Agenda, decisions and minutes

To elect Chair for 2026 / 2027.

To elect Councillor Elwyn Jones as Chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.

To elect Councillor Elwyn Jones as Chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.

To elect Vice Chair for 2026 / 2027.

To elect Councillor Sian Williams as Vice-chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.

It was resolved to elect Councillor Sian Williams as Vice-chair of the Care Scrutiny Committee for 2026/27.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors: Elin Walker Jones, Geraint Wyn Parry, Jina Gwyrfai, Gareth Coj Parry, Anwen J. Davies, Beca Roberts, Berwyn Parry-Jones, Gwynfor Owen. 

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

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

None to note.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meetings of this committee held on the 13/01/26 be signed as a true record.  (attached)

The minutes of the meetings held on 13 January 2026 were accepted as correct.

To present the report on the work of the Strategic Safeguarding Panel for the year 2025/26.

1.     To accept and note the report.

The report was presented by the Chair of the Panel. He highlighted the importance of the Panel's work and acknowledged that the last year had been challenging from a safeguarding perspective. The importance of steps being taken to ensure adequate scrutiny of all Council procedures was also noted.

Reference was made to the statistics set out on the first page of the Report, and the increase in the number of staff who had completed safeguarding training and the percentage of schools that had delivered safeguarding training to all staff was praised. It was also recognised that there was a significant increase in the number of referrals to children's services. The attempt made by service staff to meet targets in a timely manner by addressing each case was mentioned, but that the national increase in relation to this put a strain on resources.

It was highlighted that more staff had now qualified to be able to carry out DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Arrangements) assessments, and it was asked when it would be possible to see a reduction in the numbers waiting for assessments as a result. In response, it was confirmed that additional funding had been received last year to address the waiting list for a DoLS assessment. It was mentioned that the Council had succeeded in recruiting qualified officers, despite the difficulties encountered in trying to do so, and therefore the figures were starting to decline as a result. This was elaborated upon by mentioning the recent Supreme Court ruling against a well-known case in the care field. While the guidance regarding this decision was yet to be developed, the decision was welcomed, anticipating that it would change practice as well as the expectations placed on social services.

It was pointed out that there was no external member who was part of the membership of the Panel, and it was asked whether the membership was robust enough as a result. It was emphasised that consideration had been given to this and to the remit of the Panel, but it was highlighted that it was an internal strategic Panel to ensure that the Council carried out its work properly. Although there were no external members of this Panel, bringing the report before the Scrutiny Committee gave members the opportunity to challenge and offer views on the work of the Panel. It was proposed that the Council should be able to satisfy itself that it was able to scrutinise its work internally. Reference was made to the role of the Response Board and the Board's Independent Chair in scrutinising the work of the Council also. It was acknowledged that this Board could not continue forever, but it was noted that the Council's work was often monitored by people from external organisations. Although it was an internal Panel, support was given to taking a closer look at the potential role of external members as part of this Panel. 

In response to a question about how many of those on the DoLS waiting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To present the revised Corporate Safeguarding Policy to the Scrutiny Committee, giving members the opportunity to review the content and provide comments before the policy is formally adopted.

1.     To accept the report and recommend that the full Council approve the revised policy.

2.     To request to move the Definitions list in 2.1 and 2.2 to the first page of the document. 

3.     To ask to consider including a clause within the Policy relating to raising awareness of the signs that a child is being groomed or bullied online.

The report was presented by the Chair of the Strategic Safeguarding Panel.

It was explained that this Policy was reviewed every two years, and that it was therefore an opportunity to update it following feedback. It was highlighted that the Policy would also go before the Cabinet and Full Council in due course, which offered more opportunities for scrutiny of the Policy.

This review was welcomed, and it was asked if the Policy would be published on the Council's website. It was confirmed that it would be uploaded onto the website and it was explained that a Task and Finish Group had reviewed it, and that there was also an intention to promote it. It was added that the Council's procurement agreements, which had been updated recently, would also include a reference to this Safeguarding Policy. It was added that the role of safeguarding promotion was now operational within the Council, and that extensive safeguarding promotion work was taking place within the Council.

