Care homes owned by Powys County Council have reached 90 percent occupancy following changes to how residential care is commissioned.

The improvement comes during the early stages of a new 15-year partnership with Shaw Healthcare, which began on 1 June 2026.

A progress report will be examined by the council's Health and Care Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 11 November.

Under the new arrangements, the number of care-home beds purchased in advance by the authority has increased from 213 to 249.

The council says most placements previously purchased at market rates have now been converted to these arrangements, helping reduce unpredictable expenditure.

Occupancy across council-owned homes reached 90 percent on 29 October, suggesting fewer rooms purchased by the authority are standing empty.

The partnership forms part of a wider programme intended to modernise care provision and increase the availability of residential and nursing care across Powys.

The council is also reviewing respite care following increased demand during the summer.

Officers are considering reintroducing a small number of dedicated respite beds across five homes to provide additional support for unpaid carers.

Councillor Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys, welcomed the early progress but acknowledged that further work was necessary.

He said the council wanted people to receive high-quality residential or nursing care as close to their communities as possible.

The programme's next phase will involve developing business cases for five proposed area homes.

These would provide a combination of residential, dementia, nursing and complex care, allowing residents to receive different levels of support as their needs change.

However, the council emphasised that decisions about funding, developing and owning the proposed homes have not yet been taken.

Residents, families, carers and staff are expected to have opportunities to influence the proposals before detailed plans are considered.