Watchdog pinpoints Welsh service flaws

Social services in Wales need to increase the pace of change, and co-operation between councils must improve, the country’s chief inspector has warned in his annual report.

Graham Williams said there was a “mixed picture” across Welsh authorities, with some ploughing ahead with improvements to services but others lagging behind.

The report, released today (26 January), highlights the need for “strong professional leadership” in social services and calls for a focus on getting the basics of assessment and care management right.

Commissioning practices, which will be emphasised in the Welsh assembly government’s forthcoming 10-year social care policy paper, Designed for Care (news, 19 January), also need to be improved, the report says.

Children and young people’s services require particular attention. The report says uneven council standards and the high number of looked-after children are problem areas.

The long-running difficulty in training and retaining the workforce is a “major area requiring continued effort and investment”, it adds.