Welsh councils are warning that social care is under unsustainable pressure and cannot continue without long-term funding certainty, a valued workforce and a greater focus on prevention.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), working with ADSS Cymru and Solace Wales, has set out a refreshed vision for social care in Wales, calling for urgent reform to meet growing demand.
More than 81,000 people currently receive care and support across Wales, with councils conducting over 126,000 assessments each year.
While around 80% of people rate their care as good or excellent, councils warn this standard is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain amid rising demand, workforce shortages and financial strain.
The vision calls for a shift away from crisis-driven responses towards earlier intervention and stronger community-based support, with services remaining rooted in local government.
Councils are urging the Welsh Government to begin a national conversation about sustainable, long-term social care funding.
Cllr Jane Gebbie, WLGA Spokesperson for Social Care, said: ‘This is the reality people working in social care see every day. Services are doing everything they can to support people, but the pressure is relentless.
‘We cannot keep asking more of a system that is already stretched too far. If we want a system that truly works for people, we have to invest earlier, helping families before things reach crisis point and supporting people to stay independent for longer.’
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