, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
President of Welsh Tribunals: Annual Report 2021-22
Yes, thank you. You mentioned earlier about getting cases dealt with speedily, and that's really important. Do you think the Welsh Tribunals unit have enough resources to help all Welsh tribunals in making sure that things are done as speedily and justly as…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
President of Welsh Tribunals: Annual Report 2021-22
I have a question that's about the independence, and you can take me as one of those people who do not know the nuances of all this. So, what do you think the benefits and the challenges would be of being more independent of the Welsh Government, which is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
Would you ask the UK Government to do that, to allow that change to happen in the Equality Act?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
Would you call on the UK Government to make that amendment to allow the Welsh Government to do that?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
We've heard from a lot of young people who come and give evidence to us, and stakeholders, that they would like to see care experience being a protected characteristic. I'd like to know what your views are on that, because, if the Welsh Government don't…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
And I've got one final question. It's very quick, Chair; I think it's very, very important.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
That's fine.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
One area that is very important to me, and I know the committee also, is the mental health considerations, what we give to care-experienced young people. We've been told about the limited access that care-experienced young people have to getting into…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
I'll try and be quick then.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
I look forward to seeing that.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
I don't mean to cut back across you, Minister. Yes, the education Minister heard it, but what's he doing about it?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
Yes, that's fine. You talked earlier, Minister, about cross-departmental working and you mentioned there, specifically, housing and education. We've been told—. A Public Health Wales report told us there were untenable differences between local authorities in…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Deputy Minister, to deliver radical reform, it is going to take a huge Government effort, as most of the mechanisms to change all this sit outside your ministerial portfolio. So, what I want to know is: how is this reform going to be…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
They're going in there and putting agency workers with them to keep them there.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
I agree. I'm not jumping across Buffy, but I think the question is: what is the Government going to do to stop that happening?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
—children are going in. I know that you're saying it's not happening, but it is.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 14
I'm sorry to interject, but we were told this morning that it is happening that—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
It's just a comment, really. I just want to thank everyone for coming, especially Jan; I know Powys County Council and Neath Port Talbot were invited today to give that balanced picture. I don't think it's fair on Jan to comment on Powys, considering she's…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
I recognise that, because agency staff was always the reason it did cost an awful lot of money. Anything we can do to try and get more people into the service I think is very encouraging. But I've got the million-dollar question, I'm afraid, which isn't a…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
Thank you. I just want to touch on the radical reform that's needed. Local government has been very clear that radical reform is needed, but it's going to need a lot of resource to deliver that. As Jan knows from my time in local government, children's…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
I think Taryn was—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
Thank you. I just want to touch on the corporate parenting role, if that's all right. Do you think that education, health and housing are fulfilling their roles in regard to corporate parenting? Because we've heard, from evidence, that some people think that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
Just really quickly about the unregistered placements and the people who are going in to make sure that they're safe, and you said, if they're overnight, you're putting people in them to look after the children—are some of these people agency workers that are…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
I could go into this all day, so I'll come back later, if we've got time.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform—evidence session 13
Thank you. On the point that you made about politicians criticising and the workforce issues, there is a role for Care Inspectorate Wales in this as well to make sure that local authorities are actually delivering for children. I know, as Jan knows, from my…
