A SOCIAL care leader fears that giving the bulk of a new £48 million funding package to Welsh councils will be like ‘putting foxes in charge of hen house’.

Mario Kreft, Chair of Care Forum Wales, fears local authorities cannot be trusted to distribute the cash from Welsh Government fairly

And he claimed that Wales had been ‘blighted’ by a postcode lottery of funding ever since responsibility for managing social care budgets had been handed to councils more than a quarter of a century ago.

As a result many care homes and domiciliary care companies had been teetering on the brink of financial ruin for a long time.

First Minister Mark Drakeford had pointed out the sector’s finances were fragile before Covid-19 had made matters even worse.

Deputy Social Services Minster Julie Morgan has now announced the majority of the cash - £40 million - would be allocated to local authorities.

The aim, she said, was to help the social care sector meet the ongoing challenges caused by the pandemic.

Yet Mr Kreft, said it would not significantly change anything unless the ‘broken social care system was fixed’ first.

Mr Kreft said: “We are hugely grateful to the Welsh Government for prioritising social care in this way and it is clear they recognise the unprecedented challenges we have faced and continue to face.

“We would not have had the exemplary support we have received so far during this pandemic had it not been for Welsh Government who put in place very strong criteria.

“The first tranche of the hardship fund which ran until the end of June last year was given to local authorities without guidance and, in some areas, it did not reach where it should have done, with some councils being more supportive than others.

“The Welsh Government looked at that and decided that a better mechanism was needed.

“So giving councils this extra £40 million without stringent guidelines to ensure it reaches the front line is like putting foxes in charge of the hen house.

“As far as local authorities are concerned, they will see this as another golden opportunity to feather their own nests.

“It is imperative that this money is channelled directly to the front line across Wales and that councils are not allowed to cream the money off the top.

“The current model of funding which has been in operation for a quarter of a century is clearly not fit for purpose and never has been.

“Funding is allocated via local councils and health boards which means we essentially have 29 variations on a theme which is an absolute nonsense.”