Council’s move to new social care data system hits ‘technical problems’

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

Plans to move Newport residents’ social care data to a new system have hit “various technical problems”, but are on track to be completed by October 2026.

Councils in Wales are currently setting up alternatives to the WCCIS data management system, which will become defunct next year.

In Newport, there is “still a way to go, but all the building blocks are in place”, Tanya Evans, the council’s strategic director of social services, told a committee on Tuesday.

A report states the WCCIS replacement “needs to be in place by spring 2026 to enable continued access” to residents’ social care information.

Timelines

But Ms Evans said the council wasn’t currently expecting the new system to be up and running until later that year.

“The timelines have shifted a bit,” she said, adding the switchover was a “very complex piece of work” and it wasn’t just Newport “going through it”.

The city council took the lead on purchasing a WCCIS alternative, called Mosaic, on behalf of the five local authorities in the Gwent region – also including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Torfaen.

Previously, it was reported that some councils faced six-figure costs to move the data to the new system, and they were hopeful the Welsh Government would help foot the bill.

‘Safety measures’

During the committee meeting in Newport, Cllr Debbie Harvey sought reassurances the council had “safety measures” in place to protect residents’ personal information in the event of further delays or issues.

Ms Evans described the data as “highly confidential” and said the council would “mitigate” any emerging risks.

She added Wales-wide meetings were held every two months among councils working on their WCCIS replacements, as well as monthly meetings among the local authorities in Gwent.

This would “ensure we can move smoothly from one system to another”, she added.

Ms Evans said staff would be trained on the new system, adding “from what I’ve seen we have excellent expertise, both within the region and within Newport”.