News

Adult care report slates Council

Published

8 years ago

July 26, 2016

Accepts reports findings: Cllr Simon Hancock

A DAMNING report from Wales’s Social Services Inspectorate (CSSIW) and the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has exposed a series of scandalous and substantial shortcomings in the way Pembrokeshire County Council deals with people with learning disabilities, The Herald can reveal.

The report’s authors conclude that there is a series of significant failings in the way the Council delivers its services for vulnerable adults with learning disabilities, and says that plans for improving the service are ‘aspirational or embryonic’.

The report goes on to say that some measures taken with the aim of improving the authority’s performance are ‘less effective than they could be because of the absence of an overarching strategy that drives improvement across all aspects of care and support for people with learning disabilities’.

While failings are noted at the front line of service delivery, the publication does not hold back in identifying those at fault, stating that ‘senior managers and other leaders must also accept final responsibility for the deficits in performance at the front line’.

The report finds that, while there have been historical issues about competence and performance in the Community Team for Learning Disability (CTLD), it would be a mistake for the authority to conclude that this is the main reason for the deficits in performance. Rather, inspectors concluded that care managers and others have not been well served by systems, processes and leadership in recent years.

The distinction between ‘senior management’ and ‘leadership’ is particularly telling for the authority and firmly points the finger at those considerably higher up the political and executive food chain.

The report criticised the absence of an explicit accommodation strategy for people with learning disabilities and found that there was ‘little sense that the local authority has effective processes in place that will enable it to predict demand, plan for the future and deliver sustainable and preventative solutions’.

Noting that the Health Collaborative, of which the Council is part, and its regional statement of intent have ‘the potential to provide a sound basis for progress’, inspectors found that it had ‘only marginal impact in Pembrokeshire’.

The deficiencies in the Council’s approach to dealing with the learning disabled appear to be systemic and widespread, to the extent that even fundamental care issues are not being addressed appropriately.

The inspectors note a ‘lack of any case file audit process’ and that ‘language and communication needs were not well-represented in the files examined by inspectors’. In one case, a learning disabled Welsh-speaker was compelled to communicate in English because no carer could be found who spoke Welsh.

As of September 30, 2015, there were 129 reviews that were overdue, i.e. outstanding for a year or more. This amounts to 35% of the cases that were described by the authority as either ‘active’, ‘review only’, or ‘open to review.’

In one case, there was no assessment of need or care plan on file, but there was reference to a plan having been completed FIVE years previously. In another instance, the care and support provided for a service user had not been reviewed by the authority for more than TWO years between 2013 (when a major adult protection incident was investigated) and July 2015.

It can scarcely be surprising, therefore, that the report’s authors found that: ‘The authority is not delivering information, advice, assistance and care planning to a consistently acceptable standard. Consequently it cannot be confident about the quality of outcomes for people… Most of the case files examined showed at least some aspects of practice that was either poor or required improvement’.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Well-Being and Equalities, Simon Hancock, told us: “We accept the findings in the inspection report which we acknowledge revealed a need for significant improvement.

“Indeed, prior to the inspection last December, we undertook a self-assessment of Learning Disability Services and identified a number of areas which required attention.

“As a result of that awareness, the management team drew up a comprehensive improvement plan which they and the staff have been following since the beginning of the year in order to ensure that the necessary improvements are put in place.”

Among the actions identified in the improvement plan was to appoint a Champion for Learning Disabilities services in Pembrokeshire, and Councillor Hancock took up this position in January.

In order to ensure service users and carers are involved in agreeing priorities and are helping shape the service, a Learning Disability Partnership Board has been set up and a number of engagement events with service users and carers have also been held so that the voice of the customer is heard.

Councillor Hancock added: “The improvement plan will not only help ensure that the recommendations from the CSSIW inspection process are met, but that service improvement is sustained.

“I am passionate in my role of Learning Disabilities Champion for Pembrokeshire and am satisfied that we are on target to deliver the changes required.”

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

11 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.

The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.