WLGA

Social Services

•  The State of Social Care in Wales: Challenges, Pressures and Towards Sustainability.pdf - Oct-2025

  A full outline of the budgetary pressures faced in the social care sector in Wales.

•  The State of Social Care in Wales: Executive Summary.pdf - Oct-2025

  A summary of the budgetary position in social care in Wales.

•  Social Services Financial Pressures - 2024/5 and onwards.pdf - Dec-2023

  This paper provides an assessment of Social Services spending pressures. It includes information covering the current financial year (2023-24) and also provides estimates of the pressures in 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 based on local authorities’ medium-term financial plans and information supplied in a survey of all 22 councils carried out during August/September 2023 with the help of the Society of Welsh Treasurers (SWT) as well as additional detail from members of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru.

•  Memorandum of Understanding between Care Inspectorate Wales, Local Authorities and Local Health Boards in Wales.pdf - Nov-2023

  For monitoring and supporting improvement in services registered under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016.

•  A Vision for Social Care in Wales.pdf - Sep-2023

  The purpose of this paper is to focus on what local government's long-term vision for social care is.

•   A Question of Priorities Research.pdf - Mar-2023

  Social care in the context of the impact of austerity, rising demand, and the pandemic.

•  Report from a Task and Finish Group on National Commissioning Standards 2022.pdf - Nov-2022

  National [commissioning, planning, procurement and contracting] standards for care & support in Wales.

•  Corporate Safeguarding - Good Practice Guidance.pdf - May-2022

  This is a guidance document to help everyone who works for council services understand how they can play a crucial role in safeguarding children and to meet their responsibilities in preventing the abuse of children and adults, promoting their wellbeing.

•  Corporate Parenting Workbook.pdf - Feb-2022

  The Welsh Local Government Association has developed three workbooks for Councillors. This one is about Corporate Parenting, and the others are on Child Sexual Exploitation and Safeguarding Adults. These three topics emerged as those on which Councillors would find briefings most helpful.

•  Child Sexual Exploitation - It can and does happen here: Councillors Workbook.pdf - Feb-2022

  The Welsh Local Government Association has developed a range of workbooks for Councillors. This one is about Child Sexual Exploitation. You might also be interested in the workbooks on Corporate Parenting and Safeguarding Adults.

•  Safeguarding Adults: Councillors Workbook.pdf - Feb-2022

  This short guide is intended to give you an outline of your role as a Councillor, a list of additional resources to follow up, a checklist for your authority, and a personal checklist, to help equip you with the information you need to be an effective councillor in this area.

•  Costs of care 2021 - 22.pdf - May-2021

  Costing methodologies and cost pressures in adult care homes, domiciliary care and supported living services in Wales. Report from National Commissioning Board Task & Finish Group.

•  Concordat between National Commissioning Board, National Provider Forum (Wales) and Wales Council for Voluntary Action.pdf - Apr-2021

  To help National Commissioning Board members, National Provider Forum members and advocates for citizens and communities to work collaboratively on a shared objective: to develop effective commissioning practice across Wales in line with the following drivers from the Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act: Well-being outcomes – for citizens – including co-production with citizens, Voice and control – for citizens, Partnership and co-operation, Prevention – enabling citizens to get help sooner than later.

•  Pooled Budgets Evaluation Summary Assessment.pdf - Apr-2021

  As part of the work programme for 2021/22 for the National Commissioning Board.

•  Case studies from Wales - Care at home.pdf - Mar-2021

  Let’s do it! Working towards outcomes focused homecare - Sharing evidence from practice across Wales - Short report .

•  WLGA Briefing - Driving improvements in services for Autistic People in Wales.pdf - Jan-2019

  WLGA Briefing “Driving Improvements in Services for Autistic People in Wales” provides some insight into the considerable amount of work which is being undertaken across Wales, in support of people with autism and the parents, carers and families of autistic individuals and children with autism.

•  Challenge Paper - Care Homes for Older People: Improving the quality of information to inform commissioning.pdf - Oct-2018

  This paper has been written in response to the proposal for regular collection of data on care homes for older people and is intended to inform thinking about the next steps for this work. It is comprised of 4 main sections which attempt to scope the project in more detail and to identify key priorities throughout (1) Why are we doing this and what are we looking at? (2) What is the proposal trying to understand? (3) What level of detail and resources required? (4) What are the collection priorities and next steps?

•  Draft Paper - Improving the quality of information to inform the integrated commissioning of services from Care Homes for Older People.pdf - Oct-2018

  This paper is designed to help commissioners develop effective management and financial information systems to improve the quality of commissioning. The paper identifies steps to decide what information needs to be collected, how it will be collected and the frequency of collection. It also attempts to prioritize information in that some information may be desirable but not essential at this stage.

•  WLGA and ADSS Cymru Position Statement on Adult Services.pdf - Sep-2018

  A joint Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru position statement on Adult Services within Welsh local authorities.

