Huw Irranca-Davies AM – Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
I am pleased to be able to announce an additional £15m investment in preventative services that support adults with care needs and carers who need support.
This additional funding will be provided to regional partnership boards to promote increased joint working between local authorities, health boards, the third sector and other partners. The funding will help develop services to reduce delayed transfers of care and keep people out of hospital, as well as providing help for carers.
To mark Carers Rights Day, I want to say thank you to the huge number of unpaid carers across Wales. Their selfless contribution makes an incredibly invaluable difference to those they care for, their families, and the wider community.
To support them, we will be investing part of the £15m to improve direct support for carers – in particular, respite services, so that carers are able to take a break, supporting them as carers and in their life alongside caring. This additional money will bolster progress on delivering the three National Priorities for Carers - supporting life alongside caring; identifying and recognising carers; and providing information, advice and support.
The Welsh Government is currently investigating ways to improve the quality and appropriateness of respite support for carers, including the types and frequency of respite and other support across Wales. Additional funding will enable public and third sector organisations to make progress on this agenda.
The Draft Budget 2019-20 provides for an additional £30 million for regional partnership boards. A Healthier Wales: Our Plan for Health and Social Care makes clear that regional boards will be responsible for driving the development of new models of seamless health and social care.
I previously announced on 13 November that we will invest £15 million of this total £30 million next year to help reduce the need for children to enter care and supporting children in care.
This money is in addition to the £50 million in revenue funding that the Draft Budget again provides for the Integrated Care Fund in 2019-20 and the £100 million Transformation funding over two years to support the introduction of new models of care, to deliver the objectives of A Healthier Wales.