Apologies were received from Councillors Duncan Kerr (Substitute: Julian Dean), Kevin Pardy (Substitute: Caroline Bagnall), Kevin Turley, Claire Wild and Sian Lines (Diocesan Board of Education).

Members are reminded that they must declare their disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable or non-registrable interests in any matter being considered at the meeting as set out in Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct and consider if they should leave the room prior to the item being considered. Further advice can be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Councillor Hilary Luff declared an interest as the Director of a Children’s nursery and Childminders.

Councillor Ruth Houghton declared an interest as a trustee at Bethphage,a learning disability charity and noted that her Grandson attended Severndale Academy.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27^th November 2024.

Contact: Shelley Davies

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27^th November 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record.

To receive any questions from members of the public of which notice has been given. The deadline for this meeting is 12.00 pm, Thursday 20^th February 2025.

There were no public questions.

To receive any question of which Members of the Council have given notice. The deadline for this meeting is 12.00 pm, Thursday 20^th February 2025.

There were no member questions.

To receive an update on the Children’s Participation and Impact Strategy. [Report Attached]

Contact:        Donessa Gray - Assistant Director Services to Children & Families.

Siobhan Hughes - Service Manager Early Help.

Siobhan Hughes, Service Manager Early Help presented the Children’s Participation and Impact Strategy report, explaining that the strategy aimed to ensure that children and young people have a voice in decision-making processes, both in their day-to-day lives and in larger decisions about services provided to them. It was added that the strategy included plans to create a youth Parliament and involve young people in various forums and decision-making bodies.

        In response to questions members were advised that:

·     The project in Market Drayton where young people had worked with the Parish Council to improve the local skate park was funded through grant funding and existing resources.

·     The Lundy principles aim to create more spaces for young people to be heard, emphasizing face-to-face interactions rather than online meetings.

·     The statutory duties in relation to youth services were changing and the new National Youth Strategy emphasized the responsibilities of local authorities more than before, including a greater focus on participation and ensuring that young people have a voice in decision-making processes.

·     The Project Board sought to address the challenges of engaging young people in rural areas and the suggestions from members which included providing transportation such as a bus service, to help young people access activities and social opportunities, similar to services provided for older residents would be investigated.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee:

1.    Agree the Participation and Impact Strategy for young people and note the ambitions set out in the strategy.

2.    Endorse the Council’s commitment to ensuring that children and young people have influence over decisions and actions on services that affect them.

To scrutinise performance at Quarter 3 and identify areas that may require further investigation by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee. [Report Attached]

Contact: Tanya Miles, Executive Director for People.

Tanya Miles, Executive Director for People introduced the Performance Monitoring Report Quarter 3 which gave an update on key areas of performance across Adult Social Care, Children’s Social Care and Education services under the People’s Directorate.

Natalie McFall, Assistant Director Adult Social Care and Housing and Michelle Williams, Service Manager Long Term Support outlined key areas of the report in relation to Adult Social Care. It was reported that the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) and the Safeguarding teams have merged under one management structure.and the occupational therapy service had transitioned to adult social care in August 2024.

In response to questions members were advised that:

·       The DoLs team faced significant pressure due to a high volume of referrals and despite addressing the 2022 backlogs, the referral levels continued to be high which made it difficult to reduce the waiting list significantly.

·       There was an increasing complexity in the cases being referred, particularly with individuals lacking capacity and requiring residential and nursing care which was adding to the pressure on the DoLs team.

·       The reablement service focused on working with individuals to maximize their potential, which helped to ensure that care was provided appropriately and cost-effectively. This approach aimed to reduce wastage by continuously reviewing and adjusting care packages based on individuals' needs and progress.

·       The spike in DoLS waiting times in 2024 was due to changes in the way referrals were triaged and managed which led to an initial increase in waiting times as they adjusted to the new system. The impact on individuals was managed through close collaboration between social workers and care home managers, ensuring that risks were identified and mitigated early on.

·       The current community and family hubs were located in Highley, Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Ludlow and Shrewsbury and there were plans to establish hubs in Market Drayton and Whitchurch. It was added that there was an ambition to have hubs in as many communities as possible, including rural areas, to ensure widespread access to services.

·       The team would look to include information in future reports regarding Disabled Facilities Grant allocations to show how people were supported at home through occupational therapy.

David Shaw, Assistant Director Education & Achievement, outlined key areas of the report in relation to Learning and Skills noting the retention of strong early years provision in Shropshire, which had been recognised by the Department of Education. It was reported that there had been a significant reduction in the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), which had been achieved through a proactive approach to prevent future challenges and there had been a reduction in permanent exclusions and suspensions in schools, as a result of targeted intervention programs.

In response to questions members were advised that:

·       There was a focus on reducing exclusions and suspensions in secondary schools as there were higher rates of permanent exclusions in secondary schools compared to primary schools. It was added that the Alternative Provision Inclusion Development Fund was targeted at secondary schools to address these  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To receive a verbal update on the future work programme of the Committee.

Contact: Sophie Foster, Overview and Scrutiny Officer.

Sophie Foster, Scrutiny Officer reported that as this was the last meeting before the local elections there was an opportunity to highlight topics and areas of work for the Committee post May 2025.

It was recommended that:

·       The Children's Participation and Impact Strategy be shared with the Committee.

·       Future performance reports include information in relation to Disabled Facilities Grants and Exclusion Intervention.

·       The areas of Dementia, Early Help and Family and Community Hubs to be kept as a focus for the Committee.

·       The Blue Badge process be looked at in relation to the delays being experienced and impact on individuals.

·       The previous work undertaken by the Committee be forwarded to the committee members from May 2025 for context and understanding.

In bringing the meeting to a close, the Chairman extended her thanks to all Officers and Members involved in the work of the Committee for their help and support.