Social Care News

Welsh Residential Childcare Conference ‘could become annual event’

Wales’ first residential childcare conference since the Waterhouse Report more than a decade ago was held on April 26 in Cardiff – and the event was hailed such a success it could become an annual event.

Steve Elliott, of Prospects Care, who chairs CFW’s Residential Childcare Special Interest Forum, was one of the organisers of the conference. He said: “The level of interest in the conference was hugely encouraging – we had more than 100 delegates and there is a possibility it could become an annual event.

“It has given this sector a much-needed boost, enabling it to emerge publicly from the shadows of the Waterhouse Report more than a decade ago.”

The conference was organised by Care Forum Wales in partnership with the Care Council for Wales to draw attention to the positive contribution residential childcare can make to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable children and young people in society.

Steve Elliott explained: “One of the key messages that came out of the conference was that we need to find improved ways of working with local and national government to develop more flexible programmes of care.

“As a result of the conference, our CFW special interest group will be seeking a meeting with the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to see how the private sector should be responding to current challenges. We will also be developing a manifesto for the group to set out what we would like to change and improve in the coming years.”