24 February 2026 , Plenary
The Regulated Adoption Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) and Adoption Support Services (Local Authorities) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026
Diolch, Llywydd. The Welsh statutory instrument before you today introduces amendments to the regulated adoption services regulations 2019 and the adoption support services regulations 2005. These amendments represent a thoughtful, proportionate and…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Thank you, Julie, for that question. Can I say and put on record, probably for the last time that I'm going to be speaking on these matters in the Chamber—? I've got a couple of other regulations and things coming up, but I think this is the last time I'm…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Thank you, Jane. It's a very valid question. I think the point of the national social care academy is, as I was trying to say in my statement, that we will set out a national framework for local delivery, because you cannot have 'one size fits all'. You…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Absolutely. Thank you, Lesley, for those comments. I absolutely agree with everything you've said about the workforce and the importance of the workforce. We've talked many times, haven't we, in this Chamber about the fact that you cannot talk about the NHS…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Diolch, Mabon, for those points, and again, thank you for your largely welcoming comments on the statement. What I said in my statement was that the social care workforce survey this year has shown that there is increased satisfaction. I note the point that…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Well, can I thank Peter Fox for those comments and for largely welcoming what I've said today? You will appreciate that I have made separate statements about unpaid carers, and I gave evidence to committee on unpaid carers, and I know that you have written to…
24 February 2026 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care: Supporting the Social Care Workforce
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Now, supporting our social care workforce is an ongoing priority for this Government. Social care workers sit at the heart of our communities, providing dignity, compassion and skilled support to our most vulnerable. In recent years…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Yes, and that's why I was saying, Joyce, we do have these regular meetings, on a regional basis, because the whole regional setup is something that is driving forward the progress. This isn't done in isolation by individual health boards and individual local…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Thank you, Joyce, for that question. Just to reiterate what I said in response to the question from Mabon, we do have these regular discussions. We have regular groups and forums. They're in a very formalised setting. They're very high level. Some are chaired…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
I think we've made really positive progress on that. There are very tangible actions that we can point to that we've undertaken in this Senedd term, which has been about improving the sustainability of the social care workforce, and there's clearly still work…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, no, it's not acceptable if there are areas that are falling down in the way that you're suggesting. And I certainly know of anecdotal evidence of health boards and local authorities having that sort of tension around what is delivered, particularly…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Well, the first thing I would say is I'm not sure it's for me to tell the next Welsh Government what they should and shouldn't be doing, but I think that there is significant evidence of what has already been achieved and what needs to be continued, and I…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Absolutely. Can I just say, Chair, one of the things I did talk about last time—? Just to say, I have written to all local authorities about that, and we now have all their responses, which we're pulling together now and we're analysing, and I should be…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
We have to accept the evidence that we've got, because this is direct evidence that we've received from people that we have asked. If you look at Carers Wales's 'Track The Act' report, it does show improvements in the satisfaction rates. But what it's also…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Thank you, Chair, for that question. Our measure of success is through the social services national outcomes framework, and we publish that every year. The 2025 report will be published before the end of this Senedd term. That report focuses on what matters…
4 February 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
General scrutiny session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Minister for Children and Social Care and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care.
3 February 2026 , Plenary
The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Regulation and Inspection of Social Care) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. In responding, I can confirm that the Welsh Government is satisfied that the regulations are sufficiently clear in the definition of the term 'supervision', and the aim of these amendments is simply to ensure that all the relevant…
3 February 2026 , Plenary
The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Regulation and Inspection of Social Care) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The regulations before you today are made under the Professional Qualifications Act 2022 and affect the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. They give effect to the requirements of both UK free trade agreements…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
Thank you. Thank you very much.
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
Well, as I said in a response to an earlier question, I get many calls being asked to ring-fence certain elements of funding to local authorities, but we have a very clear agreement with the WLGA that we don't do that, that local authorities have their own…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
I think you touched on that, John, in the question. It's that dilemma between having a national policy as a Government that you want to see delivered and then how a local authority delivers that in accordance with the needs of their local population. I don't…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
I think that the national commissioning framework is key to that, because that is about how commissioners commission the services that they need, whether it is support for unpaid carers or whether it is the wider social care provision of residential care and…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
It's certainly something I will make inquiries about, John, because I've seen no evidence that that is the case. As far as I'm concerned, it remains a statutory obligation of the local authority. I will reiterate that the short breaks scheme is not a…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
On respite care, that is one of the key things that I've asked in my letter to political leaders of local authorities: to set out not just what they're doing generally around unpaid carers, but specifically their respite provision. And not every carer's need…
22 January 2026 , Health and Social Care Committee
Improving access to support for unpaid carers: evidence session with the Minister for Children and Social Care
Just one thing I would say as well, Lesley, is that this is being done in parallel with virtual schools as well, so it isn't just in the physical school setting—this will be the virtual schools as well. FootnoteLink
