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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Agreed that where statistics were provided in activity reports, numbers could be provided to give context. ACTION The report noted 28 deaths by suicide in Powys in 2024-25, with 14 rapid response meetings including one involving a child. Could the committee be provided with trend data over the past five years to better understand if this rise was part of a pattern or an anomaly? These questions would be shared with the Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services and the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing to provide a written response. It was noted that Powys Teaching Health Board planned to review the data and trends at the end of the financial year. Given the multi-agency nature of this work, it was suggested that the report, once received, could be brought to the committee. Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services highlighted the importance of examining links to bullying, both in and out of school, especially via social media, and emphasised the need for a coordinated response involving council and partner agencies. Questions could be raised through the Powys Community Safety Partnership, to support further discussion. Were any groups disproportionately affected by suicide? How was the 48-hour rapid response process implemented in practice, and who was typically involved in its review? Were families, communities, or those with lived experience involved in shaping the immediate and longer-term response? What mechanisms were in place to ensure that learning from rapid response reviews was turned into tangible preventative action and how was this monitored across services? Had any recurring themes or missed opportunities been identified across the 14 recent rapid response reviews? How were these being addressed at a strategic and operational level? How well were services such as CAMHS, GPs, education, and voluntary organisations working together to identify and support people at risk of suicide? Were any gaps in coordination or referral routes being picked up through reviews? Where suicide involved children or vulnerable adults, how was safeguarding triggered and followed through post-incident, both to support those affected and to ensure wider lessons were applied? Given the increase in rapid response meetings and suspected suicides, did the Safeguarding Team have the capacity and training required to manage the emotional and logistical demands of the work? What support was in place for frontline staff, particularly those involved in safeguarding, education, and crisis response? How did the council ensure the public was informed without fearmongering, and that people knew how and where to seek help if they or someone they knew was in crisis? Would the committee receive a written report or thematic analysis of suicide-related safeguarding work at the end of the financial year? Could this include a summary of recommendations and preventative actions taken? Where a young person was involved in a suicide, how would learning be fed back through the corporate structure and governance of the council? It was agreed that the Chair of the Health and Care Scrutiny Committee would write to the Chair of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee to understand whether the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee were reviewing information relating to this. ACTION Committee requested to be provided with the Regional Safeguarding Board Annual Report on an annual basis. ACTION This was accepted.
Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors Carol Robinson and Alwyn Evans, and officer Sharon Powell. County Councillor Little Brighouse shared apologies for lateness.
Nomination of Cllr Gareth E Jones proposed by Cllr Josie Ewing and seconded by Cllr Amanda Jenner. Committee Members present voted unanimously in favour of Cllr Gareth E Jones remaining as Vice Chair. Resolved Cllr G E Jones as Vice Chair for the ensuing year.
The Committee received the following Declarations of Interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda. County Councillor A Williams declared an interest for item 6, due to being a volunteer for Llais.
The Committee did not receive any disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member had been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78(3) of the Local Government Measure 2011.
Minutes of the previous meetings held on the 26th of February 2025 and the 19th of March 2025 were agreed by all. Proposed by Councillor Gareth E Jones and Seconded by Cllr A Jenner. It was agreed that the minutes from the meeting of the 16th of April 2025 would be agreed at the next committee meeting.
Committee welcomed Katie Blackburn from Llais and received a presentation. Points raised by the Committee: Responses received from Officers or Cabinet Members. Committee asked whether Llais were asked to act as a liaison with local authorities across the English – Welsh border. There were cross-border issues caused by having different systems and communication channels which affected Powys residents. Katie Blackburn sat on the Cross-Border Network, which met every quarter, and these issues were discussed. Was Llais able to look at English hospitals if need be. Assurance was given that access to English services had never been a problem. Had the Analysis of Support to Carers been taken into consideration in the Powys’s day centre review. There was a strong community voice in Welshpool and Crickhowell when conducting the public forum. Respite was a significant issue in rural areas. How was the Council able to use the information from the review. The Director of Social Services and Wellbeing held regular 1-2-1 meetings with Katie Blackburn and worked with Llais at local events. Regular feedback sessions were held with Llais colleagues and volunteers as well as Powys Teaching Health Board Colleagues to analyse themes and inform the action plan. Going forward, information from Llais would also be incorporated into the Annual Compliments and Complaints Report. Social Services were looking to embed the information in the service too, by taking learning through the team and feedback any complaints or compliments to the relevant team. Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys added that feedback was often received about carers struggling to access respite through provider credits. The day opportunities review aimed to ensure the new model better supported carers in getting timely, suitable respite. Committee asked if a member of Llais would like to observe future Health and Care Scrutiny Committee Meetings regarding the Day Opportunities review. This was welcomed by Katie Blackburn. What was the process when Llais completed a report and where was the report shared. An action plan would be agreed between Llais, the Local Authority and the Local Health Board. It was requested that relevant Llais reports be shared with councillors and any that specific to a locality be shared with the councillors responsible for that area. ACTION Katie Blackburn agreed to pick this up with the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing. Did Llais have power to encourage action and was there any requirement for bodies to respond to Llais feedback. It came down to the duties of the organisations to provide and commission certain services. It was asked that councillors be reminded how to communicate with Llais. The Director of Social Services and Wellbeing answered that the local authority had a duty to signpost to Llais and suggested a member briefing on how councillors could be involved and access locality information. ACTION Was the support from Llais available to families and clients who were self-funding in care homes. Llais supported all individuals in health and social care. When could the committee expect to see the annual report? Was there a way that Llais could feedback to the committee if there was a key theme emerging that could not wait until the publication of the annual report? The Annual Report was an all-Wales report. Katie Blackburn would discuss with the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing
Decision as recorded
Agreed that where statistics were provided in activity reports, numbers could be provided to give context. ACTION The report noted 28 deaths by suicide in Powys in 2024-25, with 14 rapid response meetings including one involving a child. Could the committee be provided with trend data over the past five years to better understand if this rise was part of a pattern or an anomaly? These questions would be shared with the Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services and the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing to provide a written response. It was noted that Powys Teaching Health Board planned to review the data and trends at the end of the financial year. Given the multi-agency nature of this work, it was suggested that the report, once received, could be brought to the committee. Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services highlighted the importance of examining links to bullying, both in and out of school, especially via social media, and emphasised the need for a coordinated response involving council and partner agencies. Questions could be raised through the Powys Community Safety Partnership, to support further discussion. Were any groups disproportionately affected by suicide? How was the 48-hour rapid response process implemented in practice, and who was typically involved in its review? Were families, communities, or those with lived experience involved in shaping the immediate and longer-term response? What mechanisms were in place to ensure that learning from rapid response reviews was turned into tangible preventative action and how was this monitored across services? Had any recurring themes or missed opportunities been identified across the 14 recent rapid response reviews? How were these being addressed at a strategic and operational level? How well were services such as CAMHS, GPs, education, and voluntary organisations working together to identify and support people at risk of suicide? Were any gaps in coordination or referral routes being picked up through reviews? Where suicide involved children or vulnerable adults, how was safeguarding triggered and followed through post-incident, both to support those affected and to ensure wider lessons were applied? Given the increase in rapid response meetings and suspected suicides, did the Safeguarding Team have the capacity and training required to manage the emotional and logistical demands of the work? What support was in place for frontline staff, particularly those involved in safeguarding, education, and crisis response? How did the council ensure the public was informed without fearmongering, and that people knew how and where to seek help if they or someone they knew was in crisis? Would the committee receive a written report or thematic analysis of suicide-related safeguarding work at the end of the financial year? Could this include a summary of recommendations and preventative actions taken? Where a young person was involved in a suicide, how would learning be fed back through the corporate structure and governance of the council? It was agreed that the Chair of the Health and Care Scrutiny Committee would write to the Chair of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee to understand whether the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee were reviewing information relating to this. ACTION Committee requested to be provided with the Regional Safeguarding Board Annual Report on an annual basis. ACTION This was accepted.
