Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

Care and Support in Wales is changing, from April you will have more say in your Social Services

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is a new law that will give you more of a say in the care and support you receive. The new Act comes into force on 6 April 2016. It is the new law for improving the well-being of people who need care and support, and carers who need support.

Frequently asked questions about the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act.

Well-being

Well-being is an important part of the Act. It means that people

• are healthy
• feel good about their life
• are safe and protected
• can learn new things

For adults it also means

• control over their life
• being able to work

And for children it means they are

• able to grow up happily
• looked after well

To define what well-being means to the individual, and understand whether this is being achieved, Welsh Government has produced a Well-being Statement.

We will measure the well-being outcomes using a National Outcomes Framework.

This will enable progress to be followed both locally and nationally towards transforming care and support services.

What does the new Act mean for me?

The Act changes the way people’s needs are assessed and the way services are delivered. People will have more of a say in the care and support they receive.

It also promotes a range of help available within the community to reduce the need for formal, planned support.

• services will be available to provide the right support at the right time
• more information and advice will be available
• assessment will be simpler and proportionate
• carers will have an equal right to be assessed for support
• there will be stronger powers to keep people safe from abuse and neglect

What happens now?

A new assessment process for care and support will be based on what matters to the individual. It will consider personal strengths, support available from family members, friends and others in the community.

If you receive care or support, you will take part in the new process during your next scheduled review date. Your local authority will be able to provide more information.

Further Information

More information about the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act can be found on the Welsh Government website, including:

• codes of practice and statutory guidance
• technical briefings

To read the full version of the Act visit the legislation.gov website.

Or, alternatively, there are also accessible versions of the new Act available:

• Read ' The Essentials' - an overview of the Act here
• Read the Children and Young people's summary of the Act here
• Read an Easy to Read version of the Act here

The video below 'What matters to you, matters to us' gives you a useful insight into the Act, how it works and how it will affect you.

Other useful Resources

The Care Council for Wales has a comprehensive Information and Learning Hub Getting in on the Act for those working in social care, health and the third sector.

Guidance on Social Enterprises is a Welsh Government resource with a wealth of information for the public.

'Being at the centre' is a useful third sector leaflet produced by the WCVA. They have also produced the video 'Putting people at the Centre - the building blocks.' 

Cwm Taf Social Services and Well-being Area Plan

In response to the Cwm Taf Population Assessment published in 2017, a Joint Area Plan must be produced by 1 April 2018 by RCT and Merthyr Tydfil CBCs and the UHB, under the direction of the Cwm Taf SSWB Regional Partnership Board.