Social Care News

'Seismic shift' towards regional partnership groups and leadership forums welcomed by CFW's chair

Care Forum Wales' chair Mario Kreft has welcomed the announcement by the deputy minister for social services of a new structure for social services with regional partnership groups and leadership forums taking centre stage.

The new structure will mean bringing local government, health, third and private sectors together which Mr Kreft called a "seismic shift".

Announcing the changes at the ADSS Cymru conference in Llandudno on June 26, Ms Thomas (pictured) said: "Our ability to deliver transformation for people is dependent on our national and regional leadership, with a commitment to working together as full partners across local government, health, the third and private sectors.  Bringing people around that table too as full partners must be a priority for us.
 
“We have already demonstrated how we can break down barriers, innovate and drive change through our national leadership arrangements. I now want to see those successful arrangements replicated at regional level. Specifically, I want to see each region operating a Partnership Forum and Leadership Group model from this year, and a Citizen’s Panel from 2015-16."

Mario Kreft said: "The new regional structure is an important step in the right direction. As somebody who sits and works at that national level, I know for a fact that bringing the statutory bodies, the third voluntary sector and the private sector together is making a difference. This is already happening at national level and to have a Minister saying that this must [happen] by the end of the year be replicated on a regional basis is a seismic shift."