Agenda item

To consider and accept the report

To accept the report and the Council's response to the recommendations

Submitted - a report by Audit Wales highlighting the main findings of an audit to Cyngor Gwynedd's Domiciliary Care service. The audit had been conducted between September and November 2024 and the work was carried out alongside Care Inspectorate Wales which reviewed the local authority's performance in the exercise of its duties and social services functions in accordance with legislation. 

It was pointed out that there were weaknesses in the Council's understanding of the performance of the domiciliary care service and the continued overspending over the allocated budget. It was also noted that the lack of a clear Departmental Plan with clear ambition and milestones to measure their attainment, hindered effective oversight and scrutiny. Following the audit, four recommendations were identified for the Council to address. 

The Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department reiterated that the report had also been submitted to the Care Scrutiny Committee in March 2025. It was recognised that there was room for improvement and that the results of the surveys had come to fairly similar conclusions. It was highlighted that a very high percentage of the issues identified were issues that are nationally challenging or already identified, and the Department was trying to find solutions for them. 

It was considered that the reports concluded that the Department was on the right track but needed to act faster. Attention was drawn to the Department's response to the four recommendations along with the completion dates. 

The Department was thanked for their work and for their response to both audits. 

During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by Members: 

·        While a financial contribution to fill a gap in the budget had been accepted, further work needed to be done to try to use existing resources to reduce the gap into the future. 

·        Clearly the requirements of the service were challenging, with additional requirements being placed on the service annually – was this underfunding? 

·        Welcomed a response to reducing waiting lists – use of direct payments, the right conversations and community support. 

In response to a question about how the Department would encourage a culture of enterprise, creativity and flexibility in the workforce (in response to the fourth recommendation), and if discussions had taken place with carers about this, it was noted that conversations were taking place locally. It was noted that this was no longer the responsibility of a single task and finish time, but access to locally available services. It was reiterated that community resilience was essential to the service and provided support to individuals. Attention was drawn to community enterprises in Llanberis and Dyffryn Nantlle where elements of provision were driven by the local community. 

RESOLVED 

To accept the report and the Council's response to the recommendations 

Aled Davies, the Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department highlighted that he was retiring at the end of July and that Mari Wynne Jones had been appointed as the new Head of the Department. He expressed his appreciation for the work of the Committees and to the Members for ensuring the best for Gwynedd. 

Best wishes were relayed to Aled, and he was thanked for his work and support over the years.