Inspection report for adult services in Swansea published
The purpose of this inspection was to review the performance of Swansea Council’s adult services.
Like many local authorities in Wales, adult services in Swansea face high levels of demand and increasing complexity of people’s needs, as well as challenges with retaining staff and financial pressures. Leaders in Swansea Council understand the needs of people in their area and provide good strategic direction to meet these needs and service demands.
To address the pressures in adult services, the local authority has started a transformation programme looking at prevention and early help; promoting and enabling independence; and prioritising resources. So far this has achieved progress in several areas, including restructuring the Assessment and Care Management teams.
Swansea Council has a committed workforce, with 88% of respondents to our anonymous staff survey feeling adequately supported by their managers, and 72% saying their workloads are manageable.
Our report outlines areas of positive practice, including good collaboration and numerous examples of co-production, as well as clear evidence that what matters to people is recorded in their care and support plans.
However, inspectors also found that many people experience delays in being assessed for care and support, and there are ongoing challenges around sickness absence rates among social services staff. Despite this, once people are seen, assessments and care plans support creative approaches to promoting people’s wellbeing.
As part of our survey, almost half (48%) of respondents reported difficulties in contacting social services, with prolonged telephone response times and a lack of follow-up emails. Overcoming these issues is crucial for enhancing the service’s effectiveness and the local authority must provide timely access to information, advice, and assistance.
To see all our findings and recommendations read the full report below.
Next steps
We expect the local authority to consider the areas identified for improvement and take appropriate action to address and improve these areas. We will monitor progress through our ongoing performance review activity with the local authority. Where relevant we expect the local authority to share the positive practice identified with other local authorities, to disseminate learning and help drive continuous improvement in statutory services throughout Wales.