Care Inspectorate Wales concludes assurance check of Powys County Council adult services

We recently completed an assurance check of Powys County Council's adult social care services. The check took place between 27 and 29 April 2026 and assessed the local authority's performance in exercising its duties and functions in line with legislation.

Overall, we found a service with committed leadership, a supportive culture and a stable workforce. However, these strengths are not yet consistently reflected in people's day-to-day experiences. Further work is needed to ensure people receive timely, consistent and person-centred support regardless of where they live in this large, rural county.

Key strengths identified

Leadership across the service is visible, committed and well regarded by practitioners. Most staff feel well supported - 95% told us they feel supported by their colleagues and 91% by their managers. There is a strong supervision culture and good access to training, underpinned by a 'grow your own' approach that supports career development and helps sustain a stable workforce.

People who draw on care and support, and their unpaid carers, have meaningful opportunities to shape services through established forums including the Powys Live Well Forum. Commissioners and senior leaders engage directly with carers' groups, and this is positive practice.

The local authority has a clear prevention ethos, with effective front-door triage and early intervention examples helping to reduce escalation of need. Safeguarding leadership is strong, with good oversight arrangements and effective screening activity at the front door.

Areas for improvement

Despite these strengths, people's experiences are not consistent. People are not always meaningfully involved in decisions about their care, and their views are not consistently reflected in records. We found delays in assessments and reviews, meaning some people wait too long for the support they need.

While safeguarding leadership and specialist oversight are strong, practice is not yet consistently embedded across the wider service. There is inconsistent application of the Mental Capacity Act compliance and best interests decision-making. As with other local authorities in Wales, Powys has a backlog of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments and must ensure arrangements are fit for purpose and sufficiently resourced.

Advocacy and the Welsh language active offer are not consistently considered or recorded. Direct payments are not routinely explored at reassessment, which limits people's choice and control over how their support is arranged.

While strategic partnerships are well developed, these are not yet consistently translating into joined-up day-to-day support for people.

Quality assurance arrangements lack the critical analysis needed to drive consistent improvement. In a county where geography creates real challenges for service delivery, stronger oversight is particularly important to ensure people receive equitable support wherever they live. Rural service gaps, particularly in respite, day and community provision, also need to be addressed.

Next steps

We have asked Powys County Council to consider the areas identified for improvement and take appropriate action. We will monitor progress through our ongoing performance review activity, and a further assurance check will be scheduled within 18 to 24 months.

Read the full findings in the report.