Written question WQ87556

We are working with our partners on a range of actions to support recruitment into all aspects of social care in Wales, including those in rural areas.

This includes Social Care Wales’ ‘WeCare.Wales’ campaign and jobs portal and wider actions to improve recruitment in the medium term, such as our commitment to paying social care workers the Real Living Wage. The Social Care Fair Work Forum is also looking more widely at what can be done to improve the employment terms and conditions of social care workers right across Wales, including in rural areas.

The Welsh Government also supports the work of partnerships such as Rural Health and Care Wales, which is working to improve training, recruitment and retention of a professional workforce within rural communities. This partnership brings together Hywel Dda, Betsi Cadwaladr and Powys health boards with the Welsh Ambulance Service and Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd councils and all our Higher Education Institutes to ensure that we have the quality services and the workforce we all want for the people of Wales.

Alongside the delivery of the Real Living Wage, the social care workforce grant has provided local authorities with £45m to fund the delivery of sustainable social care since 2019, including supporting a range of workforce interventions, such as salary uplifts and strengthening staffing in some areas.