Agenda item

Derbyn adroddiad Cyfarwyddwr y Gwasanaethau i Blant mewn perthynas â phandemig Covid-19

The Director of Children’s Services thanked Members for the opportunity to provide the Committee with an overview of the response by Children’s Services to the continuing impact of the pandemic, recovery and contingency planning.

The Director of Children’s Services reminded Members of the previous reports Members have received in recent months and continued to explain that since December the service has moved forward with some focussed improvement and development work during this period and is beginning to respond to the adjustments to restrictions at the exit of the lockdown.

The Director continued to highlight that there continues to be uncertainty about the specific mid and long term impact of the Pandemic for vulnerable families, however given the rate of referrals and the conditions families face which in many cases are understood to compound adversity, the service is sadly projecting increasing demand, whilst working to connect as many families as possible to early help or preventative services.

The Director provided an overview for Members to get a better understand of the Service areas under the following headings:

·         Children’s Services Critical Approach;

·         How Are we Doing;

·         Service Improvement;

Members were also provided with information in respect of critical business services which include:

·         Access to Services and Family Support;

·         Safeguarding Duties;

·         Children Looked After; and

·         Youth Offending

After concluding her report the Director welcomed Members questions and observations.

 A Member thanked the officer for her report and asked for clarity in relation to 4.7 of the report that Children’s Services have terminated the commissioned external resources to increase social work capacity in the Intensive Intervention Service. Also the Member reference section 5 of the report and wanted to understand the reason behind the decrease in new child protection registrations as there is an increase in domestic violence which would surely effect the safety and wellbeing of children.

In response the Director explained that social work vacancies and retention has been a problem across the region and the Authority had commissioned outside agencies to increase capacity, this had worked in the initial stages however the provider could not continue to provide a  good enough service and therefore the contract had ended. Recruitment is a challenge and work is being carried to address this at present.

With regards to the Child Protection Register the Director informed the Member of the processes that are in place. It was explained that there is a 10% increase at the front door and some with complex issues. It was also explained that not all cases end up on the register as there are care and support packages that are put in place to support families and this may be enough support and placing on the Child Protection Register would not always be necessary. However we will need to keep a close eye going forward.

Other Members put forward questions regarding care l leavers’ and what support would be provided the service for care leavers especially in the situation were are in at present, also questions were raised over data relating to Children Looked After and asked for clarity on the 25% increase in the number of care leavers and asked if this is due to the age of the young person or were there any other factors. The Director explained that the increase represent numbers that have become 18, also the number of child been adopted. The Director also highlighted that reunification of families is also a factor and great deal of intervention work with families has meant child have been able to return to family units.

Further questions were put forward and after in depth discussion Members RESOLVED to:

·         Acknowledge the information within the report