14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Children’s Rights
On 20 November, we will be celebrating World Children's Day. This year marks the thirty-first anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is also 12 years since we passed the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales)…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Children’s Rights
Dirprwy Lywydd, everyone in this Senedd shares the responsibility to ensure that the rights of all children are understood, are recognised and are respected throughout Wales.
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
I thank Alun Davies for, again, a very important question. He's right that we are working in regions and a lot of the funding that we're putting in is going into regional partnership boards in order to ensure that the solutions are done on a regional basis…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you, Heledd, for raising that very important point. The Welsh language is a priority within the improvement programme and we are conducting specific pieces of work within the five-year action plan, 'More than just words'. We’re seeking to understand the…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you very much, Hefin, for that contribution, and also thank you for the work that I know you do in this field. I think there is a disconnect between education and health and social services, and one of the ways we’re tackling that is to enable people…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you very much, Mabon, for those comments, many of which I am in agreement with. I think one of the points you made towards the end of your comments was about how important it was that people with neurodivergent conditions are involved, listened to, and…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you very much, Mark, for all of those points, and I'd like to pay tribute to all the work that you have done for and with people with neurodivergence. I know that it's an issue that you have consistently spoken about in this Chamber, and that you have…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr.
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Both of the reports I have referred to will be available before the end of the year.
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
As you are aware, through direct engagement with neurodivergent people, their parents and carers, the absence of prompt access to appropriate advice and support has been raised as an urgent gap that needed to be addressed. I asked officials to explore whether…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
I would also like to take this opportunity to update you on the listening line.
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
As the statutory code of practice on the delivery of autism services was implemented in September 2021, I felt it was timely to conduct an independent evaluation of the code. The evaluation will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will review the…
14 November 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: Evaluation of the Autism Code of Practice and Neurodivergence Update
Thank you. Thank you very much for the opportunity to update Members on the progress we are making on delivering on our programme for government commitment to improve services and support for neurodivergent people.
8 November 2023 , Plenary
Short Debate: Can carers afford to care?
Well, I didn't know it had run out, but I will certainly take that back and come back to you with the information. Thank you for drawing that to my attention. So, in any case, we asked the Association of Directors of Social Services to undertake a rapid…
8 November 2023 , Plenary
Short Debate: Can carers afford to care?
As you know, the inflation shock last October means that our Welsh Government settlement in 2023-24 is up to £900 million lower in real terms than expected at the time of the 2020-21 spending review. So, we're under great financial pressure. But, despite…
8 November 2023 , Plenary
Short Debate: Can carers afford to care?
The challenging financial climate and how we are supporting unpaid carers to continue in their vital role is of huge importance to me. Unpaid carers provide an enormous contribution to the people they care for and to our communities across Wales. I feel…
8 November 2023 , Plenary
Short Debate: Can carers afford to care?
Thank you, Sioned, for the opportunity to discuss unpaid carers in the Chamber today.
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
I have to leave at 11:30.
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
Yes, I am.
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
I think we're confident that, in the vast majority of cases, it is. We have had isolated examples given to us where there's been a complaint that it hasn't reached and we have followed all those up, but those have been very small numbers and, on the whole…
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
Well, the numbers have increased. In September, the numbers actually increased. I don't know whether you've got the figures, Albert.
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
Well, when I was at Builth Wells in the summer, I had a meeting with people from the local authorities, and the local authorities have, as I say, taken over now the funding of the cards. So, I've asked for that to be reviewed now to see how it's actually…
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
Yes, the young unpaid carers. Yes, that’s a very important area of our work, and this summer, in August, we had a three-day festival, a young carers festival, in Builth Wells, which was absolutely tremendous. I went down to visit and spent some time there and…
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
Yes. The first point to make is that the vast majority of carers are doing it because they want to do it, and I think we all pay tribute to what they do. But we are putting in measures of support, some of it financial, and some of it supportive of them and…
8 November 2023 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Deputy Minister for Social Services and the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being
I think this is important information from the ADSS, and we are taking very seriously what they're recommending. We've got a ministerial advisory group, a very important group, consisting of people with lived experiences of care, and we're asking them to…
