News

Social care crisis reveals urgent need for funding reform

Published

10 months ago

April 24, 2025

INCREASING demand, flatlining budgets, and systemic neglect are pushing adult social care to the brink—especially in rural areas like Pembrokeshire.

Across Wales and England, councils are sounding the alarm: local government funding is no longer sufficient to sustain social care services without sacrificing other essential provisions. Pembrokeshire, facing one of the steepest funding gaps in Wales, is at the sharp end of the crisis.

Mounting pressures on councils

In Wales alone, councils identified £106 million in in-year pressures for adult social care in 2024–25, with a further £223 million forecasted—amounting to 40% of all local government funding pressures. An ageing population and increasingly complex care needs are driving costs ever higher. National projections suggest that by 2037, spending on community care services for older people will have risen by 177%.

Pembrokeshire is particularly exposed. The county’s demographic profile, combined with historic underfunding, leaves it struggling to meet rising demand. The gap between the actual cost of providing care and the budget allocated to pay for it is one of the widest in Wales.

When social care costs exceed budget forecasts, councils are left with stark choices: cut other services, lay off staff, or dip into reserves. Pembrokeshire County Council has established a reserve fund to tackle in-year pressures—but this is a temporary fix, not a long-term solution.

The consequences are already visible. Day-care closures, reductions in library and leisure funding, and hiring freezes have all taken their toll. County Hall, once a hub of local services, is now a ghost of its former self.

Care homes under strain

While councils administer social care budgets, most care home services in Pembrokeshire are delivered by private providers—businesses that must remain profitable to survive. Yet the rates they receive vary wildly between counties. Pembrokeshire pays higher rates than its neighbours, but even this is not enough to guarantee stability.

Care homes face rising costs, particularly from increases to National Insurance and the Real Living Wage. One local group running six care homes reports a £150,000 annual cost increase due to these changes. This raises the risk of closures and forces families to shoulder top-up fees.

Smaller, independent care homes—of which Pembrokeshire has many—are particularly vulnerable. Without urgent intervention, some may shut their doors for good.

Chronic staff shortages

Recruiting and retaining staff in rural areas is another serious challenge. Pembrokeshire’s geography and limited transport infrastructure make it harder to attract qualified care workers. The result is high workloads, stress, and burnout for existing staff.

Domiciliary care services are especially strained. Community providers such as Community Interest Care CIC rely heavily on overseas staff, as many local residents are unwilling or unable to take up care work. The reasons are clear: physically demanding roles, unsocial hours, and poor pay compared to less stressful jobs.

According to Care Inspectorate Wales, nearly a quarter of social care workers are experiencing financial hardship, and a significant number are dissatisfied with their pay.

The burden of unpaid care

The crisis extends beyond formal care. Research from Carers Week shows that 23% of Welsh adults—around 584,000 people—now provide unpaid care to family or friends, the highest proportion in the UK. In total, unpaid care in Wales is estimated to be worth £8.1 billion annually.

This hidden workforce provides 96% of all care, often at enormous personal cost. Nearly half of unpaid carers have given up paid work, while many more have cut back on food, heating, or transport to make ends meet. Over half say they cannot manage monthly expenses, and a growing number are turning to foodbanks.

Yet the Welsh and UK governments continue to rely on unpaid carers as a cornerstone of their care strategy, offering minimal financial support in return. While small-scale grants exist, access is limited and the process is often confusing and burdensome.

A system in denial

The situation lays bare two urgent and interlinked policy failures: the outdated model of local government finance and the fragmented, underfunded system of social care provision.

Councils are being asked to deliver 21st-century care with 20th-century funding tools. Piecemeal reform—pilot schemes, short-term pots of money, and local fixes—cannot address the scale of the challenge.

Comprehensive reform is needed, but political appetite is lacking. Promised reviews of local government funding remain stalled, while plans to better integrate health and social care remain vague and underfunded. The idea of a national care service has merit, but no roadmap exists—nor any clarity on how such a service would be paid for.

The uncomfortable truth is that as people live longer, often with complex conditions, the cost of care will only increase. Without bold action and honest debate—on taxation, on responsibilities, and on priorities—the crisis in social care will deepen.

And in places like Pembrokeshire, the cracks are already wide open.

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

7 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

8 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

14 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.