How the work of Social Care Wales will support the delivery of Ymlaen

Social Care Wales is already committed to carrying out work that will contribute to the delivery of Ymlaen.

These actions are listed in our draft business plan for 2023 to 2024.

Here, we’ve grouped some of those activities against the five main themes included in Ymlaen – the new research, innovation and improvement strategy for social care.

• Work with partners to develop a strategy for research, innovation and improvement.
• Manage and administer the Social Care Wales Workforce Development Programme (SCWWDP) grant and regional facilitation grant.
• Work with and support partners on the elimination of profit agenda in residential children’s services as part of the transformation of children’s services agenda.
• Deliver a project to explore the data maturity of local authorities and their readiness to link with the National Data Resource.
• Develop and promote our innovation offer.

• Work with people across the sector to deliver the 2024 Accolades award ceremony, which recognises the achievements of people working in social care.
• Coordinate and deliver the National Leadership Development Framework.
• Support people with workforce insights by bringing together our workforce data and research and running regular events to share our findings.
• Develop communities, both online and offline, that give people a chance to connect, learn and work together on shared challenges.
• Translate research and data into formats appropriate to our audiences.
• Act as an ambassador for ADR Wales, the SAIL Databank and data linkage with stakeholders, and support the delivery of linked data research projects.

• Implement actions from the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
• Work with employers and key stakeholders to develop positive bilingual workplace cultures, and work with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to develop Welsh language courses which are specific to social care.
• Launch enhancements of the new version of the National Social Care Data Portal for Wales.
• Design a deliberative engagement exercise with Welsh Government and Digital Health and Care Wales on the use of data in health and care.
• Develop new online content to support innovation, improvement and related activity.
• Develop learning events and resources to enhance workforce skills in relation to the delivery of therapeutic models in residential children’s care.

• Introduce initiatives to support the well-being of the workforce as part of the promotion and review of our health and well-being framework.
• Provide support to employers and learning providers with the ongoing implementation of the health and social care qualifications.
• Promote understanding and adoption of compassionate leadership.
• Work with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) to develop a joint site which supports health and social care managers in their professional development choices.
• Develop and publish, in partnership with HEIW, a collection of supporting training documents for use across the health and social care sector.
• Support and work with social work teams, providers and managers to embed strengths-based or outcomes-focused practice.
• Support the implementation of an information governance portal for social services in each local authority.
• Develop innovation skills and capabilities by providing coaching and evaluation support for people working in social care.
• Support communities through the Resourceful Communities Partnership project.

• Continue to influence at national stakeholder groups with Welsh Government, employers, local authorities, regional partnership boards, Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), third sector and Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
• Launch community of action to support local authority Responsible Individuals and service managers to challenge and agree practice development, in relation to the transformation of children’s services agenda.
• Continue to implement our evidence offer with Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP) and explore ways of working.