The Welsh Government Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has launched an inquiry into loneliness and isolation. The closing date for responses is 10 March 2017

The Committee would welcome your views on any or all of the following points:

• the evidence for the scale and causes of the problems of isolation and loneliness, including factors such as housing, transport, community facilities, health and wellbeing services;
• the impact of loneliness and isolation on older people in terms of physical and mental health and wellbeing, including whether they disproportionately affect certain groups such as those with dementia;
• the impact of loneliness and isolation on the use of public services, particularly health and social care;
• ways of addressing problems of loneliness and isolation in older people, including interventions to specifically address the problems and other projects with wider aims.  Evidence for what works and the outcomes for older people in terms of health and wellbeing;
• the extent to which initiatives to combat loneliness and isolation experienced by other groups may also help to address these issues for older people;
• current policy solutions in Wales and their cost effectiveness, including the Ageing Well in Wales programme.  The approach taken by the Welsh Government in terms of maintaining community infrastructure and support, and using the legislative framework created in the Fourth Assembly, e.g. the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Guidance

Submissions should be no longer than five sides of A4, with numbered paragraphs, and should focus on matters set out above. Please see guidance for those providing evidence for committees.

The deadline for responses is 10 March 2017.

Please send your views to: SeneddHealth@assembly.wales

Bilingual Policy

The Committee welcomes contributions in English or Welsh.

Disclosure of Information

You can find further details about how we will use your information at www.assembly.wales/InquiryPrivacy. Please ensure that you have considered these details carefully before submitting information to the Committee.

Committee address

Clerk: Sian Thomas

National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1NA

Phone: 0300 200 6291