Local Government is committed to working with the new Welsh Government to achieve:
- Influence on the UK Government on non devolved policy to ensure that changes regarding social care and wider benefit reform do not undermine our ability to meet need in Wales;
- A jointly costed and coherent implementation plan to support local authorities as they respond to the Sustainable Social Services in Wales – A Strategic Framework for Action;
- Effective collaboration between local authorities for the commissioning of social care and the provision of business support;
- An alignment between the NHS, Social Care and relevant local government services based on complementary policy frameworks, performance management systems and integrated service delivery;
- Any extension of the Integrated Family Support Service should reflect the learning from the pioneer sites and subject to adequate funding;
- Continued investment in high quality, focused improvement support which can continue to build capacity in social services resulting in radical and rapid service transformation; and
- A full recognition that local government has a public health role rooted within it particularly the utilisation of our services to tackle inequalities in health, life chances and wellbeing.
Background:
Social Services is an integral and significant statutory function within local councils. It responds to approximately 160,000 people who have been assessed to qualify for care. To be eligible for care, people will have critical or substantial challenges to their independence. Local authorities do more than provide high quality formal care and support; they work with all other parts of council services to enable people to lead as independent lives as they can and to participate fully in society.
The care system is under increasing pressure. Change is needed to modernise outdated services, bureaucracy needs to be stripped away, and councils need continued support to pursue collaborative approaches to commissioning and provision of services. We need a workforce which has the skills and confidence to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.
Much is being done to complement a care system which is locally based and engaged with citizens and communities with collaborative systems that better manage markets and share scarce skills and expertise. In all parts of Wales collaborative systems are being put in place for commissioning complex adult care and children’s services. Work is in hand to share specialist business support such as legal services.
The current government in Westminster is embarking on radical reform to benefit systems, and these will have major consequences for how individuals, communities and councils work together in the future. Welsh local government and the Welsh Government have a responsibility to work together to influence the UK Government and to develop policies in Wales which can adapt to the benefit policies determined for the whole UK.
To respond to peoples’ needs, we rely heavily on unpaid carers – volunteers, family and a vast array of voluntary sector and private sector providers. It represents a complex web of care provision that is constantly changing and adapting. Local Authorities have the statutory responsibility to strategically shape and develop this provision with its partners in this challenging era of resource constraint. This will require an effective partnership between local government and the Welsh Government.
In February 2011 the current Welsh Government provided a very clear direction of travel with an increased shift of accountability to councils to deliver “sustainable” social services. Local government welcomes the policy direction, and has been closely involved in shaping it. We will now need to work together to agree clear implementation strategies which can be rapidly implemented. Much will be achieved by local authorities rationalising their own processes. Equally new commitments will require new resources. For example, the radical plans to provide intensive family support for children living in families compromised because of parents’ dependency on substance misuse will need to be resourced.
The performance in councils has improved year on year, and this is recognised by all. Dedicated improvement support and capacity plays a small, but important, part in this success. It is imperative that dedicated improvement support remains and is delivered in effective and flexible ways.
As with all care services we will need to ensure that responses to acute pressure do not drive out the necessary investment in prevention and support for independent living. Partnership working with key statutory partners, such as the NHS and the criminal justice system, will be essential. To this end we need leadership and consistent performance management from the Welsh Government to align the contributions of various partners.