Well-being

Quality standards

• People are protected and safeguarded form abuse and neglect and any other types of harm.
• People are supported to actively manage their well-being and make their own decisions so that they are able to achieve their full potential and live independently for as long as possible.

Children’s Services

Safeguarding activity

Effective Child Protection

We have introduced a new Effective Child Protection (ECP) model that focuses on:

• Striving for high quality, consistent assessment of significant harm
• Enhancing collaborative working with families in the child protection arena to increase their participation and decrease resistance
• Identifying the priority changes required to address significant harm with a strong focus on these throughout
• Measuring a family’s progress towards achieving those changes

We carried out a quality assurance review of approximately ten cases, focusing on the full child protection journey. We have updated documents associated with Section 47s (child protection investigations) and Initial Case Conferences, to include the risk models to aid consistency by practitioners in assessing significant risk.

In addition to this, an overview of ECP has been delivered to partner agencies to inform them of the changes, focused on enabling partner agencies to contribute to the measurement of significant harm within their own reports and within conference.

Key data

There were 248 child protection reviews which were due a review during the year, of this, all were completed and 246 (99.2%) were completed within statutory timescales. This was above the Welsh average of 91.8%.* 

*Data taken from the Social Care National Release, for 2023/2024 data, published in March 2025.

When a Local Authority investigates a child suspected of suffering, or being likely to suffer, significant harm, these are known as Section 47 enquiries. By analysing our past performance, we can see that the number of strategy meetings that lead to S47 enquiries decreased in 2023/2024 to 505, compared to 552 in 2022-23.*

	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Number of S47 enquiries	458	343	552	505

The percentage of contacts that led to a strategy meeting was 8.8%, below the Welsh average of 11.4%. The percentage of strategy meetings that led to S47 enquiries was 54.2%, below the Welsh average of 63.2%. The percentage of S47 enquiries that led to a Case Conference was 22.4%, and slightly above the Welsh average of 22.2%.*

*As published in the Social Care National Release, in March 2025, for 2023/2024 data.

Exploitation

The Contextual Exploitation Forum has continued to have a steady cohort of professionals in attendance. Data suggests a reduction in children exposed to exploitation; however, there is a concern about the availability of ketamine and its use by young people. Prior to the school summer holidays, multi-agency meetings were held to assist in raising awareness to children and their parents/carers.

Ongoing monitoring of the use of ketamine continues, with early intervention strategies coordinated from Family Centres, schools, health and youth services. In addition, the Safeguarding Unit highlighted the dangers of ketamine at the Education safeguarding training day.

National Safeguarding Week 11-15 November 2024

One of the highlights of this year’s National Safeguarding Week in November was a talk given by a young person in recovery from ketamine addiction. They shared their experience and their struggle to access the support they needed to reduce their reliance on the drug. This was a well-attended and informative event. Following this, the young person has been contacted to provide further advice and guidance in shaping services to reduce ketamine abuse amongst young people.

Loud Voices

The Loud Voices group is a fun event offered to all Children Looked After. It is an opportunity for young people to discuss their experiences of being looked after, and their views on what is important to them help to shape the service provided.

Safeguarding Multi-agency Forum

These multi-agency lead meetings have continued, with discussions to date focusing on how we, as multi-agency partners, can influence positive change in working practices as well as within reviewing safeguarding trends and themes. To date, discussions have taken place regarding:

• Fabricated Illness
• Statutory guidance of home education
• Effective child protection
• Ketamine
• Dog bites
• Effective safeguarding reports
• Sexual Assault Referral Centres
• Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
• Pre-birth forum
• Child Protection medicals    

Responding effectively to the learning from Child Practice Reviews and Adult Practice Review

Following the publication of two Conwy child practice reviews, an overview of the recommendations was delivered to designated safeguarding members, within the practitioner safeguarding forums and managers safeguarding forums. Each area has been tasked to review the recommendations to assist in shaping future practices in a bid to reduce future risks to children.

Keeping young people safe when they are out and about

Last year, we talked about the introduction of an Ask for Angela scheme, which would allow young people to ask for help discreetly, if they found themselves in a difficult or uncomfortable situation. Research found that many young people are made to do things that they don’t want to do, such as committing vandalism, acts of violence, threatening people and stealing. Eighty-eight percent of the young people would have liked a way of asking for help, without it being obvious to the people around them.

We took the results of the survey to the Youth Council and spoke to groups of young people from different communities. The overwhelming majority wanted an Ask for Angela service to be introduced, and didn’t see the need to come up with another name for it.

We agreed that leisure centres would be the most appropriate venues to ask for help because they are located within communities, are open longer hours and at weekends. It wouldn’t look out of place for a young person to enter and speak to a member of staff there, even if they were with a group of friends. Leisure centre staff are DBS checked and could easily undergo training to support the scheme.

An Ask for Angela service was piloted over the summer of 2024. Communication was shared before the summer holidays via schools, North Wales Police, the Youth Service, the Youth Justice Service, Family Centres, school nurses, CAMHS practitioners and several other services that work with young people and their parents.

We designed and displayed posters in all leisure centre changing rooms and toilets, discreetly advertising the scheme. We have since expanded it, to include all the Family Centres. We are now working with libraries to see how we can include them in the scheme and link with the ‘safe space’ service they already have in place for adults experiencing domestic abuse. Our next steps will involve:

• Bringing the scheme to the attention of other North Wales counties
• Improving the marketing materials we have for the scheme
• Linking in with the existing safe space scheme

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Adult Services

Safeguarding activity

Rogue Traders

We have identified more rogue trader activity within the safeguarding arena, and a growing number of cases reported as Adults at Risk (AAR). We have developed a clear agreement as to how we support these cases, in accordance with the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

We have agreed that all cases are reported and treated as AAR until we have information and evidence that tells us otherwise, and our MASH team undertake all relevant screening and enquiries.

In all cases that do progress as AAR, further enquiries and engagement with the adult is undertaken, and the case proceeds through the adult safeguarding process. If in the initial stages the adult is deemed not to be an AAR then all information gathered is shared with North Wales Police and Conwy Trading Standards.

We also request that Conwy’s Single Point of Access team contact the victim and undertake a ‘what matters’ conversation’. We ensure that there is continued engagement with North Wales Police and Conwy Trading Standards throughout the process.

Take a look at a couple of examples of rogue trader activity that we discussed and considered via the safeguarding process during the year:

A person with sight impairment had a trader attend and offer to undertake some general works on the property. On completion, the works were costed at £100, and due to the property owner’s impairment, they requested that the trader fill in the cheque on the person’s behalf. On presentation of the cheque, an amount of £1,000 had been withdrawn.

A person advised by a trader that the roof was leaking agreed that they could undertake the work. Within minutes a further white van appeared and work was undertaken. A neighbour contacted the police and when the victim was questioned, they advised that the traders would be returning to undertake further work. The person was reluctant to accept advice, and to date has paid out approximately £35,000, although the work undertaken has been deemed not to be of this value.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse reports are increasing, with adults at risk being exploited. Cases concerning financial abuse have also highlighted a need for practitioners to progress reports earlier in the abuse period and not delay whilst awaiting Office of Public Guardian and Court of Protection matters.

We have developed an action plan to:

• Review the financial agreement letter/declaration statement/financial assessment documents sent out to individuals and their families regarding the payment of care fees
• Include a reminder in the provider newsletter to ensure they are consistently reporting non-payment of fees
• Develop a process around actions to take once financial abuse has been identified and reported
• Facilitate training sessions on raising awareness of financial abuse
• Continue with sample audits and ensure that an in-depth audit is undertaken by Section Managers in the Older People Service
• Escalate concerns regarding the North Wales Police response to financial abuse

Child on Parent Abuse (CPCA)

A Conwy family being supported by children’s services highlighted the emerging issue of child on parent abuse and the lack of appropriate support and safeguards available for the parent and the wider family in such cases. As a result of the on-going and escalating concerns raised in the case, Conwy Council commissioned an independent review of the case. Some of the findings identified in the review include:

• Lack of reporting of the parent via AAR report process by all services.
• No multi-disciplinary team arrangements in place to discuss the concerns in the family and agree a consistent response.
• Involving the child in discussions with the parent when the abuse was being discussed by the parent.

