144 (100.0%) Social Services Social Services is facing a big challenge in the City and County of Swansea. This means we will need to look at developing a whole new way of working. Overall we expect a Swansea Future Model for Social Services to help support the following: 1.Radically changing the way we provide support, by re-modelling traditional services and focusing on well-being and strengths, and through re-ablement approaches, working to achieve independence as soon as possible 2.Integrating and aligning our services with Health and other key partners. This has been progressing for some years, but this year will mark the start of a major leap forward towards an integrated approach 3.Consistency between children’s services and adult services - to ensure a “whole life” approach and a more seamless transition from one service to the next 4.Working more closely with local communities and carers, by recognising the role that we all play in supporting our neighbours, friends and relatives. Do you agree or disagree with the overall approach 380 (36.4%) Strongly agree 535 (51.2%) Tend to agree 93 (8.9%) Tend to disagree 37 (3.5%) Strongly disagree Specific Proposals: Adult Services Do you agree or disagree that this proposal is acceptable? Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Re-ablement older people - further development of pathways to help people remain in their own homes, which may allow people to return home from hospital more quickly or prevent individuals from needing more intensive care or residential care in the future. There will be more focus on supporting people to become independent and to remain in their own homes by ensuring staff have the training and skills needed to work with individuals to give them the confidence to achieve this. This will save £3.4 million by 2017/18. . 559 (52.1%) 388 (36.2%) 78 (7.3%) 47 (4.4%) Do you agree or disagree that this proposal is acceptable? Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Reablement young adults - development of pathways to help young adults remain or become independent in their own homes, to develop the skills and build support networks to help them achieve this as an alternative to traditional services. This will save £150,000. 475 (44.5%) 461 (43.2%) 92 (8.6%) 39 (3.7%)
Appendix 5 Cross-phase Headteacher Meeting – Budget Consultation 28th January 2015 Present: Cllr Rob Stewart (Leader of the Council, Chair of the meeting), Cllr Jen Raynor (Cabinet member for Education, Cllr Clive Lloyd (Cabinet Member for Transformation & Performance), Chris Sivers (Director of People), Mike Hawes (Head of Financial Services) 83 Heads or their representatives (2 apologies) Colleagues from Education dept. Headteacher view/comment Response During the consultation with the public it was not made clear what the cuts to schools could look like. So the public/parents may not have had the information to be able to prioritise or raise concerns correctly. RS: The various ways individual schools might choose to cope with the proposed reduction in funding are not yet known. JR: Education is really important in : the councillors chose it as a priority, as did the Forum. The public chose to prioritise what they can see the easiest – elderly care, bin collection, pot holes. The LA can assist schools in explaining to parents what is happening in schools. CL: All council services are being looked at. Reviews and innovative solutions are being sought to release funding for the priority areas of Education and Adult Social Services. Investment in improved ICT will need to help to realise savings and improvements. Land sales – one example was cited of a school where ‘surplus’ land is being sought for sale. Helping to fund the school organisation programme should not come at the cost of losing land which is not surplus and is needed to deliver the curriculum. RS: The principle is that schools should be helping each other. Do school support the notion of selling land to fund the agreed programme or not? Only options were to sell land or stop the programme as further prudential borrowing was not advisable. Individual cases were to be discussed outside this meeting. The Council does not appear to be meeting the WG funding commitment next year. Is the £2.4 million funding provided to schools in the last 3 years (over the Minister’s Guarantee) to be considered ‘a loan’ to be repaid next MH: the Minister has changed the basis of his ‘guarantee’ to be an average over 5 years. The relatively generous amounts has given schools in the last 3 years counts towards the 5 year period. Funding from WG to LAs has been cut despite the Minister’s ‘protection’ of certain areas.
Appendix 6 The Big Sustainable Swansea Conversation – Primary Schools Canolfan Gorseinon, Thursday 15th January 2015, 09:00am-13:00pm As part of the Big Conversation process and the on-going Sustainable Swansea consultation, Year 6 pupils from schools in Swansea came together to discuss how Swansea Council can be smarter and leaner and provide the best possible services for children, young people, families and the wider communities of Swansea. Invitations were sent to all primary schools, with follow up phone calls and correspondence provided. 21 Year 6 pupils attended from: Glyncollen Primary School Llanrhidian Primary School Plasmarl Primary School Tre Uchaf Primary School YGG Bryn Y Mor YGG Pontybrenin Young people were supported by teachers and support staff as well as by members of the Partnership, Performance and Commission Team and Child and Family Services. The session was based on the questions set in the Sustainable Swansea consultation and were answered through a series of activities which prioritised the 13 service areas identified as part of that. These are: Care for older people and disabled adults Keeping children safe Schools and learning Street/road repairs Housing & homelessness Tackling poverty Libraries /community centres Children’s play / youth services Developing Swansea city centre Recycling, street cleaning and waste Parks & green spaces Sports, leisure & cultural facilities Transport, park and ride and car parks The pupils were split into 3 groups and asked to prioritise the service areas that they were most important to them. The pupils prioritised the following services and gave reasons for doing so: Care for Older People and disabled adults - We should care for older people and their families as they have cared for us and others before; - Children have the right to special care and support if they are disabled or in need. This should be the same for everyone, particularly older people and those who are disabled as they are especially vulnerable. Vulnerable people should be offered extra support that they might need as: - They could die - They could become homeless