National leadership arrangements for social services in Wales are to be replicated at a regional level to help deliver a transformational change in social care and ensure people who use services and their carers are at the centre of changes, Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas announced today.
The new regional leadership model will be based on the existing Local Health Board footprint.
The Welsh Government is making £1.5m available in this financial year, via the Sustainable Social Services – Delivering Transformation grant, to local government to support implementation of the Sustainable Social Services agenda.
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 will introduce the biggest change in the way social care services are delivered in Wales for more than 60 years. The Welsh Government intends for the Act to be implemented and the new system of social care to be operational from April 2016.
Gwenda Thomas said:
“Our ability to deliver transformation for people is dependent on our national and regional leadership, with a commitment to working together as full partners across local government, health, the third and private sectors. Bringing people around that table too as full partners must be a priority for us.
“We have already demonstrated how we can break down barriers, innovate and drive change through our national leadership arrangements. Together we are able to focus on our key priorities and ensure that we drive forward integration across health and social services.
“I now want to see those successful arrangements replicated at regional level. Specifically, I want to see each region operating a Partnership Forum and Leadership Group model from this year, and a Citizen’s Panel from 2015-16.
“This will mean bringing local government, health, third and private sectors together. It signals the change we must make, and demonstrates our determination to pick up the pace and scale and drive the transformation that is needed. I am grateful to local government that they will lead this approach recognising that local government is the home of social services.
“The Delivering Transformation grant will help support this in the first instance but this must be a key and ongoing local government priority.”
