News

Costs of agency social workers soars in Pembrokeshire from £250k to £1.4m

Published

2 years ago

July 26, 2022

CONCERN over the welfare of children has emerged after new figures show that the number of agency social workers employed by councils, and their cost, have been increasing in recent years.

In 2019 Pembrokeshire County Council spent £250k on agency social 8 workers, but by 2020 it had increased to £770k on 11 staff members. By last year it had increased to a staggering £1.4m on employing 12.

Experts say the difficulty experienced by our council, and other local authorities, in attracting permanent staff means vulnerable children and families were often seeing multiple social workers in a single year, making it harder for them to engage with services.

They said the large-scale use of agency social workers was a poor use of dwindling local authority funds, as locums received a higher hourly rate than permanent staff, on top of the fee paid to the company they were employed through.

Across all of Wales, 376 agency social workers were employed by Welsh councils last year at a cost of £20,423,189. This is an increase from 365 for £18,522,072 in 2020/21 and 279 for £16,149,980 the year before.

Already since April this year, £1.8m has been spent on 143 such staff but the cost is likely to far exceed this over the course of a whole year.

The reliance of local authorities on agency social workers has become a significant area of concern in recent months after a council that admitted it failed to prevent the murder of toddler Star Hobson has a serious staff retention problem in its children’s services.

Bradford Council spent £12.3m on agency staff in the last year – representing a doubling of its spend since the 16-month-old girl died on 22 September 2020. It also has the highest spend in the country.

Pembrokeshire was one of five councils to have spent seven-figure sums on agency social workers. On top of Pembrokeshire’s £1.4m, Cardiff spent £5.4m, Powys £4.4m, Merthyr Tydfil £3.3m and Rhondda Cynon Taf £1.3m.

The Welsh Conservatives say that the revelations come after Mark Drakeford’s continued reluctance to implement a review of children’s services across Wales – the only UK nation not to do so – despite having the worst rate of looked-after children of British nations. Calls were prompted after the murder of Logan Mwangi.

Ray Jones, a former director of children’s services and an emeritus professor at Kingston University, said working conditions for social workers had deteriorated, with bigger caseloads, less support and inadequate pay, which made locum work more attractive.

He explained: “You’re paying more for a poorer service [with agency workers] because what you need in terms of children’s and adults social services is continuity – people who know the people they are working with, can build relationships with those families over time, and know their history.”

Commenting, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Social Services Minister Gareth Davies MS said: “We’ve known about understaffing in Wales’ social services departments for a long while now, well before the current labour shortages we are seeing nationwide, which is what makes councils’ reliance on agency workers so concerning.

Logan Mwangi’s case is a prime example of a failure in social services. His mother, stepfather and a teenager were been given life sentences for murdering five-year-old Logan Mwangi and dumping his body in a river last year (Image: Family photo)

“We’ve seen tragic cases like Star Hobson and Logan Mwangi that only go to show that we need a strong presence from social services. This cannot happen when councils are so dependent on agency staff because permanent placements lead to better outcomes as someone can handle a case consistently that way.

“That’s why it is startling to see hundreds are employed every year at substantial cost to the taxpayer, costs that would be lower if resources focussed on paying permanent staff better than shelling out for agency premiums.

“I think our findings only serve to support our calls for a Wales-wide review of social services, especially since Wales is the only British nation not to be doing so and has the worst rate of looked-after children in the UK, which makes Mark Drakeford’s rejection of one so disappointing.”

Speaking in 2019, Nadhim Zahawi, the children and families minister, said: “There are more full-time equivalent social workers than ever before across the UK, which means there are more dedicated people on the frontline to offer much needed support to some of most vulnerable children and families in the country.

“Agency staff can play a vital role in managing short-term recruitment needs, fluctuations in demand or to support improvement.

“We are supporting the recruitment and training of social workers so they have the skills they need for this important job.”

Education

South Hook delivers vital safety lessons to Pembrokeshire children

Published

7 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE’S CRUCIAL CREW event returned earlier this month, delivering essential safety lessons to year six pupils from across the county.

