Agenda item

·         Councillor Graham Hinchey (Cabinet Member for Children & Families) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement;

·         Tony Young (Director of Social Services) and Irfan Alam (Assistant Director of Children’s Services) will present the report and be available to answer any questions Members may have;

·         Questions from Committee Members;

·         The Way Forward for this item will be considered at the end of the meeting.

The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Graham Hinchey (Cabinet Member for Children & Families) and Irfan Alam (Assistant Direction of Children’s Services) to the meeting to present the report.

The Cabinet Member was invited to make a statement in which he indicated that Quarter 2 had been reasonable good considering the pressures, the demands for services and the budgetary implications.  There remains difficulties with the recruitment of staff, not just in Cardiff but across South East Wales; the Council is trying to secure 2 new homes; and there is an ongoing campaign to recruit foster carers.  2 years ago there were 555 looked after children, currently the figure is 802 and there has been an increase in the number of complex cases.

The Chair advised that Members had had the opportunity of considering the report and appendices and indicated that they did not intend to ask any specific questions during the course of this meeting. The Committee did not wish to be provided with the same information each month, they wanted clarification of the actual improvements being made. 

AGREED – That the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.