•  Draft Guidance - Integrated Commissioning of Services for Families, Children and Young People with complex needs.pdf - Sep-2018

  This guidance is the first produced by the National Commissioning Board in Wales targeted at Children’s Commissioning. The focus of the guidance is in recognition of the increasing challenges facing public sector commissioners of children’s services at the highest end of the continuum of need. This is where an integrated approach from partner agencies is essential to successfully negotiate a path through the potential barriers and complexities of creating a cohesive child centred package of care and support that delivers positive outcomes for the child / young person and their family.

•  'Let's Agree to Agree' Toolkit for Commissioners and Providers to Agree Costs of Residential Care for Older People - Welsh Government.pdf - Aug-2018

  Let’s Agree to Agree is a toolkit for commissioners and providers of residential and nursing care for older people to assist with the complex process of seeking agreement on the cost of care in their local area. The aim is to produce an approach that will assist all parties to provide a sustainable cost model for care homes in Wales.

•  WLGA and ADSS Cymru Position Statement on Children's Services.pdf - Aug-2018

  A joint Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru position statement on Children’s Services within Welsh local authorities.

•  Draft Toolkit - Integrated Commissioning of Services for Families, Children and Young People with complex needs.pdf - Aug-2018

  This Policy Mapping Tool maps the legislative levers for collaboration from the Social Services Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act January 2016. It identifies the key responsibilities for partners and highlights the areas where education, health, social care and housing must work together to satisfy legal requirements and achieve well-being outcomes.

•  Pooled budgets under S25 of the Children Act 2004 - Advice Note 8.pdf - Aug-2018

  This is the eighth in a series of advice notes the purpose of which is to provide examples of the types of agreement that partners may wish to develop in pursuance of their partnership arrangements. This advice note describes how to set up and manage pooling arrangements under S25 of the Children Act 2004. This will assist in supporting a broad range of cross sectoral partnerships for Children and Young People.

•  Model Agreement for Discussion.pdf - Jul-2018

  Agreement made under Section 33 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2016 for the joint commissioning from a pooled fund for care home accommodation services. As Directed Under Section 169 of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and related Part 9 Statutory Guidance (Partnership Arrangements).

•  Modern, outcome based collaborative procurement: A practical legal guide for commissioners and procurement officers.pdf - Jul-2018

  This guidance sets out a legal overview and good practice guide for the public procurement regime for social care services. It is intended to be value to commissioners, procurement officers and others involved in procuring of all types of social care in Wales, whether they are new to the topic or have some experience. It should be of use to officers in local government or health boards.

•  Explanatory Notes - Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 - Establishing a Pooled Fund.pdf - Jul-2018

•  WLGA Briefing - Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care.pdf - Feb-2018

  This WLGA Briefing provides an update to local government on the Welsh Government's Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care.

•  Learning Disabilities Market Position Statement - Good Practice Checklist.pdf - Dec-2017

  This learning disabilities MPS checklist offers a relatively quick way of assessing whether the MPS covers the right ground, and the extent to which it is market facing. We recommend local areas use it to review their own MPS, and perhaps as part of a wider discussion with neighbouring authorities.

•  EASY READ - Planning and organising your services - Our guide to commissioning services for people with a learning disability.pdf - Nov-2017

  This is an easy read version of the National Commissioning Board’s ‘Commissioning Services for People with a Learning Disability: Good Practice Guidance’.

•  EASY READ (Low resolution) - Planning and organising your services - Our guide to commissioning services for people with a learning disability.pdf - Nov-2017

  This is an easy read version of the National Commissioning Board’s ‘Commissioning Services for People with a Learning Disability: Good Practice Guidance’.

•  EASY READ (Professional printing) - Planning and organising your services - Our guide to commissioning services for people with a learning disability.pdf - Nov-2017

  This is an easy read version of the National Commissioning Board’s ‘Commissioning Services for People with a Learning Disability: Good Practice Guidance’.

•  Commissioning Services for People with a Learning Disability - Good Practice Guidance.pdf - Oct-2017

  The purpose of this good practice guidance, which has been developed by the National Commissioning Board, is to help the Regional Partnership Boards to develop their own approaches to the integrated commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities.

•  NCB Supporting the development of market shaping activities in Wales - Workshop Report.pdf - Jul-2017

  This brief report summarises the key areas of discussion from the event, as well as developing the ideas from participants about potential support activities.

•  Wales Market Analysis of Care Homes for Older People - Draft Findings for Discussion.pdf - May-2017

  This study is designed to analyze and describe the state of the care home market for older people in Wales. The Care Home Steering group commissioned the National Commissioning Board to undertake the study. This is not a final report.

•  Wales Market Analysis of Care Homes for Older People - Annex 1 Market Analysis Tables.pdf - May-2017

  Annex 1 Market Analysis Tables.

•  Report: National Assessment of Commissioning Skills and Capacity in Wales (Older People Services).pdf - Apr-2017

  Report from the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University (IPC) assessing joint commissioning skills and capacity across social care and health for older people services in Wales in order to inform the development of national resources to meet any gaps that are identified. The approach taken has been based on that developed through a pilot assessment in West Wales.

