Another Welsh council criticised

Pembrokeshire Council has become the latest Welsh council to
receive a poor rating for its social services department from the
joint review team.

The report by the Audit Commission in Wales and the Social Services
Inspectorate in Wales finds that Pembrokeshire social services
serves some people well, but its prospects for improvement are
uncertain. It says the council’s day care services are not well
targeted at those most in need, and many assessments and plans are
of poor quality and lack user focus.

The inspectors were most concerned about the council’s adult
assessment and care management team, which deals with older and
disabled people. The team has 54 unallocated cases, 76 outstanding
care reviews and 240 overdue reviews of people in residential
care.

Pembrokeshire’s children’s services also had 94 disabled children
whose needs had never been assessed but were receiving respite care
or help from a child care support worker.

Joint Reviews assistant review director Sue Mead said: “There are
some good social services in Pembrokeshire but also problems in
people getting access to that help in a timely, organised way.”