Agenda item

To present the report of External Audit.

The report of External Audit on the findings of its examination of the extent to which the Council is acting in accordance with the sustainable development principle in Early Intervention and prevention to ensure that children are safe and supported was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

Mr Alan Hughes, Audit Lead reported that in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations Act the Auditor General for Wales is statutorily required to examine public bodies to assess the extent to which they have acted in accordance with the sustainable development principle when setting their well-being objectives and taking steps to meet them. The report above sets out External Audit’s findings from its examination of Early Intervention and prevention to ensure that children are safe and supported, a step the Isle of Anglesey County Council is taking to meet its wellbeing objectives. In order to act in accordance with the sustainable development principle, public bodies must take account of the “five ways of working” as defined in the Welsh Government’s Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 The Essentials document which relate to safeguarding the ability to meet long-term needs; acting to prevent problems occurring or getting worse; considering integrating the public body’s well-being objectives with their other objectives or other public body’s objectives; acting in collaboration with any other person or different parts of the body itself and involving persons with an interest in achieving the well-being goals ensuring that those persons reflect the diversity of the area which the body serves.

The report found that –

•           The Council has considered and applied the sustainable development principle in developing Early Intervention and prevention to ensure that children are safe and supported, but there are opportunities to further embed the five ways of working.

•           The Council has sought to design services with a view to encouraging individuals to engage with services early in order to reduce longer-term demand and the need for higher levels of intervention, but it is unclear if funding is sustainable in the long-term.

•           The Council has sought to understand the factors that impact on children but needs to continue to further analyse data to understand root causes and inform its preventative activities.

•           The Council has considered how its step has contributed to its well-being objectives but a more widespread knowledge of the definition of integration under the Well-Being of Future Generations Act may help to realise operational benefits.

•           The Council has taken steps to collaborate with partners and reflect the needs and wishes of local communities, but could improve how it reviews the effectiveness of collaboration.

•           The Council has involved stakeholders in the shaping of the service but needs to review the effectiveness of its approach to identify good practice and see if there are lessons to be learnt.

Mr Alan Hughes elaborated on the strengths identified under each of the headline findings above along with the opportunities for improvement. Following the conclusion of the fieldwork, External Audit’s findings were presented to Council Officers at a workshop in October, 2019 where the Council began to consider its response to the findings. As a result of discussions at the workshop and further reflection on the findings, the Council has developed a series of actions under the five ways of working themes which are set out in the table in Part 2 of the report.

The Committee accepted the report as providing a positive assessment overall of the Council’s work in applying the sustainable development principle in Early Intervention and prevention to ensure that children are safe and supported and highlighted that the Council has made great strides in Children’s Services generally in the past few years.

The Interim Director of Social Services said that he welcomed the report and the opportunities for improvement. 

It was resolved to accept External Audit’s report on its examination of Early Intervention and prevention to ensure that children are safe and supported and to note the contents.

NO ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS PROPOSED