Cabinet Member: Cllr. Mair Rowlands
To consider responses
to members' observations from the preparatory meeting on 18 October,
2016.
(Copy
enclosed)
Minutes:
Submitted - the report of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young
People in response to specific questions raised by members at the preparatory
meeting held on 18 October 2016.
Members were given an opportunity to ask further questions of the Head
of Children and Supporting Families Department and she responded as follows:
(a) There were 15 children being looked after at residential units and this
figure was significantly lower than it had been in the past. It was noted that the strategy in terms of
reducing the number of children who went to out-of-county placements to receive
care from residential units was relatively effective. It was
emphasised that some of the cases were unavoidable.
(b)
It was difficult to
anticipate whether the above mentioned figure would increase however it was
confirmed that there were no other cases from the population who were currently
being looked after and looking for an out-of-county placement.
(c)
The Respite Unit at
Ysgol Hafod Lon, Penrhyndeudraeth, would offer provision for disabled children
in Gwynedd and it was likely that it would significantly contribute towards
increasing the Children and Supporting Families Service's capacity to support
families.
(ch) In terms of plans to develop provision for some specific sectors
such as autism, it was explained that the matter had been discussed at the
regional Heads of Children's Services Group.
It was acknowledged that there was certainly a cohort of children who
fell between two stools between the Council and the Health Board in terms of
their needs, however, the Group did not wish to establish any regional or
sub-regional provision. The priority and
the intention of the Heads of Department was to seek to support children in
their own homes rather than establish residential provision.
(d)
In response to the
enquiry regarding whether or not it would be possible for the authority to
develop its own provision for looked after
children, it was explained that the Service was of the opinion that it
would not be possible to provide for every possible need on a county level in a
residential Unit. It was explained that
respite care from foster parents was being provided through the support service
and additionally it was possible for the children to receive support from community
activities. It was noted that Support
Workers within the Service offered service to over 300 children. The strategy of the Service was to provide
for children and families within their own homes. In terms of the 15 children who were placed
out-of-county, apart from 3 or 4, it was noted that the children were subject
to full orders to the authority meaning that they needed to be moved in order
to safeguard them.
(e)
In terms of arrangements
for scrutinising new placements, she elaborated that there was no cost
associated with the procedure as it had been established internally by the
Service in the form of a Placement Scrutiny Panel that was convened on a
monthly basis. The Head of Children and
Supporting Families Department was the chair of the panel and the senior
management team and the team managers were invited to the panel to provide
detailed scrutiny of individual cases and to consider:
·
Whether or not the care
plan was suitable for the child
·
Whether or not the child
was in the correct placement
·
That there was no delay
in terms of planning and that the placement offered value for money
·
Whether or not the
placement met the needs of the child
·
Care order cases where
the child was placed at home with the parents, namely to consider safety
·
Voluntary care where the
parents asked the Service to look after the children.
It was noted that the Edge of Care Team was a crucial part of the above
mentioned process and that its work was very successful. It was emphasised that it was crucial for the
Service to return a child to the parents within the first eight weeks as
research had shown that it was better for the child and that the outcomes for
the family were better.
As the Head Children and Supporting Families Department, she was
confident that the children who were being looked after, needed to be looked
after.
Resolved: To accept, note and thank the officer for
the report.
Supporting documents: