PLANS to restrict profit making in the care of looked-after children cleared the first hurdle in the Senedd amid concerns about unintended consequences.

Senedd members voted to agree to the principles of the health and social care bill, which aims to restrict private profit, but warned of “huge risks” in practical terms.

Dawn Bowden, Wales’ social care minister, cautioned that the cost of caring for looked-after children has increased from £60m a decade ago to around £200m today.

“If we carry on that trajectory, we will be looking at a bill for local authorities of around £1bn in the next ten years,” she said, stressing that doing nothing is not an option.

Ms Bowden added: “We don’t want to see children treated as commodities in the care sector; we want to see investment in the care of our looked-after children.”

Russell George, who chairs the Senedd’s health committee, called for investment beyond the £68m the Welsh Government has already committed to the policy.

The Conservative said a majority of members supported the principles but the committee raised “very real concerns” about how the bill will work.

Mr George told the Senedd: “There are huge risks for the sufficiency and sustainability of residential and foster places … as an unknown number of providers leave the market.”

He said the cost of caring for looked-after children has risen dramatically in the past decade, which seems unsustainable with councils already facing enormous pressures.

Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths raised the finance committee’s concerns about the “disappointing, below par” quality of information provided alongside the bill.

He said the minister wrote to the committee in October to confirm the total cost of the bill at £429m to £455m, a full three months after giving evidence.

“Although we are grateful for the clarification, this approach is simply not good enough,” said the committee chair who raised concerns about “fundamental ambiguities”.

Buffy Williams warned the bill makes it easier for councils to place children out of county.

The Labour chair of the children’s committee explained councils would be required to find accommodation “within or near to” the area rather than the current “must be within”.

She said: “We have significant concerns about this proposal…. Given the critical shortage of quality placements, we fear these provisions will mean that children are inevitably placed further away from their homes.”

Altaf Hussain, the Conservatives’ shadow social care minister, said the bill has admirable intentions but he warned of unintended consequences.

“This bill could lead to a huge decline in the care of looked-after children,” he said.

Dr Hussain told the Senedd seven councils in Wales provide no care at all, “so the private sector is the only game in town”, as he criticised ministers for “demonising” providers.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru’s shadow health secretary, backed the aims of the bill which was part of his party’s now-collapsed cooperation deal with the Welsh Government.

He said £3 for every £10 spent on foster care in Wales is going into the pockets of shareholders rather than being reinvested in improving the quality of services.

Mike Hedges, who chairs the legislation committee, was concerned that details of the bill’s impact on key issues such as human rights were not published in time for scrutiny.

“The lack of timely information from the government was a theme of our findings,” he said.

Mr Hedges criticised potentially misleading Welsh Government statements about the “elimination” of private profit from the care of looked-after children.

He clarified that the bill would restrict, rather than eliminate, profit.

Mr Hedges also raised concerns about the lack of an end date for transitional arrangements.

His Labour colleague Joyce Watson called for a national register of foster carers.

Jane Dodds, a former social care worker who is the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, described the current system as dysfunctional.

She said: “If we think about it, we are paying our council tax; that goes straight into the shareholders’ pockets and it doesn’t meet the needs of those really vulnerable children.”

Ms Dodds urged ministers to avoid pitfalls from the experience in Scotland, where a study showed councils spent £218m on for-profit care despite a similar commitment in 2020.

Following the debate on October 22, Senedd members backed the bill, 37-14, with Labour, Plaid Cymru and Ms Dodds in favour while the Conservatives voted against.

The bill now moves on to the second of four stages in the Senedd law-making process, which will see the health committee consider detailed amendments.

SENEDD Member, Paul Davies, has taken part in Haverfordwest County AFC’s walk for the Prostate United Challenge.

Mr Davies, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, walked just over 3km with first team player and Haverfordwest County Academy Technical Lead, Dan Hawkins and they talked about importance of the Prostate United Challenge.

The Prostate United Challenge encourages football clubs and fans to walk, run or cycle every day in October in an effort to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

Mr Davies said: “I’m grateful to Haverfordwest County for inviting me to join the Prostate United Challenge walk. It’s a cause that’s close to my heart and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take part.

