Dozens of care leavers, charity workers, advocates and academics attended a joint debate about the care system in the Senedd on Wednesday night but several said they left feeling like they had not been listened to. Compared with England, there are many more children in care in Wales – 112 per 10,000 in Wales compared with 70 in England. Children in care who gave evidence to the inquiry said they were being let down and felt ignored, powerless and stigmatised. Meanwhile, the committee found that in 2022 50% of staff in children’s social care were agency workers and there were 639 social care staff vacancies. Recommendations included setting maximum caseloads for children’s social workers to ensure safety and consistency, and making ‘care experience’ a protected characteristic.

Source: The Times July 13, 2023 13:46 UTC