Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee

On 12 February 2026 the committee considered seven reports: Social Services budget options for 2026/27, the social care workforce, a deferred charges audit, in-house regulated care services, support for vulnerable families, and two early years programmes. It agreed the recommendations on each item, and the minute records that Councillor Linda Thew declared an interest in the deferred charges item and withdrew for that item.

1. Social Services budget reduction options for 2026/27

   Decided

   The committee reviewed and commented on the Social Services portfolio's budget reduction options. The minute does not record the comments made.

   Why

   The council must close a budget gap of at least £9.519m for 2026/27. The final Welsh Government funding settlement added £5.219m, but the report says this will not close the gap or meet rising demand in social care and additional learning needs. The report gives a projected Social Services overspend of £7.044m and raises the demand pressure on the portfolio budget from £3.500m to £7.000m, and it says social care has few options for savings.

   Based on the minutes, Council Fund Budget 2026/27 – Final Closing Stage, Enc. 1

2. Social care workforce recruitment and retention

   Decided

   The committee noted the range of activity under way to recruit and retain social care staff in Flintshire.

   Why

   National shortages of social workers, occupational therapists and frontline care staff have put steady pressure on recruitment. The report describes 'Grow Your Own' schemes, which train existing staff for qualified roles while they keep their salary, and says six new social work trainees started in 2025/26. It also covers recruitment campaigns, career paths, staff wellbeing support and succession planning, whose resource costs are still being worked out.

   Based on the minutes, Social Care Workforce

3. Deferred charges audit: progress on agreed actions

   Decided

   The committee considered the report and is assured by the actions taken following the audit.

   Why

   An internal audit of 2022/23 found eight actions were needed, five high priority and three medium. A deferred payment lets a person in a care home delay paying their care costs, with the council holding a legal charge on their property until the debt is repaid. The report says a working group has overseen the actions, including new monitoring in the PARIS client system and six-weekly debt review meetings, and that the council's risk is currently moderate and should fall to low once the actions are complete.

   Based on the minutes, Deferred Charges Audit Report, Enc 2, Enc 3

4. In-house regulated care services: Responsible Individual's assessment

   Decided

   Members reviewed the Responsible Individual's assessment of in-house regulated services for adults. They recognised the achievements of the services and the outcomes secured by the in-house workforce.

   Why

   The Responsible Individual, Mark Holt, is a statutory post under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, responsible for the quality and compliance of the council's registered care services. The Responsible Individual's assessment is that all services continue to perform at a consistently high standard, and that all three council care homes have achieved Gold Standard recognition. The report names recruitment into domiciliary care, meaning care given in people's own homes, as the main challenge.

   Based on the minutes, In House Regulated Services Report

5. Supporting vulnerable families through early intervention

   Decided

   Members reviewed the service approach to supporting vulnerable families through early intervention, including further initiatives to strengthen the offer.

   Why

   The report says early help costs less than later crisis work, but many services rely on short-term grant funding, which creates sustainability risks. It describes the North Wales Effective Child Protection model, two neglect assessment tools and a Multi-Systemic Therapy pilot, which is intensive home-based therapy for families where neglect or parental substance misuse is a concern. Preliminary pilot data tentatively suggests better outcomes than usual support, but continuing the pilot will need new funding, and the report also explores a Family Hub that would bring services together in one place.

   Based on the minutes, Supporting Vulnerable Families

6. Oxford Brain Story training and its expansion

   Decided

   Members noted the findings of the North Wales Oxford Brain Story evaluation and its positive impact on early years practice. They supported continued expansion of the pilot across Flintshire and the region, supported developing an approach that builds the training into induction for new frontline staff, and noted ongoing awareness-raising across North Wales services.

   Why

   The Oxford Brain Story is a training framework explaining how early experiences, including trauma, shape brain development. The North Wales pilot trained 109 people in 2024 and 105 in 2025, and an independent evaluation by Dr Ceryl Teleri Davies found that the share of attendees with a good understanding of brain development rose from 20% before training to 81% after. The evaluation recommended extending the pilot and building the training into induction for early years staff.

   Based on the minutes, Developing professional understanding of the impact of early experiences on neurodevelopment in the early years using the ‘Oxford Brain Story’ training approach, Enc 1, Enc 3, Enc 2

7. Speech, language and communication support in early years

   Decided

   Members supported promoting awareness of Flying Start Flintshire's offer, supported speech, language and communication support as an early years investment priority with monitored outcomes, and supported joining up these strategies across early years and education services.

   Why

   Speech, language and communication skills underpin learning and relationships, and the report says children growing up in poverty are more likely to have delayed language. Flying Start is a programme for children in disadvantaged areas, and Flintshire's offer ranges from universal to specialist support. Of the 229 children screened so far this year, 51% scored green, meaning no further help was needed, and 35% of current support packages relate to speech, language and communication.

   Based on the minutes, The Development and Impact of Speech, Language and Communication Support in Early Years Services, Enc 1

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 2

   Declarations of Interest (Including Whipping Declarations)

   Minute

   Councillor Linda Thew declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 8 (Deferred Charges Audit Report) and withdrew from the meeting for that item.

2. 3

   Urgent Matters as Agreed by the Chair

   Minute

   None.

3. 4

   Minutes

   Decision as recorded

   RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2026 be approved as a correct record.

   Minute

   RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2026 be approved as a correct record.

   Papers: Minutes - 15.01.26
4. 5

   Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (S&H)

   Decision as recorded

   RESOLVED: (a) That the Forward Work Programme be noted; (b) That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and (c) That the Committee notes the progress made in completing the outstanding actions.

   Minute

   The Democratic Services Manager presented a report (agenda item 5) to consider the Committee’s Forward Work Programme, together with progress on actions from previous meetings. Officers agreed to follow up Councillor Thew’s comments on cross-portfolio working in relation to housing issues. The recommendations were supported. RESOLVED: (a) That the Forward Work Programme be noted; (b) That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and (c) That the Committee notes the progress made in completing the outstanding actions.

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.

• Linda Thew: Personal and prejudicial interest on Deferred Charges Audit Report

  Declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the Deferred Charges Audit Report and withdrew from the meeting for that item. The minute does not describe the interest.

The council hasn't recorded attendance for this meeting.

Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.