For the last few years, the AWF has been delivering workshops across Wales informing carers of what rights they have under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act and how to exercise those rights. Many of the carers who attended these events fed back the need for targeted support work to be delivered around improving the opportunities of engagement for carers at both a local level and regional level.
Some carers were aware that the SSWBA introduced Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs) and that a carer representative sits on it but most were not. Equally, some carers felt that the current reps would understandably need some additional support to ensure they could truly represent the views of the wider carer communities within their region. We have been awarded funding by Welsh Government to help deliver collaborative regional carer focused conversations across Wales. The aim of these conversations is to both assist in further generating regional engagement and to review the current opportunities for carers voices to be heard.
What is a ‘Regional Partnership Board’ (RPB)?
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 created Regional
Partnership Boards (RPBs). The purpose of the boards is to drive the
strategic regional delivery of social services in close collaboration with
health. It provides for partnership arrangements between local authorities
and local health boards for the discharge of their functions. It also
provides Welsh Ministers with regulation making powers under which they can
require the creation of formal partnership arrangements and the use of
pooled funds.
To find out more about the RPB where you live, hover over your region for a link that will take you to their website-
North Wales– https://www.northwalescollaborative.wales/carers/
Powys– https://www.powysrpb.org/
West Wales- https://www.wwcp.org.uk/
West Glamorgan– http://www.westernbay.org.uk/carers/
Cwm Taf – https://cwmtafmorgannwg.wales/how-we-workplans-and-reports/regional- partnership-board/
Cardiff & the Vale – https://cvihsc.co.uk/our-priorities/carers/
Gwent– http://www.gwentrpb.wales/home
Who sits on the RPB?
Membership of a RPB must include one elected member of a local authority, a member of the local health board, director of social services, chief exec of the health board, a third sector representative, a representative for care providers and most importantly to you, a carer representative.
What is the purpose of the RPB?
RPB’s were created as a way for services and communities to provide integrated health and social services for those that need them, to Improve outcomes and the well-being of people in the community by designing services that meet the needs identified and to help manage and develop services to secure strategic planning and partnership working between local authorities, local health boards and across all community areas, to ensure effective services, care and support are in place to best meet the needs of their respective population.
People who use services, including carers, must be actively involved and engaged in the work of the Regional Partnership Boards and the role of the lay member will be to ensure the voice of people is heard.
Our Survey
We would appreciate your time to fill out a short survey so we can gather your thoughts on how well you feel you are engaged within your region. We would lie to know how much you already know about services provided in your region, what are some of the challenges to engaging and what changes you would like to see.
To complete the survey, please follow the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8565PBQ
If you have any particular case studies or experiences you would like to share in further details, please complete the short contact form below and Grace the project coordinator will be in contact.
