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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
Apologies received for Cllr L Minnett-Vokes, Nick Horrigan and Head of Adult Services.
Cllr C Jones declared an interest in item 7 as a trustee of Safer Merthyr Tydfil.
Minutes of the meeting on 5th May 206 were approved as accurate.
Chair referred to the Action Log. No further comments were made.
Chair referred to the Forward Work Programme (FWP). No further comments were made.
Director of Social Services introduced the report. In response to questions from Committee Members, it was noted: · Contingency arrangements include the use of agency staff where required to cover staff absences. · Mid-point reviews provide Chairs with better oversight, enabling earlier identification of issues. · Work is ongoing to strengthen care planning for 16-17 year olds, including clearer delivery arrangements and support mechanisms. · Improvements have been made in risk management, particularly for children supported at home. · Positive feedback received from families and recent CIW inspection. · Staffing levels are comparable with other local authorities, and staff report that caseloads are manageable. · Children Services website is being developed containing information on available services. · Internal intranet will include audit information as part of the quality assurance framework. · Recording of the Dispute Resolution Process requires improvement and work is underway to address this. · The team structure remains as outlined in point 4.3 of the report. · No concerns raised by families regarding Local Authority-employed officers. · The service is working to embed the practice of young people chairing their own meetings, recognising the benefits of co-production and engagement. · Progress currently on track to ensure all CLA have standalone care plans, with focus on maintaining this standard. · Implementations of audit recommendations is on-going. · A male member of staff is currently undertaking the Dad Care Worker role, with a business case being developed to make this position permanent. The Committee thanked officers for their clear and detailed report, recognising the strength of service delivery and staff commitment. Members agreed that the report had been thoroughly scrutinised and added value.
Director of Social Services introduced the report. In response to questions from Committee Members, it was noted: · The Youth Service is funded through a combination of core funding and grant streams. · An overview of funding allocations for services and support was provided. · Staff are normalised to the annual funding position. · No additional funding is being requested as part of this report. · Welsh Government have not indicated that additional funding will be made available to support Local Authorities in meeting requirements. · Officers are confident that the Strategic Plan submission can be delivered within the required timescales. · Representations have been made to the new Welsh Government administration for an extension. · Consultation with young people undertaken last year, with engagement with the Youth Forum. · The consultation was originally intended to support submission of the Plan in April 2026, however delays occurred due to late publication of Welsh Government guidance. · There is a recognised risk of consultation fatigue if engagement is repeated. · Meetings with partner organisations are scheduled for the following week. · The Service is well positioned, drawing on experience from developing previous 3-5 year strategies, with a number of recurring themes identified. The Committee noted that the reports are informative, with officers responding to queries effectively. Members commended the evident experience and commitment of staff, and suggested that an away day could help address consultation fatigue. The Committee agreed that appropriate scrutiny had been undertaken and value added.
No referrals had been received.
There have been no activities to feedback.
The Chair advised that there was no other business deemed urgent.
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