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The Committee will consider the draft Social Services Annual Report 2025-26 and the draft Social Services Representations and Complaints Annual Report 2025-26, both before they go to Council or Cabinet in September. It will also consider the proposed banding system for paying Shared Lives carers, which it asked for more information on in July, and its Forward Work Programme. The minutes of this meeting have not been published, so no decisions are recorded here.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The committee considered adult community mental health services and the Director of Social Services' Annual Report 2022/23, a statutory report on how social services performed last year. Members asked for more information on young people with autism referred to mental health teams and on the Assisting Recovery in the Community service. They recommended letters to Welsh politicians on mental health round tables and on national pay for social care staff, and approved the forward work programme.
It asked for a visit to the Books on Wheels mobile library, figures on subsidised leisure access, and a quarterly update on the children's services plan. It also nominated Councillor Maxine Lewis as its corporate parenting champion, noted a Cabinet response on Porthcawl land, and approved its forward work programme.
The committee looked at support for young carers and adult carers, and at a follow-up visit by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), the body that inspects social care in Wales, to Bridgend's children's social care services. It asked officers for further information on both, and recommended that the budget process for social services start earlier with cross-party input. It also approved its forward work programme, which is its plan of topics to examine over the year.
At its meeting on 16 February 2023, the Social Services, Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (SOSC 2) considered pressures in adult social care, including a shortage of care workers for care at home, and the development of learning disability services. Members made recommendations on staff pay and terms, exit interviews, help with staff travel, public transport for people with learning disabilities, and hospital pressure figures, and they approved the committee's forward work programme.
The Committee considered the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2023-24 to 2026-27, a four-year plan for the Council's spending, investment and savings. The Committee recommended that Cabinet review pay for social care workers and how to support and value them. It was also content that the budget pressures, mostly in Social Services and Wellbeing, are sufficient and necessary. Cabinet and the full Council will make the final decisions.
The Committee scrutinised Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) inspections of the council's adult care services in 2022 and the annual safeguarding report for children and adults. It asked for more information on Warm Hubs, safeguarding referrals and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and asked for Member visits to care homes to restart as soon as possible. It also approved its forward work programme.
The committee considered the Care Inspectorate Wales report on Bridgend's children's social care services, which found strengths and areas to improve. It asked officers for more information, including social worker caseloads and the waiting list for children's mental health support. It also decided not to refer the Cabinet's decision on council land at Porthcawl back to Cabinet, but recommended wider consultation at the next stages.
It also agreed its draft forward work programme, with two extra reports added.
It endorsed both reports and nominated Councillor Amanda Williams to sit on the Public Service Board Scrutiny Panel.
The Committee nominated Cllr David White as its Corporate Parenting Champion. It also considered the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2022-23 to 2025-26 and made six recommendations on the Social Services and Wellbeing budget proposals.