Whilst a wider action plan on the recommendations is under development, a clear reporting process is now in place for parents who are the victim of child on parent abuse, whereby all parent cases will be reported via the Adult Safeguarding MASH arrangements as AAR.

If it is then confirmed that they meet the criteria of an AAR, they will be considered via the adult safeguarding strategy process. If not, they will be referred to the Vulnerable People Service in Conwy to ensure that appropriate support and signposting to other support is offered.

Key data

The number of adults suspected of being at risk of abuse or neglect reported during the year increased to 807 compared to 793 in 2022-23.*

*As published in the Social Care National Release, in March 2025, for 2023/2024 data.

Adult Services Engagement. Adult Safeguarding Forum and Staff Forum

Whilst quarterly Adult Safeguarding Forums (ASF) have been held for several years, there are occasions where some of the details shared and discussed at the forums have not cascaded down to all team members.

To counter this, we have introduced a new adult safeguarding staff forum to take place immediately after the ASF. This is an opportunity to share any relevant documents and guidance and allow staff to raise any questions or concerns for discussion with the Adult Safeguarding Lead, and other staff, to promote good practice. In addition, it has now been agreed that the Adult Safeguarding Lead will attend all adult services team meetings, every six months, to share updates and discuss safeguarding matters.

Adult Protection Conference

An Adult Protection Conference is a multi-agency meeting that includes the individual AAR, and/or relevant others who represent them, to share and discuss the outcome of the safeguarding investigation and agree the care and support protection plan and any further actions in the case.

There has been regular attendance during the year at all adult services team meetings to promote and progress the Adult Protection Conference (APC) process across the authority. This, coupled with the development of a brief advisory document and report template for APC, which has been shared with all staff, aims to ensure that Adults at Risk and/or their representatives are consistently asked if they wish to progress to an APC, or to have further detail of the safeguarding actions and process in their case.

Discussion with the Workforce Development Team has ensured that we have a clear safeguarding training program across adult and children’s services, with key training events also open to the provider sector. Training on the Section 5 (Position of Trust) process has now been widened to ensure all internal staff can attend the training, as well as being rolled out to the provider sector. The widening of the training program to the provider sector will ensure that training reverts to pre Covid-19 arrangements and see a move away from e-module learning, which has clearly been seen to be of insufficient depth and quality across the provider sector.

Adult Safeguarding Training

Training provided by the Adult Safeguarding Lead has had a positive impact on the number of financial abuse numbers being reported to the team. What is also of significance is the increasing numbers of informal enquiries and conversations requested by staff and partners when unsure of whether to report a matter or not. Enquiries have also begun with teams to identify cases currently with the Office of Public Guardian to aim to identify further cases sooner and advise appropriately.

Provider Newsletter

The adult safeguarding newsletter continues to be sent out every six months with five editions now produced to date. The newsletter is there to share news, information, advice and guidance with all providers on issues that will support and guide them in the safeguarding process.

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Developing our Information, Advice and Assistance section

Single Point of Access and Welfare Rights

Last year we told you about some changes to our staffing structure to recruit one overarching team manager for the Welfare Rights and SPoA teams and Team Leaders to oversee the work in both areas.

We have undertaken a review of processes, data collection and collation methods to ensure they are as efficient as they can be, and will continue to progress, focusing on telephone and e-mail traffic, client information system recording standards and themes from customer feedback. As part of our development of routine feedback processes to ensure that citizens, providers and other stakeholders can inform continuous improvement, we have created a customer satisfaction survey to gain feedback on callers’ experiences of dealing with the Single Point of Access team.

