Decision details

The Service Director of Children’s Services provided the Cabinet with information about children’s services plans for developing residential care services in line with the Council’s duties, and in the context of the Welsh Government Policy ambition to remove profit form the provision of care for looked after young people; and sought Cabinet’s agreement to approve and adopt the proposed Looked After Children: Residential Care Transformation Strategy 2022-2027.

The Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care took the opportunity to thank officers for the detailed report, which he felt set out a pathway to delivering change and direction to children’s residential services. The Cabinet Member was fully supportive of a not-for-profit market and stressed that the overriding aim was to provide care to looked after children and young people, close to home in high quality settings where they can thrive by stable, resilient, and skilful staff. The Cabinet Member recognised that it was an ambitious task with significant barriers to overcome to comply with regulations by 1^st April 2027 and as Chair of Corporate Parenting Board, the Cabinet Member stated that Board Members were acutely aware of the increase in demand for placements, lack of availability and sufficiency and that for many years there had been children placed out of county.

The Cabinet Member questioned whether the decision had impacted on residential placement availability for children over the last year and whether it had increased the number of OWR placements supported by Children’s Services over the period in Rhondda Cynon Taf and other Local Authorities. The Service Director confirmed that the reason the Council had to develop OWR placements was due to the lack of suitable registered alternative and explained that the proposed strategy was the strongest plan to move away from those arrangements.

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Leisure commented that the Council did not want to be placing children in unregistered accommodation, but like many other Local Authorities, there was no other alternative due to a lack of suitable accommodation availability. The Cabinet Member sought assurance that the unregistered placements provide a safe environment with care and support that is tailored to the specific needs of the individual children while registered accommodation is pursued. The Service Director explained that all options are considered prior to an OWR placement, which included supporting the young people at their existing homes to prevent escalation; and developing therapeutic provision and placement support. Additionally, it was explained that RCT’s own resources were considered before an OWR placement but where there was no alternative option, the young people’s safety and wellbeing was paramount. The Service Director assured Members that managerial oversight is provided as it would in an RCT children’s home.

The Deputy Leader thanked the Scrutiny Committee for its contribution and stated that in order to support young people in local communities it was key that Local Members are provided with concise and factual information to prevent speculation and negate any concerns of the community.

In light of the Deputy Leader’s comment, the Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care proposed an additional recommendation that Elected Member briefing sessions were to be taken forward to provide Councillors with the opportunity to find out more in terms of the ambition of the Strategy, the duties to looked after young people and to support Elected Members in responding to any queries from constituents

The Cabinet RESOLVED:

1.    To consider the information contained within the report;

2.    To note the comments and observations of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee, following pre-scrutiny of the proposed Strategy on the 28^th November 2022;

3.    To adopt the Looked After Children: Residential Care Transformation Strategy 2022-2027; and

4.    That Member briefing sessions are taken forward to provide Councillors with the opportunity to find out more about  the ambition of the Strategy, the duties to looked after young people and to support Elected Members in responding to any queries from constituents.