ADSS Cymru welcomes today’s launch of A Healthier Wales: Our Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care, by the Minister for Health and Social Care, Vaughan Gething, MS.
The strategy, led by Social Care Wales and HEIW, sets out a ten-year ambition to develop a health and social care workforce that is ‘motivated, engaged and valued, with the capacity, competence and confidence’ to meet the needs of the people of Wales; and will be implemented through a series of delivery plans designed around several key themes.
Members of ADSS Cymru have worked closely with Social Care Wales and HEIW on the development of this strategy, and welcome its aims and principles which put the well-being of the workforce at the centre.
The sector has faced significant challenges for some time, particularly in terms of the health and sustainability of the social care workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation yet has also demonstrated how vital this workforce is in supporting people in Wales to stay safe in their communities and to lead the lives that matter to them. There needs to be considerable investment in developing a healthy, resilient workforce that can continue to deliver the best level of care for the future.
This strategy puts forward an integrated approach which is essential to working seamlessly across social care and health to deliver the sustainable, person-centred care recommended by the ‘Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care’ and endorsed by the ‘A Healthier Wales’ strategic plan; and it is hoped that it will create the conditions for greater parity of esteem and equitable terms and conditions across these two skilled workforces.
ADSS Cymru Vice President and Workforce Lead, Jonathan Griffiths said:
“The launch of this strategy could not be timelier nor more necessary, as our health and social care system is under continued pressure, and the well-being of our workforce is being significantly challenged more so than ever.
It is vital that we address these challenges, and we fully support the aspiration of this strategy to do so by ensuring that all our workforce feel supported, valued and engaged within the Welsh social care and health system, is led through compassion, and longer-term that the caring profession is valued and is fully regarded as an attractive and rewarding career.
We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to deliver the actions within the strategy over the next ten years and to achieving the resilient and sustainable health and social care system that Wales needs.”
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Contact:
Rachel Pitman
Communications and Engagement Lead, ADSS Cymru Business Unit