AN INNOVATIVE programme helping children remain safely with their families has received national recognition for its work in Pembrokeshire.

The Fostering Network’s Step Up, Step Down service, delivered in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council, was highly commended and named runner-up at the recent national Social Care Accolades.

The programme was recognised for its work supporting children, foster carers and birth families, while helping to reduce the number of young people entering the care system.

Step Up, Step Down provides practical and therapeutic support to families experiencing difficulties. This includes parenting programmes, mentoring, supervision and community-based activities designed to build confidence and resilience.

Since its launch in Pembrokeshire, the service has supported more than 30 parents and carers, as well as 43 children and young people.

The programme was originally funded by the Welsh Government and the KPMG Foundation following a successful pilot scheme in Northern Ireland.

Pembrokeshire County Council said work to secure the long-term sustainability of the service had ensured the support could continue beyond the initial funding period.

Chris Frey-Davies, the council’s Head of Children’s Services, said the award reflected the dedication of everyone involved.

He said: “This award is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved, particularly our foster carers, whose compassion, skill and commitment have been instrumental in supporting children and families through challenging times.

“The Step Up, Step Down approach reflects our philosophy in Pembrokeshire that, wherever it is safe and in a child’s best interests, children should be supported to remain with their families and communities.

“By building on families’ strengths and providing the right support at the right time, we can achieve better outcomes for children while keeping important relationships and local connections intact.

“This recognition highlights the positive impact of a collaborative, strengths-based approach that is helping more families stay together and thrive.”

Cabinet Member for Young People and the Well-being of Future Generations, Cllr Marc Tierney, said the programme was making a significant difference to families across the county.

He added: “It is fantastic to see the positive impact the programme has on reducing the need for children to enter the care system.

“Helping families stay together and improving the lives of those children is at the heart of this work. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Members of the Step Up, Step Down team are pictured with Head of Children’s Services Chris Frey-Davies.

Audit Wales says councils need earlier decisions, clearer forecasts and a full review of how billions of pounds are distributed

THE SYSTEMused to distribute Welsh Government funding to councils has not been independently reviewed for more than 20 years and still relies partly on information dating back to 1991, a new report has warned.

Audit Wales says the current arrangements do not always help Wales’ 22 principal councils secure value for money or plan essential public services effectively.

Its report, Funding Councils, calls on the Welsh Government to provide funding information earlier, offer councils greater certainty about future settlements and ensure decisions are based on accurate, up-to-date evidence.

Councils rely heavily on Welsh Government funding to pay for services including education, social care, waste collection, highways and housing support.

However, auditors found that councils are often given limited information about how much funding they are likely to receive in future years, making long-term financial planning more difficult.

The report says both councils and the Welsh Government should prepare for a range of possible funding settlements so that decisions do not have to be rushed once final figures are announced.

It also raises concerns about the formula used to distribute the majority of unrestricted council funding.

The system has not undergone a full independent review for more than two decades, while some of the indicators used to calculate allocations continue to draw on census and other information from 1991 and 2001.

Audit Wales said there had been significant demographic, economic and social changes across Wales since those figures were collected.

The report also questions the number, design and timing of specific grants handed to councils.

Some grants are announced late in the financial year, leaving authorities with little time to spend the money and increasing the risk that decisions are made quickly rather than as part of a wider strategic plan.

Five recommendations have been made to the Welsh Government, including a review of the funding formula, clearer indications of future funding levels and improvements to the administration of grants.

Auditor General for Wales Adrian Crompton said many of the problems identified reflected recurring concerns he had encountered during his time in office.

He said: “This report finds that the way the Welsh Government funds councils does not always help them to achieve value for money, particularly over the longer term.

“Addressing these themes is essential if the Welsh Government and local authorities are to navigate today’s extreme financial and demand challenges and deliver sustainable public services to the people of Wales.”

The annual local government settlement provides councils with money that is not restricted to a particular service. The amount received by each authority is calculated using a formula intended to reflect local needs and circumstances.

Councils also receive separate grants that must be used for specified purposes.

The latest findings follow previous Audit Wales reports examining the financial sustainability and capital planning arrangements of Welsh local authorities.

Urgent question follows suspension of collections in Cardiff and Carmarthenshire amid nationwide processing problems

Pembrokeshire County Council has been asked whether it could temporarily stop residents taking unwanted fridges and freezers to its waste and recycling centres.

Councillor Huw Murphy submitted an urgent question for consideration at a meeting of the full council on Thursday, July 16, following similar restrictions introduced elsewhere in Wales.

The council’s Presiding Member agreed that the late question could be raised during the meeting.

Cllr Murphy said Cardiff Council and Carmarthenshire County Council had suspended the acceptance of fridges, fridge-freezers and other cooling appliances at their recycling centres because of a reported lack of national processing capacity.

The problem has reportedly resulted in discarded appliances remaining at council facilities and taking up significant amounts of storage space while they await collection.

Cllr Murphy said Pembrokeshire’s position as a major tourism destination could mean the county handles a relatively high number of redundant fridges and other cooling appliances.

In his question, he asked the Cabinet member responsible for waste services to explain the likelihood of Pembrokeshire adopting similar restrictions.

He said: “Can the Cabinet Member inform council and residents of the likelihood of Pembrokeshire adopting this measure and suspending the ability of residents to take either a fridge, fridge-freezer or cooling appliance to a waste and recycling centre?”

Cllr Murphy also requested that, should a detailed answer not be available during the meeting, a written response be circulated to all councillors confirming whether restrictions were being considered.

Any suspension could leave residents temporarily unable to dispose of large cooling appliances through the council’s recycling centres and could increase concerns about storage and potential fly-tipping.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s response to the urgent question will be reported when it is available.