Residents with disabilities requiring home support have been left without morning care after being informed there are not enough staff to cover that shift.
Folkert Veenstra, who is a Welshpool Town Councillor and requires home care himself, says he and other residents with disabilities have been left without help in the mornings since January 15, adding that the local authority was notified of this by the provider in advance.
He has called on Powys County Council (PCC) to put more effort into recruiting care workers, calling for an increase in mileage expenses to attract well-suited people to take on the roles, and to enable staff to travel across the county without being out of pocket.
Mr Veenstra said: “The care agency told Powys County Council three months in advance that they couldn’t provide care in the mornings anymore.
“They do not have enough staff in Welshpool and Newtown.”
Cllr Veenstra says a carer would usually arrive at around 7am to help with basic personal care such as washing and dressing.
He said: “Quite a few people will be affected.
“The underlying problem is that people don’t want to become a carer when the mileage pay is around 12p per mile in a rural area. It’s not the best paid job and with lots of travelling could put you under minimum wage.
“There is a real need for carers at this moment in time and the Council is not doing enough.
“It needs to have a more pro-active attitude to recruitment.”
Dylan Owen, head of commissioning with PCC, said the authority is not alone in facing challenges in providing home care, as it is a nationwide issue.
He said: “Powys County Council acknowledges that there are challenges with the provision of home care in parts of the county, as there are across Wales and the United Kingdom.
“Ensuring that there is sufficient provision is one of the priorities of the Council in order to ensure that people are supported to live independently where possible.
“The Council has invested in a number of initiatives in order to meet demand, change provision and increase service capacity. These include different ways of working, provision of Technology Enabled Care (TEC), working with micro enterprises to help them develop into care providers, the provision of reablement services, as well as promoting more use of direct payments.
“The Council will continue to work with partners in the home care sector with the aim of supporting all people who need care and support in their own homes.”
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