 Homeless households wait an average of 149 days before councils settle their case |
Local authorities in Wales are taking longer than ever to deal with homeless families, new statistics show. The latest performance figures reveal that councils took on average 149 days to meet legal requirements over homeless households. The details came in an annual review of local government services. Most other services had improved, and the assembly government said there were positive messages but there was still work to be done. The review also showed there was a 31% reduction in the number of homeless households living in bed and breakfast accommodation. The number of homeless households with children in bed and breakfasts fell by 44%. In education fewer children were leaving school without a qualification - 1.7% of all school leavers in 2007 - 8 compared with 2.1% in the previous year. Figures for waste management around Wales showed 5% less rubbish was going to landfill sites and 3% more was being recycled. Local Government Minister Brian Gibbons said: "I am delighted that this year's bulletin conveys some very positive messages about the standard of local government services. "However the data shows that there is still considerable variation in performance across authorities." Pembrokeshire took 337 days to discharge legal duties towards homeless households - while Blaenau Gwent took 32 days. Compared with the new average figure of 149 days in Wales, in 2006-07 it was 113 days and 79 days the previous year. Usually local councils legal duty on homeless households ceases when the family is re-housed or they have turned down suitable accommodation. The numbers of affordable homes created across Wales also fell. About 750 were provided in 2007/8 - that's 7% of new homes, compared to 9% the previous year.
 John Puzey of Shelter Cymru says housing should be higher priority |
John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, said: "We have a real issue with how the housing problem is prioritised by local authorities and these figures seem to support that. "The longer wait for councils to discharge their duties towards homeless households shows the lack of options for councils - there is nowhere for them to go." The annual bulletin of local authority performance, by the local government data unit in Wales, is the third one to be produced. It also showed school attendance improving - a rise of 0.6% to 90.7% in secondary schools, and an increase of 0.5% to 93.1% in primary schools last year. There was also improvement in bed-blocking problems around Wales - there was a 2.5% cut in delayed transfers of care per 1,000 population aged over 75. The average time to deliver a grant for disabled facilities in people's homes has been cut by about 17% - but there were wide variations across Wales. In Monmouthshire the time was 263 days and in the Vale of Glamorgan 868 days. Dr Gibbons added: "The data shows that there is still considerable variation in performance across authorities. "In the field of special educational need the percentage of statements issued within 26 weeks ranged from 100% in Denbighshire to 23% in Conwy. "I recognise that a wide range of influences affect service quality and only some of these are under a local authority's control. "However, there is no room for complacency. The assembly government is committed to continuing to work with local authorities, encouraging them to use and share these data so that they can learn from each other and work together to drive up delivery standards for their citizens."
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The longer wait for councils to discharge their duties towards homeless households shows the lack of options for councils - there is nowhere for them to go
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