The use of agency children’s social workers and profit-making children’s residential homes is being phased out in Carmarthenshire. Council chiefs hope that by March 2026 they won’t need private children’s residential homes any more and that agency social workers won’t be required from March the following year. Jan Coles, head of the council’s children and families service, told a scrutiny committee she was confident of meeting the 2027 agency social worker target but less so in respect of residential homes.
Councils often have to spend a lot of money on agency social workers to fill workforce gaps while the Welsh Government has published a bill which, if passed by Senedd members, would end profit-making in children’s care in Wales. Wales has 'long way to go' to eradicate racism, Senedd told Bala exhibition presents art made by families with autistic children 'Overdue' council tax reforms 'kicked into long grass' Croeslan affordable homes plan 'much needed' Ms Coles told councillors at a meeting on 13 June that the authority has been increasing the number of trainee social workers it puts through an 18-month programme but that it hadn’t been enough to fill staffing gaps. She said around six qualified social workers were due to start over the summer with more trainees due to qualify and start work in summer 2026.
“That will be a big boost to the teams,” she said. “We will be phasing out agency workers as we bring these workers in.” Ms Coles said the coun.
