Scrutiny Councillors pleased with Child & Family Services’ Improvement Plan

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Scrutiny Councillors on the Child & Family Services Panel recently met with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and senior officers in the Service to discuss the Department’s agreed Recovery Plan from the COVID 19 pandemic and Improvement Plan.

The Panel heard that the Service has revisited its vision, which is ‘Doing what matters to make things better for children, young people and families’. Panel Members felt positive about the Department’s planned improvement aspirations which includes freeing up staff ‘to do the real work rather than paperwork’.

Panel Members discussed their concerns over the amount of time spent by officers in providing all the required information to Welsh Government and felt that officers should flag up any concerns to Scrutiny. The Panel heard that the Department is working on collecting evidence over time, of what is and is not helpful, as it is important to base this issue with Welsh Government on evidence.

The Panel also received an update from the Corporate Parenting Board. This update included a video made with looked after children. Panel Members felt that issues come across better when children are given the chance to speak for themselves. 

Every councillor is a governor of a school which Panel Members felt gives councillors an opportunity to question the Head and senior management team on what education and care is being provided for looked after children in schools.

The Panel heard that work needs to be done on how to improve the learning opportunity for looked after children and that the pledges made by Corporate Parenting Board members have got some accountability attached.

The Panel raised concerns over lack of data to showcase progress made by looked after children in education compared to others. Officers have agreed to provide the Panel with this information.

You can view all details and reports presented at this meeting by clicking here and to keep updated with future work of this Panel, subscribe to our newsletter here.