Council concern that social care providers could go bust

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

That concern, and the worry caused by the shortage of bus and lorry drivers, were added to the regional authority’s Strategic Risk Register when an update was provided at yesterday’s cabinet meeting. 

But there was some good news with the education department’s risk around the response to Estyn’s critical report from September 2019, the Post Inspection Action Plan (PIAP), was removed from the register.

Finance portfolio holder Cllr Aled Davies, who is also in charge of the Strategic Risk Register, said: “I must draw your (attention) to one risk which is being de-escalated for the education service. It relates to the Post Inspection Action Plan (PIAP) and it’s down to the hard work of the staff and the leadership that Cllr Phyl Davies has delivered for the education service. It’s extremely good news.”

A spokesman for Estyn confirmed that a follow up report to the inspection will be published on their website on Friday. A cabinet meeting is set to take place on Friday afternoon which includes an “oral update” on education improvement.

In September 2019, Powys County Council was engulfed in crisis as education watchdog, Estyn, published a report saying that the authority was “causing significant concern”.

Politically, the report caused ructions including two resignations from the cabinet.

A meeting to discuss a vote of no confidence in the cabinet member for education at the time, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander, was shelved as she was moved to Adult Social Care and was replaced by Cllr Phyl Davies.

Estyn’s report included five recommendations that the council needed to address in their PIAP.

These are:

• Improve the standards in secondary schools, especially the performance of more able learners.
• Improve the evaluation, planning and co-ordination of provision for learners with special educational needs and other pupils who may require extra support.
•  Improve the consistency and impact of senior leaders in improving the quality of education services and continue to strengthen the rigour, scrutiny, and challenge about performance of the authority’s services.
• Ensure that the organisation of the provision for non-maintained post-16, Welsh medium education and secondary education meets the needs of the children and young people of Powys.
• Continue to improve the financial management in schools and take appropriate action to address schools with significant deficit budget.