Welsh social care report calls for a more consistent and modern service

The Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW) has published its annual report on the Welsh social care service. Although it acknowledges that service levels are improving, the report criticises the variations between Welsh regions in both quality of care and access to services. The CSSIW reports that service users are becoming increasingly involved in decisions about their care and, on the whole, are being treated with dignity. However, it urges local authorities to move more quickly to modernise services despite shrinking budgets. CSSIW chief inspector Imelda Richardson described on BBC Radio Wales how councils will benefit from ‘…better partnership arrangements with other authorities who are doing well, learning from those who are doing well so that you’re able to refocus, redesign your own services and also listening to what people themselves want because often they want quite simple services and not complex ones.’ The Care Forum for Wales has welcomed the report’s recommendations, calling them ‘…a challenge that all parties responsible for social services and social care must sign up to and face together.’ The report can be read in full at the Welsh Assembly Government website.