Agenda item

Discussion on Children's Services

Minutes:

Council debated the CSSIW inspection report into Children’s Services in Powys which had found that failings in the service had put children at risk of harm.

 

The Leader, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services and Chief Executive explained that they accepted the recommendations contained in the CSSIW report and outlined the steps that had been taken to address the recommendations in the report. They apologised to the young people and their families who had been let down by the service. They gave a commitment to Council to take all necessary steps to improve Children’s Services and ensure that vulnerable children were safeguarded and supported. 

 

Council was advised that a draft improvement plan had been prepared and an Improvement Board established. With the support of the WLGA, a team of experts had been put in place to help the Council respond to the report and key staff including an interim Head of Service recruited.  

 

Members spoke of their dismay at the report but also of their support for the front line staff of the service and determination to help in whatever way they could. Members felt that the service had been destabilised by restructuring and by cuts to its budget. They asked for and received details of how the £4m extra being put into the service would be funded. They also asked for regular reports back to Council on progress in implementing the improvement plan. Members also sought and received assurances from the Chief Executive that there would be no witch hunts against whistle blowers and that members would be given access to the full range of performance data to enable them to scrutinise the service. A number of members expressed the view that the Chief Executive should stand aside from improvement process. There was discussion on the membership of the Improvement Board and it was suggested that this could be considered by the political group leaders.  It was confirmed that the Improvement Board would be chaired by an independent person nominated by Minister for Social Services and Public Health.  

 

Council adjourned from 13.03 – 13.49. County Councillors E Durrant, E Jones and G Ratcliffe left the meeting.

 

Present:

 

PRESENT

County Councillor D E Davies (Chair)

 

County Councillors MC Alexander, M Barnes, B Baynham, G Breeze, J Charlton, L V Corfield, K W Curry, A W Davies, B Davies, P Davies, M J Dorrance, D O Evans, J Evans, L George, J Gibson-Watt, M R Harris, S M Hayes, H Hulme, A Jenner, E A Jones, G Jones, J R Jones, E M Jones, M J Jones, D Jones-Poston, F H Jump, K Laurie-Parry, H Lewis, K Lewis, S Lewis, MC Mackenzie, I McIntosh, S McNicholas, C Mills, G Morgan, JG Morris, N Morrison, R Powell, WD Powell, D R Price, GD Price, P C Pritchard, G Pugh, L Roberts, K M Roberts-Jones, E Roderick, D Rowlands, D Selby, K S Silk, D A Thomas, R G Thomas, E Vaughan, M Weale, J Wilkinson, A Williams, G I S Williams, D H Williams, J Williams, J M Williams, R Williams and S L Williams

 

 

Supporting documents: