National Office for Care and Support in Wales formally launched

The National Office for Care and Support has launched in Wales to assist innovation, improvement and transformation of adult and children’s services.

The Office will bring together the 22 local authorities, involve people who use social care services, their carers, the workforce, professional bodies, and key partners to work together to delivery national priorities, quality standards, particularly in relation to commissioning of care and support services.

Newly-appointed Minister for Social Care Dawn Bowden said the nation needs to reconsider how the older population are cared for.

“The number of people aged 85 and over in Wales is projected to increase by more than 65% over the next 20 years – it is to be celebrated that we are living longer but it also means we need to radically rethink how we care for our older population.”

“As our society gets older we need to look carefully at how we care for our oldest citizens and provide a system that works for everyone and is free at the point of need,” Plaid Cymru Designated Member Cefin Campbell added. “The establishment of the National Office for Care and Support is a small but important step in delivering this vision.”

As part of the Welsh Government’s longer-term goal to strengthen social care arrangements at a national level, the launch also marks the first part of the phased plan to implement the National Care Service, which is a shared priority in the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Ms Bowden added that the Office will play an “essential role” in the integration of health and social care.

“The launch of the National Office for Care and Support is another important milestone in our ambitious journey to create a National Care and Support Service. It will be crucial to help guide the sector as it drives improvements in access to care and the experience of service users.”

The National Office for Care and Support will primarily focus on supporting the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales in their role, delivering a National Care Service for Wales, and implementing the National Commissioning Framework for Care and Support in Wales.

Albert Heaney, Chief Social Care Officer for Wales, added that the new body will help to allocate resources and improve outcomes.

“It will help me, as the Chief Social Care Officer to direct resources where they are most in need and benefit the most vulnerable, driving improvement in the national delivery of social care in Wales to achieve better and more equitable outcomes, access, and service-user experience.”