Agenda item

To consider a report by the Principal Manager: Support Services (copy enclosed) presenting a draft of the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2016 – 2017 for scrutiny prior to its submission to the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales.

11.00 a.m. 11.30 a.m.

The Corporate Director: Communities, in her capacity as the Council’s Statutory Director of Social Services, introduced the Director’s draft Annual Report 2016-17.  She advised that the report, which summarised her evaluation of Services’ effectiveness during the preceding year and identified the priorities for improvement during the current year, was presented to the Committee for its observations on its contents prior to its submission to the regulator, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) by the statutory deadline.  In introducing the report the Director advised Committee members that following her evaluation of the services provided by both adult and social care services she had concluded that the services provided were effective in both sectors.  Nevertheless, there would always be room for improvement and new challenges to tackle, therefore there was no room for complacency.

Responding to members’ questions on the Report’s contents the Director advised –

·         the issue of homelessness was dealt with under specific legislation whilst housing, including social housing, was governed by different legislative frameworks.  Officers were hoping to bring the new Homelessness Strategy before members when available

·         confirmed that the SPoA service was in the main a telephone signposting service to other services.  Face to face services were provided through the Talking Points initiative, Talking Point services were available in various locations around the county and were advertised both on the Council’s website and at community locations.  If a person was unable to attend a Talking Point event visits could be arranged, but unfortunately the Council did not have sufficient resources to arrange home visits as a matter of course

·         Talking Points was an effective way of communicating with residents and drawing services to their attention as they had access to a wide-range of professional experts to assist with the ‘What Matters’ conversation with residents

·         decisions on whether to undertake home visits to service-users or potential service-users were undertaken based on professional expertise.

The Committee congratulated the Director and the Service on their positive and proactive response to the new Welsh Language Standards and the ‘Mwy Na Geiriau/More Than Words’ framework.  Members were of the view that adopting the ‘Active Offer’ approach was to be commended.  Members also commended the quality of social care service provision for children in the county.

Having considered the report and the responses received to questions raised at the meeting the Committee –

RESOLVED that –

(a)       it provided a clear account of the Service’s performance in 2016-17, and;

(b)       a Council Briefing session be arranged for all county councillors on all housing, single access route to housing (SARTH), homeless and homelessness related matters.