A WIDELY publicised academy launched by Carmarthenshire Council to attract carers has seven recruits since being launched last summer, a meeting heard.

The Care Academi was created by the authority to try to shore up its care workforce.

Open to all ages but geared more towards younger people it offers training, placements, qualifications and a chance to explore other social work roles.

Like all local authorities Carmarthenshire is battling to recruit and retain carers, and a report before the health and social services scrutiny committee said the number of care hours actually delivered has declined from 13,000 hours per week in February 2021 to 10,000 hours in February this year.

And 600 of those 10,000 hours were for people in settings known as extra care facilities rather than in their own homes.

The report said: “This would suggest that despite best efforts, the recruitment and retention work is not having the intended impact on increasing the care hours available although it is fair to say that without it the position would be worse.”

It said Carmarthenshire currently had more people assessed as needing care than care hours available.

Speaking at the committee meeting, a council officer said the Care Academi had seven recruits and would be recruiting again from schools.

She said the apprentices did placements in residential and day settings and would be supported in management and social work training if they wished to do it.

She said: “What we do know is that working as a carer is not always attractive to young people, as they think, ‘Where do I go from here? I don’t want to be a carer for the rest of my life’.”