The cost of placing looked-after children in residential homes in Carmarthenshire has doubled in just 12 months, rising from £422,175 in April 2025 to £848,340 in March 2026. The increase is driven by a rise in the number of young people needing care placements, from 16 to 29 over the same period.
Rising demand and complexity
According to the council's director of social services, Darren Mutter, placements for the most complex children and young people can exceed £10,000 per week, and on rare occasions vastly more. His first annual report, covering 2025-26, noted that the number of looked-after young people and those on the child protection register has also doubled over five years, reaching 293 and 169 respectively.
Mr Mutter said the increase reflects a national trend driven by growing demand and complexity of cases, but added that Carmarthenshire still has the lowest ratio of children in care per head of population in Wales.
Budgets and pressures
The children's and family services budget for 2025-26 was £44.7 million, while the adult social services budget was £138.5 million. More than a third of the adult budget – £50.4 million – supported people under 65 with learning disabilities. The council's ageing population and the cost of statutory services are partly why council tax has risen.
In his report, Mr Mutter wrote: "Having worked in social care for 30 years, with 26 of those as a qualified social worker in children's services, I have never seen pressures as acute as they have been for the last few years. And yet still our staff turn up, day in day out and provide compassionate, empathetic care with a level of dedication and resilience that is humbling and inspiring in equal measure."
Service feedback and future plans
Adult social services received 152 compliments and 62 complaints in 2025-26. Seven complaints were referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales: five were declined and two addressed via early resolution. The children and families department received 10 compliments and 70 complaints; 16 went to the ombudsman: eight declined, four resolved early, three ongoing, and one accepted and upheld.
The council is recruiting through its Care Academi, which will be reviewed this financial year, and is supporting students on Open University and master's social work courses, with 34 expected to qualify as social workers in the next 12 months. A new care and nursing home, Plas Y Bryn, is planned for 2028, and a children's residential home has opened in Johnstown, Carmarthen, with another planned in Llanelli.
The report was approved by cabinet members and will go before full council in September. Council leader Linda Evans said: "It has been very well written, it's clear, and there a lot of positive things but we also know how difficult it is for this sector."
