NO jobs are expected to be lost as a result of Gwent councils agreeing to set up a joint team to support care staff.

The Gwent-wide social care workforce development service will be responsible for workforce planning as well as training and qualifications and working with universities and colleges and provide date on the care workforce across the five local authority areas.

Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent borough councils have shared a workforce development service for the past 12 years and social care directors from the five authorities proposed a county wide, regional service following a review in 2024.

The Green Party cabinet member for social care, Ian Chandler, said the council’s workforce development team already provide the services but told the cabinet: “It is all good and great work but Monmouthshire continues to face a number of significant workforce development challenges including difficulties recruiting, developing and retaining a skilled social care workforce.”

Cllr Chandler said the decision recognises Monmouthshire is a “small” council operating in a shared labour market and faces difficulties maintaining its workforce development support.

Independent Group leader Frances Taylor asked why the cabinet had limited the opportunity for backbench councillors to scrutinise the switch to a regional service.

Cllr Chandler apologised as the proposal was only on the council’s forward work planner for a “short time”. The chairs of scrutiny committees use the planner to select items for consideration but Cllr Chandler said it was only placed on the list after it was realised the decision would have to be taken by the cabinet rather than being an “operational” matter for officers.

But Cllr Chandler told Cllr Taylor: “You can be assured there was a full consultation with the workforce those most directly affected.”

A report for the cabinet said jobs for Monmouthshire and other local authority social care workforce development staff will be ringfenced in the new body “with no expected job losses or redundancies envisaged”.

The report said a full consultation with staff and trade unions would take place following the cabinet approval.