In response to a question about monitoring compliance with the Policy, the desire to ensure the workforce's awareness of this Policy was emphasised, as well as the action to be taken should they have any safeguarding concerns. It was revealed that the Council's Internal Audit section would be actively engaging with the workforce regarding their understanding of the Policy and the appropriate safeguarding procedure that should be followed. It was explained that the responsibilities of individuals were highlighted within it, and it would be emphasised that safeguarding was a key issue in all departments. It was noted that safeguarding was a corporate priority and that it was essential that it was incorporated into all of the Council's systems.

It was proposed that the Definitions list included in 2.1 and 2.2 of the report be moved to the first page of the document, so that they were clear to everyone. It was agreed that the Policy should be refined to include this recommendation. 

Not all members of the Council's workforce had access to a laptop in order to complete training, so reference was made to the ongoing work to ensure that safeguarding training reached all parts of the workforce in a different way.

In light of the challenges arising from the increase in online grooming and bullying, it was discussed that consideration should be given to the inclusion of a clause within the Policy relating to raising awareness of the signs that a child was being groomed or bullied online.

DECISION

1.    To accept the report and recommend that the full Council approve the revised policy.

2.    To request to move the Definitions list in 2.1 and 2.2 to the first page of the document. 

3.    To ask to consider including a clause within the Policy relating to raising awareness of the signs that a child is being groomed or bullied online.

For Committee Members to scrutinise performance matters within the Department.

1.     To accept the report and note the comments

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families. 

The Cabinet Member reported that she was satisfied with the work of the Department as a whole. It was confirmed that positive progress was being made in relation to the Department's two main projects, namely the Autism Plan and the Plan for developing a residential provision for looked after children in small group homes.

The positive impact of the Autism Plan was mentioned and reference was made to some of the risks facing the Plan, in particular, the funding of the Plan and the waiting list.

The development of the residential provision was mentioned, with progress having been made by bringing homes into operation and other homes about to become operational, subject to registration by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

It was noted that there had been a significant increase in demand for these services, and additional pressure on staff as a result. Pride was expressed that additional funding had been attracted through bids, which would enable the Department to strengthen the workforce and services provided, and offer better support for the children.

It was highlighted that the Department was working with the Education Department to respond to the recommendations of the Our Bravery Brought Justice report, and it was acknowledged that additional funding had been earmarked to assist with this work.

A joint inspection was carried out by Care Inspectorate Wales and Estyn in November last year, which focused on safeguarding. It was explained that positive work had been achieved but that some areas needed attention; it was noted that work was now underway to respond to these findings.

It was asked whether there was a reason behind the increase in the number of referrals. In response, it was highlighted that that was challenging to answer because these referrals were made from various different places, such as the Police, and Education or Health agencies. It was explained that this increase came about despite premature intervention efforts, where possible. The challenge of a lack of timely referral by other agencies was mentioned which meant that preventative opportunities were missed, and therefore that many of those children who reached the Department went into care. 

Mention was made of the Department's failure to find a setting to offer residential provision for looked after children in small group homes in the south of the county, and it was asked whether there were plans to continue looking for a suitable setting in the same area. It was confirmed that such provision was needed in Meirionnydd, but at the moment, no suitable setting had been found. This was expanded on, stating that it had proved challenging to find a suitable setting that met the requirements of CIW in the area. It was added that a small percentage of the children who went into residential care were from that area, but at times having a distance between residential care and the home address was beneficial. It was intended to continue the search for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

For Committee Members to scrutinise performance matters within the Department.

1.     To accept the report and note the comments

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being.

It was highlighted that the Department was working on the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-2028, and that the report included an overview of these six main projects. It was mentioned that the report also discussed the day-to-day work of the Department, and the financial situation. There was pride in the department's major achievements, listing some of them:

·       An increase in care provision within the county.

