Sustainable Social Services The Challenges Our Approach Delivery

1. Sustainable Social Services • The Challenges • Our Approach • Delivery

2. Public Service-wide Resource pressures Changing social expectations Demographic Growth, impact of dementia etc. Social Service-focused Visibility of its work – ‘the need to respond’. Lack of universality and the fear of fragmentation. Role of the private and voluntary sector at the heart of delivery. Lack of public awareness of social care – its funding, logistics and role. Externalities - poverty, welfare, crime - impacting on specific client groups such as children, frail. Overall, the specific nature of the levers for change. The challenges of strategic change in Social Services

3. Our approach to the strategic transformation of Social Services: Programme for Government • The Welsh Government’s social care policy is set out in its Programme for Government: • Better social services will be delivered by ensuring citizens have a much stronger voice and greater control over the services they receive. • We will make the way that services are delivered simpler, and by working collaboratively with others we will focus on improving the well-being of all our citizens. • We will lead a shared approach with our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver the transformational vision set out in Sustainable Social Services. • This builds upon and seeks to put into place the ambitions set out in the Welsh Government’s key policy document Sustainable Social Services: A Framework for Action, published in February 2011.

4. Our strategic approach to the transformation of Social Services: the journey over the last year August 2011 May 2011 February 2011 December 2010

5. Set out our principles Identify priority areas for action Provide, and facilitate, leadership for Social Services in Wales Enable and empower citizens and service professionals Create new service models to deliver our principles Refocus our inspection and regulation Embed our progress in legislation Given the high level of priority of this agenda, the complexity of change required and the timescales involved (five years), a co-ordinated approach, expressed as a formal programme, has been put in place. This Programme has ten key areas of work: Our strategic approach to the transformation of Social Services

6. A new accord for social services A strong voice and real control for citizens A stronger framework for safeguarding More integrated services for children A new improvement framework A strong and professional delivery team More integrated services for older people Refocusing our inspection and regulation A Social Services Act for Wales Communicating the Changes • A new accord for social services • A new Partnership Forum and revised leadership groups • A new strategic and collaborative approach to commissioning at local, regional and national levels. • Reinforcement of corporate accountability, through the statutory role of the Director of Social Services and through the corporate parenting role of the local authority. • Delivering a strategic voice for citizens • A new improvement framework • A National Outcomes Framework, supported by straightforward performance indicators • Progress on information sharing across partners • A mandatory set of National Standards, common to all services • Bring all those with an interest in this agenda to develop plan for improvement based on the achievement of our national outcomes. • Standards and oversight arrangements for Looked after Children • A strong voice and real control for citizens • Improvement in the information available about social care • Clarifying citizen’s access to services through assessment frameworks, national eligibility criteria for all services, and portable assessments of need • A new approach to advocacy and complaints for service users. • Strengthening the social enterprise sector, innovative approaches such social bonds and time-banking • A child’s right to be heard • A new approach to self-directed care and support • Continued development of the availability of the Welsh Language in service provision • Review of our Carers’ Strategy • A strong and professional delivery team • The establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Social Care Research. • Nationally-led, senior management development to stretch existing leaders and to grow the next generation • Clearer career pathways both for social work and social care • Continued professionalisation of managers of care and children’s homes through regulated training and qualification-based registers and post registration qualifications • New arrangements, through the regulatory system, for the gathering of mandatory information on the social care workforce. • A review of post-qualifying training for professionals with a view to national standards for CPD • A stronger framework for safeguarding • National Safeguarding Board alongside rationalisation of local and regional arrangements • Coherent legal framework for adult protection, alongside a revised and simplified framework for children • Implementation of Child Practice Review • Drive forward more integrated services for children • Addressing families with complex needs, including roll-out of IFSS, linkages with Families First • Review of placement models and stability including a National Adoption Agency • A new model for Family Justice • Scope options to reform the transition arrangements for disabled children • Drive forward more integrated services for adults • A new approach to frailty and dementia • A consistent and collaborative approach to re-ablement • Delivery of a national care contract, alongside consideration of the issue of care home stability, including funding, in light of externalities such as ‘Paying for Care’ Refreshing our inspection and regulation • Delivering the new approach to inspection and regulation in Wales • A Social Services Act for Wales • Set out a coherent legal framework for Wales • Embedding in statute new principles, standards and powers • Communicating the changes • Increased understanding of Sustainable Social Services across the social services community • Engagement of stakeholders and citizens in the changes underway • Raised public awareness of social services in Wales and the changes underway Our programme approach

7. Upcoming – some examples Consultation on the Social Services Bill from 12 March WLGA to deliver detailed implementation plan including commissioning, reablement etc. Consultation on complaints and citizen-directed care Older Person’s Strategy and Carers Strategy reviews First draft of Outcomes framework for social services Delivery – progress and next steps • Progress – some examples • Partnership Forum and Leadership Group established and operating successfully • Announcement about a major Social Services Bill – scrutiny from Autumn • Detailed work undertaken by ADSS / WLGA about the way forward. • Deputy Ministerial statement on safeguarding issued

8. Social Services Bill • 1 - Maintaining and enhancing the wellbeing of people in need - principles • 2 – A Stronger voice and real control eg assessment, portability, eligibility, carers, direct payments • 3 – Strong national direction and accountability for delivery eg Outcomes, Directors of Social Services, Joint Working • 4 – Safeguarding and protection • 5 – Regulation and inspection • 6 – Services eg Adoption & Transitions for Disabled Children and Young People

9. Keys Issues • Social Services unsustainable without change • Well being not Welfare • Needs not Services driven • Early intervention/prevention • Integration of Service Delivery • Social Enterprise – lever for change • Medium term change process – leadership and culture • Legislation important tool for specific changes – not needed for everything • Sustainable Social Services Programme will drive change