P 32
Ymchwiliad i’r Adolygiad Blaenoriaethau ar gyfer y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon
Inquiry into the Priorities for the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Ymateb gan: Cyngor Gofal Cymru
Response from: Care Council for Wales
Sarah Beasley
Clerk
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Pierhead Street
Cardiff
CF99 1NA
1 September 2016
Dear Ms Beasley,
Consultation on the Priorities for the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Thank you for the opportunity to help inform the forward programme of the Committee. In order to assist with your deliberations we are sharing with you the priority areas for service improvement which have recently been identified by a Ministerial Advisory Panel, as we believe these provide evidence of some of the key issues and challenges for the sector the Committee should consider for its priorities.
The Care Council for Wales is responsible for the regulation and development of the social care workforce. In April 2017 we will be renamed as Social Care Wales and our remit will expand to include service improvement and co-ordination of research as we join forces with the Social Services Improvement Agency (SSIA). A Ministerial Advisory Panel was established to prepare the ground for the transition. As part of its work it has recommended that the priority areas for Social Care Wales’ service improvement role should be:
• Improving services and outcomes for looked after children
• Improving services and outcomes for people with dementia
• Supporting the domiciliary care workforce to enable it to comply with the new registration requirements
Improving services and outcomes for looked after children
A report by our partners at SSIA found that there are no simple solutions for children and young people who are looked after[1]. Needs are complex and services should be tailored to the individual.
The report identified a need to look more carefully at the potential for and support of kinship carers, to maximise the range of local family placements, or to look beyond a ‘placement’ alone and secure timely access to a range of support services to secure the best outcomes for looked after children and young people.
The report’s other findings include the crucial importance of effective assessment, matching and planning processes undertaken by staff within the local authority and supported by an overall corporate commitment to looked after children. It found that social services commissioners should engage social work staff and managers in understanding their key role in securing better outcomes for looked after children through dogged attention to assessment, matching, planning and reviewing processes and through good key working with the children and young people themselves.
Improving services and outcomes for people with dementia
The prevalence of dementia in Wales is growing. It is projected to increase by 31% by 2021. It is projected to rise by as much as 44% in some rural areas. Most people with dementia live in the community, with around a third of people living in care homes. Promoting the independence of people with dementia is therefore vital. Services are needed which enable people with dementia to live in their own homes and in their communities for as long as possible.
In order to support this work, the Care Council has produced ‘Good Work: A Dementia Learning and Development Framework for Wales’, in partnership with NHS Wales. It is intended to support what matters most to the people with dementia. It captures the spirit and requirements of Welsh policy, legislation and guidance regarding the care, support and empowerment of people with dementia, carers, and the health and social care workforce.
The Framework recognises the importance of the workforce to improving dementia care. Dementia is not exclusively a condition that affects older people, although there is a strong link between older age and a diagnosis of dementia. As life expectancy increases, there will naturally be more older people and so more people with dementia. As a consequence, there is a growing need for communities and in particular the health and social care workforce to understand the issues involved in good dementia care and support. All workers need a solid awareness of dementia and the issues surrounding it to ensure that their approach supports people with dementia and carers to live well.
Supporting the domiciliary care workforce to enable it to comply with the new registration requirements
Supporting the domiciliary care workforce to enable it to comply with the new registration requirements is the third priority identified for Social Care Wales’ improvement work. Furthermore, it has been identified by the Welsh Government as an area of current importance. Consequently the Care Council for Wales has been asked to develop a five year strategy for care at home, of which domiciliary care is vital component. It is an ambitious plan, which goes far beyond workforce issues to include the environment we are working in, investment, commissioning, research and improvement.
Care and support is already a large and growing area. Over the next decade demand will continue to increase both the numbers of individuals seeking care and support, alongside increasing complexity of the support needed to meet individual’s well-being outcomes and personal preferences. At the same time as increasing demand, it is a sector facing significant financial pressures.
The decision to register all domiciliary care workers follows the recommendations of the previous Health and Social Care Committee on the content and form of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act, 2016. The Welsh Government commitment to registering the domiciliary care workforce by 2020 provides a major opportunity to enhance the recognition and status through recognising the complexity and importance of this work. We need to ensure that the workforce is prepared for registration. This will require a programme of learning with sufficient funding for initial registration and continuing workforce development.
We recognise that there is a fundamental importance in integrated provision of support for citizens in Wales, across education, social care, housing and health, and as such there needs to be focus across our nation on working in collaboration and partnership at a local, regional and national level.
As the Care Council for Wales and in our future guise as Social Care Wales, with an expanded role to include service improvement and co-ordination of research we look forward to working with the Committee’s in future.
Yours sincerely,
xxxx
Director of Learning and Development
For more information please contact xxx