Regional partnership planned for social care staff training and support

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

A new social care partnership could improve efficiency and staff development in the sector across five local authorities in south east Wales.

Caerphilly County Borough Council is set to host the new partnership, which will also include the councils in Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen.

It is hoped the new regional approach will develop a more consistent approach to training and development for social care staff, improve recruitment and support budgeting and planning.

Cabinet members in Caerphilly signed off on the proposal at a meeting last week.

A cabinet report notes councils are facing “increasing and shared challenges in recruiting, developing and retaining a skilled and sustainable social care workforce”.

Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent councils have shared a joint workforce development team for 12 years, but there is an appetite in the region to further develop this cooperative approach.

According to the cabinet report, Caerphilly is the only council currently able to host the service.

It adds the proposed partnership contains “a number of unknowns and uncertainties at this early stage” because Caerphilly Council was not originally intended to lead it.

Cabinet members heard matters such as funding are yet to be finalised but officers did not envisage any further costs to the council.

Following the cabinet members’ approval, the five authorities are set to join the partnership providing there are “satisfactory resources including workforce, IT, legal and financial matters are in place”.