Council denies TV bullying claims

Pembrokeshire Council has hit back at allegations of bully-boy
management tactics and under-funding in social services.

In a Welsh regional television documentary shown last week, an
unnamed female social worker told of a “disaster waiting to happen”
because clients were being turned away due to staffing
problems.

But council leader Maurice Hughes said confidential interviews of
hundreds of staff as part of the council’s Investors in People
accreditation had given no suggestion of bullying or low staff
morale.

The council said the increase in budget for social care this year
was 6.1 per cent and that 19 per cent of the council’s total
spending went on social services.

But a Liberal Democrat councillor told the programme he was
concerned about the levels of funding and the shortages in social
workers.

Bill Philpin said: “We are seeing professional staff put under huge
strain because there are not enough social workers. Morale among
staff is low and there are concerns that complaints are met with a
response that has been described as bullying.”