Wrexham’s social care faces a crisis amid rising poverty, service cuts, and increasing demand, leading to budget overspends.
The demand on the system is at its highest point ever. Poverty, drugs, alcohol, and mental health all contribute to the problem. A committee reviewing the social care budget anticipates a £6.9 million overspend.
Councillor Marc Jones is concerned about the rising costs. He questioned how to keep children out of care, noting that the council has been increasing funding, but demand remains high. He wondered how they can prevent children from needing care in the first place.
Thomas stated that her department prioritizes prevention, which saves money and helps children. Societal pressures are causing extreme challenges, and harm to children needing court assessment is high. Cuts to adult services also affect children, as parents face increased poverty, leading to quick escalations. The system struggles to identify children in need early enough, and Covid has greatly stressed schools.
In North East Wales waits are long for neurodivergency diagnoses. Many children lack support for autism or ADHD, leading some to stay home or get excluded from school because their needs cannot be met.
Children’s services strive to resolve issues, but some children enter care with behavioral problems, going straight to residential care. This is expensive and might not be the best solution. Modern slavery is another factor that puts children at risk. These children often require placement in residential care facilities outside the county, which is costly and yields poor outcomes.
Making the community safer is crucial, and the right services can build community resilience. Wales has a significantly higher rate of children in care, and child poverty is also higher in Wales.
The Welsh Government needs to address this issue, as a previous 10-year plan failed to reduce numbers and funding has been too restricted. Councils lack the flexibility to adapt services to local needs.
Thomas highlighted some prevention efforts, while acknowledging that it will take years to see results. This prevention work is starting to slow the need, and they are investing in services for kids at risk of care. This investment helps keep families together.
They utilize therapies for children with challenges that help them stay or return home. New phases of programs address abuse, neglect, and parental issues, ultimately reducing risks to children.
An advice portal, the Wellbeing Hub, launched two years ago offering support to all ages. It supports parents, autism groups, and carers, along with the TAC team that works to manage demand. These services, however, require years to have a substantial impact.
They need to empower communities to solve their own problems; people should not depend solely on preventative services. To that end, councillors will form a group to improve intervention, aiming to reduce the need for children to enter care. This group will seek Welsh Government funding for its initiatives.
This issue extends beyond social services, requiring the involvement of other departments. Education and health sectors also suffer, and Councillor Jones hopes they will contribute to the solution. A healthier, more supportive society will ultimately result in fewer children in care.
A healthier, wealthier society prevents family breakdowns, emphasizing the importance of community resilience. Instead of “firefighting,” they need to build community resilience, which requires good jobs and accessible services. This situation frustrates Jones significantly.