Developing a residential
provision for looked-after children in small group homes needs to be
scrutinised as the project is part of the Council's Plan.
Decision:
a)
To accept the report
and wish the development every success.
b) To note the Committee's desire to receive an update
once the residential home has opened and there has been a settling period.
Minutes:
The
report was submitted by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the
Assistant Head of Resources - Children and Supporting Families, noting that the
development of a residential home for looked-after children was a priority
within the Council Plan.
The
background of the plan was shared, noting that there were currently
approximately 280 children in the Council's care. Everyone who was a part of
the fostering plan was thanked, because the majority of looked-after children
had been placed with foster families. It was explained that others lived at
home with their families but were receiving consistent support from the
Council. It was acknowledged that approximately 20 looked-after children were
currently in the Council's care who needed a residential placement and there
were insufficient placements to currently offer that service without
externalising. Members were reminded that many children were currently placed
in areas beyond Wales, such as Bristol and Northumbria.
It was
confirmed that the aim of the plan was to replace the need to externalise with
the provision provided by the Council, managing to provide residential care for
looked-after children for a substantially lower cost than the current average
costs.
It was
explained that the plan placed two looked-after children in a house in the
community to ensure that they had a stable home when fostering was not an
appropriate solution for them. Details were provided on a number of the plan's
advantages, including receiving care in Welsh, remaining in their local school
and continuing to foster a relationship with friends and family when possible.
It was confirmed that the main purpose of the Plan was to provide specialist
care in Welsh for children locally, removing the need for them to leave the
county, or leave Wales to receive this. It was emphasised that the plan
complied with the Council's Equality Plan, as well as The Well-being of Future
Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
It was
explained that a suitable house had been bought in Morfa Bychan to offer
residential care to children between 10 and 18 years old. It was highlighted
that the current emphasis was to secure staff for the houses to enable the plan
to develop in a timely manner before considering such options for the future.
It was reiterated that they hoped to buy two other houses in different
communities in the County soon. It was acknowledged that purchasing and
completing alterations to the first house was a slow process because necessary
procedures and policies were being developed concurrently with the development
of the house. It was emphasised that purchasing homes in the
future would be a faster process, because these procedures and policies would
already be operational.
It was
reported that the plan needed to be completed by the end of 2027, emphasising
that three registered residential homes would be required by then. It was
acknowledged that many risks had derived from this timetable, namely;
difficulty to find a second or third suitable building or difficulty to get the
first child in the first house by September 2024. It was also noted that
recruitment challenges were also being considered by the Department.
Attention
was drawn to the financial situation, confirming that the plan was funded
through the RIF/HCF grant, and also confirming that two million pounds had been
earmarked to achieve the plan. It was explained that this funding had been used
to buy suitable houses and make alterations to them to ensure that they
complied with the Care Inspectorate Wales, which was necessary for
registration.
It was
confirmed that the first year of the plan had been very successful, with many
of the plan's targets being achieved in a timely manner. It was reiterated that
the main targets that had already been achieved included: Appointing a Project
Manager, buying and altering the first house (in Morfa Bychan) and developing a
Statement of Purpose and possibilities for the development.
They went
on to note the main targets for the plan's second year, including: Appointing a
Manager for the first house (in Morfa Bychan), completing alterations to the
first house for the Care Inspectorate Wales registration, identifying and
purchasing the second home and identifying a third home to buy or submit a
planning application on a piece of land in Arfon which was already in the
Council's ownership. It was confirmed that the Department had collaborated with
the Housing and Property Department.
The
members were encouraged to assist the Department to advertise posts related to
the plan within their wards. It was noted that posts for the manager of the
first house, six residential officers and contingency posts were currently seen
on the Council's website, as well as the Council's social media and on posters.
It was noted that they hoped that the house Manager could be responsible for a
second house in the future to ensure consistency within the plan, whilst also
acknowledging that not many individuals qualified for the role were available.
During the discussion, the following observations were
noted:-
The plan
was welcomed, whilst expressing that the plan should have been implemented
years ago. However, the Department was congratulated for their recent progress,
and they expressed pride for the plan.
There
were concerns about the number of children who would remain in out of county
placements, but it was acknowledged that they had to start somewhere and that
it was a process that would take time. It was believed that these plans would
give the children an element of normalcy compared to the old large care homes.
Pride was expressed that the Department had consulted locally.
It was
explained that it was not a requirement to conduct a public consultation on
this matter. However, it was confirmed that the Department had conducted a
public meeting in the area to ensure that members of the community would
receive an opportunity to ask questions and express any concerns. It was
confirmed that the majority of the individuals were supportive of the plan but
the Department had been in contact with one individual who had expressed
concerns.
In
response to an observation regarding recruitment challenges, it was explained
that pamphlets had been distributed yesterday referring to an event in
Porthmadog and a session to try and encourage applications for workers.
They
enquired how the provision would work in relation to girls and boys. It was
explained that an important aspect of this role would be to assess the
individuals' background to ensure that their residential placement was suitable
and also followed arrangements and processes where appropriate. It was noted
that there would be no discrimination on the grounds of girls and boys and that
the manager would decide on the suitability of individuals based on assessments
on their background and their needs.
In
response to a question about what would happen when the individuals in the
houses turned eighteen years old, it was confirmed that the registration
allowed residential placements until this age but those individuals would not
have to leave the house if no suitable alternative provision was in place for
them. It was explained that the usual arrangement in many cases was that the
individuals would move to an alternative provision where supervisory support
was available. Furthermore, it was ensured that the Department had been in
discussions with GISDA to use two flats in Caernarfon for the third stage of
the provision where the individuals did not need supervision and consistent
support but was happy for staff's input now and again. It was emphasised that
exchanging such provision was considered by the appropriate services as they
turned 15 years old, for the best plan to be put in place when they turn
eighteen years old.
In
response to a question regarding what factors were being considered when
choosing a location for a house, it was explained that distance from public
transport was an important factor, as well as distance from the local School
and leisure facilities. It was noted that there were also other considerations
such as sufficient parking locations for staff and visitors and that the
location did not stand out and suited the needs of the individuals e.g.
privacy.
In
response to an enquiry regarding costs of keeping children in out of county
placements, it was noted that it cost approximately £6,000 per week for each
child. This was compared to the weekly cost of running one unit, which was £440
per week. It was reported that this would be a saving of £200,000-£250,000 a
year for every two children being placed internally.
Pride was
expressed that other counties in north Wales were very eager to develop similar
plans and discussions were in place to share ideas, policies and training
opportunities.
The
officers were thanked for their work to develop the plan and they wished every
success to the plan. They looked forward to receiving a further update when the
children had settled.
a) To accept the report and wish the development every
success.
b) To note the Committee's desire to receive an update
once the residential home has opened and there has been a settling-in period.
Supporting documents: