Written question WQ98072

The Social Services and Well‑being (Wales) Act 2014 places voice, choice and control at the heart of social care in Wales. This statutory principle requires professionals to actively involve individuals in the planning of their care and support, ensuring that services are shaped around what matters most to people and the outcomes they wish to achieve.

The National Framework for Commissioning Care and Support (the Framework) is a statutory Code of Practice issued under section 145 of the Act. The Framework requires commissioners to deliver consistent, ethical, effective and transformative commissioning, and to demonstrate the values and principles of both the Social Services and Well‑being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Well‑being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Central to the Framework is a clear expectation that commissioning activity is person‑centred and outcomes‑focused, with co‑production and individual voice, choice and control embedded throughout. By design, the Framework seeks to increase choice for service users, ensuring commissioning decisions support wellbeing outcomes informed by lived experience.

The Code of Practice requires statutory partners to evidence that the commissioning of care and support services is co‑produced, co‑designed, co‑delivered and co‑evaluated with individuals who need care and support, strengthening accountability for how people’s voices shape services.