The Adults, Communities & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the annual report of the director of social services, external regulatory reports, and the committee's forward work programme. The committee was also scheduled to review decisions made at a previous meeting on 17 June 2025 and an action sheet.

Annual Report of the Director of Social Services

The committee was scheduled to consider the Annual Report of the Director of Social Services 2024/2025 (Adult Services). The report is a statutory requirement under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (SSWBA), which requires all local authorities to produce an annual report on the discharge of its social services functions.

The annual report was scheduled to provide a strategic overview of work undertaken throughout 2024/2025. It was also scheduled to include evidence of collaborative work with partners and learning from service users. The report was intended to show how the eight quality standards have been implemented in relation to well-being outcomes.

The report was scheduled to include a director of social services overview, highlighting key achievements such as embedding preventative approaches across both adult and children's services, and restructuring service areas to establish two new directorates. It was also scheduled to identify challenges and risks, such as workforce pressures, increasing complexity of need, and financial constraints.

The report was scheduled to present two options for recommendation:

• To recommend that the council approve the publication of the Annual Report of the Director of Social Services 2024/25.
• To consider the detail contained in the Annual Report of the Director of Social Services 2024/2025 and make appropriate recommendations for amendment prior to approval and publication.

External Regulatory Reports

The committee was scheduled to consider reports regarding Adult Services and Communities.

Adult Services

The report was scheduled to inform members of new recommendations and proposals for improvement received from external auditors regarding Adult Social Services, including actions to be taken to address identified areas.

The report included detail on the following audit reports:

• Audit Wales - Urgent and Emergency Care: Flow out of Hospital – Gwent Region
• Ombudsman Wales - Own Initiative Investigation Report – Are we caring for our carers?
• Care Inspectorate Wales – Homecare, Domiciliary Support Service
• Care Inspectorate Wales – Cwrt Mytton
• Care Inspectorate Wales – Assurance Check of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Adult Community Team (Learning Disability specific)

The report presented two options for recommendation:

• For the Scrutiny Committee to consider and agree with the findings from the External Auditor Reports, ensuring it is consistent with Committees knowledge and understanding of the topic areas, and the activity identified within the Management Response / Action Plan and that these satisfactorily respond to the identified recommendations within the report.
• For the Scrutiny Committee to seek further information should the Auditor findings not be consistent with their knowledge and understanding, and to consider and propose amendments / alterations to the activity identified within the Management Response / Action Plan in order to respond to the recommendations.

Communities

The report was scheduled to inform members of new recommendations and proposals for improvement received from external auditors regarding the Communities Section, including the actions to be taken to address the identified areas.

The report included detail on the Audit Wales National Report - Temporary accommodation, long-term crisis?

The report presented one option for recommendation:

• For the Scrutiny Committee to consider the content of the reports from External Auditors and consider the activity identified within the Management Response responds to the identified recommendations within the report.

Forward Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to receive the Forward Work Programme for the meeting on 30th October 2025. The scheduled topic was a Leisure Service Review. The purpose of the review was to consider the options within the report and make a recommendation to the council.

Action Sheet

The committee was scheduled to receive an Action Sheet relating to Adults Social Services Safeguarding Performance 2024/25. The action to be taken was to provide a list of care homes and supported living establishments in Blaenau Gwent, and the numbers of people supported by Blaenau Gwent in care homes. The Head of Adult Services was scheduled to complete this action by 07.07.25.

The Attachment to the action sheet lists the following private care home providers:

• Bank House Nursing Home
• Bedwellty Park Residential Home
• Bridge House Residential Home
• Brynmawr Care Village
• Central Surgery Nursing Home
• Chilton Place Residential Home
• Cwmcelyn Nursing Home
• Maes-y-Dderwen
• Pen-y-Bont Care Home
• Red Rose Nursing Home
• The Rookery
• Woffington House

The attachment also lists the following residential care providers for people with learning disabilities:

• Cwm Coed
• Forest View

The attachment also lists supported living service providers. These include:

• Achieve Together
• Cartrefi Cymru
• Dimensions
• Evergreen Care Wales
• Expanding Horizons
• Mencap Cymru
• Natures Hand Care & Support
• Pobl Care & Support

Adult Communities and Well-Being Scrutiny Committee

The committee was scheduled to consider the decisions of the Scrutiny Committee held on 17th June, 2025. The decisions were submitted for accuracy points only.

The prior decisions included:

• Adults Social Services Safeguarding Performance 2024/25
• Status Report – 2024/25 Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker
• Progress Against Recommendations From External Audit Reports
• Proposed Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme 2025-26