Agenda and minutes

To receive disclosures of personal interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct

Note:

1.    Members are requested to identify the item number and subject matter that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest: and

2.  Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

To approve, as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting of the last meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board held on 24^th November 2022.

It was RESOLVED: to approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board held on the 24^th November 2022.

To receive the report of the Director of Education and Inclusion Services, which provides the Corporate Parenting Board with an overview of the implications of the ALNET Act and ALN Code for Children Looked After and to update members on Year 2 of the national ALN Implementation timetable for Children Looked After with an ALN in RCTCBC.

The Virtual School Head Teacher provided an update to the Corporate Parenting Board on the implications of the ALNET (Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal) Wales Act (2018) and Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Code 2021 for Children Looked After with an ALN and to update the Board on the implementation of the above in Year 2 of the National ALN Implementation timetable in Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.

The Chair thanked the officer for the comprehensive report and opened the floor to questions.

One Member acknowledged that the transition period was often a difficult time for young people and questioned whether the educational aspect of the Educational Healthcare Plan was given as much impetus as the health aspect, in terms of transition. The officer advised that in respect of the Individual Development Plan, approximately 80% of it was education based and explained that during a PCP meeting, four areas of need are considered (Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotion and Behaviour; Communication and Interaction; and Sensory). Members were informed that once the specific needs are captured, the intended outcomes are identified, and the school is then supported to provide additional learning provision. 

One Member noted that from experience, some parents had objected to the term ‘special school’ and questioned if there was any intention to rebrand the phrase. The officer advised that the information would be sought and brought back to a future meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Education, Youth Participation and Welsh Language spoke positive of his attendance at a Virtual School event, which he felt had highlighted both the way forward and its challenges. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the raft of new statutory responsibilities for the Local Authority and provided assurance that the Cabinet recognised that it was an area of pressure within the Education service, which requires additional funding and resource.  The Cabinet Member spoke of two reports considered by Cabinet in 2022 in respect of an additional special school within the County Borough and additional funding for ALN.

The Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

    1.         To acknowledge the content of the report; and

    2.         To receive a further report on ALNET (Wales) Act and ALN Code implementation for Children who are Looked After at a later date if necessary.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides Members of Corporate Parenting Board with an update and overview on RCT Children’s services commissioning and monitoring of external placements for Children Looked After.

The Head of Family Support and Accommodation and the Regional Commissioning Manager, Children’s Commissioning Consortium Cymru (4c’s) provided Members with an overview and update on RCT Children’s services commissioning and monitoring of external placements for children looked after.

Referring to a concerning incident in an English Local Authority whereby the Ofsted reports were positive, one Member stated that as a Corporate Parenting Board, the focus was the wellbeing of the children placed out of the country and sought assurance that the reviews of placements and advocacy arrangements were robust within RCT. The Regional Commissioning Manager of the 4C’s acknowledged the Member’s concerns and explained that there is a layered approach to safeguarding and monitoring of standards. The officer advised that CIW were the regulatory body in Wales, with a framework in terms of registering, notifications of any issues and regular inspection reports. The officer explained that within Wales, there’s strong mechanisms in terms of existing communication with CIW and were told the 4C’s have monthly meetings whereby both formal information such as inspection feedback, and softer information and concerns are shared. The officer then spoke of the framework providers, 4C’s and the various monitoring visits (both formal and unannounced) to providers. The officer concluded by assuring Members that the teams work closely alongside RCT’s Placement Team and that additional training had taken place with the Contract Monitoring Officer.

The Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

1.    To note the contents of the report and the actions being taken to ensure RCT obtain quality external placements for children.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides an update about RCT Children’s Services engagement activities and the Participation Strategy for 2023. 

The Graduate Officer for Participation provided Members with an update about RCT Children’s Services engagement activities and the Participation Strategy for 2023. Members were advised that a further update on the Implementation Plan and Strategy would be provided at the next meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board.

As part of the update, a young person from Voices From Care Cymru was present to provide Members with an overview of the work undertaken to support care-experienced young people in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The officer emphasised the importance of engaging with young people who had used the service, to help develop the Strategy and explained that, although there had only been a 7% response rate to the Get Involved survey to date, officers were working on increasing the number.