•  Appendix A - Assessment Framework: National Assessment of Commissioning Skills and Capacity in Wales (Older People Services).pdf - Apr-2017

  This framework describes the skills and capacity needed across local authorities and health boards and provides the context for the national mapping exercise. It has been developed following a review of a range of commissioning resources and examples from Wales and elsewhere.

•  Appendix B - Survey Responses: National Assessment of Commissioning Skills and Capacity in Wales (Older People Services).pdf - Apr-2017

  The survey responses cover three main areas: (1) breakdown of job roles by region and organisation, (2) commissioning skills average ratings by organisation and (3) comments on enablers and barriers.

•  SSIA Legacy Report 2006-17.pdf - Apr-2017

  This legacy report provides a chronological account of the Social Services Improvement Agency’s journey from 2006-2017. It also identifies five programmes undertaken by the Agency that best evidence its most innovative and transformational work.

•  National Commissioning Board - Leading Integrated and Collaborative Commissioning - A Practice Guide.pdf - Mar-2017

  This short practical guide is intended to stimulate commissioners and other senior managers to think about how they can take forward an integrated commissioning agenda locally and regionally. Focusing on the health, social care and wellbeing context with the emergence of regional partnership boards, it considers the roles and options available to local authorities and health boards.

•  Case Study - Powys County Council - Planning for the future of older people accommodation in Powys.pdf - Mar-2017

  The case study describes the approach taken by Powys and its partners to developing a comprehensive understanding of the current and future accommodation based needs of its ageing population,

•  Concordat to develop effective commissioning practice across Wales.pdf - Feb-2017

  This concordat is designed to help National Commissioning Board members, Provider Forum members and advocates for citizens and communities nominated through the WCVA-hosted 'Alliance of Alliances' to work collaboratively on a shared objective: to develop effective commissioning practice across Wales in line with the following drivers from the SS&WB Act: Well-being outcomes for citizens; Voice and control for citizens; Partnership and co-operation including co-production with citizens; Prevention – enabling citizens to get help sooner than later.

•  National Provider Forum Key Priorities 2017-18 - Briefing Paper.pdf - Feb-2017

  This 'Key Priorities 2017-18 Briefing Paper' has been produced by the National Provider Forum for Wales, a representative alliance of all major independent providers of health and social care across Wales. Its purpose is to provide a collective voice of health and social care sector providers that impacts on the provision of quality services to citizens.

•  Report: Commissioning Skills and Capacity Project - West Wales Pilot Assessment.pdf - Jun-2016

  The Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University (IPC) was commissioned to develop an approach to assessing joint commissioning skills and capacity across social care and health for older people in Wales, and so inform the development of national resources to meet any gaps that are identified. This is the final report.

•  WLGA (SSIA) Children’s and Adults’ Services - Social Services Peer Review Guide.pdf - Apr-2016

  This document sets out the standards for Children’s and Adults’ Services, which are used to support the Peer Review process as set out in the Social Services Peer Review Guide. The Standards are built around the following key themes: (1) Outcomes for and the experiences of, the children, young people and families or the adults who use services (2) Leadership, strategy and working together (3) Service delivery, effective practice and commissioning (4) Performance, quality and resource management.

•  Appendix A: Commissioning Skills and Capacity Project - West Wales Assessment Framework.pdf - Apr-2016

  The Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University (IPC) was commissioned to develop an approach to assessing joint commissioning skills and capacity across social care and health for older people in Wales, and so inform the development of national resources to meet any gaps that are identified. This is the assessment framework.

•  Outcomes based commissioning in domiciliary care - A discussion paper.pdf - Apr-2016

  This paper explores some of the opportunities and challenges presented by taking an outcomes-based approach to the commissioning of domiciliary care, and is intended to stimulate further discussion about how this vital range of services for people who need care and support in Wales can be further developed and improved.

•  WLGA (SSIA) Social Services Peer Review Guide.pdf - Jan-2016

  This guidance manual is designed to help councils and their partners in preparing for a peer review. It is part of a sector led improvement process. It is not intended to be prescriptive, but to build on the experience of the Welsh Local Government Association.

•  Strange bedfellows or cut from the same cloth? Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act.pdf - Dec-2015

  The WLGA commissioned a ‘think-piece’ from Alan Netherwood on the links between the Well-being of Future Generations Act and the Social Services and Well-being Act. This sets out ways in which work to be undertaken for each Act relates to each other, including assessments and timescales etc.

•  Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Bill - WLGA Stage 2 Report - Views of Local Government.pdf - Sep-2013

  This report sets out the views of local government on the Social Services & Wellbeing (Wales) Bill in advance of Stage 2 scrutiny. The report provides a broad overview of the benefits, concerns and implications attached to key parts of the Bill, and are designed to inform AM’s in advance of Stage 2 commencement.