·       Two new houses for individuals with ALN had opened in Harlech and Penrhyndeudraeth, with work progressing in Penyberth.

·       Increasing use of technology and telecare to enable people to live independently.

·       An increase in the number of social assessments and a reduction in the occupational therapy list.

·       Dementia Actif was very successful, with carers also involved.

·       The bed occupancy rate in internal homes had increased back to 87%.

·       The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) waiting list was falling, with new officers having qualified.

·       Original budget deficit projections had improved by the end of the financial year, but pressure on the Department's services remained.

The discussion then moved on to some of the concerns, specifically referring to the high demand for domiciliary care, with recruitment challenges continuing. The desire for work to improve support for unpaid carers was noted, recognising their valuable contributions.

It was identified that the Department's budget deficit for the year was £1.4million, and that cuts of £1.5million were included in the budget. The pressure on delivery services was reported to account for £1m of the departmental pressure, which was mainly on staff overspend and use of agency staff within residential care. It was emphasised that the Department had to provide for the people who needed the services, and therefore these services were not driven by money. Concerns were raised about the waiting lists from a financial point of view, and the increase in need. Reference was made to the uncertainty surrounding the RIF funding that was key to how these services were funded, and the risk in terms of the savings yet to be achieved was also mentioned.

The Department's successes were welcomed, confirming that there was an awareness of the underfunding they were facing. It was clarified that it was not possible to say whether the additional funding received this year would improve the Department's position, as it was not possible to predict what additional pressures or complex cases would reach the Department.

It was detailed that around £6 million of RIF funding was coming to Gwynedd, noting that this funding was for Adults and Children as well.

Although domiciliary care was being restructured, it was observed that the figures were still increasing. In response to this, it was explained that the complexity of cases was increasing, and while the extra care homes would assist with this, it would take time to be able to see the change. It was reported that the Department was dealing with ongoing changes, and that review work was underway to look  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

For Committee Members to scrutinise performance matters within the Department.

1.     To accept the report and note the comments

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property.

It was explained that the report included reporting on the progress made in relation to the promises within the Council's Plan 2023-28, as well as the Department's day-to-day work. It was stated that the topic of 'dealing with the energy cost crisis and fuel poverty' had been removed from the Council's Plan, as the energy team was now in place and work was underway to provide advice and support to residents.

There was pride that the milestone of building 500 social houses had been reached, but despite this, there was concern that there had been opposition to the erection of social housing in a particular area within the county, with some members of the Planning Committee going against officers' recommendations. It was reported that this caused unnecessary delays and costs, and made it challenging to meet the need for social housing.

The increase in carbon emissions from Council buildings was highlighted as a concern. It was noted that some of the tools previously used to report on this were flawed, and therefore it had been under-reported in the past.

It was then identified that the main risk to the Department was the fact that it was not possible to ensure that no one was homeless in Gwynedd. It was added that the Department worked hard to try to address the problem.

In addition, pride was expressed that the Department managed to stay within its budget again last year.

It was asked why applications to develop social housing were being rejected, emphasising that there was a high demand for one- or two-bedroom houses. Concerns were also raised about the number of Council buildings that were out of use and it was asked whether these buildings could be used to create flats, for example. The Department's work was praised but further concern was expressed about the high number of homeless people in the county, and the empty houses figures in Gwynedd.

Referring to the concern about planning applications being rejected, it was noted that the target of 500 social houses had been met despite this. It was suggested that these applications were rejected due to a possible misconception of a lack of need in certain areas. It was confirmed that officers constantly monitored the Council's vacant properties, disposing of unnecessary properties and looking for more suitable sites for a number of the schemes that were in place. It was recognised that despite all the work being done, the numbers on waiting lists for social housing were not falling, due to a very high demand.  

It was revealed that the empty houses scheme was successful, adding that 145 houses had come back into use and over 200 people had benefited from this. It was reported that more empty houses officers had been recruited, therefore a further increase was likely as a result. A number of vacant properties owned by the Council across the county had been identified, and while not all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.