11 June 2009
Advance Notice
Delivering the change… A Shared Responsibility
National Social Services Conference for Wales 2009
17th-18th June 2009, National Museum for Wales and Hilton Hotel, Cardiff
Rt. Hon Rhodri Morgan, First Minister, Gwenda Thomas, AM, Deputy Minister for Social Services and Jane Hutt, AM, Minister for Children, Education and Life-Long Learning and Skills are three of many key speakers to address over 200 delegates attending a national social services conference next week in Cardiff.
The agenda is set for challenging, thought-provoking and opinion-fuelled debate as professional and political leaders from across the public, private and independent sectors discuss ways to improve social services within the most difficult and demanding of contexts.
Over the last 6 months, it is fair to say that social care has been scrutinised more than any other profession and the pressure for councils and their social care partners to improve services and outcomes for vulnerable people and restore people’s confidence in the system is urgent, albeit within a climate of extremely finite resources. However, the healthy and strong partnership that exists in Wales between professionals and politicians creates the right environment for overcoming these challenges.
Next Wednesday and Thursday, delegates will hear from a range of speakers who will offer their views for advancing the social services improvement agenda in Wales across a number of cross cutting themes.
Social services users will share their personal social care experiences, professionals will give an insight into the everyday challenges they face and political leaders will discuss the need to shape social services differently for the future and create the right social care setting for people to flourish.
Other leading politicians and professionals participating in the event, include:
• Rhian Huws Williams, CEO, Care Council for Wales
• Robert Pickford, Chief Inspector, CSSIW
• Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales
• Cllr Meryl Gravell, WLGA Social Services Spokesperson
• Neelam Bhardwaja, President, ADSS Cymru
• Keith Ingham, Director of Children’s Health and Social Services Policy, WAG
• Peter Ridsdale, Chairman, Cardiff City Football Club
• Mario Kreft, Honorary CEO, Care Forum Wales
• Yvonne Rodgers, Director Barnardo’s Cymru
The conference programme, designed to promote the collaborative approach to social services improvement in Wales, includes presentations, workshops and exhibitions highlighting local practice.
Key areas for discussion include:
• Social Work: A profession for the Future
• Safeguarding vulnerable adults: Just how safe are your service users?
• Safeguarding Children
• Children’s services: The Challenge of doing things differently
• Suicide and Self Harm Prevention
• Empowering people with learning disabilities
• Protecting the public: A mental health user perspective
• Integrated Family support: supporting vulnerable children and their families
• Joint working to improve continuing Health Care services
• Creating a world in which older people can flourish
The awards ceremony for the Social Care Accolades 2009 will follow the end of the conference on Thursday 18th June. The Accolades, organised by the Care Council for Wales and other partners, are important in recognising and celebrating the achievements of organisations and teams across Wales who have invested in their workforce to improve social care services and outcomes.
Next week’s National Social Services Conference and Accolades event have been planned to support a number of other activities happening across Wales during Social Care Week 2009 (15th -19th June)
The National Social Services Conference programme is available at: http://www.adsscymru.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3968
For more information contact: Natasha Weeks