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Members asked for changes, including clearer funding details and a review of past strategies. They also questioned the Adult Services and Housing & Communities performance figures for the final quarter of 2022/23 and asked for hospital discharge data ahead of a detailed review. In both cases the Chairperson will write to the Cabinet Member with the Committee's views.
Some sentences of this summary are missing in English, because an older automatic check removed them from the English only. The Welsh version has them.
No apologies had been received.
None received.
The minutes of the meeting held on 27 Feb 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were advised that this agenda item allows them to consider and provide their views on the proposed strategy. The Chairperson welcomed: · Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities · Jane Thomas, Director for Adults, Housing & Communities · Natalie Southgate, Partnership Delivery Manager and; · Dawn Jeffrey, Director of Business Development and Operations for Welsh Women’s Aid. The Cabinet Member was invited to make a statement, after which Officers provided a presentation. Following the presentation, the Chairperson invited the representative from Welsh Women’s Aid to make an opening statement, sharing their views of the proposed strategy. Following the third sectors opening statement, the Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Members considered that an analysis of the lessons learned from previous strategies and how they have informed the revised strategy would be valuable evidence for the Welsh Government and the public. They suggested incorporating this analysis into the strategy document. Members agreed with the emphasis on strong partnership working but expressed concern about the financial and resource challenges faced by partners and providers in implementing the strategy. Members considered that the strategy and implementation plan should clearly detail the financial and resource requirements for partners to effectively address the issue of violence against women, domestic abuse, sexual violence (VAWDASV). Members raised concerns about distinguished organisations, including statutory partners, experiencing VAWDASV-related issues within their own workforce. Members felt that the strategy and/or implementation plan should encourage organisations to conduct self-examinations and assess their internal reporting frameworks and support systems for VAWDASV. Members also suggested that the council should conduct its own self-examination and audit of internal processes. Members referred to the statistic mentioned in the strategy that 4 in 5 women in Wales have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, and considered that there should be formal partnership arrangements with trade unions to address this issue. Members acknowledged that trade unions are briefed as part of the council's Workplace Strategy but felt a dedicated partnership relationship for addressing VAWDASV would be beneficial. Members noted that the number of incidents that are charged are very low according to the strategy's statistics and they wished to emphasise the importance of building trust and confidence among victims and survivors to engage with the criminal justice system. Members acknowledged that there are various reasons why cases may not be pursued. Members welcomed the commitment in the strategy to raising the profile of the police and strengthening links with the Community Safety Partnership to address these issues. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
The minutes record no declarations of interest.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were advised that this item provided them with the opportunity to explore the service areas performance levels. Joining Jane Thomas & Cllr Thorne, the Chairperson welcomed: · Cllr Peter Bradbruy, Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty and Supporting Young People · Cllr Julie Sangani, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Equalities · Cllr Norma Mackie, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and; · Helen Evans; Assistant Director for Housing & Communities The Cabinet Members were invited to make opening statements, after which the Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Members were pleased to hear of the focus on robustly gathering and utilising feedback from service users to drive future service development. The use of Occupational Therapist resources in the First Point of Contact (FPOC) teams, specifically for prescribing care under the Trusted Assessor model, was discussed and Members found this particularly interesting. Concerns were raised about the exclusion of data on calls handled by the social work element of the FPOC team, but assurance was given that waiting lists and demand for this team will still be monitored. The below-target performance of the Community Resource Team (CRT) was discussed and was attributed to their involvement in tasks beyond their scope during the pandemic and potential delays in hospital discharges. Members were assured that as the team focuses on reablement and implements the new Electronic Call Monitoring System, CRT results should improve. Ahead of Committee’s upcoming deep dive into the hospital discharge process, data was requested on the number of individuals requiring social care support during hospital discharge and the wait time for a social worker allocation to initiate the process, preferably over a two-year period. The implications of the "Home First" principle on care homes and the domiciliary market were discussed. Members acknowledged the additional demands and strains and mitigation efforts, such as the use of Direct Payments and appropriate adaptations, were noted. Members noted the efforts to address outstanding jobs, follow-up jobs, and increased complaints in the Responsive Repairs Unit, including the upcoming soft launch of the Repairs Online Service, the establishment of a dedicated damp and mould team, and increased resources within the in-house team and contractors. Regarding recruiting bowel cancer screening champions from ethnic minorities, the cessation of funding for the dedicated post by Public Health Wales was acknowledged by Members. Members noted that partnerships with Public Health Wales and community centres, as well as gathering knowledge about groups with low engagement, would continue to sustain this work. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
None received.
To be confirmed.
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