The Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill has today received Royal
Assent.
The new law, passed by the Senedd in February, will improve
services for children, families and disabled people.
Wales is the first UK nation to legislate to end private profit
in children's residential and foster care.
Care for looked after children will only be provided by the
public sector, charitable or not-for-profit organisations in the
future.
This will ensure that money going into the system is reinvested
into children's welfare, rather than taken as profit for
shareholders.
The law will also enable the introduction of direct payments
within continuing NHS healthcare, so that disabled people and
those with long term health conditions have greater control over
their care arrangements.
First Minister and Minister for Children and
Social Care marked the occasion by
officially sealing the Bill.
Minister for Children and Social Care, said:
"This landmark law represents a fundamental shift in how we care
for our most vulnerable people in Wales, whose voices have been
central in our decisions.
“By removing profit from the care of looked after children, we're
ensuring that funding goes towards improving outcomes for young
people and I'm proud that we're the first UK nation to take this
bold step.
“This reform, alongside empowering disabled people through direct
payments, shows our unwavering commitment to creating care
services which are built on compassion rather than commercial
interests.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in this Act, and we will
continue working together to transform our children's services
and improve health and social care.”
Joanne, who is a care-experienced young person, and a
member of Voices from Care Cymru said:
“Knowing that this is now law makes me feel proud as I know that
private profits won't be made from care experienced young people
in the future. The money now will be reinvested for us to thrive
and become the people that we want to be.
“These processes didn't happen overnight, and it took a lot of
time and hard work from us as young people, but we were not going
to give up. We will keep working hard to make the care system a
better place for children and young people.”
Rhian Davies, CEO of Disability Wales said:
“Disability Wales has long campaigned for disabled people in
receipt of continuing health care to have the same rights to
direct payments as their peers who access social care.
“This new law will enable continuing healthcare recipients to
make their own decisions regarding how and by whom their personal
support is provided. It marks a significant milestone in
progressing the right to independent living for all disabled
people in Wales.”
Notes to editors
Ending profit from the care of looked after children is part of
the Welsh Government's wider work to radically transform
children's care services:
- We want fewer children taken into care.
- We want services to provide the right support for families,
at the right time, to help them to stay together, wherever
possible.
- When children are taken into care, we want them to be
looked-after as close to home as possible, with the right support
for their needs.
- And when young people are ready to leave care, they will be
supported to plan for the future and lead independent lives.
Direct payments within NHS continuing healthcare
- Currently, people in receipt of continuing healthcare in
Wales have their care needs arranged by the NHS. Enabling them to
receive direct payments will allow them more choice over the way
their care needs are met.