Now in its 31st year, Wales’ longest-running Crucial Crew programme hosted nearly 1,300 children from 44 schools at Scolton Manor Park’s Barn – the event’s first time at this venue. The initiative, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Road Safety Team, is supported by South Hook LNG Terminal.

Since its inception in 1993, more than 40,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren have taken part in the interactive workshops designed to teach critical safety skills. Aimed at year six pupils, the programme continues to play a key role in preparing children for a safer future as they transition to secondary school.

Covering a wide range of everyday scenarios, the workshops provide guidance on water, fire, road, and rail safety, as well as school bus evacuation, electrical hazards, internet safety, and handling dogs. The programme also addresses serious topics such as domestic violence. Through these hands-on scenarios, children develop practical knowledge that can stay with them for life.

Hamad Al Samra, General Manager of South Hook LNG Terminal, expressed pride in supporting the initiative: “Having backed Crucial Crew for the past fifteen years, we are incredibly proud to continue our involvement in a programme that teaches our children such diverse and valuable safety skills. Our thanks to all the dedicated individuals from various agencies who make this event possible.”

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, echoed this sentiment: “Pembrokeshire County Council is proud to be a partner in this fantastic scheme, supporting our young people to be safer now and in the future. We are grateful for the commitment of everyone involved in delivering Crucial Crew.”

This year’s event featured contributions from key organisations, including:

Pembrokeshire Domestic Abuse Services
Road Safety and School Transport teams
National Grid and Network Rail
Welsh Ambulance Service
Dyfed Powys Police
Mid and West Wales Fire Service
John Burns Foundation
HM Coastguard and the RNLI

Charity

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society donate £1,400 to all-Wales charity

Published

8 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

WALES AIR AMBULANCE has continued to benefit from being the chosen charity of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s president Adam Thorne.

Throughout the year the society has come together to raise much-needed funds for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Adam chose the Wales Air Ambulance Charity because of how valuable the service is to the rural and farming community in West Wales.

Following a successful harvest festival service and pre-Pembrokeshire County Show service, donations were made towards the charity of £1,400.

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every ensure to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s fundraising journey will continue, with a carol concert on 16 December and a luncheon in February.

Mike May, the Charity’s Regional Fundraising Manager for West Wales said: “Firstly a huge thank you to President Adam Thorne for picking our Charity as Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s Charity of the Year. Thank you to everyone who has helped to raise the funds and will continue to assist with fundraising events for Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society.

“The Charity relies on donations, like these to be able to continue to provide our lifesaving service for the people of Wales. We hope the up and coming concert and luncheon is just as successful as their previous fundraisers.”

Business

Millin Brook Luxury Dog Boarding wins three top industry awards

Published

8 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MILLIN BROOK Luxury Dog Boarding, a family-run business in Wiston, has received three major industry awards this year, cementing its place as a leader in pet care services.

The first accolade came in September when the business was named Business Service of the Year at the PetQuip Awards. Co-owner Sian Smith said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded Business Service of the Year. We put our heart and soul into providing the highest possible level of service to our wonderful clients, and it’s great to have this recognised by industry experts.”

THE UK’S BEST

On November 7, Millin Brook was crowned Best Kennels in the UK at the Pet Industry Federation (PIF) Awards. These awards, which celebrate excellence across the pet care sector, saw Millin Brook score highly in customer satisfaction.

Nigel Baker, CEO of the Pet Industry Federation, said:

“Millin Brook particularly impressed the judges. They scored very highly on their customer satisfaction scores.”

Co-owner Dave Smith added: “This is the biggest accolade we can receive in the pet industry, and we are so very proud.”

A LONDON CELEBRATION

The year was rounded off on November 21, when Millin Brook won the Kennel and Home Boarding category at the Dog Friendly Awards, held at the Kennel Club in Mayfair, London.

Mrs Smith reflected on the occasion, saying: “It is such a beautiful venue and full of history. Following the award ceremony, we were treated to a fabulous spread of afternoon tea. One of the highlights was meeting Ted, the dog from Gone Fishing. We finished the day with a tour around the Kennel Club museum and enjoyed a few celebration drinks.”

These three awards highlight Millin Brook’s commitment to providing outstanding pet care and confirm its status as a standout name in the UK pet industry.