Agenda item

The current provision and available resources need to be scrutinised in order to deliver the strategy.  

1.    To accept the report.

2.    To note appreciation of the work being done by the officers of the Children and Families department.

3.    To express concern about the way the service is being funded in the short term and the impact of that on the service and the workforce.

4.    To request a report on the Derwen Service review when appropriate.

5.    To request further details of the collaboration between teams implementing the Keeping Families Together Strategy and Education Department officers. 

6.    To ask the Council to ensure that all services remain available despite maternity leave periods and ask for an update on how this is being achieved.

 

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families. It was explained that this work focused on providing timely and specific support to assist families and keep them together and safe. It was noted that the Department's strategy was based on a clear principle, to keep families together before they reach a crisis and to prevent children and young people from entering care. It was noted that the main aim of the Department was to keep children and young people with their families if it was safe to do so and to reduce the need for statutory intervention. It was noted that the strategy brought together a range of preventive services within the Children and Supporting Families Department, including: 

 

·               Families first 

·               Team Around the Family 

·               Family Support Team  

·               Trobwynt  

·               Derwen  

·               Hafan y Sêr  

 

It was emphasised that multi-agency collaboration was at the heart of this approach with partners such as health, education, housing and the third sector contributing to supporting families. The report highlighted the increasing demand for these services, the increasing complexity of family needs and the pressure on resources, including reliance on grant funding. Attention was drawn to the content which demonstrated that this preventative work was making a positive difference, in helping to establish families and reduce the need for children to enter care. It was noted that the community hubs also help promote information for the families. 

 

The members gave thanks for the report and praised the work that was proceeding in the Department by protecting Gwynedd's most vulnerable families. It was recognised that the service was complex and multi-layered and the dedication of staff to supporting and safeguarding the county's children and young people was praised. 

 

During the discussion, the following comments and questions arose; 

In reference to section 4.16 of the report, it was asked whether the numbers of children and young people awaiting an ASD/ADHD assessment also included autism assessments. In response, it was confirmed that the number of children and young people referred to in the report included a wide range of children and young people who are neurodivergent, including those with autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, etc. 

 

Reference was made to a recent meeting of the Corporate Parenting Panel attended by a representative of the Health Board, noting that waiting lists for these conditions were increasing. Disappointment was expressed about this, and it was noted that diagnosis for these conditions by a psychologist was of paramount importance for the health and well-being of individuals. It was trusted that the Health Board was now investing in this work to ensure that waiting lists come down and meet the increased demand and ensure that no child waits more than 3 years for an assessment. It was hoped that 2 years will be more common soon regarding waiting time. It was reinforced that the work of the Autism Team in Gwynedd supports this work and strategy while offering vital and comprehensive expertise. It was noted that they worked very closely with the Neuro-developmental Team within the Health Board to support children and young people while they await diagnosis. It was noted that they supported individuals to try and reduce the pressure and strengthen the provision available from the Council for the benefit of the families.  

 

When highlighting that there had been a significant increase in demand for services over the last two years, it was asked what the biggest cause of the increase in demand for family first services was.

 

In response, it was acknowledged that determining a specific reason for the increase was a challenging task due to the complex nature of the matter. It was acknowledged that various reasons contributed to the increase in demand, noting that the increase in the awareness of families also encouraged them to submit their children for referral and inquire about support. The increasing attention to child welfare was expressed as a factor, as well as the increase in press and media coverage of autism and various neurodivergent cases, which encourage families to get an accurate diagnosis for their children. 

 

It was highlighted that there has been a definite change in children's behaviour and needs since COVID. Attention was drawn to the effects of poverty in Wales, and the need to support children and ensure that families stay together across the county was emphasised. Frustration was noted that the data was not available from the Health Board at the recent meeting of the Parenting Panel, and a commitment was made to address this data soon. 

 

More information about the Trobwynt service was requested. In response, it was confirmed that many models and programmes were currently used to support parents, carers, children and young people. Examples were given, stating that the support was based on the wishes of the relevant family. It was explained that the Trobwynt service focused on a combination of four different elements, and that the models and strategies varied in intensity and were specially designed to suit individual needs. Intervention was detailed, noting that the level ranged from intensive interventions of 10 hours per week, up to a year with families. These interventions helped to strengthen relationships, improve emotional well-being and create safer and nourishing homes. The programmes available, such as therapeutic talking, supporting parents in playing with their children and learning various skills, were detailed. It was explained that different programmes were available for young men and women who had suffered abuse and there was regular support available to them. It was emphasised that the needs of families in Gwynedd were extremely diverse, so the need to be flexible and to tailor specific support was essential across the county. 

