Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Angela Russell (Vice-chair), Annwen Daniels and Anwen J. Davies.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

No declarations of personal interest or relevant dispensations were received.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

None to note.

The Chair wished to thank Councillor Cai Larsen for his service on this Committee and Councillor Dewi Roberts was welcomed back.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this committee held on the 3^rd of February, 2022 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this Committee held on 3 February, 2022 as a true record.

To provide members with an overview of the Gwynedd Mental Health Service’s work and the developments for 2022-23.

a)    To accept the report that provided an overview of the work of the Mental Health Service and developments for 2022-23.

b)    To request another report within 3-4 months on the research findings of the 'Mental Health Project' that will have been undertaken.

The report was submitted, which updated members on the work of the Mental Health Service and the developments for 2022-23. It was noted that the service was multi-disciplinary and cross-departmental. It was added that the Health Board led the service and that it was a strong and developmental partnership.

It was added that the service worked with individuals over the age of eighteen. Most of the individuals have capacity and have received the service optionally. The Mental Health Project, which was one of the developmental plans in the service's work programme, was reported upon. It was noted that the Adults, Health and Well-being Department had commissioned a consultant to scrutinise the resources and service within the primary provision. It was hoped that plans and proposals would emerge from this work and it was hoped that those recommendations could be brought to the Care Scrutiny Committee in future.

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:-

·         Concern was expressed regarding how individuals accessed the Mental Health Service; one case was reported where no referral had been made on behalf of the individual. Cases were also mentioned where individuals had only been given tablets by GPs and that no further assistance had been offered.

·         It was added that the lack of face-to-face appointments with doctors caused concerns, especially for those who did not use programmes such as Zoom. Members expressed that they were pleased that things seemed to be improving and face-to-face appointments were being restored.

·         It was stated that the number of referrals during 2021 was high; it was asked how these figures compared with previous years.

·         It was asked how the Department was addressing the recruitment difficulties and staff shortages due to absences and vacant posts which contributed to waiting lists.

·         An observation was made regarding the problems in the Mental Health field and within the Health Board and concern was expressed that the Council was very dependent on the Health Board's services. It was questioned whether the Council had expressed the problems being experienced and whether the Council was adequately challenging the Health Board. The Council wished to acknowledge these problems and thought it should have been identified in the report.

·         It was questioned whether adequate support was being given to individuals who were experiencing difficulties with their mental health.

·         Concerns were raised regarding the mental well-being of children and whether this would lead to long-term mental health problems; it was asked whether, for example, an additional resource had been made available in schools to deal with this.

·         Thanks were expressed for the report, noting that a further update would be welcomed.

In response to the above observations and questions from members, it was noted that:-

·         Referrals to the service were usually made by the GPs. It was reported that, on occasion, individuals found it difficult to get an appointment with their GP. In such cases, other employees who supported individuals may be asked to make the referral. It was reported that members were welcome to contact  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To provide an update on the activity of the Housing Action Plan, Housing and Property Department.  

a)    To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.

b)    To request a further update to the Care Scrutiny Committee on the Housing Action Plan for next year.

The report was submitted by the Head of Housing and Property Department and she offered an update on some of the main projects of the Housing Action Plan, which was approved by the Cabinet in December 2020.

An update was provided on the progress made since the adoption of the Plan in April 2021, which included building 89 social housing and bringing 41 empty houses back into use. An overview of individual projects and fields was received, detailing the progress made and the steps being taken.

Reference was made to the challenges being faced by the Department, such as the significant increase in the number of homelessness presentations received, and an outline was given of the developments planned to address these challenges. Members' attention was drawn to the One Stop Shop project and the next stage of identifying alternative models for the operation of the unit. After gathering information and carrying out a consultation a report shall be presented on the various options.

The importance of communication and reporting on the successes of the Housing Action Plan was emphasised, adding that a page had already been set up on the Members' Intranet to present updates to members. It was added that the Department would welcome the opportunity to return to the Scrutiny Committee in future to provide a further update on the progress of the Plan. Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:-

·         Thanks were expressed for the detailed report and the ambitious Plan which identified and responded to the county's housing problems.

·         Appreciation was expressed for the work of the Department and pride was expressed in what had been achieved to date. The members looked forward to seeing what could be achieved in future.

·         It was noted that a number of houses in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area were not up to standard; however, the houses were rented out to residents as there were no better quality properties available. It was asked whether Officers within the Housing Unit continued to visit private rental properties in order to check their standard and the cost of rent as they had done in the past. It was questioned whether the Plan addressed unsuitable housing.

·         It was asked how the Council worked with Rent Smart Wales. It was thought that this organisation set expected standards but that people were accepting lower quality housing due to a shortage of properties in the county.

·         It was asked what the reasons were for the low number of responses received when over 300 letters were sent to the owners of empty houses across the county. Further questions were asked about when the 41 empty properties were brought back into use.

·         An observation was made that many more of the empty houses grants for first time buyers were given to applicants from the Arfon area compared to applicants from the south of the county. It was asked whether there was a waiting list for Meirionnydd  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive an update on the Fostering Strategy in Gwynedd in the context of the National Fostering Framework.

a)    To accept the report and to note the information.

b)    To recommend that the Department invites foster carers and a child to the Corporate Parent training that will be held in the future.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families gave a foreword to the report, noting that it was a pleasure to present an update on Gwynedd's Fostering Strategy. He took advantage of the opportunity to give thanks for the input received to develop this strategy locally and nationally; and to thank the fostering families for their exceptional and dedicated work. It was added that the Head of Gwynedd's Children and Supporting Families Service led on the regional strategy on behalf of the authorities and was a member of the national steering group.

The report was submitted by the Senior Operational Manager - Care Resources, noting that it was a follow up to a report previously presented to the Committee on the National Fostering Strategy. It was further noted that a National team had been established as an extension of the National Adoption Service which would continue to provide focus on this work. It was reported that the six regional Managers conveyed the messages locally and ensured that the work programme was progressing within their regions and counties. 

The fostering situation in Gwynedd was reported, noting that the need for new placements varied from year to year; for this reason, attracting new foster carers was one of the main aims of the fostering framework. The purpose of the fostering service in Gwynedd was to provide a safe and happy home for Gwynedd's children and the team's priorities were highlighted in order to meet the purpose.

It was reported that there were ten social workers within the team. Four now focused on the kinship foster carers and provided a clear focus on the work, while the other six social workers supported and assessed general foster carers. It was noted that the Fostering Team Manager acted as the Fostering Development Manager across the north region on some days of the week, and as a result, two Practice Leaders led on both work areas. It was added that a Regional Marketing Officer had been appointed, who was employed by Gwynedd and served the six authorities across the north. The Officer would undertake further work on developing a recruitment and marketing strategy across the region.

It was added that it was important to find out how many carers would be needed to fulfil the needs of children in Gwynedd. The Fostering Team Manager added that Gwynedd needed to look at achieving a 25% increase in foster carers in order to remain in a stable position; this showed how vital the recruitment activities were.

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:-

·         The Unit was thanked for their good work and appreciation was expressed to the foster parents.

·         It was thought that Foster Wales' branding was eye catching and stood out on social media.

·         The team's hard work in responding to the recruitment challenge was acknowledged and the appointment of the Regional Marketing Officer was welcomed. An observation was made on the slight reduction in the number of carers due to retirements, but that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.