Agenda item

This report provides the Committee with an update on  current progress in addressing, and building on, the recommendations of this Committee’s inquiry report into CHAD.

(a) Councillor Sue Lent (Cabinet Member, Early Years, Children & Families and Deputy Leader has been invited to make a statement;

(b) Tony Young (Director, Social Services) will introduce the report and be available to answer questions;

(c) Questions from Committee Members.

The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Sue Lent (Cabinet Member, Early Years & Families and Deputy Leader, Tony Young (Director Social Services), Rosemary Whittle (Head of Operations and Delivery Community Child Health Directorate), Eve Williams (Integrated Operational Change Manager across Cardiff and The Vale) and Amy Reed (Team Manager, Child Health and Disability Team) to the meeting.

The Chairperson invited the Cabinet Member to make a statement in which she praised the developments made against the CHAD plan, in particular the Disability Index; the Newsletter which is sent to parents to keep them updated on the various issues once they are on the Index; that the team were now based in County Hall with the other teams within Children’s Services; the emphasis on transition for disabled Children; and the changes in eligibility.

The Director emphasised that the new Disability Futures Programme has provided the platform for transforming the services provided for disabled children and for adults with complex needs and that the other key issue is the new stability in operational delivery in the CHAD team 

Eve Williams presented the report.

The Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members:

• Members queried the various methods of communication the disabled children and their families, as it had been raised as an issue previously.  Officers were advised that the Disability Index is in its infancy, parents are encouraged to register their children.  As part of the design of the service some mall focus groups are being run as a starting point.  The co-location in Ty Gwyn and having  a Social Worker presence at the school has helped communication with families.  There has also been feedback from the respite care at Ty Storrie.

• Members asked where there were any targets for ensuring that families signed up to the index and were advised that the target was based on the Vale index.  It would assume that the percentages would be similar.  New models to engage with families are being tried, the Child Care Team being co-located at Ty Gwyn and the newsletter are all helping although the full impact of those are not yet known.  The positive approach to being on the register is being promoted. 

• Members expressed concerned about the potential gaps in knowledge in relation to diagnosis, support and outcomes and were advised that there is a lot of work currently ongoing to put in place mechanisms to plug the gaps, although there is still work to be done.  In setting up the integrated autism service there has been  conversation about having one system/one approach with maps, which would deal with diagnosis, interventions thereafter and finally outcomes, with all the information being held on one place. 

• Members noted the progress to the implementation of the overnight short stay service model at Ty Storrie, and queried whether enough use is being made of that.  Officers advised there is a waiting list and  that demand is managed through the Respite Panel.  Resources are then allocated.  There are 48 children on the continuing health care case load and 30 children via the CHAD team and a small number having been identified as benefiting from that service when  a space becomes available.  There is scope to expand respite provision, and it enable parents to support children in their homes for longer.  Direct Payments continue to increase and is still used for individual needs, but Ty Storrie offers respite for children with the most complex and challenging needs, and Direct Payments and also be made for community support alongside that.

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.