Western Mail Column: ‘Working together will improve social care sector’

Working together is the key to improvement, says Gwenda Thomas

TOO often the public only hear about the shortcomings in social care services.

While these failings need to be improved, they only represent a small proportion of the services that are provided to the most vulnerable people in society.

There are a huge range of social care services throughout Wales that work with people and families, who are experiencing problems and need support.

The demands on these services are ever growing and there are higher expectations as we as citizens want to have a greater say about the services.

The Welsh Assembly Government has already taken positive steps towards taking social care forward. We are currently seeking additional powers in the area of charging for non-residential social care.

As things stand, charging for home care and other non-residential social services is at the discretion of individual local authorities.

This has resulted in significant variations in policies for services across Wales.

We have a One Wales commitment to achieve a fairer and more consistent approach to charging for all adult recipients of non-residential social services.

By legislating against such disparities we will fulfil this and we are currently in the process of obtaining the necessary new powers.

Earlier this year I announced a new £4.5m-a-year, three-year scheme to help older and disabled people live more independent lives.

The new funding is being put towards preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting people to live in the community.

By ensuring that every stage of the care pathway is as effective and integrated as possible we can increase capacity for services to support people to live more independent lives.

The Assembly Government’s 10-year strategy – Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities – sets out our vision for social services as a core service within local government covering adults and children.

We are also seeking to use the new opportunities for Legislative Competence Orders to extend the powers of the Assembly Government in relation to children’s services and carers’ rights, enabling us to bring forward distinct service initiatives of our own here in Wales.

This will be seen in the strategy we are developing for vulnerable children being accommodated. It will be supported by two legislative planks – the Children and Young Person’s Bill and our own Measure, which will focus on children at risk because of parental problems.

There are some 4,800 children in care – parental drug or alcohol misuse and mental health problems are the main causes of entry of into care.

But a wider group of children who are known to social services and other agencies either do not enter care, or do so after a time, and yet fail to thrive and reach their full potential.

We will shortly consult on new arrangements to improve the delivery of health and social care to families where substance misuse coexists with concerns about the welfare or vulnerability of a child and to pilot a new integrated family support services.

We have an opportunity to set a new direction for services for our most vulnerable children.
We must strive to achieve good quality care for children, adults and older people – whether in family, residential or community settings and have to use all our resources to best effect to do so.
Social services must work closely with health services and with voluntary and private providers to develop service models for the future which can respond flexibly and effectively to people’s needs.

Everyone in the sector is aware that there are occasional instances where individuals and their families are sometimes let down by the care system. But there is also plenty to shout about when it comes to social care in Wales.

I am confident that by ensuring all stakeholders work together we will further improve the sector for the benefit of those that need it most.

Gwenda Thomas AM is Deputy Minister – Health and Social Services