Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest reported.

3.

Safe Accommodation for Children and Young People with Complex Needs in Powys pdf icon PDF 785 KB

To consider a report by County Councillor Rachel Powell, Portfolio Holder for Young People and Culture.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a proposal to develop safe accommodation for children and young people with complex needs within the county. £225,000 Integrated Care Fund (ICF) capital funding had been allocated from Powys RPB and £300,000 from Welsh Government. There was commitment at senior levels in the Council and the Health Board to open the accommodation in May/June 2021. The Head of Children’s Services confirmed that there was a demand for places.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To support the agreement from Regional Partnership Board (RPB) and RPB partners to proceed with the development of multi-agency safe accommodation for children and young people in Powys.

 

2.    To revise Powys County Council’s Capital Programme to include £225,000 of available Integrated Care Fund (ICF) capital funding for 2020/21 (previously allocated to Start Well for the development of a multi-agency Early Help Hub) and £300,000 of available Welsh Government capital funding (2020/21), to support the purchase of the property and the development of safe accommodation for children and young people with complex needs in Powys. 

 

3.    To note the timescales and urgency for the purchase of a property within this financial year and the review date in January 2021 for decision to proceed before final commitments are made on behalf of the Council as set out in 4.1 of the report.

 

4.    The final decision with regards purchasing a property to be delegated to relevant Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Young People and Culture.

 

5.    To acknowledge that the work required for the detailed development of the therapeutic support (model of health care) is yet to be completed and that the work to define the clinical details of delivery as a multi-agency project team will be completed as the project develops.

 

6.    A decision to support that in order to mitigate and manage risk, agreement be given that if safe accommodation for children and young people with complex needs development or revenue funding is delayed or cannot be secured on a multi-agency basis, the property would be utilised as a mainstream Children’s Residential Home revenue funded by Powys County Council Children’s Services providing placements to Powys children and young people within County diverting revenue funding which would be used to fund these placements.  This will be dependent on Welsh Government capital funding approval to use the funding in the way and may require a Powys County Council capital bid be submitted for up to £300,000 capital monies to replace the Welsh Government capital contribution as set out in 4.1 of the report.

 

4.

Child Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To consider a report by County Councillor Rachel Powell Portfolio Holder for Young People and Culture.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the Child Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan for 2020-2023. The Strategy aimed to Prevent, Protect and Support children from all forms of child exploitation and had been developed in consultation with key partners.  

 

                        RESOLVED to approve the Child Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

 

5.

Ysgol Bro Hyddgen pdf icon PDF 582 KB

To consider a report by County Councillor Phyl Davies, Portfolio Holder for Education and Property.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet was asked to give approval to commence the statutory process on the following proposal, in order to move Ysgol Bro Hyddgen along the language continuum:

 

·         To make a regulated alteration to alter the medium of instruction at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen from Bilingual (dual-stream) to Welsh-medium

·         This would be introduced on a phased basis, year-by-year, starting with Reception in September 2022.

 

The proposal would mean that English-medium provision would be phased out gradually year by year, starting with Reception in September 2022 pupils would be taught in Welsh-medium classes and become fully bilingual i.e. fluent in both Welsh and English. Additional Welsh language support would be introduced alongside the change in language category for latecomers and those pupils needing the additional support.  This would include immersion provision which had been very successful in other authorities.

 

County Councillor Michael Williams, the local member for Machynlleth, reported the representations made to him by parents who were worried by the proposal to move to a Welsh-medium school and concerned that it might put secondary provision in the town in jeopardy. The Leader, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Education and Property confirmed that they had read the emails sent by parents and the Portfolio Holder encouraged everyone to take part in the consultation.

 

                        RESOLVED that Cabinet approves that the statutory process commences on the following proposal in order to move Ysgol Bro Hyddgen along the language continuum:

 

·         To make a regulated alteration to alter the medium of instruction at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen from Bilingual (dual-stream) to Welsh-medium

·         This would be introduced on a phased basis, year-by-year, starting with Reception in September 2022.