A LACK of control over the number of vulnerable children and adults in Monmouthshire should be considered “high risk,” a councillor has said.

A council report presented to Monmouthshire County Council’s audit committee showed the number of ‘looked after’ children increased from 173 at the end of 2018/19 to 190 at the end of September 2019.

There have also been strains on the 2019/20 budget with children’s services forecasting a £2.774 million overspend.

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Cllr Val Smith raised concerns over the medium risk level attached to the safeguarding of children and adults outside of Monmouthshire County Council’s control.

Cllr Smith said: “We have no control over these figures therefore it must be high risk because it concerns the people we are here to serve.

“I honestly have a considerable concern that we don’t have control given we have a huge risk.”

Cllr Phil Murphy said: “Cllr Smith is right we have very little control over who comes in our care whether it is adults or children and we never know how much is associated with it.

“But we do manage the risk and we do mitigate with where we can.”

Cllr Smith also asked how the risk are assessed.

The council’s head of policy and governance Matthew Gatehouse said: “Clearly the lives of vulnerable children are one of the most important things that we as officers and you as members are responsible for.

“You are drawing attention to the different elements that make up the risk score.

“Because of the system we have in place and the frequency in which this has happened in the past means that the likelihood has been assessed as possible.

“We don’t anticipate this happening in a three-year period.”