A widely-publicised academy launched by Carmarthenshire Council to attract carers has seven recruits since being launched last summer. The Care Academi was created by the authority to try to shore up its care workforce.
Open to all ages but geared more towards younger people, the academy offers training, placements, qualifications and a chance to explore other social work roles. The council plays a key role in domiciliary care, keeping mainly elderly people independent by helping with washing, hoisting, dressing and taking medication. Its in-house domiciliary care team looks after 37% of those in need of the service in Carmarthenshire and wants to increase this share to 50%. It commissions the remainder from the independent sector.
Like all local authorities Carmarthenshire is battling to recruit and retain carers, and a report before the health and social services scrutiny committee said the number of care hours actually delivered has declined from 13,000 hours per week in February 2021 to 10,000 hours in February this year. And 600 of those 10,000 hours were for people in settings known as extra care facilities rather than in their own homes.
