Welsh chiefs doubt rising staff numbers

The Association of Directors of Social Services in Wales is
questioning the accuracy of figures that show a sharp rise in the
number of social workers.

Statistics from the Local Government Data Unit Wales reveal an
extra 130 social workers were employed by local authorities in
September 2004 compared with 12 months earlier, an increase of 6.5
per cent .

But Tony Garthwaite, ADSS Wales’s workforce spokesperson, while
welcoming any increase if confirmed, said the findings did not
match the organisation’s own research.

“Their data for the number of social workers isn’t consistent with
the figures we have from our own surveys,” he said.

The ADSS’s findings are to be published soon, but Garthwaite
suggested the figures omitted new posts created. He added that the
definition of the social worker role, which sometimes included team
managers and support staff, differed between councils.

• ÊStatistics from www.dataunitwales. gov.uk