Now a round-up of some of the backbench questions to the Cabinet at this month’s full council meeting.
Filling social services vacancies “a top council priority”
Cllr. Graham Walters (Lab, Porthcawl East Central) asked what the council were doing to fill vacancies in social services and social care, as well as what role councillors could play in boosting recruitment.
Cabinet Member for Social Services, Cllr. Jane Gebbie (Lab, Pyle, Kenfig Hill & Cefn Cribwr), said that recruitment and retention in social care was “the highest priority” for the council.
Bridgend Council has undertaken several reviews of the recruitment process in social care including improving job descriptions, introducing workforce charters and family-friendly working. Ongoing training and professional development have also improved.
Other barriers to recruitment and retention were being addressed such as the introduction of care rotas suitable for workers who don’t drive and international recruitment via a specialist agency.
In terms of what councillors can do, the Cabinet Member pointed to promoting recruitment drives on social media. She added that all councillors need to acknowledge their corporate parenting role and should “act as role models for children”. Development sessions were available to councillors to help them.
Council “doing what they can” to support vulnerable residents through the winter
Cllr. Elaine Winstanley (Lab, Cornelly) asked whether the council had confidence in its ability to support vulnerable residents through the winter?
Short answer: “Yes, but there are challenges”. There was an acceptance that the council may not be able to meet the needs of everyone promptly.
Independent domiciliary care workers have been granted a £1-per-hour raise until March 2023 to help deal with fuel costs as well as a general increase in mileage rates.
Longer-term options include changing shift patterns, recruiting more waking night support workers and procurement of electric vehicles for use by social care staff.
Cabinet Member has confidence in children’s social services following press coverage
Cllr. Paul Davies (Lab, Caerau) asked whether the Cabinet has confidence in children’s services following high-profile press coverage (without naming it, the murder of Logan Mwangi and high spending on agency workers).
The Cabinet Members pointed to a recent Care Inspectorate Wales report which said that while there were challenges facing Bridgend children’s services, similar challenges were being faced around the country. Improvements had been made and continue to be made with Cabinet oversight.
Whether children’s services remained fit for purpose was dependent on what has become an interim workforce highly reliant on agency workers – as reported.
The workforce was top of the list of improvements recently discussed with Welsh Government ministers. One measure being taken is “internal recruitment” by training more of the council’s staff to become professionally-qualified social workers.
