Performance Evaluation Inspection (PEI) report for children’s services in Monmouthshire published
The purpose of this inspection was to review the performance of Monmouthshire County Council’s children’s services.
We found that Monmouthshire County Council leaders and staff are proud of the service they provide to children and families and have a good understanding of their services’ strengths and areas for improvement. Service development plans are in place which address demands and challenges facing public sector organisations across Wales.
Like many local authorities, they are experiencing challenges in relation to the provision and delivery of social care. Most of these are driven by pressures arising from the national pandemic recovery, including an increased demand for service provision and the rising complexity of people’s needs.
The report identifies some concerns in relation to the local authority’s compliance with statutory requirements for safeguarding children, specifically in relation to the timeliness of child protection visits and case conferences.
The Local Authority has completed a restructure of services for children and families who need support and protection, and leaders plan to review their Early Help and Assessment Team. They are also developing a new practice model, practice standards, and a quality assurance framework to improve compliance with statutory requirements.
We have asked Monmouthshire County Council to consider the areas identified for development and take appropriate action to address and improve them. We will continue to monitor their progress through our ongoing performance review activity.