Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms A/B - Neath Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Stacy Curran 01639 763194 Email: s.curran@npt.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Minutes:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 7 March 2019 be approved.

 

Members received confirmation in connection to the query raised in a previous meeting that warden posts within Sheltered Housing Complexes had been removed.

2.

Pre-Scrutiny

Minutes:

The Committee scrutinised the following Cabinet Board items:

 

Cabinet Board Proposals

 

Western Bay Youth Offending Service Report From HM Inspectorate of Probation

 

The Committee received an overview of the Western Bay Youth Offending Service Report from HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMI), as detailed in the circulated report.

 

Clarification was given that the report was for Member’s information and no decision was required today.  An action plan had been developed from the recommendations contained within the HMI report and the progress against the action plan would be brought to a future meeting of Social Care, Health and Housing Cabinet Board to enable Members to monitor the effectiveness of the mitigating measures put in place.

 

Discussion took place on the areas of positivity contained within the report on how staff were very child focused, and spoke warmly of the children and young people with whom they interacted and worked to achieve the best outcomes.  The Committee asked that the positives should be highlighted to staff not just the areas of concern contained within the report.

 

Concern was expressed at the Management Boards lack of awareness of what was happening within the Western Bay Youth Offending Service.  Officers explained that performance data presented to the Board was indicating a positive picture of the service with no issues of concern.  As a result of the inspection it was identified that there were a number of areas that were causing difficulties within the team.  Staff remuneration, risk thresholds and the Information Technology systems were not consistent and there was no link with Children’s Services.

 

The Director of Social Services, Health and Housing identified the measures that had been instigated as a result of the Inspection and explained that the management of the Youth Offending Team had been brought into Children’s Services and the monitoring for performance would be undertaken by Members of the Social Care, Health and Housing Cabinet Board.

 

Discussion took place on the lack of support identified in the HMI report given by partners who were also members of the Western Bay Youth Offending Service Management Board.  Members were reassured, that as a result of the report, a commitment had been given by Swansea Bay Health Board to prioritize young people/children who needed to access mental health services.

 

Members identified the need to invite the Education representative who sat on the Management Board to attend Committee the next time a report was submitted on the Western Bay Youth Offending Service Management Board.  This was requested by Members to enable them to gain an understanding of how children/young people subject to a referral to the Youth Offending Service received education and what additional support was in place, whether data was held on the numbers of exclusions, statements and the numbers of young people/children subject to reduced school hours.  

 

In response to Members concerns in relation to safeguarding issues identified in the HMI report.  Officers explained that a review of safeguarding was taking place by an external reviewer and that a report would be brought  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Forward Work Programme 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 74 KB

Minutes:

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme for 2019/20.

4.

Access to Meetings to resolve to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Minutes:

Resolved:       That pursuant to Section 100A (4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 13 and 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

 

5.

Pre-Scrutiny

Minutes:

PRE-SCRUTINY

 

The Committee scrutinised the following private Cabinet Board items:

 

Private Cabinet Board Proposals

 

Contractual Arrangements for the Provision of Short Breaks for Disabled Children

 

Members received an overview of the Contractual Arrangements for the Provision of Short Breaks for Disabled Children as detailed in the private circulated report.

 

Following Scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by Cabinet Board.

 

The Manager’s Report on Hillside Secure Children’s Home

 

Members received information on the young people, staff and service planning and development for the period 1 December 2018 to 28 February 2019 as detailed in the private circulated report.

 

Following Scrutiny, the report was noted.