on waiting lists for social housing were not falling, due to a very high demand. It was revealed that the empty houses scheme was successful, adding that 145 houses had come back into use and over 200 people had benefited from this. It was reported that more empty houses officers had been recruited, therefore a further increase was likely as a result. A number of vacant properties owned by the Council across the county had been identified, and while not all of them were suitable for development, it was confirmed that plans were underway to develop a number of them. Although so many houses had been built and many empty houses had come back into use, it was asked why the numbers on the waiting list were not decreasing. It was stated that more people were coming into the system than were going out, and it was emphasised that the need was far greater than the number of units available to house these people. High costs of living and high rent levels in the private sector were identified as one of the main reasons so many were coming into the system, as well as violence and mental health conditions. It was explained that the applications for social housing were not made public, so people did not realise that there were so many on the waiting list. It was reported that 97% of all lettings that went through the county's letting policy were given to people with a local connection to Gwynedd, and the definition of 'local' was included in the policy. In response to a question about how the number on the list was counted, it was confirmed that an application was counted once, regardless of how many areas were denoted in that application as places they would like to live in. It was mentioned that if one application denoted two areas to live in, it would appear on the list of both areas, but that did not change the overall number of applications. It was noted that the data on the number of applications per area was available. Assurance was given that the new houses that would be built matched the type of housing needed, as well as locations. A question was asked about the rationale behind deciding which units to buy and where. In response, it was highlighted that this was decided by the officers of the Department by considering a number of factors including the need, and suitability of the house to meet the necessary standards. Those Councillors who brought houses to the attention of the Department were thanked, adding that they were passed on to the officer conducting the assessments against the necessary criteria. A comment about housing associations taking a long time to re-let empty houses was answered and highlighted frustration because so many on the list were waiting for housing. It was proposed that this fair question should be asked of the housing associations when they came before this Committee later this year. It was identified that there had been delays in some schemes, and it was asked whether this had cost the Department. It was confirmed that there had been no delays, but that some targets had not been met by the time that the Department had hoped for. It was added that no direct cost had resulted from not meeting the targets. In response to a question about a further target, following achieving 500 social houses, it was highlighted that there was an intention to build an additional 200 units by the end of the Housing Action Plan in 2028/29. Attention was drawn to the impact of refusing planning applications on these targets, as well as on the waiting list. A question was asked about the barriers facing the Department in trying to buy more properties in order to reduce the reliance on emergency accommodation. It was explained that cost, location and unsuitability were factors here, adding that the properties purchased in Bangor and Caernarfon would save a significant amount of costs. It was asked whether there were any further plans to convert a large building into flats, noting that this was a less costly way forward. Reference was made to a number of properties in Bangor and Caernarfon that had been purchased and converted into flats, and it was confirmed that there were further plans across the county to develop more buildings in this way. DECISION 1. To accept the report and note the observations.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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