 

Reference was made to the financial challenges involved in this work, noting that maternity leave within the workforce led to high staff turnover and difficulties in terms of what specific support was available and when. In response to this, it was asked what the Council was doing to ensure that service provision does not contract or was negatively impacted due to maternity leave.

 

 

It was recognised that addressing the needs of this service was challenging for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it was challenging to recruit staff with specific and specialist qualifications on a temporary basis. It was ensured that the Council was in the process of trying to address this, offering fixed-term job terms to try and boost the post and make it more attractive. It was noted that the department also advertised and created jobs with a permanent contract for individuals and offered them training while focusing on the benefits of self-development. 

 

In response to members' concerns about provision and support for the county's rural communities, it was confirmed that the team operated across Gwynedd, with offices throughout the county. It was highlighted that offices were located in Dolgellau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Pwllheli as well as Caernarfon to be able to identify what was available in the communities and what are the needs of each area. It was noted that collaboration across the teams was at the heart of the strategies, noting that various support organisations were based in Deiniolen, Bethesda, and Talysarn. 

 

A Member asked what kind of collaboration was taking place with the Education Department to support children and families. Reference was made to the fact that some children were unable to attend school due to a variety of different reasons, and what kind of collaboration and support was available for families’ facing challenges. It was asked whether the Children Department gets input into specific cases and what kind of support is available, for example, in cases of exclusion. In response to the question, it was confirmed that there was close collaboration between the departments, at individual case levels and strategies. Efforts to improve attendance in schools were detailed, noting that a dedicated panel was looking at the 'right door' element to tackle challenges. It was noted that this included education, health and children departments. It was confirmed that discussions were proceeding by going through the lists of children who were not attending school, to see which cases were relevant and would be able to receive support from teams within the children's department. An attempt had been made to find out what specific support was needed, to be able to refer cases to the correct teams, who then work with further agencies, such as the Health Board. 

 

 

It was asked whether specific work was underway to avoid children from being excluded from school. It was confirmed that intervention work was underway at different levels to tackle the specific challenges, but it was recognised that there was much work to be done to support children and young people to keep them in school. This was elaborated on, noting that the department was working very closely with the Education Department, by working together on a number of safeguarding panels and schools. It was noted that there were efforts to hold meetings between officers and some schools. It was ensured that there was a good cross-departmental relationship within the Council, which strengthened and improved at a good rate. 

 

When discussing the ongoing collaboration between the departments, it was asked what kind of work was on-going and how the children's team was working together with the Council's mental health team. In response, reference was made to the wide range of challenges families faced with mental health, due to a variety of reasons across the county. It was acknowledged that many parents suffered with poor mental health. It was explained that the Adult and Community Team were working with the Children and Families Department in these cases, as well as collaborating with agencies such as the Health Board. It was elaborated that the Council's new Mental Health Team was co-ordinating and supporting this work. 

 

Reference was made to the Families First Programme preventive service, which placed an emphasis on early intervention, prevention activity and offered support for whole families. ⁠It was noted that the programme promotes multi-agency work to ensure that families receive coordinated support when needed. Some examples of situations arising with deteriorating relationships within families, where the programme offered reconciliation services, were highlighted. It was explained that collaboration was taking place with the Post 16 Team to achieve this, and it was noted that this had been very successful.   

 

 

It was asked what the impact of the Keeping Families Together Strategy on grant funding was, and how this was currently affecting the service. In response, it was recognised that this was one of the main risks of the program and the future uncertainty was acknowledged.⁠ The challenges arising through this, with planning, staffing and the workforce, were highlighted.  However, it was confirmed that the plan was operating within the grant on a stable basis for a specific period. It was explained that the grants had been available for this work for several years, and therefore the department had evolved to maintain the provision within the confines of the grant funding. It was emphasised that the department was dependent on these grants to thrive, and that increasing pressure on demand strengthened the need for them. It was asked what Council members could possibly do to secure more funding for this work within the Council. It was acknowledged that there was a possibility that a new government would come into force for the new term, which will have an impact on the available budget. It was explained that the department was formulating plans for the next two years, therefore the plans continue for the duration of various agreements. It was explained that the provision available to Gwynedd families needed to be planned within the specific funding available each year. 

 

Referring to the number of cases being successfully closed by Around the Family Team Coordinators, a member enquired about the reason for the reduction in cases closing over the past two years. It was explained that the nature of the referrals had intensified, so cases were likely to continue for much longer periods, due to the need and extra time spent with the families. It was also noted that a lack of resources was also a factor, as the team working on this was a very small team – which had an impact on the number of cases being efficiently delivered. It was noted that maternity leave also created challenges, as many staff found it difficult to cope with the workload, with some team members away for periods. It was noted that there was a live waiting list for support, which emphasised the number of families in Gwynedd waiting for assistance. 

