WAMES’ volunteer Sylvia Penny who cares for her adult daughter with ME, her adult son with asperger’s and her 90 year old mother, was one of the people interviewed on BBC Wales about the proposed changes to social care in Wales.
In the draft bill more people who look after disabled, sick and frail relatives could be entitled to help at home under proposals to change the law in Wales. Carers will have their needs assessed and could get a payment that puts them in control of their own care budget. But the Welsh government has said extra funding will not be required to deliver the Social Services and Wellbeing Bill.
WAMES joins other charities asking who will benefit, what support will be offered and when – 2016 is a long time away!
BBC news item: Helping hand for carers proposed in Wales
The Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services, Gwenda Thomas introduces the bill in a video on the Welsh Government website. (She speaks in Welsh first, then English)
According to the government the legislation will:
- Strengthen powers for safeguarding of children and adults, so that vulnerable people at risk in our society can be protected more effectively;
- Allow Welsh Ministers to consider extending the range of services available by direct payments, meaning people will have more control over the services they use;
- Introduce national eligibility criteria and ensure people are assessed on what they need, rather than just on what services are available locally;
- Introduce portable assessments, which means if people move from one part of Wales to another they will not require their needs to be re-assessed if these haven’t changed;
- Introduce a National Outcomes Framework to set out very clearly what children and adults can expect from social services, to measure achievements and see where improvements are needed; Contribute to this through the I matter, we matter campaign
- Introduce equivalent rights for carers so that people who care for someone such as an elderly or disabled relative or friend would get similar rights to the people they care for; and
- Establish a National Adoption Service to improve the outcomes of children in need of a permanent family.