What is the positive impact on citizens?

This area now has a greater customer service focus, ensuring that staff are more readily available to citizens and referrers, both internally and externally. There has been an increase in office attendance, to provide more face-to-face contact.

Our customer satisfaction survey responses are already giving us a valuable insight into how the front of house function for adults in Conwy is viewed by the people who use it:

The single point of access staff have been extremely helpful. Professional, courteous and thoughtful.

Listened to what I was saying, they spoke in a clear, precise, friendly voice.

I got to speak to someone straight away and didn’t go round in circles on an automated service.

We are developing a rolling programme for process reviews in both section areas, where continuous improvement is embraced by all. Both teams have an opportunity, under new management, to develop their culture where change for improvements is seen positively. 

We’ll continue to focus on improving data collection in a bid to capture requests as they arise or develop for the next reporting period. Future developments will focus on marketing the teams, to increase reach and to raise awareness.

Occupational Therapy Intake Team and Telecare

Our Occupational Therapy Assistants continue to develop their knowledge and experience in Occupational Therapy and Telecare interventions. They are confident in reviewing, assessing and signposting individuals for Telecare equipment, including specialist equipment, such as GPS and Buddi devices. Our new Telecare Admin staff have spent time visiting and fitting equipment in people’s homes, giving them a working knowledge of the work they support.

The provision of new epilepsy sensors is paused whilst consultation with local authorities across North Wales take place. We continue to offer this service to existing clients and signpost new clients to appropriate organisations, such as Epilepsy Wales and The Daisy Garland Trust, as well as an epilepsy nurse and consultant.

Work on the disability assessment flat in Canolfan Marl, based in Llandudno Junction is now complete. We are looking forward to utilising this space for training, run by the Early Intervention and Prevention Team (EIPT). There will be a focus on assessing for specialist Telecare equipment and providing advice and guidance regarding digital devices in the home, including some joint work with Disability Service colleagues, at the assessment flat.

The roll-out of digital Telecare devices continues and regular meetings with the Telecare Learning Information Network (LIN) ensures that we keep up to date with developments on a national level.

Having regular feedback from our customers through our ‘How did we do’ survey ensures that we are continuously auditing and reviewing our performance.

Here is a flavour of the feedback from people who have received support from the Occupational Therapy Intake Team:

[Occupational Therapy Assistant] was lovely, so helpful.

Lovely caring and considerate, the lady listened, and was informative and helpful.

Her daughter said she and her mum couldn’t thank you enough, and you were really good and they are grateful for what you are doing for her.

Excellent service, thank you.

And feedback from people who have received support from the Telecare team.

It [Telecare] has enabled her to stay in her own home, as long as has been possible.

I would like to pass on my thanks to the whole team, fitted and explained the system very thoroughly, also engaged with my dad who was hesitant & concerned about having the installation at all. He couldn’t have been happier, please could you pass on our huge thanks to all concerned.

Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs)

The OTAs Intake team continue to take the lower level, more straightforward OT referrals. They work with a focus on prevention and keeping people safe and independent at home, advising on and supplying equipment and minor adaptations. They work closely with the individual to address their current needs and advise on how they may be supported in the future. This could be through the support of family and friends, by local organisations, or coming back to Social Care for a more formal package of support or more long-term involvement, as appropriate.

We attended the Occupational Therapy Show in Birmingham NEC in 2024 to update people on the equipment and adaptations that are available.  All OTAs have completed moving and handling training and completed relevant training opportunities offered to them, such as social care training, and leadership and management skills.

Roll out of digital devices

Working together with the Community Equipment Service (CES) team, has enabled people who have been supplied with a digital telephone line, to have access to the digital units, which work via a roaming SIM; this is useful for people without a telephone line. Regular contact between section colleagues ensures discussion about any developments and we have regular attendance at the Telecare LIN and contact with North Wales Telecare leads. 

