The Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill, which has been laid in
the Senedd today, will also give people more say and control over
their healthcare by enabling direct payments for continuing
healthcare.
The Welsh Government's Programme for Government sets out
commitments to remove private profit from the care of
looked-after children.
Minister for Social Care heard from care-experienced
young people about why they have been campaigning for an end to
for-profit children's care placements in Wales, at an event
hosted by the charity Voices from Care Cymru.
She said:
“The Welsh Government is committed to an ambitious reform of
children's care services so they work better for children and
their families.
“We do not believe that private profit should be made from caring
for children and young people whose circumstances require them to
be in the care of a local authority.
“This Bill will eliminate private profit from the care of
looked-after children and ensure public money is used to deliver
improved services which meet children's needs and deliver better
experiences and outcomes.
“It will also enable direct payments for continuing healthcare so
people can decide for themselves who provides the care they
need.”
Direct payments for continuing healthcare (CHC) will allow
disabled people and those with long-term health needs to have
more control and say about how their care is provided.
Currently, people in receipt of continuing healthcare in Wales
have no say over this. Their care needs are arranged by the NHS.
Enabling them to receive direct payments will allow them to
choose the way their care needs are met. This is already an
option for those in receipt of social care.
Brendan Roberts, a care-experienced young person and a member of
the Voices From Care Cymru Board of Trustees, said:
“Whenever we have consulted care experienced children and young
people about this, they are always clear that they think it is
wrong for companies to make profit out of our need for care and
support.
“We think that public money that is being spent by our corporate
parents to provide for our care should all be spent on that. In a
declaration agreed between Welsh Ministers and care experienced
young ambassadors in December 2022, Ministers promised to remove
profit from care. We are pleased to see them keep their promise
today."
Rhian Davies, chief executive of Disability Wales said:
“Voice, choice, and control are vital to ensuring the rights of
disabled people including people with long term health
conditions. The necessary changes to continuing healthcare
reflecting these are very welcome.
“For too long, those on continuing healthcare have not been able
to decide how and by whom their care is delivered. This change
will allow disabled people to have and enjoy the same rights as
those on social care direct payments.”
Notes to editors
Removing private profit from the care of looked-after children is
part of the Welsh Government's wider reform programme for
children's social care.
- 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 in care, we want them to be
looked-after as close to home as possible, with the right support
for their needs.
- And we when young people are ready to leave care, we will
support them to plan for the future and lead independent lives.
As of 31 March 2023, there were 7,210 looked-after children in
Wales and the rate was 116.3 per 10,000 population aged under 18.
This compares to 5,760 in 2013, or 91 per 10,000. The growth in
the number of looked-after children has resulted in a long-term
trend of increasing use of care, which has had a negative impact
on children and young people.
