 The council said the inspection had also revealed good practice |
Children's services in Powys have been criticised in an interim report by social services inspectors. A survey of users noted an "alarmingly negative" response to the department's work and a staff survey revealed "dissatisfaction and disconnection".
Inspectors also deemed staff support services "poor" and file analysis within child protection "inadequate".
Powys Council said good practice had also been shown but it was "taking decisive steps to put things right".
The report, which analysed data, case files and surveys, was carried out jointly by the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (SSIW) and the Audit Commission.
It revealed that 30 per cent of staff posts were unfilled, with employees working 60 to 80 hours a week, leaving them dissatisfied and failing to carry out some file recording work properly.
File analysis was also described as representing "an unsafe service" and "results are likely to be poor" in relation to children in need.
The inspectors said, if changes was not brought about, the council was heading towards a situation where the Welsh Assembly Government could intervene.
A final report is due to be issued to the authority in September.
'Rational decision'
After receiving this interim report, the council's social services strategic group last month recommended reuniting its adult and children's services departments - which were split in 2002 - under one director.
Mark Kerr, chief executive of Powys Council, said: "(The report) has uncovered one or two things that were not particularly welcome but also it uncovered good practice, which we are very proud of.
 Glyn Davies AM said the council needed to be open with the public |
"We are taking pretty decisive steps to put things right. I hope we can do things to put measures in place to rectify the shortcomings."
Mr Kerr agreed that the 2002 split of the social services department was "the root of the problems".
"It was a decision taken in perfectly good faith and it was a perfectly rational decision," he said.
"This can work, but in our case it's thrown up some shortcomings which we have decided now to put right.
"I'm pretty confident that by September we will be able to show we have taken sufficient steps to be able to provide a lot of reassurance to people."
Glyn Davies, Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales, called for the council to be more open with the public about the report and changes being made.
"At issue is the care of the most vulnerable children in Powys and there's a great deal of concern about the descriptions of the service," he said
"One needs to understand why the council itself have take a summary reaction to remove half of the responsibilities of the senior director.
"It's very important at this stage that the council makes as much information as it can available to the public, so that the public can understand what's gone wrong and can be satisfied that the council is dealing with it."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
(The report) has uncovered one or two things that were not particularly welcome but also it uncovered good practice, which we are very proud of
