Wales: Care crisis?

Delyth Isaac Producer Political Unit BBC Cymru Wales

A shortage of social workers in Wales is putting the care of the most vulnerable people in our communities at risk. It is estimated that at any given day around 200 posts within Wales's 2000 strong workforce of social workers lie vacant.

Vince Lake is a social worker in Bridgend

The crisis in the recruitment and retention of staff places a huge strain on the remaining staff, as Vince Lake a social worker in the Bridgend area knows only too well.

There are times when it's very very difficult. Resources are short, there's a shortage of staff. It's nothing that people aren't aware of I don't think really, but it does build up if people aren't there.

That does increase the stress levels on everybody else trying to muddle through and manage as best they can. And at the end of the day you don't want the person that's receiving the service to be suffering.

How severe is the shortage?

Tony Garthwaite, a member of the Association of Directors of Social Services, who is himself in charge of the service in Bridgend is in no doubt that it's significant.

Tony Garthwaite is a member of the Association of Directors of Social Services

In Wales at the moment, out of a workforce of approximately 2000 plus social workers, on any given day probably around 200 plus of those posts are vacant.

Sickness and holidays coupled with the vacancy rate would probably mean the actual shortage is nearer 30 - 40%.

In other words out of a given workforce, let's say, of a hundred in an average local authority there could be as many as 30 - 40 people missing from the workforce on some occasions when the vacancy rate is high.

Social Worker Lona Roberts is well placed to guess why insufficient numbers join her profession.

The work is emotionally draining, relatively poorly paid, a graduate can expect to start on around £19,000, and society does not afford social workers sufficient respect.

To help overcome the negative image of social work, perhaps resulting from media coverage of such cases as the Victoria Climbie case, the Assembly Government has put £1m into a project Faces of Care to attract people to social work.

The Health and Social Service Minister, Jane Hutt, has also promised social work students bursaries of £2,500 a year from 2004. A bursary is already in place in England.

The Politics Show

The Politics Show Wales wants your views.

If you want to have your say you can call 0845 300 90 10, or e-mail via the website. Or write to: The Politics Show, Room 1060, BBC Wales, Llandaff, Cardiff. CF5 2YO

The Politics Show - we aim to get closer to your community with our presenter, Rhun ap Iorwerth. Tune in to BBC One on Sundays at Noon.