“AS A society we need to be paying people who look after some of our most vulnerable people more,” a council social services chief has said.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Social Service scrutiny committee on Thursday, November 18, councillors received a six-monthly update on the work of the Regional Partnership Board.

The board includes representatives from all social services departments of Gwent’s local authorities, as well as representatives of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Blaenau Gwent’s director of social services, Damien McCann explained how a “workforce crisis” had seen an exodus of staff from the care sector during the last six months.

Mr McCann said: “Since June, we have seen staff shortages across health and social care.

“We have an exhausted workforce taking well-deserved holidays, we have staff off sick and those self-isolating, either because they have caught Covid-19 or been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

“The pressure points are in particular are in the domiciliary care sector and to a lesser extent the residential care sector.

“We have seen many staff leave to obtain better paid jobs which they have described as easier, and with less responsibility particularly in in the hospitality and retail rector.

He added that there was now a “difficulty” in recruiting staff for vacancies which leaves the sector short of staff to deliver “vital services.”

Cllr Keith Hayden asked if Blaenau Gwent carers were being paid less than their counterparts across the region.

Mr McCann said that the pay levels were “roughly” the same, but the care staff crisis is a “national” issue as the sector can’t compete with higher wages in the retail and hospitality sector.

Mr McCann said: “We have been pressing the Welsh Government for additional resources.

“The real living wage is just over £9.50 an hour.

“We are paying just over that and some of our providers are not reaching that.”

“The real living wage is in competition with the retail and hospitality sector, where you can get £13 an hour.

“As a society we need to be paying people who look after some of our most vulnerable people more for what they do and the responsibilities they have.”

Committee chairman, Cllr Steve Thomas said: “We really should be doing more.”

Cllr Wayne Hodgins added that care staff’s health and wellbeing also needed to be monitored as they are giving “more than 100 per cent” at the moment in “unprecedented” circumstance

Councillors supported the report which will be go on to be discussed by the Executive committee councillors in December.