Update from Wales

Published: 20 February 2013

Wales has a higher proportion of people of state pension age than other parts of the UK, and the Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services Gwenda Thomas has just launched new legislation setting out the core legal framework for social services care and support.

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill is founded on the belief that people and their support needs should be viewed within the wider context of family and community and particularly as service emphasis moves towards prevention and more sustainable outcomes.

Another central principle of the bill is that giving people a stronger voice and more control over services will result in better and more people-focused care and support.

The Bill will require some new legislation and amendment of some existing legislation. The aim is to underpin a common way of thinking that reinforces rights and diversity of needs. It aims to give people greater freedom to decide which services they need while offering consistent, high-quality services across the country.

The Bill will also extend the duty of social services and the NHS to collaborate on the delivery of integrated services, including the use of pooled budgets and other ways to work more effectively together.

Gwenda Thomas concluded: “This is a people’s Bill and the delivery of high quality care underpins it. This is a real opportunity to make essential improvements to the services that are delivered, as well as to reduce bureaucracy. It will be about delivering care and strengthening powers for safeguarding children and adults, so that anyone at risk in our society can be protected effectively”.

For more information see a news article written by Gwenda Thomas on the Welsh Government website.