Council cuts hospital delays by a third after more social care staff recruited

The number of hospital patients waiting for support from a county council before they can return home has been cut by a third after extra social care staff were recruited.

A £1.3 million Pathways of Care Transformation Grant, awarded by Welsh Government to Powys County Council, has been used to fund additional social workers, occupational therapists and enablement assessors.

The grant was also used to strengthen discharge co-ordination between the many health bodies serving Powys patients, and to increase social care assessment and home care capacity.

This is combined with additional work by the council throughout the year in 2025 to strengthen the home care market.

Twelve-months-ago there were 60 Powys patients waiting for social care to be provided before they could leave community hospitals in the county, or larger district general hospitals in England (Shrewsbury, Telford and Hereford). That figure is now down to 38.

Councillor Pete Roberts, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys, said: “Reducing social care delays at this time of year is a significant achievement and testament to the dedication of our front-line teams and the provision of extra funding by Welsh Government.

“We will continue to build on this progress to ensure patients receive timely, co-ordinated and personalised care and support.”

The Pathways of Care Transformation Grant has seen £30 million allocated to county councils across Wales to spend on community-based social care during the current financial year.

The Welsh Government asked that Powys spends its share on reducing the number of people waiting for:

• Social worker allocation
• Completion of assessment by social care
• The start of a new community care package funded by social care
• A reablement community care package

More information on working in social care for Powys County Council and for a care agency in Powys can be found on the council’s site.

Support and advice for those seeking care through the Front Door team can be found here. Information on Home Support can be found here.