We also review Telecare Core equipment to ensure that the offer is right to meet both individuals’ need and our budget constraints.   

Managing the demand on the Minor Adaptation Budget

Funding routinely covers nine months’ worth of demand. Throughout the year, clients living in privately owned or rented accommodation are encouraged to self-fund their minor adaptations. However, the demand is greater than resource allows. We are exploring how to provide the service to those who are unable to source or fund minor adaptations such as rails and steps, within the limited budget available.

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Developing our Direct Payments offer

Last year we said that, in line with changing wishes, expectations and legislation, we would continue to develop Direct Payments to ensure it is a viable service delivery for as many individuals as possible. During a busy year, we have introduced more options for people who wish to receive their support via Direct Payments, including:

Alternative to residential services

We have successfully implemented an alternative to residential placements within Older People Services, which enables individuals to receive funding equivalent to what would have been allocated for a residential setting. As a result, individuals can remain at home, where it is their wish to do so.

The initial intention was to operate this as a pilot for twelve months, but the appetite for the scheme has been such that the pilot was ended after six months and an open offer made thereafter. Within the first nine months of the 2024/2025 reporting year 27 families joined the scheme via this option, and another five are in the process of setting it up. One individual chose to leave their residential placement to return to their local community under the scheme, and following positive feedback from the families involved, the intention in the coming year is to roll out this option to Disability Services.

Indirect Payments

This option enables individuals to broker their support from the private sector, e.g. from micro-agencies and carers, with associated finances managed by Conwy on their behalf. Currently 38 people have chosen this option and a further eight are in the process of setting it up.

Deferred Payments

This is the newest option introduced to the scheme in the last twelve months. Deferred Payments have historically been offered to individuals who own their own home and, being due to move into a residential setting, were able to use the value of their property to pay the fees through a Deferred Payments Agreement with Conwy. This enables the individual to retain their home for longer where they don’t want to sell it immediately, or it proves difficult to do so.

People supported via the Alternative to Residential Services option described above are now able to access Deferred Payments as appropriate in the community.

Use of micro-providers and carers

Direct Payments do not limit individuals to receiving their support from directly employed staff or domiciliary care providers; they can opt to use micro-agencies or carers (self-employed), expanding the market available to them. These providers are not regulated, so the Direct Payments team undertake additional safeguarding checks on them to protect Direct Payment recipients. This is a new and growing market, with positive feedback from those who have chosen to have their support provided in this way. The Direct Payments team are actively involved in the Welsh Government working group to look at the development and management of this area.

Raising the profile

The Direct Payments team have continued with public engagement activity to raise the profile of the scheme for potential recipients and to promote employment opportunities. In addition to this, we have conducted presentations to Elected Members, leading to invitations for us to provide talks within their respective constituencies.

Increasing home visits

We have increased the number of face-to-face meetings with Direct Payments recipients, both home visits and at other venues, by agreement. During the Covid-19 pandemic visits ceased, and feedback from families tells us that they want face-to-face contact with the Direct Payments team to return, especially when they’re dealing with more complex or contentious issues. Visits have risen by 19% in the last twelve months and continue to increase.

Use of Independent User Trusts (IUTs) and Direct Payments by the Local Health Board

The Direct Payments team have continued to work closely with the Local Health Board (LHB) where individuals in receipt of Direct Payments transfer to health services and wish to continue with the same model. This is in line with Section 5 of the Welsh Government Continuing Health Care (CHC) Framework.

This model supports all parties in a smoother transition for people who may be resistant to a LHB assessment due to the removal of choice and control around how and by who their care and support is provided. It is worth remembering that in many cases these individuals have been employers in their own right. Seven individuals have gone through this process, with support and guidance continuing to be provided by Conwy, and support funding and on-costs met by the LHB.

