Loading
Summary when the minutes are published, usually a few weeks after the meeting.
The Committee considered the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2025-26 and the draft Youth Work Strategic Plan 2027-2032. It made recommendations on the annual report and asked for a site visit to the Information Station. It also agreed to cancel its meeting on 13 April 2027.
It was content with the Education report. For Children's Services, it asked officers to report back on Home Office funding for children on remand in the Mid-Year Report.
It asked for more information on direct payments, the regional VAWDASV framework for children and young people, Flying Start, and the Young Carers Covenant action plan. It also recommended steps on young carers and on the core budget for Prevention and Inclusion.
The Committee considered a report on young people in Newport who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The minute records that the Committee was pleased with Newport's improved results and content with the report, but raised concerns about future funding and about the effect of higher entry requirements.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee (People), the councillors who check council services, considered Newport's Key Stage 4 results for 2025. Key Stage 4 covers the last years of secondary school, when pupils usually sit GCSEs. The Committee recommended clearer presentation of the data for the public and receiving future reports as a seminar or workshop.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee - People considered reports on pupil attendance and school exclusions in Newport schools for 2024-25. For both items, the minute records that the Committee was content with the report. It asked for safer travel to schools to be considered for its 2026-27 work programme, and asked to see the council's harmful behaviour guidance.
The Committee considered the Council's draft 2026/27 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan for the services it oversees: Children's, Adult, Prevention and Inclusion, and Education. The minute records that the Committee was content with the draft proposals, apart from the proposed charges for external users of the Centrica respite facilities, which it said were too high.
The Committee considered the mid-year review of Education Services for 2025-26. Members questioned the Cabinet Member and officers, then made comments and recommendations. They asked for a link to the Corporate Risk Register, more on children who are persistently absent from school, and more context on complaints.
The Committee considered mid-year progress reports for 2025-26 from Children's Services, Adult Services, and Prevention and Inclusion. It asked for more information on budget monitoring, overspends and how adapted social housing is allocated, and it congratulated Children's Services on an award. The minutes record no decision on the work programme and outcomes update.
The committee considered the Estyn report on school inspection outcomes in Newport and the Scrutiny Adviser's reports on actions, the work programme and outcomes. It asked for an information report on digital exams, and the Head of Education agreed to estimate the number of electively home educated children. The minute records no decisions on the Scrutiny Adviser's reports, and updated versions will go on the next agenda.
The Committee considered the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2024-25, which reviews how social services performed over the past year. It asked for an update on the move from WCCIS, the system that holds care records, to a new system called Mosaic, due in January 2026. It said it was content with the report.
The Committee scrutinised the End of Year Reviews for 2024-25 for Adult Services and for Prevention and Inclusion. These reviews measure each service's performance against its plan for the year. The minute records the Committee's comments and recommendations, including requests for information updates from officers.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee - People considered the 2024/25 end of year reviews for Education and Children's Services. The Committee was content with the Education review. It asked for the Community Parenting Strategy, a report on residential homes and a review of Children's Services, and received routine scrutiny updates.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee (People) considered the Learning Disability Independent Living Strategy 2023-28, which sets out how the Council will support adults with learning disabilities. Scrutiny is the committee's job of checking council plans and services. The Committee made several recommendations on the Strategy, said it was content with it, and noted its forward work programme.
The committee considered Key Stage 4 school results for 2023-24 and progress on the council's Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), a ten-year plan to grow Welsh-medium schooling. It asked for an update on curriculum and exam reform, said it was content with the WESP progress report, and recommended Welsh-language activity at community events. It also agreed how to close out older actions from earlier meetings.
On 14 January 2025 the Performance Scrutiny Committee - People considered the draft 2025-26 budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (a plan of spending and income over several years) for the council's People service areas. Members made comments and recommendations to pass to the Cabinet, including on community centre charges, short term care beds, community outreach and National Insurance increases. The Cabinet will consider consultation feedback before agreeing a final budget in February.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee (People) considered the mid-year report for Education Services for 2024/25, which covers April to September 2024. The Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years gave an overview, and members questioned officers. The committee recommended that officers consider a whole city approach to keeping pupils in Welsh-medium learning from Meithrin (Welsh-medium nursery) to Reception (first year of primary school), and asked for further data. The minute does not record a vote on the report as a whole.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee (People) examined the mid-year progress reports for Social Services for April to September 2024. These covered Children's Services, Adult Services, and Prevention and Inclusion. Scrutiny means councillors checking how the council performs. Councillors asked questions and made comments and recommendations, including requests for briefings and updates. The minute records no decisions beyond these comments and recommendations.
The committee looked at Estyn inspection results for Newport schools from January 2022 to July 2024. It asked to be told of reports that show progress on Welsh language in education, and said it was content with the report. It also noted the action sheet and work programme, and a correction to the dates of its next meetings.
The Committee scrutinised the 2023/24 end-of-year reports for Adult Services and for Prevention and Inclusion. The Committee said it was content with both reports, asked for a 12-monthly update on recruitment and retention, and asked that any grant pressures be brought back to it.
Members questioned officers on school buildings, additional learning needs, attendance, care placements and youth justice. The Committee asked for further information on several matters, including the Welsh language sabbatical waiting list, updates on Millbrook and St Andrew's schools, and the Eliminate programme.
The committee reviewed the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2023-24 and agreed to pass it to Cabinet as it stood, recommending that case studies continue in future reports. It also cancelled its 9 July 2024 meeting and set up two July meetings to take the end-of-year reports.
The Committee considered a report on recruitment and retention in Social Services, covering vacancies, turnover, agency staff, sickness and working patterns. It questioned senior officers and cabinet members, asked for the current number of vacancies, and recommended that the report return in one year with benchmarking data, along with work on gender balance, engagement with schools, and a relief pool of staff with other councils. It also received a scrutiny update on actions and the forward work programme.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee for People considered the Cabinet's draft 2024-25 budget proposals for social services and education on 16 January 2024. It noted the People budget proposals, welcomed extra money for additional learning needs, and asked that family support and service quality be protected. It agreed to send its comments to Cabinet and said it was content for the proposals to go ahead as they are.
The Committee reviewed the mid-year service plan reports for Social Services, covering April to September 2023. Members asked about staff retention, funding for violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) services, the Newport Dementia Hwb (a dementia support hub), and housing for care leavers. The minute records no formal decision on the reports themselves, but the Committee made requests and recommended a continued search for alternative internal venue provision for the Dementia Hwb.
The Committee considered the mid-year service plan report for Education Services, covering April to September 2023. The report rates 25 of 28 actions as on track, with three capital building projects rated amber. The minute records no formal recommendations. Instead, the Committee asked officers for further information on several topics, including Fixed Penalty Notices (fines for school absence), school attendance and the demolition of Millbrook Primary School.