Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
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Agenda Item No 4

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

Healthy Living and Social Care Scrutiny Committee: 12th June 2018

 

Report of the Director of Social Services

 

Annual Report of the Director of Social Services 2017-2018 - Challenge Version

 

Purpose of the Report

  1. To ensure that Elected Members receive a copy of the Director's Annual Report, contribute to the challenge process and agree the future priorities for the service.

Recommendations

That Scrutiny Committee:

  1. Notes the content of this report.
  2. Considers the improvement priorities for Social Services as set out in the Director's Annual Report for 2017-2018 - Challenge Version.
  3. Contributes proposals for changes to the Annual Report as part of the challenge process.
  4. Refers this report to Cabinet for consideration.

Reasons for the Recommendations

1, 2, 3 & 4.     To provide Elected Members with an opportunity to contribute to the challenge process for the Director's Annual Report 2017-2018.

Background

  1. As part of his statutory duties, the Director of Social Services is required by the Welsh Government to produce an annual report on the effectiveness of social care services in the Vale of Glamorgan and on our plans for improvement.  This gives the Director an opportunity to provide people in the Vale with a rounded picture of social services - based on evidence drawn from a wide range of sources such as what users and carers say, key performance indicators, and measurements of progress against the overall goals of the Council.
  2. The report is written for a wide range of people, including service users and carers but also Elected Members, the Council's own staff, and the range of partners and providers who help us deliver our services.  It is used by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) as evidence and to guide their inspection programme in the Vale of Glamorgan.
  3. In planning how we will deliver services over the coming years, we have put in place a Service Plan to cover the period up until 2022 which provides an overview of the Directorate's improvement work.
  4. The report reflects on progress over the last financial year and links to objectives in the Corporate Plan 2016-2020 which reflect the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

Relevant Issues and Options

  1. This is an important report for the people of the Vale of Glamorgan, members of the Council and our partners, both statutory and in other sectors.  It outlines the current context within which social services are operating and details proposed priorities for improvement.  A challenge version of the Director's report is attached at Appendix 1.
  2. The format of the report has been set out as a requirement by Welsh Government through regulation from 17/18.  The directorate over the last two years brought the Director's Report in to closer alignment with the Council's Corporate and Service Planning mechanisms to avoid duplication.
  3. The report represents the views of the Director and other managers in Social Services; and is not Council policy at this stage. 
  4. Circulating a challenge version is intended to allow key stakeholders opportunities to comment and make observations before the report is finalised, ensuring that it accurately reflects the position of social services.  Attached at Appendix 2 is the Challenge Feedback Form.
  5. As part of the challenge process, the report is presented to Scrutiny Committee to provide Elected Members with an opportunity to contribute their views.  This is regarded as a key milestone in finalising the report because of the crucial role which the Committee has in providing consistent oversight and monitoring of social services.
  6. The final report will be presented to Cabinet for approval of the priority objectives and then circulated widely.  It will be made available via the Council's website.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

  1. The report is set within the context of:
  • increasing demand for help and support;
  • managing the impact of the UK Government's austerity measures on public sector finances, which means ongoing cuts to budgets for the foreseeable future; and
  • efforts to focus more of our work on supporting people to remain as independent as possible.
  1. The priority objectives contained in the reports will be delivered within the financial constraints set by the Social Services Budget Programme, which is approved by Cabinet and reported regularly.

Sustainability and Climate Change Implications

  1. The need to ensure that services are sustainable in the longer-term is a key element in the priority outcomes set out in the annual report.  This is consistent with the direction set by Welsh Government for delivering sustainable social services through greater emphasis on prevention and people accepting more responsibility for tackling factors which can increase demand for social care and health services.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

  1. The former reporting requirements for Directors of Social Services in part 6 of the "Statutory Guidance on the Role and Accountabilities of the Director of Social Services" (Welsh Government June 2009) have been replaced as a consequence of both the Social Services and Well-Being Act 2014, and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016.
  2. The new requirements for the social services report are contained in a number of pieces of legislation and codes.  In purely headline terms the requirements are that every local authority must produce an annual report on the discharge of its social services functions and the report must include:
  • an evaluation of the performance in delivering social services functions for the past year including lessons learned (Part 8 Code on the role of the Director);
  • how the local authority has achieved the six quality standards for well-being outcomes (set out in the code on measuring performance);
  • qualitative and quantitative data relating to the achievement of well-being outcomes (also set out in the code on measuring performance);
  • the extent to which the local authority has met requirements under Parts 3 and 4 of the SSWB Act as set out in separate codes covering assessing needs and meeting needs;
  • objectives for promoting the well-being of people needing care and support and carers needing support for the following year including those identified by population needs assessments under section 14 of the SSWB Act;
  • assurances concerning: structural arrangements enabling good governance and strong accountability, effective partnership working via Partnership Boards and safeguarding arrangements;
  • the local authority's performance in handling and investigating complaints responses to any inspections of its social services functions;
  • an update on Welsh language provision how the local authority has engaged people (including children) in the production of the report.

Crime and Disorder Implications

  1. There are no crime and disorder implications as a direct result of this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

  1. There are no equal opportunity implications as a direct result of this report.  Equality and diversity form an integral part of service planning within the directorate.  All significant service changes involve an Equality Impact Assessment which is included as appropriate in Cabinet Reports.  In December 2012, the Deputy Minister for Social Services launched "More Than Just Words" which is a strategic framework to strengthen Welsh language services in health, social services and social care.  A three year action plan is contained within the Framework and all local authorities are required to report their progress against the targets.  The Annual Report makes reference to the work being done by the Council in preparing for greater compliance with the amended Welsh Language Standards, which came in to force in April 2016.

Corporate/Service Objectives

  1. Key objectives of the Council set out in the Corporate Plan 2016-20 and addressed by this report are:
  • An Inclusive and Safe Vale:  Reducing Poverty and exclusion.
  • An Aspirational and Culturally Vibrant Vale:  Valuing culture and diversity.
  • An Active and Healthy Vale:  Encouraging and promoting active and healthy lifestyles, Safeguarding those who are vulnerable and promoting independent living.

Policy Framework and Budget

  1. This is a matter for Executive decision.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

  1. The challenge version of the report is a consultation document and it will be sent for consideration to a wide range of partners.  A feedback pro forma is provided which can be returned either in hard copy or via email.  The comments received will be evaluated and, where appropriate, changes to the report will be made.  There are no matters in the report which relate to an individual ward.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

  1. Healthy Living and Social Care.

Background Papers

The Local Authority Annual Social Services Reports Guidance:

https://socialcare.wales/cms_assets/hub-downloads/The_Local_Authority_Annual_Social_Services_Reports_Guidance.pdf

Contact Officer

Lance Carver, Director of Social Services

Officers Consulted

Corporate Management Team

Responsible Officer

Lance Carver, Director of Social Services