Caerphilly Observer
Member Sign in Manage Membership
Become a Member - no ads
Menu
  • News
    • Senedd
    • Business
    • Newport
    • Opinion
  • Sport
    • Rugby union
    • Football
  • Membership & Subscriptions
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • About
    • Advertise
  • Sponsored Content
Menu

‘Ongoing improvement’ in handling of adoption allowance payments

Newport | Nicholas Thomas - Local Democracy Reporting Service | Published: 16:38, Friday January 31st, 2025.

Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Newport Civic Centre

Newport City Council is making “emerging and ongoing improvement” in its payment of adoption allowances to families.

The council’s system for making allowance payments was declared “unsatisfactory” in July 2023, including delays to assessments of new claims, and failures to always carry out independent checks.

At a meeting of the council’s governance and audit committee, on Thursday, members heard a further audit had been completed at the end of 2024.

The auditors found there is now a “generally sound system of governance, risk management and controls in place for the management and administration of adoption allowances”.

They judged the council had “areas of emerging and ongoing improvement”, which “reflect the work in progress of improvements to process and procedure initiated in 2024”.

Rethink library and community centre money-saving plans, Newport Council told

Some weaknesses in the process remain, but are not categorised as critical.

The auditors accepted the current way of handling allowances is “in its infancy” and more time is needed to “fully embed” changes.

At the meeting, committee chairman Gareth Chapman said: “We’re in a far better position now than we were previously.”

He thanked the team of officers for “putting in a tremendous amount of time to get us where we are now” but warned the procedure could still face further scrutiny – including the possibility of an unannounced inspection by auditors.

“Don’t rest on your laurels, because the likelihood is we’ll do a ‘secret shopper’”, Mr Chapman advised the officers present.


Sign-up to our daily newsletter


Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts.

Become a member today

LDRS

Latest News

  • The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
    National Library on high alert over cyber attacksFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Aerial Image of the proposed development site (marked roughly in yellow) next to Coedcae Road, Abertridwr
    Plans for 17 new homes finally get thumbs upFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Caerphilly Sport Awards 2025 finalists announcedFriday, October 10, 2025
  • St Peter's Church, Deri, pictured in July 2025
    Church and hall could be transformed into two new homesFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Premier Stores in Bedwlwyn Road, Ystrad Mynach, pictured in June 2025
    Five flats proposed for space above shopFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Stock image
    Landlords count the costs of building safety billFriday, October 10, 2025

Find out how the communities of Caerphilly County Borough get their names

Caerphilly

Legal & Public Notices

  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesThursday, October 2, 2025
  • Notice of application for a premises licence: Hanbury Road, BargoedThursday, September 25, 2025
  • Notice of application for a variation of a premises licence: Pontygwindy Industrial EstateThursday, September 18, 2025
  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesThursday, September 18, 2025
© 2009-2024 Caerphilly Media Ltd, Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community Watford Road Caerphilly, CF83 1BJ. Incorporated in Wales No. 07604006.