AN AWARD-WINNING Welsh care agency says it welcomes the announcement from the Senedd of an extra £40 million to support adult social care services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding will be allocated through the new Covid-19 ‘hardship fund’ and authorities will work with adult social care providers to disperse the funds to cover basic PPE (personal protective equipment), food, staffing costs and ICT.

Neil Griffiths, regional manager at Abacare, which has offices in Ebbw Vale and provides care in the surrounding areas, said: “Adult social care services, including companies like ours, which provide care to elderly and vulnerable individuals in their own homes, are at the frontline and, while we’re coping well, we’re under a huge strain.

“Services like ours are alleviating additional pressures on the NHS and its resources, which we know are being tested to the limit at the moment. Our role is to maintain people’s health in the comfort of their own homes and to keep them safe.

“The additional PPE needed and the extra staff we are hiring all comes at a cost, so we welcome the recent announcement from Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething of an extra £40 million to support us and other adult social care services, and those we look after. It’s also great to hear that, after reviews, there may be the potential to make further funds available in future too.”

Due to the current pandemic, Abacare needs to boost its team numbers immediately, so it can continue to protect its service users and the NHS.

It is calling on anyone who is currently fit and healthy but unable to work, following business closures and restrictions, to sign up for a care role and to help in their own communities.

Abacare can offer full training and paid work immediately to anyone willing to become a professional home carer in Wales.

Abacare is urging anyone who needs full-time or part-time, flexible paid work and who has recently been made redundant or laid-off, or who is looking for work for other reasons, to get in touch for an interview.

Anyone interested should contact the Ebbw Vale branch on 01495 781594.