Background presented by Director of Social Services and Wellbeing. • The Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services added that a considerable number of people in Powys had welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes which was demonstrated in the figures seen in the report. • The Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services emphasised the Charter for families Bereaved through public tragedy, which followed a Cabinet report and was signed by the Chair of Council several months prior. The Council was urged to apply the principles of the Charter not only to major incidents but also to smaller-scale tragedies, such as fatal traffic collisions, to ensure bereaved families were treated with dignity and respect in all cases. • The next Board meeting planned for the 12th of June 2025. Points raised by the Committee: Responses received from Officers or Cabinet Members. Were child and adult practice reviews and legislation being taken on board in the reviewing of policy? Director of Social Services answered that policies were under constant review and if any learning was identified or if there were changes around guidance or statutory legislation, then policies were picked up and reviewed sooner than the deadline. Assurance was requested that the policies would be reviewed sooner than every 3 years. Was Level 1 training in primary schools mandatory and if so, why were primary schools behind. It was a mandatory basic level of safeguarding, but it was not the only safeguarding training in schools. The level of training was noted by the Board, and part of the problem may be due to data entry, which was noted in the report. The Board was looking into acquiring more information around this. What was the percentage compliance with the Ask and Act Level 2 Training. This data would be provided in the next Corporate Safeguarding Board Report. ACTION Committee agreed to monitor the percentage of VAWDASV Level 1 Awareness training taking place in schools going forward. ACTION Were high schools and special schools achieving higher levels of VAWDASV Level 1 Awareness training? Committee received the percentages and requested that the actual numbers be provided to give context to data. Committee noted that Cabinet should receive this level of data also. Agreed that where statistics were provided in activity reports, numbers could be provided to give context. ACTION The report noted 28 deaths by suicide in Powys in 2024-25, with 14 rapid response meetings including one involving a child. Could the committee be provided with trend data over the past five years to better understand if this rise was part of a pattern or an anomaly? These questions would be shared with the Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services and the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing to provide a written response. It was noted that Powys Teaching Health Board planned to review the data and trends at the end of the financial year. Given the multi-agency nature of this work, it was suggested that the report, once received, could be brought to the committee. Cabinet Member for Legal and Regulatory Services highlighted the importance of examining links to bullying, both in and out of school, especially via social media, and emphasised the need for a coordinated response involving council and partner agencies. Questions could be raised through the Powys Community Safety Partnership, to support further discussion. Were any groups disproportionately affected by suicide? How was the 48-hour rapid response process implemented in practice, and who was typically involved in its review? Were families, communities, or those with lived experience involved in shaping the immediate and longer-term response? What mechanisms were in place to ensure that learning from rapid response reviews was turned into tangible preventative action and how was this monitored across services? Had any recurring themes or missed opportunities been identified across the 14 recent rapid response reviews? How were these being addressed at a strategic and operational level? How well were services such as CAMHS, GPs, education, and voluntary organisations working together to identify and support people at risk of suicide? Were any gaps in coordination or referral routes being picked up through reviews? Where suicide involved children or vulnerable adults, how was safeguarding triggered and followed through post-incident, both to support those affected and to ensure wider lessons were applied? Given the increase in rapid response meetings and suspected suicides, did the Safeguarding Team have the capacity and training required to manage the emotional and logistical demands of the work? What support was in place for frontline staff, particularly those involved in safeguarding, education, and crisis response? How did the council ensure the public was informed without fearmongering, and that people knew how and where to seek help if they or someone they knew was in crisis? Would the committee receive a written report or thematic analysis of suicide-related safeguarding work at the end of the financial year? Could this include a summary of recommendations and preventative actions taken? Where a young person was involved in a suicide, how would learning be fed back through the corporate structure and governance of the council? It was agreed that the Chair of the Health and Care Scrutiny Committee would write to the Chair of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee to understand whether the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee were reviewing information relating to this. ACTION Committee requested to be provided with the Regional Safeguarding Board Annual Report on an annual basis. ACTION This was accepted.
Background provided by the Director of Social Services and Wellbeing. • Recommendation 1 had been accepted and would be undertaken during the process of 2025-26 budget setting. • Recommendation 2 had been accepted and the committee would receive a 6 monthly agenda item regarding this going forward. • Recommendation 3 had been partially accepted. • Recommendation 4 had been rejected due to already having been fully considered and best estimates provided through the FRM as part of that process. • Recommendation 6 had been partially accepted and the service agreed to take it forward. Points raised by the Committee: Responses received from Officers or Cabinet Members. The rationale behind Recommendation 4 was that the committee sought assurance that learning and reflection was applied where historical projections had not come to fruition. How could the committee be assured given that the recommendation was rejected? The service did not feel that there was any additional data or work that could be done at this current time. The point had been rejected, despite the intention being to ensure budget projections reflected service demands. The aim was to support future service planning by incorporating demand analysis into budget decisions. This approach was also linked to Sustainable Powys and building resilient communities through a better understanding of community needs. It was disappointing to see the proposal interpreted as a rejection, as the intent was to contribute constructively. The service agreed with this recommendation; however, the recommendation was rejected due to the work already having been completed. Rationale was requested to provide further explanation around rejected recommendations in future. An explanation was requested around how the calculation of demographic pressures was performed in order to provide assurance to the committee that evidence had been fully factored in. Assurance was provided that forecasting work was front and centre when planning budgets. It was also suggested that during the budget setting process for 2025-26, the committee be provided with an overview of the work, how it would be undertaken and include a commentary of demographic pressures to provide context. ACTION Committee requested to see outturn figures or a high-level overview of the budget position for children’s and adults’ services for quarter 4 2024-25 financial year. Committee understood the governance process around the documents but requested whether there was a way that the headline figures could be presented more promptly. It was agreed that this would be looked into.
It was agreed that the Chair, Vice Chair and Scrutiny Officer would meet to discuss the July meeting agenda.
Committee and officers agreed that the following item did not need to be held in a private session.
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.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.