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The committee considered reports on children's services, the 2026/27 social care budget, social care risks, recruitment of social workers and day services, and noted each one. It also changed its forward work programme, moving two reports to November 2026 and one to January 2027.
The committee elected Councillor Claire George as Vice-Chair and noted changes to its forward work programme, which lists the topics it plans to cover. It also noted reports on Most Significant Change, health board agreements, unpaid carers, foster carer recruitment and support for care-experienced young people, and endorsed the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 for Council.
The Committee noted reports on Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire, regional advocacy, foster care and the quarter 3 social care budget at its 20 March 2026 meeting. It agreed to add a review of Special Guardianship Orders to the June 2026 agenda and referred a homelessness item to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The minutes also record a personal interest declared by Councillor Mike James in the Citizens Advice item.
The Committee considered the outline draft council budget for 2026-27, which has a funding gap of £13.6m, and noted it. It also received updates on the 2025-26 social care budget, violence against women and domestic abuse, tackling poverty, children's services and children's residential care, and noted each one. The Committee also noted changes to its forward work programme.
The Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 14 November 2025 and received updates on social care in Pembrokeshire, including a 0-25 transition service, children's practice thresholds, the social care capital programme and the Council's annual social services report. Members noted most of the reports and agreed changes to the committee's forward work programme, including removing GP and Pharmacy Support while the Chair and Vice-Chair meet the health board. They acknowledged an inspection report from Care Inspectorate Wales and asked for a six-month update on its action plan.
The Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 11 September 2025 to consider youth mental health services, a strengths-based communication programme, corporate risks and scorecard, the first quarter budget and the action log. It noted all the reports and agreed changes to its work programme. A report on service level agreements with the Health Board will come to the January 2026 meeting.
The Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 19 June 2025 and heard reports on LLAIS, a visit to a day service, children's residential care, homelessness, Operation SALUS and its annual report. It elected Councillor Claire George as Vice-Chair and approved its work programme with two amendments. Members noted every report, and the minutes record no further decisions.
The committee considered six reports on mental health, the 2024/25 social care budget, Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire, advocacy, violence against women and girls, and unpaid carers. It also changed its forward work programme, moving some items to earlier or later dates. It noted all six reports.
The committee advised Cabinet that cuts to statutory Social Care services were difficult to agree, and that prevention should get more emphasis. It also noted reports on tackling poverty, the voluntary sector, children's residential care and Operation Salus, and agreed that a Welsh Language Champion and the Cabinet Member for Finance should meet the author of a public submission on the Welsh and English budget consultation. Homelessness was moved to 3 April 2025 on the work programme.
The Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted reports on the Regional Integration Fund, the Director's annual report for 2023/24, transitions services for young people, and a visit to Clynfyw Care Farm. It agreed to treat the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee's referral on the social care overspend as a standing item. Members also resolved to build their understanding of the Quarter 2 budget, which projects a social care overspend of £8.8 million.
The committee noted reports on social care budgets, corporate risks, the new children's home West Lodge, safeguarding, the voluntary sector and Shared Lives. It also endorsed the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2023-24 before it goes to the full Council.
Councillors considered a call-in of Cabinet's 9 September 2024 decision on day centres in Pembrokeshire. The Committee voted six to five to ask Cabinet to review its decision and keep the Crymych and Narberth centres open while a community enterprise model is piloted, and to consider temporary measures until South Quay opens.
The committee scrutinised the council's Children's Services improvement work, following a Child Practice Review into the death of a two-year-old girl in Haverfordwest in 2020. Members heard that demand on the service has risen sharply, and the committee adopted the report. It asked that the next steps and action plan go to the Executive, and that projects be built into the budget-setting process.
The committee received updates on advocacy, unpaid carers, safeguarding and a children's services strategy, and reports on its recent site visits. Councillors noted most of these reports, and the committee will scrutinise the Keeping Families Together strategy in nine months' time. The committee also approved its forward work programme with three additions.
The Committee considered a referral on joint working with the Health Board on children's out-of-county placements, its Forward Work Programme, an update from the Social Care Working Group and a Children's Services presentation. It agreed to add the referral to its work programme, approved the programme for a future meeting with a list of topics to discuss, and noted the working group update and the presentation.
At its meeting on 9 November 2023 the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard an update from LLAIS, formerly the Community Health Council. It noted the Director of Social Care and Housing's annual report for 2022/23 and the work done at care farms. It also approved its Forward Work Programme, with visits to care farms added.
The committee considered safeguarding performance data, progress on joint working with Hywel Dda Health Board, and updates from Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire and the West Wales Regional Partnership Board. It endorsed or approved each of these items, and approved its forward work programme with two changes.
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.