Social care

Guidance and services

• Social services codes of practice
  Guidance for local authorities and social care professionals on their responsibilities under the Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Act 2014.
• Charging for social care
  Local authorities can charge for the social care and support a person receives.
• Social services complaints procedure
  Guidance for local authorities on how to handle complaints about social services.
• The law on care and support: summary
  A summary of the Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Act 2014 and how it affects health and care services.
• The law on care and support: factsheets
  How the Social Services and Well Being (Wales) Act 2014 affects people who need care and support and those caring for them.
• Well-being statement for people who need care and carers
  Explains what well-being means for people who need care and support and carers who need support.
• Safeguarding: guidance for organisations
  Guidance to help organisations follow the law on safeguarding and protecting the welfare of people.
• Sustainable social services third sector grant: application form
  Complete this form to apply for the sustainable social services third sector grant.
• Performance measurement framework for local authorities: factsheet
  The aim of the framework and how it will help improve care and support services.
• Social services performance measures 2018 to 2019: technical guidance
  Guidance to help local authorities measure the performance of their social services.
• Evaluating social services support for adults
  Documents to help local authorities get feedback on adult care and support services.
• Evaluating social services support for parents
  Documents to help local authorities get feedback from parents on care and support services.
• Evaluating social services support for children
  Documents to help local authorities get feedback on care and support services for children.
• Individual care plans: guidance for patients with chronic conditions
  How a care plan can help improve your health and well-being if you have a long term health condition.
• Review and monitoring of a child or young person’s care and support plan
  Standards for Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) when reviewing the care of looked-after children.
• Social services national outcomes framework: factsheet
  Explains the social services national outcomes framework and how it will help people who need care and support and carers.
• Advocacy standards and outcomes framework for children and young people
  The standards advocacy service providers have to meet when supporting children and young people.
• Directions for providing a National Adoption Service: letter
  Letter to local authorities about laws requiring them to work together to provide a National Adoption Service.
• Joint adoption service arrangements for local authorities
  The regulations that outline how local authorities must work together on adoption services.
• Guidance for regulated adoption services
  Guidance to help providers of regulated adoption services meet regulations.
• Intercountry adoption guidance
  Guidance for local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies on the adoption of children who are a national of a different country.
• Guidance for regulated fostering services
  Guidance to help providers of regulated fostering services meet regulations.
• Young people leaving foster care
  Guidance to help professionals who make arrangements for young people leaving care.
• Guidance for providers of care home and domiciliary support services
  Guidance to help providers and responsible individuals meet regulations.
• Supporting people moving to a care home
  Guidance for care homes on what to include in a welcome pack for new residents.
• Mealtimes in care homes
  Guidance for care homes to help them provide positive dining experiences for residents.
• Review of low and medium secure placements in independent hospitals (WHC/2016/019)
  Details of a review on mental health and learning disability placements in independent hospitals.
• Evaluating social services support for carers
  Documents to help local authorities get feedback from carers on care and support services.
• Handling child protection cases across borders
  Guidance for health boards and NHS trusts on how to work with other countries to protect children.
• Flu vaccinations for residential care and nursing home staff in 2018 (WHC/2018/036)
  Advice on the free NHS flu vaccination programme for staff working in care and nursing homes.
• Unaccompanied asylum seeking children: guidance for professionals
  Social workers and foster carers can use these leaflets to help unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
• Welsh language in health and social care
  How we plan to improve availability of Welsh language services in health and social care.
• Regulation and inspection of social care: summary
  How the law on regulation of social care makes sure that care and support services are as good as they can be.
• Social services national outcomes framework: technical guidance
  Guidance on how to measure improvements in social care.
• Recording progress on personal outcomes in a care plan: guidance
  Guidance for local authorities and social workers on how to measure improvements to the lives of carers and the people they care for.
• Guidance for adult placement services
  Guidance to help providers of adult placement services meet regulations.
• Directions for the delivery of the National Adoption Service
  What local authorities must do to ensure effective joint arrangements to deliver adoption services are in place.
• Welsh language in social care: guidance for staff
  Advice to help you provide social care and social services to patients in Welsh.
• Sustainable social services third sector grant 2020 to 2023: guidance
  Guidance on what is available, who is eligible and how to apply for the sustainable social services third sector grant.
• Social services and well-being legislation (WHC/2015/045)
  Guidance on the sections of the law on social care that are relevant to health boards and trusts.
• Improving outcomes for children: phase 3 (2018 to 2021)
  Sets out the 3 work streams for the next stage of the programme.
• Guidance for regulated advocacy services
  Guidance to help providers of regulated advocacy services meet regulations.
• Measuring social services performance: code of practice
  Guidance for local authorities on how to measure progress on improving care and support services.

