Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee

On 3 September 2026 the Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee is due to consider three reports: its forward work programme and action tracking, the Care Inspectorate Wales Improvement Check of Adult Services with its draft action plan, and the annual report on social services complaints and compliments for 2025-26. No minute of this meeting has been published, so no decisions are recorded here. The recommendations shown are what the reports propose.

1. Forward work programme and action tracking

   Proposed

   The report recommends that the Committee considers the draft forward work programme and approves or amends it, that the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair, may change the programme between meetings, and that the Committee notes progress on outstanding actions.

   Why

   A forward work programme is the list of topics the committee plans to examine. Topics can come from members, the public, the Cabinet, the Council, regulators or internal audit. The report lists eight topics that Councillor Dave Mackie asked to be added, including the North Wales Regional Partnership Board, the Flintshire Social Care Academy and improving mental health services. The action tracking shows these as added and closed. Action tracking lists requests made at earlier meetings and their status. The one action listed, on loading spreadsheets onto members' iPads, is marked closed.

   Based on the minutes, Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (S&HC OSC), Enc 1, Enc 2, Minutes - 16.07.26

2. Care Inspectorate Wales improvement check of adult services

   Proposed

   The report recommends that Members welcome the steps taken since the 2023 inspection, which it says show progress in all areas, and that they scrutinise and support the comprehensive action plan and the annual updates on it.

   Why

   Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is the independent regulator of care services in Wales. It checked progress in Flintshire's adult social services between 9 and 13 March 2026. It reviewed 14 areas for improvement from its 2023 inspection. CIW found progress in all areas, but 12 areas still need further work. These include recording standards, waiting lists for assessments and reviews, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS, the legal protection for people who need their liberty restricted in care), carers' assessments, and recruitment and retention of staff. The report sets out an action plan with lead officers and timescales, mostly between September 2026 and March 2027. At the 16 July 2026 meeting, the Senior Manager Integrated Services said a report with a full action plan would come to the September or October meeting. Members supported developing that plan.

   Based on the minutes, Care Inspectorate Wales Improvement Check of Adults Services, Enc 1, Enc 2, Minutes - 16.07.26

3. Annual report on social services complaints and compliments 2025-26

   Proposed

   The report recommends that Members scrutinise how well the complaints procedure works and what is learnt from it to improve services.

   Why

   Councils must have a complaints procedure for social services and report on it each year. Adult Social Care received 59 complaints in 2025-26, down from 68, and 239 compliments. Children's Social Services received 70 complaints, up from 50, and 162 compliments. Complaints escalated to Stage 2, an independent investigation, rose to 21 for adults, from 3 in each of the two previous years. Of these, six were upheld, four partly upheld, seven not upheld and two not taken further. Two were still open. Stage 1 responses within 10 working days fell to 85% for adults and 89% for children's services. The Ombudsman made 16 enquiries about adult social care, up from 4. The report says charges were the most common adult complaint theme. One lesson learned was to stop direct debits immediately when a direct payment ends.

   Based on the minutes, Annual Report on the Social Services Complaints and Compliments Procedure 2025-26, Enc 1, Enc 2, Enc 3, Enc 4

Written by AI from the reports on the agenda, before the minutes are published. Reports say what council officers recommend; the meeting can decide differently. Once the minutes are out, this becomes a summary of what was decided.

1. 2

   Declarations of Interest (Including Whipping Declarations)

2. 3

   Minutes

   Papers: Minutes - 02.07.26, Minutes - 16.07.26
3. 4

   Urgent Matters as Agreed by the Chair

4. 5

   Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (S&HC OSC)

   Papers: Forward Work Programme and Action Tracking (S&HC OSC), Enc 1, Enc 2
5. 6

   Care Inspectorate Wales Improvement Check of Adults Services

   Part of an issue followed across 5 meetings

   Papers: Care Inspectorate Wales Improvement Check of Adults Services, Enc 1, Enc 2
6. 7

   Annual Report on the Social Services Complaints and Compliments Procedure 2025-26

   Papers: Annual Report on the Social Services Complaints and Compliments Procedure 2025-26, Enc 1, Enc 2, Enc 3, Enc 4

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.

Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.

• Sam Swash, ChairFlintshire People's VoicePresent
• Andrew Parkhurst, ObserverLiberal DemocratIn attendance
• Christine Jones, Cabinet MemberLabourIn attendance
• Dave Hughes, ObserverLabourIn attendance
• Dave Mackie, Committee MemberTrue IndependentsPresent
• Debbie Owen, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Fran Lister, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Gina Maddison, Committee MemberLabourSent apologies and a substitute
• Gladys Healey, Committee MemberLabourSent apologies and a substitute
• Linda Thew, Committee MemberTrue IndependentsPresent
• Mel Buckley, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Paul Cunningham, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Paul Johnson, ObserverLabourIn attendance
• Roz Mansell, Committee MemberReform UKPresent
• Ryan McKeown, Committee MemberLabourPresent as a substitute
• Sean Bibby, Committee MemberLabourPresent as a substitute
• Steve Copple, Committee MemberIndependentSent apologies
• Tina Claydon, Committee MemberLabourPresent

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