Transformational change has helped council services be more efficient, saving costs of over £10m and having a positive impact for Powys residents, the county council has said.
From improving care for vulnerable families and expanding housing options, to modernising schools and tackling climate change, Powys County Council’s Transformation Portfolio is reshaping how services are delivered.
Through targeted investment, innovation, and collaboration, the council has made services more efficient, more responsive, and less costly.
This week, the council’s Finance Panel will consider the End of Year Transformation Portfolio Report for 2024/25, which confirms the council saved a net total of £10.8m through the portfolio.
Key highlights from the end-of-year report include:
- Social Services and Wellbeing: The Edge of Care programme has supported families helped reduce the number of children looked after, and improved parent and carer skills and confidence. The 16+ Accommodation project has enabled more care leavers to remain close to family and friends in Powys. The new fostering framework is enabling more children to stay in Powys through the recruitment of 14 new foster carers. Domiciliary care reforms reduced care hours waiting by 39%.
- Transforming Education: The Transforming Education programme has removed £3m pounds of backlog maintenance costs across the schools’ estate. It has also created the opportunity for investment in a new, state-of-the-art special school in Newtown. In other areas of the county, two small schools have closed and pupils have successfully transitioned to new learning environments with increased facilities and improved opportunities.
- Climate & Nature Programme: 84 decarbonisation projects across 39 buildings and schools delivered an estimated £400,000 in energy savings and 179 tonnes of yearly CO₂e reductions. The council secured £7.2m in capital investment for 2024/25 and £1.1m for future sustainability projects.
- Supporting Our Communities: The Shared Prosperity Fund supported 130 local projects, creating 400 jobs and safeguarding 1,230 others. The Local Broadband Fund connected 152 hard-to-reach sites, enhancing digital inclusion and enabling 12 Powys towns to offer free town centre Wi-Fi.
- Cynefin: 118 new homes have been added to the council’s social housing stock since the programme started three years ago, and over 300 more are planned to be delivered by 2030, subject to approvals and Welsh Government funding. A design book of standard house types has been developed, aiming to reduce development costs through familiarisation of contractors, builders, and suppliers with the build requirements.
- Digital: Harnessing the opportunities of new technology to be more efficient and improve our customers’ experience.
Cllr David Thomas, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation, said: “The Transformation Portfolio is not just about making savings – it’s about reshaping how we deliver services to better meet the needs of our residents and communities and making the council more sustainable. It’s helping us build a stronger, fairer, greener Powys by investing in the things that matter most: supporting vulnerable families, creating affordable housing, modernising education, and tackling climate change.
“These programmes are already making a real difference to people’s lives, and they are absolutely central to delivering our Corporate and Strategic Equality Plan. We are committed to ensuring that every resident, benefits from the changes we are making.”