Policy and background Includes strategy, reports, projects and assessments.

• Social services: strategy
  Policy and strategy
  What we will do to ensure that social services provide good quality care and support.
• Social services national outcomes framework
  Policy and strategy
  How we will measure progress on improving care and support services.
• Social services national outcomes framework: annual report 2017 to 2018
  Report
  The progress we have made in improving care and support services from 2017 to 2018.
• Strategy for older people 2013 to 2023
  Policy and strategy
  What we will do to ensure the well being of people aged over 50.
• Strategy for older people 2013 to 2023: delivery plan
  Policy and strategy
  The actions we will take to ensure the well being of people aged over 50.
• Albert Heaney
  Key people
  Albert Heaney is the Director of Social Services and Integration
• Resilience of health and care services: 2017 to 2018
  Report
  A review of how well health and care services managed over winter 2017 to 2018.
• Paying for care: research March 2019
  Report
  Findings of a survey on the public's understanding of social care and paying for care.
• Ministerial advisory group for carers: annual plan 2018 to 2019
  Policy and strategy
  Ministerial Advisory Group for Carers
  What we are doing to support and improve the lives of carers.
• Understanding the social care experiences of citizens: a citizen’s jury report
  Report
  Findings of a public group who met to discuss what matters in social care.
• Response to the Flynn Report (Operation Jasmine)
  Report
  Recommendations from public bodies on how to ensure the well-being of older people in care homes.
• Response to the Flynn Report (Operation Jasmine): safeguarding boards
  Report
  Recommendations from safeguarding boards on how to ensure the well-being of older people in care homes.
• Reducing the number of children in need of care
  Report
  Improving Outcomes for Children Advisory Group
  Recommendation about how local authorities can help and support families and children.
• Understanding the social care experiences of citizens: final report
  Report
  A review to find out if the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act has helped to improve social care.
• Review on the neglect of older people living in care homes
  Report
  A report on the experiences of older people living in care homes in Gwent (Operation Jasmine).
• Social services: report by the independent commission
  Report
  Independent report on social services with recommendations on how to improve them.
• Use of antipsychotic medication in care homes
  Report
  Report and recommendations on the use of antipsychotic medicines in the treatment of dementia.
• Adoption support services
  Report
  Report of a study of adoption agencies and adoptive parents on post adoption support services.
• Adoption disruption research study
  Report
  Results of a research study to find out why some adoption placements do not work out.
• Adoption disruption study: final report
  Report
  A report on the challenges faced by adoptive families and the support services needed to help prevent disruption.
• Adults with learning disabilities: policy and practice statement
  Policy and strategy
  What we are doing to improve the lives of people with a learning disability.
• Care home visits
  FOI release
  The number of visits to care homes undertaken by the Minister for Health and Social Services.
• CMA care homes market study: government response
  Public response
  Government response to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) final report on the care homes market.
• Tawel Fan investigation
  FOI release
  The number of messages between the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Chair of the Independent Oversight Panel, HASCAS - Tawel Fan investigation.
• Regional Partnership Boards in Wales
  FOI release
  Inspection of the Regional Partnership Boards in Wales work programmes.
• Cygnet Health Care
  FOI release
  Copies of correspondence with Cygnet Health Care relating to care provided to Welsh patients.
• Preventing and responding to child sexual abuse: national action plan
  Policy and strategy
  What we will do to keep children safe from sexual abuse and to support abused children.
• National review of delivery of urgent and emergency care over winter 2018 to 2019
  Report
  A review of how well health and social care services in Wales managed over winter 2018 to 2019.
• The Adoption and Children Act 2002 (Joint Adoption Arrangements) (Wales) (Amendment) Directions 2019
  Legislation
  These Directions reduce the timeframe local authorities have to refer details of prospective adoptive children and adopters to the Wales Adoption Register.
• Improving outcomes for children: 2 year plan
  Policy and strategy
  Improving Outcomes for Children Advisory Group
  How we plan to improve care services for children and families in need of help and support.
• Health and social care Brexit information materials
  Promotional material
  Posters and leaflets to help health and social care organisations prepare for Brexit.