Cabinet Members: Cllrs.
Mair Rowlands, Gareth Roberts, Gareth Thomas
(a)
To
consider a report by the Council Leader.
(Copy
enclosed)
(b)
To
receive responses to specific questions:
(i)
Response by the Children, Young People and Leisure Cabinet Member (Please see Appendix
1 and 2)
(ii)
Response by the Education Cabinet Member (Please see Appendix 1)
Minutes:
Submitted:
(a) An overview of the Council's performance so far in the field of Children and Young People and Care, which addressed the transformational plans that were in
the Council's strategic
plan.
(b) Written responses from the Cabinet Member for Children,
Young People and Leisure and the Cabinet Member for Education to specific questions from the Members of the Services Scrutiny Committee.
(i) The opportunity was taken
to congratulate Aled Davies on
his permanent appointment
to the post of the Head of Adults
and Well-being Department and he was wished well for the future.
(ii) Stemming from the content of the report and verbal
questions, responses were as follows:
·
The Cabinet Member for Children and
Young People acknowledged that deterioration had been seen in
the personal education percentages for looked after children
but was confident that the problems had been resolved in
terms of processes, with the relationship well between the Education Department and Social Services. It was foreseen that there
would be an increase in the target by next
year.
·
In terms of an increase in
the number of permanent exclusions in primary
schools, the Cabinet Member
for Education explained that, following having to close a specialist unit in Felinheli due to safety issues, he was confident that the number of exclusions would decrease because alternative arrangements had been put in
place in schools to support pupils with intense
and emotional behaviour. It was assured that there
would be an effort to decrease the number excluded. It was further noted that schools
had been able to cope very well after the closure of the unit and they were
to be praised for the work done with
the children.
·
In response to a query regarding support for 3* pupils, the Cabinet Member for Education explained
that, due to changes to the additional learning needs and inclusion provision,
there was much emphasis on early
intervention and, as a result, every
child would receive an individual
plan.
·
In response to concern highlighted in the context of a reduction in the budget for preventative
services and, in particular, the Team around the Children, the Cabinet Member for Children and
Young People explained that a Multi-agency Task Group was considering streams of specific work funded by
the grant. The Head of Children
and Supporting Families Department reiterated that the funding would continue
with a slight reduction and that
the direction and the vision was changing in terms of access
to the provisions in accordance with needs that had been identified during the previous period. It was further noted that
the preventative strategies
identified gaps based on local
needs in the fields as follows:
o
Speech and language delay
o
Parenting
o
Behaviour
o
Access to low level mental health services
for children, young people and
adults
The Task Group agreed on the way forward,
forming an action programme to commission the service for the future. It was acknowledged that there were risks
in terms of a reduction to the projects in the future.
·
It was noted that the
Services Scrutiny Committee
was supportive of the above
mentioned preventative service and the Cabinet Member for Children
and Young People was asked to convey the Committee’s wish to ensure that individuals
received due support.
·
In response to a query
from a Member regarding raising parents' awareness of the arrangements for safeguarding children and young people,
it was explained that the Council had raised every staff member's awareness of safeguarding children and had received training to this end. It
was noted that every Department within the Council had designated
a person responsible for safeguarding in order to enable them to identify problems. It was further noted that
the work done within the Council was to be praised.
It was suggested to elected Members who were governors
to raise awareness of the above in the schools.
·
There was concern that
the Council did not consider and
think ahead so that it
could respond quickly when legislation
changed etc.
·
In response to the above,
the Cabinet Member for Education noted that the Council very often led on projects
throughout the whole of
Wales when changes happened and attention
was drawn to one project, which
was to raise education standards, noting that Gwynedd's performance was in first position in terms of the performance of 15 year old pupils, and
fifth in terms of level 2+ threshold.
·
There was concern for the
low level of support that would
be available specifically in relation to the mental health provision.
In response, the Cabinet Member for Children
and Young People explained that an officer from
the Health Board had been appointed to collaborate with the service and that
it was possible to move on as
needed.
·
The Cabinet Member for Education
vowed that he would arrange
an open day
(on a Saturday) for elected Members
for the new Ysgol Hafod Lon
in Penrhydeudraeth. The school would open
during half term, with an open
day arranged for parents. It
was further noted that he would
welcome more community use of the building such as the therapy
room.
·
The Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department confirmed that, in terms
of the Care Challenge project, a Well-being Manager had been appointed on 1 July 2016 and, during the first weeks, she
had been familiarising herself with the work and meeting
individuals. She would be providing a work programme and it was assured
that she would submit a report within 6 months on the developments
for the preparatory meeting for this
Scrutiny Committee.
Resolved: (a) To accept, note and
thank the officer for the report.
(b) To ask
the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People to convey the wish of this Scrutiny
Committee to assure the continuation of the support to a range of preventative services for groups
of vulnerable children and Young people within the County.
(c) To request that the Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department submits a further report on the work
programme of the Well-being
Manager for the preparatory meeting of this Scrutiny Committee
within approximately 6 months.
Supporting documents: