report to: safeguarding, communities and …moderngov.wrexham.gov.uk/documents/s1829/item 4 - work...

REPORT TO: SAFEGUARDING, COMMUNITIES AND WELLBEING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

REPORT NO: HCCS/108/14s

DATE: 15 October 2014 LEAD MEMBER: n/a

CONTACT OFFICER: Suzanne Price (Telephone 292179)

SUBJECT: Work Programme

WARD n/a

1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

To assist the Committee in considering and agreeing its work programme for the coming year.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1 The report outlines changes to the work programme which were made at the previous

meeting of the Committee in September, together with proposals for further changes for the scheduling of reports in the coming months. Excerpts from the Council’s performance 2013/14 relating to this Committee’s terms of reference are included in the report for information. The revised work programme is attached at Appendix 4 and changes are highlighted in bold type.

3. RECOMMENDATION

Members consider the Work Programme attached at Appendix 4. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION

To enable the Committee to develop an outcome-focused work programme for the next 12 months and beyond

4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

4.1 The work programme has been updated to include the following changes agreed at the September meeting:

• Annual Adult Safeguarding report – to be scheduled annually for

November/December in order to include All Wales comparative data in the report. To include information on the origin of referrals, the development of performance measures and comparison data in respect of the increase in sexual abuse referrals.

• Adult Social Care Contract Monitoring report – to be scheduled for summer

2015 and to include satisfaction evaluation information in respect of Supported Living providers, and information on the provision of domiciliary care contracts in relation to zero-hour contracts, paid travelling rates and training requirements following the re-tendering of contracts in Autumn 2014.

• Familiarisation workshops to be scheduled for Public Protection, Adult Social Care,

and reablement and dementia services. Familiarisation Workshops 4.2 The familiarisation workshop on Public Protection services has been scheduled to take

place at 5pm – 5.45pm on 19th November, prior to the meeting of this Committee as the Crime & Disorder Scrutiny Committee, subject to the availability of Committee members, to be confirmed at the October meeting.

4.3 The Director of Social Services has been contacted with the request for a workshop on

Adult Social Care and reablement and dementia services. ‘Focused on Our Performance’ - report to Council 24 September 2014 4.4 At the meeting of the Scrutiny Coordinating Group held in August, it was noted that a

report on ‘Focused on our Performance’ was scheduled for the next meeting of the Executive Board. It was agreed that, in the absence of specific work programme planning meetings, relevant performance information be appended to the work programme reports of the Scrutiny Committees to assist members in considering suitable items for scrutiny.

4.5 The relevant extract from that report which went to Council in September is attached

at Appendix 1 and a summary of the status of each outcome in 2013/14 is included below:

Priority Outcome

Indicator Indicator Judgement

Overall Judgement

PEOPLE – Children and Young People are Safeguarded

Initial Assessments completed where there is evidence the child was seen by a social worker

Amber AMBER *Note: SCWSC receive 6 monthly performance

Reviews completed within statutory timetables

Green

Priority Outcome

Indicator Indicator Judgement

Overall Judgement reports for Children & Young People (Prevention & Social Care) – next scheduled December 2014

PEOPLE – People feel, and are, safe and secure

Number of recorded crimes per 1,000 residents

Green GREEN

People who feel safe in the County Borough during the day

Green

PEOPLE – All People are enabled to make healthy choices

Percentage of Wrexham Adults who are Overweight or Obese

Amber AMBER

Reception age children who are overweight or obese

Green

Average premises risk rating for underage sale of alcohol – off licensed premises

Green

Average premises risk rating for underage sale of alcohol – on licensed premises

Green

PEOPLE – All vulnerable older people are safe, have optimal health, independence and well-being

The extent to which help from Adult Social Care meets carers’ needs

Green GREEN

Average Waiting Time for Occupational Therapy

Green

Number of Delayed Transfers of Care

Green

Average number of calendar days taken to deliver a Disabled Facilities Grant

Green

PLACE – Sustainable and attractive communities

People who feel they belong to their neighbourhood with a strong sense of cultural identity

Amber AMBER

People who feel the local area is one where people from different backgrounds can get on well

Red

Request for item to be placed on the Forward Work Programme 4.6 Councillor Arfon Jones has submitted a Topic Selection Form (Appendix 2) for the

Committee’s consideration. The request has been submitted following concerns raised by the Audit Committee relating to the timely completion of pre-employment checks for school based staff and has been referred to this committee as it is a safeguarding issue.

Request from Lead Member Children’s Services and Education 4.7 The Lead Member for Children’s Services and Education, Councillor Michael Williams,

has an ongoing commitment as Chair of Gwersyllt Community Council which coincides with the scheduled meetings of this committee. As such, he has requested that on those occasions when he is scheduled to present a report to Committee, the Committee consider meeting an hour earlier, at 5pm. At present, the only meetings which would be affected by this are December 2014, May and June 2015. This issue was originally considered at the September meeting of the Committee and was deferred pending the next meetings of Council and Executive Board.

4.8 Policy Framework - The terms of reference of this committee are aligned to the

Council’s strategic themes of People and Place as set out in the Council Plan, hence any scrutiny topics identified will contribute to the Council’s priority outcomes outlined in Appendix 3.

4.9 Budget - There are no budget implications arising from this report.

4.10 Legal - There are no legal implications arising from this report.

4.11 Staffing - There are no staffing issues arising out of the report, but Officer

resource will be required to support the preparation of information for Scrutiny Committee consideration

4.12 Equality/Human Rights - This report provides information to inform a work

programme and the Equality Manager has confirmed that the programme does not require an equality impact assessment as it merely sets out a timetable.

4.13 Risks - Not applicable for a work programme planning report.

5. CONSULTATION 5.1 Not applicable

6 EVALUATION OF OPTIONS 6.1 Not applicable

Background Papers LOCATION /

WEBSITE INFO. Report to Council - Review of Scrutiny Structures and Terms of Reference – 26 March 2014

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/MinutesData/Council/Reports/hccs3714.pdf



People: Children and Young People are Safeguarded

In 2013/14 this priority outcome was judged to be AMBER. This is because whilst performance is improving, the considerable increase in referrals received by the department since 2010, and the subsequent pressure this has placed on resources, means that percentage improvements appear modest. However, they reflect improving timeliness of assessments over a period when the number of assessments being undertaken have more than doubled. The department has now increased capacity within the Child & Family Assessment team to cope with demand. The view from our Regulators: Inspectors from the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales concluded that the department had improved performance in a number of key areas but that the pace of change in relation to the timeliness of assessments was too slow. . (CSSIW Inspection of the arrangements for the Assessment and Care Management of Children in Need, March 2013, published June 2013)

96.5% AMBER

HIGHLIGHTS

• A Safeguarding People Team was established in January, incorporating adult protection responsibilities within the ‘Independent Safeguarding & Independent Reviewing’ officer role for looked after children and the child protection co coordinator functions.

• Social Services has worked in partnership with the Health Board and North Wales Police to establish a pilot ‘Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub’ to co-ordinate the response to Police concerns regarding vulnerable children and adults.

• Close monitoring of referrals has supported remedial action to reduce re-referrals during 2013/14 to 21.4% compared to the most recent Wales average of 27% (2012/13).

• The ‘Together Achieving Change’ Project (TAC) is linked into frontline services and is delivering a multi-agency targeted intervention at an early stage to ensure vulnerable families receive a service in a more effective and timely way, providing a range of options for responding more flexibly to initial requests for support

• A revised tool has been implemented that has improved risk identification, assessment and subsequent management

• Successful recruitment has significantly reduced the use of agency staff and enabled the creation of a more stable team of experienced social workers.

Following a review of the experiences of those affected by the child protection process, new child

and young people friendly meetings, documents and leaflets have been developed and introduced.

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People: Children and Young People are Safeguarded

The Director of Social Services Annual Report provides a detailed self-assessment of Social Services performance that has been independently reviewed by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW). It is available on the Council’s website or by clicking here.

Detailed 2013/14 Performance Information was reported to Education, Safeguarding and Well-being Scrutiny Committee in June 2014 and is available on the website or by clicking here.

94.2% Green Contextual Information on service demand

KEY ISSUES

• The Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014 sets out a framework for the delivery and improvement of social services and places new responsibilities on social services authorities.

• The demand for Children’s Social Care services has remained consistent during 2013/14. However, the numbers of total contacts received (referrals, enquiries and those received for information only) has increased year-on-year since 2010. This upward trend has continued into 2013/14.

• The percentage of referrals that required an assessment continues to increase and has more than doubled since 2009/10. The numbers of Children in Need and children on the Child Protection Register remains relatively stable. There has, however, been an increase in numbers of children needing to be ‘Looked After’ by the authority in 2013/14. This reflects the national trend.

• Since the quality and timeliness of initial assessments was identified as an area for development, an improvement plan and monthly audit process have been put in place to improve and monitor quality and identify specific themes or issues for further corrective actions

Children’s Services continue to experience a high, and increasing, level of demand with an 8.9% increase in the number of contacts received this year compared to 2012/13

13

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/council/social_services/annual_report.htm

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/MinutesData/EdSafeWell/Reports/hcyp0313s.pdf

People: People feel, and are, safe and secure

In 2013/14 this priority outcome was judged to be GREEN as crime statistics demonstrate that Wrexham remains a safer place in which to live and work, with overall levels of Crime in Wrexham having steadily reduced over the last few years. This reduction in overall crime includes reductions in levels of violent crime, Anti Social Behaviour incidents, serious acquisitive crime and in both the Youth and the Adult Re-offending rate.

Our Wrexham Plan – the plan for the Wrexham Local Service Board – is focussed

on three priorities. One of which is:

“Making Wrexham a place that’s safe and where everyone feels included”

HIGHLIGHTS

71.3 - GREEN • The total number of recorded crimes is continuing to fall, including reductions in both violent crime

and serious acquisitive crime; • Anti-social behaviour has fallen from 49 to 43 incidents per thousand residents over the past year; • The ‘400 Fewer Victims campaign’ was launched in March 2014 targetting 400 fewer victims of

crime in comparison to 2013/14. The campaign sought to reassure residents and offer crime prevention advice and guidance via a series of community road shows;

• The number of domestic violence incidents reported has risen during the year. This follows the Partnerships ongoing commitment to develop awareness raising campaigns which aim to encourage the formal reporting of incidents of domestic abuse. The figures are thought to more accurately reflect the number of incidents rather than an increase in violence;

• The rate of adult reoffending has reduced from 13.05% in 2012/13 to 12.12% in 2013/14. The rate of young person reoffending has also decreased throughout the year, falling to a low of 25%;

• HMI Probation undertook a full joint inspection on Wrexham Youth Justice Service and found that the service had made substantial progress since the previous inspection in 2010;

• A survey of the People’s Voice residents survey panel found that nearly all respondents feel safe outside in their local area during the day (98%) or at home during the day (98%). 92% of residents feel safe when out and about in Wrexham County Borough during the day;

• Wrexham Community Safety Partnership carried out a survey via the Online Watch Link communication system. Findings show that of 545 Wrexham respondents: 96.85% feel safe at home during the day; 84.39% feels safe at home during the night; and 95.51% feels safe in the community during the day.

“Thank you for the feedback … I honestly think its the way forward to have close contact with public bodies who can have positive information – keep up the good work” “ The more frequent the emails the more aware we are of the crime which in turn makes us more alert to catch the offender or assist in solving the crimes”

Online Watch Link Members

14

People: People feel, and are, safe and secure

Benchmarking Performance: The National Survey for Wales asked 14,000 people from across the country whether they felt safe in their local town or city after dark; Wrexham is in the bottom quartile for Wales (lowest 25%). However, the Home Office prefer to compare performance across ‘similar groups’ of authorities that have similar contexts and could be expected to have similar levels of crime. Feelings of safety are higher in Wrexham than either of the Welsh authorities included in their ‘similar group’ but despite the continued improvements being made the number of crimes per thousand population remains higher than the average crime rate for similar areas. For more information see www.police.uk/north-wales/WXW13/performance/compare-your-area/

98% GREEN

96% of members of the online watch link

feel safe in the County Borough during the day.

(This was a new indicator in 2013/14 to ensure data is still available once the People’s Voice survey ends later this year. As this was

a new indicator, no target was set)

KEY ISSUES • Whilst the crime rate in Wrexham has been falling, both in comparison to previous years and the crime rate in

similar areas, it remains above the average crime rate for similar areas; • Work will continue to focus on the priority areas of: crimes such as burglary, shoplifting and vehicle crime,

domestic abuse and sexual violence, alcohol fuelled violent crime and anti social behaviour; • The ‘I Think I Can Wait‘ sexual violence prevention campaign continues to target year 9/10 pupils at all local

secondary schools, educating them on issues around rape, sexual violence and consent; • The People’s Voice survey shows that almost half (48%) of 278 respondents do not feel safe when out and

about in the county borough after dark and 62% of respondents do not feel safe in the town centre after dark at the weekend. The OWL (On-line Watch Link) survey shows 40% of 545 respondents do not feel safe in their community at night. As a result, the ‘Think Safe Drink Safe’ campaign will be key as we work with partners to prevent alcohol fuelled violent crime and anti social behaviour in the town centre;

• The percentage of repeat domestic violence referrals to the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) has risen from 25% to a total of 30.9%. A forward plan is being created of when potential spikes in the number of incidents are likely to occur due to upcoming sporting events and holiday periods this will enable the Partnership to develop harm reduction plans to address the issues as they emerge; and

• The total number of hate related crimes reported has been falling throughout the year, but this is believed to reflect less reporting rather than fewer incidents. Reporting is expected to increase following the launch of the Welsh Government’s national anti-hate crime project in May 2014.

A key priority for the Partnership is to ensure that it makes the best use of reduced financial and staff resources. A greater impact is being sought by sharing resources and develop inter agency plans to address areas of concern.

15

http://www.police.uk/north-wales/WXW13/performance/compare-your-area/

People: All people are enabled to make healthy choices

In 2013/14 this priority outcome for the Council was judged to be AMBER. This reflects the fact it is increasingly difficult for underage customers to purchase alcohol, young people’s diet whilst at school is improving and data shows that more people are adopting healthier lifestyles – reducing smoking, increasing physical activity and eating more healthily. However these lifestyle changes are not yet impacting on the overall levels of obesity, although obesity in reception age children has fallen.

58% - AMBER

Obesity is increasing locally and is now level with the Wales average

24.9% - GREEN

New data for 2014/15 shows a local decline in reception age obesity

HIGHLIGHTS • All primary schools, and 9 out of the 10 secondary schools, in Wrexham are now compliant with

Appetite for Life Guidance, meaning that more children are receiving a healthy meal at school. This has seen a huge improvement in school meals and the dining environments, which is expected to have a significant positive long term impact on children and young people’s health;

• The percentage of adults who smoke has continued to fall, from 26% to 23% over the past two years, and is now in line with the Wales average. This follows a range of work with partners on introducing smoke free policies, Non Smoking Day campaigns, Stoptober campaign, the Launch of Smoke Free Playgrounds. As a result of all this hard work two members of Council Staff were nominated for a national excellence in tobacco control award;

• The Welsh health survey shows that both the proportion of people eating five portions of fruit and veg a day, and the proportion undertaking the recommended amount of exercise are increasing in Wrexham and both are above the Welsh average. These positive changes in behaviour should impact on future obesity levels;

• Wrexham Council was recognised for national good practice in the Review into Childhood Obesity by the National Assembly for Wales in relation to the local planning guidance for Hot Food Takeaways in proximity to schools; and

• As a result of a campaign against illegal tobacco there was a seven fold increase in intelligence about its availability, meaning that enforcement action could be taken.

“Smoke Free playgrounds have provided a welcoming community area for my children to play out in the fresh air without the fear of breathing in smoke and normalising it.” Local parent Smoke free playgrounds is an initiative primarily aimed at stopping parents and carers from smoking in childrens’ play areas, providing smoke free play environments.

16

People: All people are enabled to Make healthy choices

Corporate Health Standard assessors: “Several aspects of the Council’s approach to health and wellbeing stood out. These included the support that is offered to employees; the involvement of the trade unions in the wellbeing programme; the very strong sense of a corporate culture that is based on partnership; the high priority that is given to communication with staff; and the leadership shown by officers and members in the protection and promotion of wellbeing.”

Level 1.6 – GREEN

Level 4.7 - GREEN Premises are scored in 6 key areas to assess the risk level that they will sell to underage people; attitude of management, written policy & procedure, training, test purchase results, and intelligence with a potential total score of 10. High score = high risk, Low score = low risk. This new indicator allows us to track levels of compliance and use a range of interventions to lower the risk. Work has focused on successfully reducing average risk levels in on-licensed premises whilst risks in off licensed premises remain low and below target (green columns) KEY ISSUES • Whilst the direct impact that the Council has over national health issues such as obesity is limited,

the local influence that can be made by considering such issues when making decisions on education, school meals provision, parenting classes, leisure provision and planning decisions is potentially huge. As are the potential savings to be made from reducing the cost of smoking and obesity related diseases on public services;

• The percentage of people who are overweight or obese in Wrexham continues to increase, both in real terms and in comparison to the Wales average. Performance is currently at the Wales average;

• Despite the reduction in the percentage of people who smoke this remains a key area of work due to not meeting targets in relation to referrals to Stop Smoking Wales and as such has been included as an indicator within next years Council Plan. The LSB are working together to address this; and

• We recognised a gap in data in relation to Young People and Smoking in Wrexham, to address this we have worked with Public Health Wales as part of a North Wales social marketing study to gain information in relation to Smoking in Year 7 girls, this has resulted in extra health money being allocated to Wrexham to target this group.

Whilst health budgets are increasingly pressured, local

intelligence has allowed Wrexham to successfully attract additional smoking prevention funds

17

People: All vulnerable older people are safe, have optimal health, independence and wellbeing

In 2013/14 this priority outcome was judged to be Green reflecting the good and improving performance against target across all the key measures od success within the Council Plan despite increasing demand for services alongside a reducing budget.

89% - GREEN

3 weeks – GREEN

HIGHLIGHTS IN 2012-13

• The number of enhanced Telecare packages installed during the year increased to 746 compared to 602 the previous year. This improved performance has assisted people to remain living independently for as long as possible;

• The average time taken to deliver a Disability Facility Grant fell to 217 days from 248 from the previous year: a 12.5% reduction;

• A significant ‘Quality of Life’ consultation exercise took place during the year with questionnaires distributed to over 900 Adult Social Care and Housing clients. Of the 342 (38%) who responded, 78% confirmed that the services provided improved their quality of life. A further survey will take place in 14/15 to confirm progress;

• Our Carers website continues to improve with over 2,649 hits received during the year. Carers have clearly indicated that the provision of good information is important to them;

• Our visiting Housing Warden Service is currently supporting 157 clients; additional resources were found mid-year, which enabled us to exceed our target of supporting 130 clients;

• Partnership working with Health is continuing to decrease Hospital admissions. New contracts with Care Homes have been introduced to facilitate ‘step-down’ beds to support more timely Hospital discharges; and

• The Adult Social Care ‘reablement’ service also posted improved performance over the year, with over 69% of clients either requiring a reduced service or no ongoing paid service at the end of their individual ‘reablement’ programme.

Over 94% of surveyed Carers stated that the help they received from Adult Social Care had improved their Quality of Life and 95% of Carers were satisfied with the services provided.

18

People: All vulnerable older people are safe, have optimal health, independence and

wellbeing The Statutory Director of Social Services Annual Report is an annual self-assessment of Social Services performance which is available from the Council’s website. The report, along with its supporting evidence, is reviewed by the CSSIW (Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales) to ensure it presents a recognisable picture of performance. In their 2013 assessment feedback CSSIW acknowledged “The Council has continued to make progress in the remodelling of its services in order to provide a clear focus on enabling people to maintain their independence through support, reablement and addressing barriers to social exclusion.” The Council’s Executive Board noted in July 2014 that Adult Social Care demonstrated a continued improvement despite key challenges, which included increasing demand and an increasing expectation for services, demographic changes and significant financial pressure.

16 days - GREEN The rate in Wrexham was 1.79 compared to a Wales

average of 4.68 per 1000 population

217 days - GREEN

KEY ISSUES

• The budget reduction is in tension with the increasing demand for Adult social Care services, though a continued focus on intermediate Care and Reablement are contributing to demand management.

• Adult Social Care continues to evaluate the contribution of Third Sector providers, especially in terms of supporting the ‘preventative’ agenda. Cost effective low-level services will contribute towards ameliorating in part the budget reductions.

• At Safeguarding, Communities and Wellbeing Scrutiny committee in June 2014

“Members noted that the demand for services continued to increase, despite the effective range of preventative measures put in place across Adults and Children’s services.”

Adult Social Care received a net budget reduction of £1,288k for the year 2014/15, which represents a 2.98% reduction on the previous year.

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http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/council/social_services/annual_report.htm

Place: Sustainable and attractive communities with a strong sense of

cultural identity

In 2013/14 this priority outcome was judged to be AMBER. This reflects the fact that people’s sense of belonging to their neighbourhood has fallen compared to 2011/12, but remains comparable to the UK as a whole, while fewer people feel people for different backgrounds get on well together. At the same time, these are rather crude indicators and other evidence, such as work reducing community tensions and hate crime, point to a more favourable picture. This measure also covers town planning-related outcomes, such as design, which we believe continue to be provided at a high standard despite significant budget cuts.

65% AMBER Whilst performance has fallen since the last survey in 2012/13, it remains above the

most recent national average and so is classed as Amber. HIGHLIGHTS • The ‘Together in Wrexham’ initiative has been developed to empower communities in

Wrexham to take more responsibility and control for improving services, relationships and the quality of life in the places where they live, thereby making communities more sustainable. The first project being developed to support the initiative is a pilot time-banking scheme;

• The Council’s approach to equality and cohesion planning has undergone a significant review, with streamlined equality objectives, an improved approach to equality impact assessments and the development of a number of e-learning training modules;

• 100% of major planning applications were dealt with within 13 weeks, demonstrating the effectiveness of sound preliminary advice on key applications;

• The proportion of planning appeals won by the Council has increased and the number of complaints received about the service has fallen; and

• Draft conservation area character assessments & management plans have been introduced for Chirk & for Hightown Barracks Conservation Areas to define special architectural or historic interest and ways in which these can be preserved and enhanced. Executive Board noted in supporting the Salisbury Park Conservation Area that “the proposal would preserve and enhance an important Conservation Area for the town centre.”

The Council’s ‘reshaping group’ is a forum where proposals and equality impact assessments are discussed/challenged by people who represent a range of ‘protected characteristics’ under equality legislation.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

People who feel they belong to their neighbourhood

Wrexham Actual

UK Actual

target

28

Place: Sustainable and attractive communities with a strong sense of

cultural identity

Percentage of people satisfied that

the design of new development preserves or enhances a local sense

of identity

A survey to establish this baseline has been discontinued because assessing

design has proven to be a too subjective process

55% RED KEY ISSUES • The percentage of people who feel they belong to their neighbourhood, which was significantly

above the most recently available UK national average has fallen to 65% and is now only 2.1% above the most recent UK national average of 62.9% (taken from Understanding Society - The UK Household Longitudinal Study 2012);

• The percentage of people who feel the local area is one where people from different backgrounds can get on well has fallen slightly. Although the national survey, from where comparator information was sourced, has been discontinued it is suspected that the fall is primarily due to national issues such as the recession and benefits changes. ‘Promoting good relations within and between communities’ remains a corporate equality objective;

• The Welsh Government’s Future Generations Bill is intended to help tackle inter-generational challenges that Wales faces through the planning, commissioning and delivery of services in a more joined up and integrated way;

• Anti-hate crime work needs to be re-invigorated in line with the National Anti-Hate Framework. This will provide a welcome impetus to the work, as well as additional local resources;

• Consideration is being given to preparing a joint Local Development Plan in collaboration with Flintshire County Council (FCC). In the past year joint employment land and housing market assessments have been undertaken with FCC;

• Investigating joint working opportunities with Flintshire CC in respect of Planning/Building Control; and

• Improving the Planning web-site in conjunction with proposed measures to manage customer demand. Make it more user-friendly and tie it into operational changes in the service.

The Community Wellbeing & Development Department budgets for work directed at this objective have been cut significantly, such that there is limited capacity to do other than maintain current performance – rather than achieve more aspirational outcomes.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

People who feel the local area is one where people from different backgrounds can get on

well

WrexhamActualWales Actual

29

Appendix 2

REQUEST FOR TOPIC TO BE CONSIDERED BY SCRUTINY

Title of proposed report – Recruitment & Selection Pre Employment Checks (Schools) Purpose of Report & Expected Outcomes

Issue for Scrutiny Appointments in schools are the responsibility of the School Governing Bodies. The Local Authority is the employer. In June 2012, the Audit and Technical Manager reported his findings of the ‘Recruitment & Selection Policy – Pre Employment Checks’ Audit to the Audit Committee. The Audit was given a limited assurance as “pre-recruitment checks need to be improved in order to ensure compliance with the Council’s Recruitment and Selection Policy / Safe Recruitment Policy and best practice.” In the September 2014 meeting of the Audit Committee, Members noted that Audit had given the process a ‘red/amber’ assurance after the fifth follow up review as ‘despite reminders from the Human Resources Service Centre, some schools continue to fail to comply with the Council’s Safe Recruitment procedures’. Members of the Audit Committee were unhappy with the lack of progress and as Chair of Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee I advised that I would refer the issue to Scrutiny. Background/Context Pre-employment checks, including Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks, in respect of school based staff are administered by the Council’s Human Resources (HR) Department. WCBC HR has previously advised the Audit Committee that it is the responsibility of school Head Teachers and School Governing Bodies to ensure that all safe recruitment and routine pre-employment checks have been carried out prior to employment commencing and that the school must liaise with the HR Service Centre Team to ensure they are satisfied a person has been cleared with the required pre-employment checks. The Model School Recruitment & Selection Policy states that in very exceptional circumstances, employment may commence prior to the receipt of checks, subject to the completion of a Risk Assessment by the Headteacher. This Risk Assessment must be documented and retained on file, must evidence that there are no associated risks and make any necessary provision for supervision/alternative working arrangements. Members of the Audit Committee had concerns that arrangements for monitoring of instances of the appointment of staff prior to the receipt of pre-employment checks were unclear. Information Required:- WCBC Safe Recruitment Policy School Recruitment and Selection Policy for recruitment of school based staff Process for pre-employment checks for school based staff and monitoring of compliance

Attendees:- Head of Lifelong Learning Head of Infrastructure and Support Services, Lifelong Learning Audit and Technical Manager Human Resources Officer Outcome To ensure that a process is in place for effective monitoring of schools’ compliance with the Safe Recruitment Policy to ensure that children and young people in schools are safeguarded.

Purpose of bringing item to Scrutiny

To bring together the necessary departments and to provide assurance to Members and Local Authority School Governors on arrangements for monitoring schools’ compliance with the Safe Recruitment Policy and specifically the requirement for pre-employment checks for school based staff prior to the commencement of employment.

Submitted by Councillor Arfon Jones Date: 30/9/2014 Lead Member Please confirm that the Lead Member agrees that the request be submitted

to the scrutiny committee * N/A *NOT APPLICABLE WHEN REQUEST BEING SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OR COMMITTEES / EXTERNAL BODY / PUBLIC

Head of Department

Please confirm that the Head of Department agrees that the request be submitted to the scrutiny committee * N/A *NOT APPLICABLE WHEN REQUEST BEING SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OR COMMITTEES /EXTERNAL BODY / PUBLIC

Please tick all that apply and ensure that you have provided the necessary supporting detail.

Please tick

1 Referral from other Committee / Council / external body or partnership Audit Committee 25 September 2014

√

2

Committee steer / recommendation for Head of Department only (not proceeding to Executive Board or Council at this stage)

Committee steer / recommendation for Executive Board /Council (please provide date of Executive Board / Council meeting) Any recommendations made by the Committee may need approval by the Executive board

√

Information Only 3 Official Consultation Document (e.g. proposed Government Legislation /

Guidance)

4 Does the outcome contribute to the Council’s Priority Outcomes which are listed overleaf? Please insert relevant number(s):- 5 (Children & Young People are Safeguarded)

√

5 Resource issues (e.g. overspends/underspends, budget pressures/savings, assets, human resources). Please state:-

6 Evidence of high level of public dissatisfaction (e.g. through Members’ surgeries, People’s Voice survey, media)

8 Has the issue been considered in the last 12 months by any other Member Forum? Please specify:- Audit Committee quarterly monitoring reports (March, June & September 2014)

√

9 Please specify which meeting of the Scrutiny Committee you wish to

submit the report to and why:- Safeguarding, Communities & Well-being Scrutiny Committee at the earliest opportunity in view of the potential safeguarding issues.

COUNCIL STRATEGIC THEMES AND PRIORITY OUTCOMES ECONOMY Creating a vibrant, diverse and inclusive economy Outcomes:- 1. People want to live, work, learn, visit and invest here 2. Businesses can locate and grow here 3. People can prosper as individuals and in their communities PEOPLE Raising aspirations, creating confidence and promoting opportunity Outcomes:- 4. All children and young people have positive aspirations, learn and achieve

their potential 5. Children and young people are safeguarded 6. People feel, and are, safe and secure 7. All people are enabled to make healthy choices 8. All older and vulnerable people are safe and have optimal health,

independence and well-being 9. Welsh Language and culture is promoted and supported PLACE Investing in attractive, safe and inclusive communities Outcomes:- 10. Homes that meets people’s needs and aspirations 11. An environmentally responsible place 12. Communities with sustainable and attractive settlements, neighbourhoods,

buildings and spaces 13. Well connected communities ORGANISATION Striving for excellence Outcomes:- 14. Engaged and satisfied customers 15. Creating the conditions for success

Appendix 3 COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND RELEVANT COUNCIL PRIORITY OUTCOMES The Committee is aligned with the Council’s Corporate Priorities of PLACE and PEOPLE. The terms of reference of this Committee as set out in the Council’s constitution are as follows:- “To ensure that the people of Wrexham feel safe and secure with sustainable, attractive settlements, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces. To ensure that vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and have good health and wellbeing. To fulfil the function of the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and to ensure that the people of Wrexham feel safe and secure ” The following are the key priority outcomes from the Council Plan 2013-17. PEOPLE

Priority 2 - Children & Young People are Safeguarded Priority 3 - People feel and are safe and secure Priority 4 - All People are enabled to make healthy choices Priority 5 - All vulnerable older people are safe, and have optimal health, independence and well-being PLACE Priority 3 – Communities with sustainable, attractive settlements, neighbourhoods, buildings and spaces

Appendix 4

SAFEGUARDING, COMMUNITIES & WELL-BEING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Work Programme from October 2014

(This Committee also meets as the CRIME & DISORDER SCRUTINY COMMITTEE as defined by section 19

and 20 of the Police & Justice Act 2006)

Please note that the forward work programme is a ‘live’ document and subject to change at short notice. The information in this work programme is subject to agreement at the meeting on 15 October 2014

The order in which items are listed at this stage may not reflect the order they subsequently appear on the agenda / are dealt with

at the scrutiny meeting. Please note that for items marked as ‘part 2’ it is recommended that the press and public be excluded from

the meeting during its consideration in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Please note: Workshops are not open to the general public.

For general enquiries relating to the Council’s scrutiny function, including this committee’s work programme, please contact

Suzanne Price, Scrutiny Facilitator, Scrutiny Team on 29179.

For administrative arrangements such as enquiries relating to report dispatch dates, venue layouts, setting up of presentations,

etc., please contact Ken Bickerton, Committee Officer, Committee and Member Services on 292242.

All Meetings start at 6.00pm in the Guildhall, Wrexham, unless otherwise stated.

Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report

Reason for Consideration

Lead Member / Contact Officer

19 November 5 – 5.45pn

Workshop – Public Protection (TBC)

As requested at the September meeting, a workshop to familiarise members of the committee with the work of the Authority’s Public Protection Service following changes to the remit of the committee.

Workshop Scrutiny Facilitator – Suzanne Price

19 November 2014 6pm

CRIME AND DISORDER SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Area Planning Board and North Wales Safer Communities Board

To consider an update on developments in respect of the Area Planning Board and North Wales Safer Communities Board. As agreed at the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee on 16 April 2014.

Post-decision Scrutiny

Lead Member Communities, Partnerships and Collaboration (Councillor Hugh Jones); Strategic Director (Lee Robinson)

Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report



17 December 2014 6pm

CSSIW Evaluation of the Annual Council Reporting Framework (ACRF)

To consider the CSSIW evaluation of the ACRF 2013/14

Performance monitoring

Lead Member Children’s Services & Education (Cllr Michael Williams); Head of CYP Prevention & Social Care (Susan Evans); Lead Member Health & Adult Social Care (Cllr Joan Lowe); Head of Adult Social Care (Andrew Figiel)

Social Services Business Plan

To consider 6 monthly progress against the Social Services Business Plan.

Performance Monitoring


Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report



Prevention & Social Care – Departmental Service Activity & Performance

To consider quarter 2 performance information for indicators as agreed at the ESWSC meeting of 22 November 2012



Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report



21 January 2015 6pm

Meeting with representatives of the Betsi Cadwallader University Health Board (BCUHB)

Regular meeting with representatives of the BCUHB Agenda to include:

• Questions from Committee (agreed by the Committee and submitted to BCUHB prior to the meeting)

• Health Care Infections update on 10 key performance monitoring standards

• Hightown Surgery (update) • Future Partnerships Initiatives:

Developing initiatives for home/community enhanced care to provide alternatives to hospital admission.

• CAMHS: To provide update information on waiting times for mental health assessments and therapy.

External Scrutiny / Partnership scrutiny

Scrutiny Facilitator – Suzanne Price

18 February 2015 6pm

18 March 2015 6pm

Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report



15 April 2015 6pm

13 May 2015 6pm

Review New Service Delivery Model for the Youth and Play Service

To receive a further progress report which will present a full year analysis of the new service delivery model together with additional budgetary information


Lead Member for Children’s Services and Education (Cllr Michael Williams); Head of Lifelong Learning (John Davies)

17 June 2015 6pm

Annual Council Reporting Framework

To consider the draft report as prepared by the Director of Social Services prior to consideration by Executive Board. The report includes performance for the previous year as well as the improvement priorities / Business Plan for the forthcoming year.

Pre decision scrutiny / Performance Monitoring


Date of meeting

Subject

Purpose of Report




To consider performance information for indicators agreed at the ESWSC meeting of 22 November 2012 (Quarter 4 / Year End)



15 July 2015 6pm

Adult Social Care Contract Monitoring

To consider the performance of the Authority’s contract monitoring framework within adult social care services. In addition to information in 2014 report, to include detailed satisfaction evaluation information in respect of Supported Living providers, and information on the provision of domiciliary care contracts in relation to zero-hours contracts, paid travelling rates and training requirements in the light of the re-tendering process (October 2014).

Performance monitoring

Lead Member Health & Adult Social Care (Cllr Joan Lowe); Head of Adult Social Care (Andrew Figiel)

POSSIBLE FUTURE ITEMS / ITEMS TO BE SCHEDULED ITEM AS AGREED

at meeting of:

PURPOSE OF REPORT REASON FOR CONSIDERATION

RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER

Welfare Reforms 21 June 2012

To be considered as All Member workshop / information sharing events initially until such a time that the value of Scrutiny Committee input is identified. Possibly April/May 2014 (members suggested at 12 December 2013 meeting).

Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Protocol

19 April 2014 To consider the agreed protocol in light of a forthcoming change in legislation expected from Welsh Government.

Pre-decision Scrutiny

Lead Member Communities, Partnership and Collaboration (Cllr Hugh Jones); Strategic Director (Lee Robinson)

Leisure Review 11 December 2013

To consider options for the funding of the replacement facility for Waterworld

Pre-decision Scrutiny

Lead Member Health & Adult Social Care (Cllr Joan Lowe); Head of Assets and Economic Development (Steve Bayley); Head of Finance (Mark Owen)

REGULAR ITEMS

ITEM AS AGREED at meeting of:



Annual Council Reporting Framework

13 December 2012

To consider the draft report as prepared by the Director of Social Services prior to consideration by Executive Board. The report includes performance for the previous year as well as the improvement priorities / Business Plan for the forthcoming year – JUNE

Pre decision scrutiny / Performance Monitoring


Social Services Business Plan

13 December 2012

To consider 6 monthly progress against the Social Services Business Plan. JUNE (as part of ACRF) and DECEMBER



Annual Adult Protection Report

19 September 2013

Following the scrutiny workshop held on 19 November, to consider the annual report, including statistics on the performance of the safeguarding service. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER to enable All Wales figures to be included. As agreed at the September 2014 meeting, report to include information on the origin of referrals, comparison


Lead Member Health & Adult Social Care (Cllr Joan Lowe); Head of Adult Social Care (Andrew Figiel)




data in respect of sexual abuse (owing to the increase in Wrexham’s referrals in 2013/14) and further information on the development of more useful performance measures.


13 December 2012

To consider performance information for indicators agreed at the ESWSC meeting of 22 November 2012 DECEMBER (Quarter 2) and JUNE (Quarter 4 / Year End)



WORKSHOPS TO BE SCHEDULED ITEM AS AGREED

at meeting of:

PURPOSE RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER

Transition between Children’s and Adult Services

21 February 2013

Following on from the workshops held in January and February 2013, to invite service users to share their experiences with Committee. At the November meeting, the Committee suggested that this be held in May 2014.

Scrutiny Facilitator, Suzanne Price / Head of Service Learning Disabilities, Sheila Finnegan Jones

Adult Social Care 17 September

Familiarisation workshop for committee members Scrutiny Facilitator, Suzanne Price


PURPOSE RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER

2014 Reablement and Dementia Care services

17 September 2014

Familiarisation workshop for committee members Scrutiny Facilitator, Suzanne Price

INFORMATION ITEMS


PURPOSE OF REPORT RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER

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