Members were invited to join a task group, to consider whether the membership of the Corporate Parenting Board could be amended to include care experienced young people, to involve young people in the governance arrangements. The Service Director advised that should Members be minded to join the group, proposals would then be brought back to the Corporate Parenting Board for consideration. The Chair asked that the Service Director forward the details to the Council Business Unit for circulation.

The Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

1.    To acknowledge and comment on the information contained within the report.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides the Corporate Parenting Board with the work undertaken by the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service.

The Head of the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service provided the Corporate Parenting Board with an update on the work of the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service (YOS) for 2022/23. This includes an update on current service delivery following the restructure of the service in August 2021, to outline some of the current priorities and to inform members of future service priorities, challenges/risks.

One Member sought further information in respect of the work undertaken with Primary Schools and acknowledged that it was key in preventing escalation of issues. The officer advised that a Return to Learning Officer had undertaken work in secondary schools with children who had either been involved in offending behaviour or were on the cusp of offending. The role involved talks with the young person about the dangers and potential consequences of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. It was explained that, although in its infancy, this approach was being replicated in primary schools and dealt with more age-appropriate issues such as social media as opposed to knife crime. The Members agreed that it would be beneficial to receive a future update on the progress of the roll-out to primary schools.

The Chair thanked the officer for the informative update and the Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

1.    To acknowledge the changes made within the YOS, and the direction and challenges that lie ahead as a result of service changes following restructure and strategic change in relation to YOS performance measures; and

2.    To receive further reports in due course in order to be satisfied of the progress and improvements made and how this contributes to better outcomes for children and families.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides the Corporate Parenting Board with information on the All Wales Protocol for Reducing the Criminalisation of Care Experienced Children and Young People 2022.

The Head of the Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service informed the Corporate Parenting Board about the ‘All Wales Protocol for Reducing the Criminalisation of Children and Young People 2022’.

This protocol is intended to help professionals who encounter care experienced children and young adults while carrying out their work, and in sharing a common framework of principles and expectations informed by an approach that actively promotes children’s rights and which safeguards and promotes their wellbeing.

The Chair thanked the officer for the update and questioned whether the exploitation of children and young people was a problem in RCT. The officer advised that as a result of the pandemic, anti-social behaviour and drug-use had increased, along with children being exploited to carry drugs for older people. Members learned that an Exploitation Strategy was planned across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg region and that the challenge would be a shared understanding what that means as different agencies may have different perspectives.

The Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

1.    To acknowledge the report; and

2.    To receive further reports in due course in order to be updated on local/regional data and how progress and improvements made contributes to better outcomes for care experienced children.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides the Corporate Parenting Board with the Fostering Quality of Care Annual Report.

The Service Manager provided the Corporate Parenting Board Members with the Annual Fostering Service Quality of Care Report.

This report was compiled as required under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. Regulation 52 of the Local Authority Fostering Services (Wales) Regulations 2018 also requires the local authority manager to put suitable arrangements in place to establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and improving the quality of service.

One Member spoke positive of the recruitment of foster carers for mother and baby placements and questioned how this would work. The officer advised that the approach was needed but acknowledged that it would be a challenge going forward. One option was to work with Foster Wales to directly target eligible people to come forward, such as Health Visitors; another was to convert the foster carers already in place into the role; and another option was through a community style role.

The Corporate Parenting Board RESOLVED:

1.    To acknowledge the information contained within the report.

“That the press and public be excluded from the meeting under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972 (as amended) for the next item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 13 and 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act.”

It was RESOLVEDthat the press and public be excluded from the meeting under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act (as amended) for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of the exempt information as defined in paragraphs 13 and 14 of Part 4 of the Schedule 12A of the Act.

To receive the report of the Interim Director of Social Services, which provides details of a complaint made in respect of Carn Ingli Children’s Home and the subsequent investigation process.

The Head of Family Support and Accommodation provided the Corporate Parenting Board with the report containing exempt information.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED:

1.    To improve communication between Officers and Members in relation to Residential Services

·       Annual meeting with Ward Members to update on current provision in their Ward, corporate parenting responsibilities and how to report a concern.