How we will improve the service

• We would like to increase ease of access to Direct Payments by introducing an electronic self-referral option to people already known to the department, in receipt of eligible support, and wishing to receive Direct Payments.
• We need to work more closely with the Local Health Board around the use of Independent User Trusts (IUTs) and Direct Payments to ensure consistency in the information being provided to individuals and department staff by Health colleagues.
• Creating and publishing a register of micro-agencies and carers would support the due diligence process, but the initial findings report published by Welsh Government remains cautious regarding any recommendations.
• We will continue to participate in the Welsh Government national working group to ensure the best outcomes for individuals. We need to increase community engagement in this area to create a register of providers (and their capacity) whose safeguarding checks have been completed.

Key data

The number of adults with a care and support plan where needs were met through a direct payment as on 31 March 2024 remained comparable to the previous two years, with 215 in 2023-24, compared to 212 in 2022-23.*

*Data taken from the Social Care National Release, for 2023/2024 data, published in March 2025.

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Conwy’s Reablement Team

Our Reablement Team facilitates and supports individuals with timely hospital discharges and proactively works to avoid hospital admission by providing support to people in their own home to regain skills following an illness, fall, or decline in their well-being.

The reablement function operates as part of the multi-disciplinary teams at five Community Resource Teams across the county. They work alongside Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Social Workers, District Nurses, GPs, Psychiatric Nurses and others, offering a seamless and holistic approach to community-based support.

Hospital discharges are facilitated efficiently, with the Reablement Team and Hospital Occupational Therapists working together, without the involvement of a Social Worker. Assessments are undertaken in the person’s own home, giving them the best chance to regain their health and skills. Reablement support workers and officers are trained and skilled to provide advice and support individuals to live independently; this can range from arranging small aids and equipment to help with household tasks, to reminders about medication and appointments and signposting to other agencies who can provide support. In addition, Reablement Officers can assist individuals to maximise their income by undertaking a benefits check and making a referral to our Welfare Rights team; this can enable people with low support needs to be creative and source their own care support.

How effective are the team?

Of the 289 people who completed a period of reablement with us between April and September 2024:

• 18 people needed more support after the reablement period had finished
• 82 people’s needs stayed the same
• 33 people still needed support, but with decreased hours
• 156 people no longer needed any commissioned care

So 65% of the people we supported needed less or no commissioned care after a period of reablement, as they were able to do more for themselves. Where people’s needs increased, this could be due to a decline in their mobility, for safety reasons, or due to personal circumstances.

Over the same period 117 people didn’t complete a full period of reablement with us. Of those, 55 (47%) were admitted to a hospital or hospice, 33 (28%) went into a residential or nursing home, and the remainder either sadly passed away or decided that they didn’t want to go ahead with the support that was offered.

With more people accessing the service this year, feedback has been positive:

All staff have been extremely supportive and friendly.

A well-coordinated team approach.

Without the support and kindness of the team, I would not have recovered so quickly.

Without your help I wouldn’t be as good as I am now.

Excellent, the epitome of professionalism and caring.

Where we need to improve

• Individuals need to feel that they are heard and reassured that they are being listened to during the reablement process, so we need to ensure that they have planned and discussed their personal outcomes as part of an ongoing plan.
• We need to ensure that individuals receiving services know the contact details of our out of hours service.
• Staff need access to reablement and dementia training.
• We need to continue to strengthen relationships and joint working within the Community Resource Team so that individuals benefit from that support.

Our action plan to achieve these improvements

• Our Coordinators will plan visits to individuals to complete personal plans and agree personal outcomes as soon as reasonable possible.
• We will review the information given to individuals receiving services to ensure that they have contact details for the out of hours service, and any other important contacts, to hand.
• We will work with our Workforce Development and Learning Team to provide staff with reablement and dementia training.
• We will strengthen our relationships with Community Resource Team colleagues and ensure that our integrated approach benefits the individuals we support.

Key data

Of the 748 packages of reablement 75 reduced the need for support, 164 maintained the need for the same level of support, 311 mitigated the need for support and 198 neither reduced, maintained nor mitigated the need for support.*

*Data taken from the Social Care National Release, for 2023/2024 data, published in March 2025