Number of adults awaiting assessment of need at high level monthly data indicates

MONTHLY data indicates that the number of adults waiting for an ‘assessment of need’ is at high level but lower than its peak in Autumn 2021.

April’s performance data for adult care, child care and housing was presented to Pembrokeshire’s social care overview and scrutiny committee this week, after it was decided last year that a month data report be developed to provide information for senior officers and members.

Councillors heard on Thursday (June 23) that a data set of more than 80 items across the organisation has been developed and the data has the “aim of better identifying issues requiring intervention.”

Members were told there are 720 people waiting for an assessment of need – far higher than a “challenging target” of 450 – with 616 referrals for care completed, and there are also an increasing number waiting for reablement services.

Of those that do undergo reablement, 100 per cent “are able to go back without any long term care issues and go back to the community and live their lives as they want to with a good degree of well being,” said Mr Shaw.

Corporate planning manager Dan Shaw said this assessment was the “front door of statutory social services” and the number is “much higher than we would like and much higher than the target we have set.”

Long-standing national issues with recruitment and staffing were having an impact on the service, the committee were reminded, “with many, many people wanting to use a service which is under staffed.”

Other highlighted areas were the numbers waiting in a hospital acute bed – 15 compared to a target of five – how many were receiving domiciliary care, the number of homeless people working with the advice team, homelessness application and the number of people recorded as rough sleeping – standing at 18 in April.

There are 425 cases – singles, couples and families with children – in temporary accommodation, the report adds, 84 in B&Bs, 52 in council housing, 36 in hostels, 234 homeless at home and nine ‘other’, with the figures including 106 aged 16 or under.

Another 5,473 people are on the social housing waiting list.

More positive outcomes were shown in the number of carers needs assessments for adults undertaken, and those for young carers needs, the number of homeless people moved into long-term accommodation – 61 people – and improvements in the contact centre call times.

The next update will aim to include the amount of time people are waiting for assessments as well, following a suggestion from Cllr Mike Stoddart.