Cabinet meeting: 16 May 2022

• Rt. Hon. Mark Drakeford MS
• Rebecca Evans MS
• Vaughan Gething MS
• Lesley Griffiths MS
• Jane Hutt MS
• Julie James MS
• Jeremy Miles MS
• Eluned Morgan MS
• Mick Antoniw MS

• Dawn Bowden MS
• Hannah Blythyn MS
• Julie Morgan MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Lee Waters MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Des Clifford, Director Office of the First Minister
• Will Whiteley, Deputy Director Cabinet Division
• Toby Mason, Strategic Communications
• Jane Runeckles, Special Adviser
• Alex Bevan, Special Adviser
• Daniel Butler, Special Adviser
• Ian Butler, Special Adviser
• Kate Edmunds, Special Adviser
• Sara Faye, Special Adviser
• Clare Jenkins, Special Adviser
• Owen John, Special Adviser
• Andrew Johnson, Special Adviser
• Mitch Theaker, Special Adviser
• Tom Woodward, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Helen Lentle, Director Legal Services
• Catrin Sully, Cabinet Office
• Tracey Burke, Director General, Climate Change and Rural Affairs
• Jo-Anne Daniels, Director General Education, Social Justice and Welsh Language
• Reg Kilpatrick, Director General, COVID-19 recovery and Local Government
• Judith Paget, Director General Health
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution
• Albert Heaney, Director Social Services and Integration
• Rhiannon Ivens, Deputy Director Inclusion & Corporate Business

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 9 Mai / Cabinet approved the minutes of 9 May.

2.1 Cabinet considered the contents of the Plenary grid and noted voting time was scheduled for 5:30pm on Tuesday and around 6:25pm on Wednesday.

3.1 The Deputy Minister for Social Services introduced the paper, which invited Cabinet to agree to the publication of the Learning Disability Action Plan (LDAP).

3.2 The decision to develop a LDAP had been taken in August 2021. The plan in part responded to the recommendations of the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group’s report and evaluation of the Improving Lives programme.

3.3 In June 2021, following receipt of the report and the evaluation, the Deputy Minister had discussed with the Group its 43 recommendations and gained an understanding of the challenges and struggles faced by people with learning disabilities and their families during the pandemic.

3.4 People with learning disabilities had been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and had faced increased health risks and difficulties in accessing health and social services. Support structures, such as Local Authority day services, had been lost and people had become increasingly susceptible to loneliness and isolation, while facing difficulties in accessing and receiving appropriate, accessible advice and guidance.

3.5 Therefore, many of the priorities within the plan reflected the actions identified to mitigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

3.6 Furthermore, the LDAP set out the government’s strategic policy priorities for the remainder of the Senedd. The plan and the policy priorities had been developed following significant collaboration and co-production with delivery partners, including a targeted 6-week engagement exercise with public sector service providers, third sector partners and stakeholders. In addition to the engagement with the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group there had been consultation with individuals with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

3.7 Policy priorities reflected Programme for Government commitments to reduce inequalities and improve services for people with disabilities, thereby creating a more equal and fair society. Many of the actions also built on stated priorities of digital innovation, prevention, early intervention and service improvement.

3.8 A number of the priorities within the plan reflected legacy actions from the previous 3-year Learning Disability Improving Lives programme, which formally ended in March 2021, and were significantly impacted in its final year by the pandemic.

3.9 Cabinet welcomed the paper and specifically the collaborative approach to developing the LDAP, along with the commitment to ensuring the needs of individuals with learning difficulties from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities were being met.

3.10 Cabinet approved the paper and noted there would be an oral statement announcing publication of the plan on 24th May.