Julie Morgan AS/MS, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, confirms social workers in Wales are integral to ensuring the wellbeing of residents in residential care and should be recognised as professional visitors
From the outset, BASW has viewed the proposed role for care home managers as unworkable and is pleased to see the government’s recognition of sector opposition to the proposal.
BASW Cymru is working with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Health and Social Services Lead for Plaid Cymru, on changing the latest guidance around care home visits in Wales.
BASW Cymru had petitioned the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales about our deep concerns for the well-being and human rights of older people in care homes, whose voices have been effectively silenced throughout lockdown.
BASW Cymru has been in conversation with the Older People’s Commissioner for last couple of weeks about the appalling number of deaths in care settings. We have also shared our concerns about the essential role of social workers in upholding the human rights of older people and ensuring the voices of older people in care settings are heard.
BASW Cymru welcomes the publishing of Welsh Government’s much awaited report: ‘A Healthier Wales: our plan for Health and Social Care’ which is published in response to the recent Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care. The Parliamentary review was clear in its conclusion that health and social care in Wales needs revolution and not evolution. In the light of this, it was disappointing that the Parliamentary review focused on how to achieve better outcomes without including the level and sources of funding that will be needed to pay for health and social care into the future.