Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
Today I am writing to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee providing further evidence to inform the debate on social enterprise in social care. This is in the form of an evidence and scoping paper.
I want to re-enforce our commitment to social enterprises, co-operatives, user led services and the third sector as set out in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill. I believe the Bill in its entirety embeds in law, a Welsh model in which co -production and other forms of partnership and co-operative activity could flourish. This is an under developed approach in the field of social care. It is about promoting user led services, co-operatives and social enterprise. This is critical to developing the new preventative, early intervention approach set out in our policy, and to giving people a stronger voice and real control. There are many exciting opportunities to explore with these models, and many examples of how these have been used to enable people themselves to be fully involved as co-producers in the delivery of services.
My officials have arrangements in place to take forward my commitments to ensure such models grow and flourish in Wales.