Social services in Wales are predicted to have a budget gap of £646m over the next three years. If extra funding is not provided, councils that provide support and aid to communities will have to make cuts. Record levels of demand in children’s and adult services have resulted in a £108.7m overspend this year. The Welsh government claims that it is facing an extremely difficult financial crisis, whereas the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) believes that social services are in need of more funding.
The Association of Directors of Social Services and the WLGA have predicted their funding gap in social services over the next three years. Huw David, the WLGA’s spokesperson for health and social care, stated that these departments are receiving over a thousand calls per day from people concerned about children at risk of abuse or neglect. Additionally, families that find it difficult to support elderly relatives or relatives with learning disabilities are contacting the departments. David believes that the most vulnerable people need protection and has urged a review of the cap that limits the amount paid for in-home care. At present, the maximum cost of home care is £100 a week.
Mike Williams, the home care service manager for Cartrefi Cymru in Bangor, stated that more money is needed to recruit and retain care staff. Hospitals and care homes, he said, are already full, making the demand for council care higher than ever. Chloe Selby, who gave up her job as a butcher to become a carer during the pandemic, stated that she loves her job as a carer. She claimed that staff at Cartrefi Cymru do much more than just provide care, citing the support they provide with medication and becoming a family to some people.
The Welsh government has yet to publish its spending plans beyond the 2024-25 financial year. A government spokesperson, however, stated that they are protecting the core local government settlement that funds social services and social care, providing local authorities with a 3.1% increase, as they promised last year. In light of the current situation, the spokesperson stated that they are carefully examining whether charges for certain services, including domiciliary care, need to be raised
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