Speaking at a conference looking at the future of social care provision in the city, Councillor Goodway said that responsibility for the department's problems had to be shared across the council.

Russell Goodway has promised improvements

The conference followed a highly critical joint review by the audit commission and social service inspectorate which concluded that Cardiff council's social services department was failing vulnerable people.

The joint review into the council last September criticised care provision for children and the elderly.

In response, a consultation exercise between the council, care providers and those who receive care has produced a new report, How Best to Care?

More than 1,700 responses were received and the issues raised in the document were discussed at the conference in Cardiff's City Hall, which more than 200 delegates attended.

Cllr Goodway told the conference: "We all have to accept that for far too long social services in Cardiff have been delivered in the interests of the provider rather than the service user.

We've all got responsibilities for this - every single member of the council, everyone who works for the council (and) everyone that works in partnership with the council Russell Goodway

"For too long, insufficient account has been taken of the needs and wishes of those vulnerable people who depend on the services that we provide.

"But (improvement) is not going to be achieved by a quick fix."

Speaking to BBC Wales after his speech, Mr Goodway added that although he accepted a share of responsibility for the department's problems, everyone involved needed to work together to turn the situation around.

He said: "I don't blame anybody, I've moved away from the blame culture.

"That was one of the fundamental things that was wrong...people were all too willing to try to find some scapegoat.

"We've all got responsibilities for this - every single member of the council, everyone who works for the council (and) everyone that works in partnership with the council.

"It's only going to be resolved by collective action.

Leader

"I can't escape responsibility, it's the council of which I am leader that's responsible for delivering social care in this city.

"But...these problems are common to lots of urban areas across the UK."

But Cllr Goodway criticised some cases of bad practice he said he had been told about.

He said: "The fact that people don't turn up for appointments is unforgivable.

"All too often that's happening in the delivery of social services in this city and I've heard that from social service users themselves.

"It's a change of attitude, it's a change of approach and we ought to be able to put this right very quickly at a very low cost."

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales before the conference, chair of the Cardiff branch of trade union Unison Mike Hayes, said: "For the last two or three years our members have been telling us that there have been major problems with the management of social services.

We are still seeing some cabinet members not accepting that things are really in dire straits Councillor Jayne Cowan

"It's definitely a cultural thing from the very top and we have said on behalf of our members that this is really the last chance saloon.

"We need strong leadership and we need direction."

He added: "The front line staff are doing a fantastic job."

Also speaking on BBC Radio Wales ahead of the conference, Conservative councillor Jayne Cowan said she believed the scale of the problem had not fully been recognised by some senior councillors.

She added: "I attend council meetings and we are still seeing some cabinet members not accepting that things are really in dire straits.

'Scenario'

"The worst case scenario, we have been told, is that Jane Hutt (Welsh Health Minister) could actually take social services over to the assembly.

"They are not accepting how bad the situation actually is."

A spokesman for Cardiff council said after the conference: "Things have to change and we are looking at making fundamental changes.

"We will be looking with our partners to see what can be done."