 

It was asked what the department was doing to collaborate with agencies to promote health and well-being, especially mental health. In response, it was confirmed that collaboration was taking place on a regular basis through Council Departments and the third sector. It was noted that various fun sessions were available over the summer months for families across the county. It was noted that the main focus was to enjoy positive time with the family and the opportunity to attend nice places and meet new people and socialise as a family. It was explained that services and activities were promoted on the Council's social media pages and through the Family Information Service. It was noted that the events and sessions took place across the county, at various centres and Byw'n Iach sites. 

 

In response to an enquiry, the community hubs set up in Gwynedd, which were a means to share information with families for them to know what kind of support is available to them and to be able to refer individuals to the right services, were expanded upon. It was noted that this reinforced the multi-agency collaboration between statutory, preventive and third sector services. Reference was made to Hwb Dinas Bangor, which works closely with Children's Services, and it was noted that they are in the process of establishing a children and young people's hub for Bangor which would complement Hwb Dinas Bangor. It was noted that the department was working collaboratively to ensure that the families knew that there was a definite location for them to attend. It was highlighted that parenting courses and drop-in sessions were available there for parents and children to attend for any advice. They encouraged families to help themselves and choose and select from the support available independently, while educating families on how to raise children safely, and lawfully. It was noted that the Flying Start Family Support team had given parent and baby sessions at Hwb yr Orsaf, Penygroes and that collaboration with several children teams, autism and family support teams took place at Hwb Porthi Dre, Caernarfon. A further conversation with members about the proposed provision available to families in Gwynedd was welcomed. 

 

It was asked how the increasing number of cases in Derwen and Hafan y Sêr were being managed in a sustainable way. In response, it was acknowledged that the demand on Hafan y Sêr and Derwen services was challenging. It was noted that they were trying to keep demand for the services down as little as possible, by offering various support to families through the early intervention process. It was noted that it was difficult to control the number of referrals received by Derwen, in particular, due to the complex nature of the referrals. It was noted that the range of needs that exist there was high, therefore the department strives to provide support through group activities through the provision of grant funding. It was noted that schools, youth services and Byw yn Iach centres also provide a variety of activities, as part of the cross-departmental effort to be flexible and develop within practical and financial constraints. It was elaborated that 2 reviews were currently underway, which focus on the sustainability of the education department and child and social services provision. It was hoped that a report would be brought to the Cabinet in the Spring months. The report, which had been jointly commissioned with Ynys Môn to review Derwen's services, was expected to be received by the end of February. 

 

A request was made for more information about the Care Academy, and if the children and family support department can benefit from the programme when employing apprentices. It was noted that the department had employed apprentices on a number of occasions and had benefited from opportunities that arise when a situation was suitable within the service. It was noted that the Care Academy was an asset to the Council and thanks was given for the good work that was on-going. 

 

During the discussion, officers were urged to highlight the fact that Welsh and English provision was available to children and families across Gwynedd in the reports. This was recognised and it was agreed to highlight this provision in the future. A member asked if it was possible for the reports to be more straightforward at times, including clear information when outlining the strengths and challenges of the department, so that members could scrutinise more effectively. There was a discussion about the limitations of the scrutiny system, and the need was highlighted to improve the content and structure of some reports to try and ensure a better scrutiny impact in the committees in future. 

 

It was emphasised that children continue to belong to the family after they turned 16, and more details were asked how the teams that delivered the family retention strategy work together with the post-16 teams. In response, it was assured that the main goal of the post-16 teams was to keep families together. However, it was recognised that there were a range of different challenges for teenagers ranging in intensity and safety. Reference was made to homelessness issues and the many different factors, such as alcohol and drugs, that contributed to this issue. With reference to the safeguarding element, it was confirmed that ensuring that the child was able to live at home was always the goal. It was explained that circumstances often arise from the child/young person's background and that this can affect their situation in the future. It was noted that children often left care after they turned 16 and therefore the emphasis on continuing the support and keeping families together was very important. 

 

 

DECISION 

 

1.    To accept the report. 

2.    To note appreciation of the work being done by the officers of the Children and Families department. 

3.    To express concern about the way the service is being funded in the short term and the impact of that on the service and the workforce.  

4.    To request a report on the Derwen Service review when appropriate. 

5.    To request further details of the collaboration between teams implementing the Keeping Families Together Strategy and Education Department officers.   

6.    To ask the Council to ensure that all services remain available despite maternity leave periods and ask for an update on how this is being achieved.