News

Social care funding in Wales is to be reviewed as part of the assembly government's new 10-year plan for social services.

The review - referred to in the final version of the Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities strategy published yesterday (Wednesday) - will aim to identify demographic ­changes that are stretching parts of the social services budget and the support needed to meet them.

However, the assembly government has rejected calls from social services' leaders for more money to implement the changes, saying these will have to be done through re-allocating existing funds. Instead, it will offer help to managers to realign budgets away from crisis management to focus more on prevention.

It states: "The planned programme of change is not cost-driven, but will ensure that resources already in place are used more efficiently and effectively."

The strategy reaffirms the assembly government's backing for councils retaining a single social services director responsible for adults and children's services.

It has also asked the Care Council for Wales to prepare an action plan to address workforce issues including recruitment and retention, training and regulation. Implementation of the strategy will begin in 2008.