“1 in 8 men get prostate cancer and I’m one of them. Initiatives like the Prostate United Challenge are a great way of showing support for those living with prostate cancer and help raise much-needed funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

“It was also great to see the progress being made on the 3G pitch, which is currently being constructed and I look forward to home games returning to the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium soon.”

SENEDD members from across the political divide reiterated calls for targets to tackle the scourge of child poverty after the Welsh Government published a “monitoring framework”.

Jane Dodds said a review, which was published alongside the child poverty strategy framework on Monday, makes the route clear – “no targets and therefore no change”.

The Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales told the Senedd it should be ashamed that 29% of children are in poverty as she stressed: “We must do better.”

Pointing out that poverty targets are enshrined in Scottish law, she added: ”The Labour Welsh Government has no clear target on how to eradicate child poverty.

“If you actually believe your strategy will work then measure it … what are you afraid of?”

During a debate on the children’s commissioner’s 2023/24 annual report on October 15, she urged Labour to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Ms Dodds, who was a child protection social worker for 27 years, said: “Keir Starmer says we must ‘share the pain’ – if you’re a child in poverty, you’re already living in pain.”

Sioned Williams warned children’s rights are being undermined by poverty, accusing Labour of putting party interests before children.

Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice secretary backed the children’s commissioner’s calls for clear targets and outcomes in the Welsh Government’s child poverty strategy.

Ms Williams criticised Labour and the Tories over “unjust and damaging” policies, accusing Welsh ministers of being too cowardly to press party colleagues in London for change.

Ms Williams, who represents South Wales West, denounced the Welsh Government for abolishing a previous target of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

Joel James focused on growing use of e-cigarettes among children and young people, with 24% having tried vaping and 7% found to be regular users.

The Conservatives’ social justice secretary told the Senedd that some vape liquids are laced with “spice”, a dangerous lab-made drug designed to mimic cannabis.

He echoed the commissioner’s call for stronger action on banning single-use vapes.

Mr James said: “Four in five smokers start before the age of 20, and are addicted for life, and so we need to be acting much faster if we’re going to prevent this health epidemic.”

Turning to school meals, he said the commissioner reported that only 19% of children felt full after their meal as he raised concerns about standard portions regardless of age.

He warned of a two-tier system, with richer families able to provide a packed lunch and poorer children left to go hungry.

Gareth Davies, a fellow Conservative, said the report suggests the Welsh Government still has a steep climb ahead to make progress on child poverty.

“We have been ascending at a disappointing pace, unfortunately,” he warned, calling for a commitment to reducing abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by 2030.

He added: “30% of children in Wales are still living in poverty, which is way too high.

“This is higher than both Scotland and Northern Ireland, but it’s more than three times higher than Denmark, Finland and Norway.”

The Vale of Clwyd MS raised the report’s warning that nearly half of Welsh children aged seven to 11 are worried about having enough to eat, “which is completely unacceptable”.

Labour’s Buffy Williams, who chairs the Senedd children’s committee, backed concerns about single unified safeguarding reviews which incorporate multiple separate ones.

Ms Williams said the Welsh Government told the committee the reviews were world-leading and groundbreaking in an evidence session on child criminal exploitation last month.

“Yet this report raises a number of significant concerns about the proposed new reviews … governance, accountability and implementation of review recommendations,” she said.

“Worryingly, the commissioner is unclear about what changes, if any, have been made to the review process to address these concerns.”

Ms Williams also raised the Welsh Government’s corporate parenting charter, saying the committee is sceptical it will deliver tangible change for looked-after children.

Labour’s Julie Morgan pointed to progress on children’s rights including votes for 16- and 17-year-olds and the Welsh Government’s ban on smacking children.

The former minister focused her contribution on Gypsy and Traveller children, warning of a worrying trend in low attendance at school.

She said: “I’ve spoken at length to a Gypsy mother, who described the experiences of her teenage son in high school, and the extreme levels of prejudice and bullying he experienced.

“This is just not acceptable and we simply have to do better.”

Responding to the debate, Jane Hutt said the Welsh Government’s strategy sets out the aim of mitigating the worst impacts of child poverty.

On vaping, Wales’ social justice secretary said legislation proposed at Westminster will be the biggest public health intervention in a generation.