Agenda item

To consider and accept the report on the work of the Internal Audit Section in the period from 12 May 2025 to 28 September 2025, comment on the contents in accordance with members’ wishes, and support the actions agreed with the relevant service managers.

DECISION:

·        To accept the report

·        To support the actions that had already been agreed with the relevant services

Note:

·        A request to reconsider better terms to attract more workers to the Care field

·        Create a communication pathway and consider the method of sharing the findings of internal audit in Care Homes with Care Inspectorate Wales

Submitted, for information, the report of the Audit Manager updating the Committee on the internal audit work for the period from 12 May 2025 to 28 September 2025. It was highlighted that 3 audits of the 2024-25 operational plan had been completed and 6 audits of the 2025-26 operational plan had been completed and given an assurance level of high; adequate or limited.

Each audit was referred to in turn.

Matters arising from the ensuing discussion:

Breakfast Clubs

·        staff members (during the visits) had not completed Fire training or any of the Council's mandatory e-learning modules - this was a fundamental issue

·        allergy policy, guidelines in relation to providing purple equipment to every child with an allergy

Plas Hedd / Plas y Don

·        Care Staff had to work shifts in the kitchen to ensure that residents were fed

·        It was not possible to confirm the number of staff members who had read the Safeguarding Policy or completed mandatory E-learning modules - this was a fundamental issue, although the lack of resources was accepted, was there consistency in the same homes, was there an improvement from year to year? Training could prevent the risk of accidents and appeal costs!

·        The same Care Homes broke regulations continuously - this was a major concern.

In response to the observations, it was noted that getting field workers to complete mandatory training modules was a problem throughout the Council and the Safeguarding Panel and the Safeguarding Operational Group was aware of the problem and tried to raise awareness through the Council to try to find a way of ensuring that the employees had access to the information. It was highlighted that a QR code was being trialled as a method of getting workers to complete modules on their mobile phones and work was being done to encourage face-to-face training instead of completing modules on-line.

In the context that it was concerning that unqualified staff worked in kitchens, it was noted that staff recruitment continued to be a problem in the care field and accepted that the situation was not ideal. It was reiterated that the Management Improvement Working Group had conducted an inspection with the managers of some of the Care Homes and improvements had been proposed. It was noted that the inspections had been conducted in a three-year cycle and that three of the homes had received a follow-up audit with the intention of either presenting a follow-up report to the Committee or for the Management Improvement Working Group to discuss specific matters in detail with the Managers before reporting to the Committee.

In response to a question as to whether Internal Audit shared their findings with Care Inspectorate Wales and whether there was a clear communication pathway with the Inspectorate, it was noted that Internal Audit looked at the Inspectorate's reports on homes to see whether actions had been included and evidence of improvements, but Internal Audit did not share the results of their findings with the Inspectorate. It was elaborated that this could be considered and to find a clear community pathway to share findings.

The Chair noted that the Managers of the Care Homes had expressed in the Management Improvement Working Group that modifications to employment terms had led to staffing and recruitment problems. It was suggested to revisit these terms as the situation had not been fully addressed.

The members thanked the officer for the report

RESOLVED

·       To accept the report

·       To support the actions that had already been agreed with the relevant services. 

Note: 

·       Create a communication pathway and consider the method of sharing the findings of internal audit in Care Homes with Care Inspectorate Wales

·       A request to reconsider better terms to attract more workers to the Care field