Social care commissioning standards may be ‘unachievable’

Published

2 years ago

September 26, 2024

PLAID Cymru’s shadow health and social care secretary warned that new Wales-wide standards for commissioning care may be unachievable due to financial pressures.

Mabon ap Gwynfor raised concerns about the national rules for councils and health boards on commissioning care and support, which came into force on September 1.

He welcomed the reform’s overall aims but cautioned that councils, which will primarily be responsible for implementation, are already “hurtling” into an existential crisis.

Mr ap Gwynfor said councils are contending with a 3.8% increase in spending pressures this year compared with a 0.3% rise in funding, with a projected £750m shortfall by 2027.

He told the Senedd: “There remains widespread concern that the principles and standards outlined in this framework, as worthy as they are, will be unachievable in practical terms.”

Mr ap Gwynfor, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said non-ring-fenced parts of the Welsh budget, which include social care, are facing a £683m real-terms cut over five years.

Dawn Bowden, Wales’ social care minister, argued the bulk of the reforms ask councils and health boards to do things differently rather than to do more.

“It’s about moving away from complexity towards simplicity,” she said in a statement to the Senedd on September 24.

“It’s about moving away from price towards social value and quality, and it’s about moving away from reactive commissioning and towards managing the market.”

Altaf Hussain, the Conservatives’ shadow social care minister, described the new code as a welcome step in ensuring a uniform approach to care commissioning.

But Dr Hussain was concerned that moving away from price-driven contracts could have a detrimental impact on council and health board budgets.

Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, broadly backed the reforms but raised concerns about social care recruitment and retention in rural Wales.

She warned: “People in our care sector and our health sector are really overwhelmed at the moment and to pile on them, yet again, another change is a real challenge.”

Labour’s Julie Morgan, who was previously social care minister, described the reforms as a building block towards the vision of a national care service.

She stressed the importance of better pay, saying care workers can get much more to do a similar job in the NHS which makes retention difficult.

Ms Bowden said the new national office for care and support within the Welsh Government, which was established in April, will play a key role in implementing the framework.

Wales-wide commissioning rules form part of a swathe of reforms proposed by the Welsh Government in an effort to tackle the social care crisis.

The ambition, agreed as part of the cooperation deal with Plaid Cymru, is to establish a national care and support service – free at the point of need, similar to the NHS.

An implementation plan was published by the Welsh Government in December, with the reforms expected to take at least ten years.

Phase one includes establishing national commissioning arrangements, a voluntary pay framework, and a national office for care and support.

Political opponents have cautioned of the potential negative consequences of imposing a litany of changes on a sector already struggling to cope.

A lack of funding is the crux of the crisis but it is often the elephant in the room.

The scale of the issue means Wales is reliant on Westminster bringing forward reforms in England, which would result in consequential funding for the Welsh Government.

But, for decades, successive Conservative- and Labour-led governments appear to have kicked social care into the long grass.

Before a u-turn in September 2022, Boris Johnson’s UK Government proposed a health and social care levy which was expected to raise about £13bn a year.

And Carwyn Jones’ Welsh Government, which cut health to protect social care spending, commissioned independent research on paying for Wales’ social care needs.

Gerry Holtham, an economist, proposed a similar levy or tax increase in 2018.

Sewage protest to be held at Broad Haven as campaigners demand action

Published

17 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Paddle Out demonstration joins UK-wide call for tougher rules on pollution

PUBLIC protestors will gather at Broad Haven this weekend as part of a UK-wide campaign calling for urgent action to tackle sewage pollution in rivers and coastal waters.

The Paddle Out Protest, organised by Surfers Against Sewage, will take place at Broad Haven North Beach at 1:30pm on Saturday (May 16).

The event is one of more than 50 protests planned at beaches, rivers and lakes across the UK, as campaigners step up pressure on governments and water companies over sewage discharges, rising water bills, and what they describe as a lack of accountability in the industry.

Other demonstrations in Wales are expected at Caswell Bay, Swansea; Llyn Padarn, Llanberis; Coney Beach, Porthcawl; Whitmore Bay, Barry Island; and North Beach, Aberystwyth.

Surfers Against Sewage says new polling shows more than half of people in the UK are concerned they could become ill after swimming in rivers, lakes or the sea due to poor water quality.

Kate Bassett-Jones, Broad Haven protest lead, said: “Our local beach saw 116 sewage alerts in 2025 alone – that’s pollution warnings every three days.

“For a place renowned for its stunning coastline and thriving marine environment, this should not be happening.

“Local people should be able to enjoy the sea safely all year round, and visitors should not have to worry about getting sick when they come to Pembrokeshire.

“Communities are fed up with sewage pollution being treated as normal. Enough is enough.”

Surfers Against Sewage also claims Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water discharged sewage more than 100,000 times in 2025, for a total of more than 813,000 hours.

The charity is calling for legally binding targets to end untreated sewage discharges, stronger enforcement powers, improved funding for Natural Resources Wales, and year-round water quality testing.

Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, described the situation in Wales as “catastrophically failing”.

He said: “We are paddling out across Wales to show the newly elected Welsh Government that we won’t back down until it takes the action needed to end the sewage crisis plaguing Wales’ wild waters.”

The protests come at the start of the bathing season and follow the announcement of a Clean Water Bill in the King’s Speech.

Community

Teifi river revival project secures £1.4m lottery funding

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COMMUNITIES along the River Teifi are set to play a central role in a major new project aimed at improving the health of one of west Wales’ most important rivers.

The Teifi Fyw — Living Teifi: People and Nature Together project has been given the green light after securing more than £1.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The conservation project aims to respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and declining river health, while also recognising the Teifi’s deep cultural and historic importance to the communities which live and work along its catchment.

The first stage will be a two-year development phase, bringing together scientific evidence, local history, lived experience and creative work to help shape future restoration plans.

The project will be coordinated by Natural Resources Wales, working with the West Wales Rivers Trust, the Mining Remediation Authority, Strata Florida Trust, Mentera, Ceredigion County Council, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

It will also build on existing work carried out by the Teifi Nutrient Management Board and local stakeholder projects including Llais yr Afon and P.R.A.M.

Cllr Clive Davies welcomed the announcement, saying he looked forward to seeing the project outcomes realised.

The River Teifi is one of Wales’ best-known waterways, flowing through Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire before reaching the sea at Cardigan.

Project leaders say the aim is to ensure that restoration work is not only based on environmental evidence, but also reflects the values and priorities of the people who know the river best.

Community

Henry Tudor Centre designs to go on display in Pembroke

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Public invited to help shape new heritage centre exhibition

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to view the emerging exhibition designs for the new Henry Tudor Centre in Pembroke.

The centre, due to open in spring 2027, will be based at South Quay and will tell the story of Henry Tudor, the son of Pembroke who went on to become Henry VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty.

The exhibition designs will be on display at Pembroke Town Hall from Friday, May 22, to Friday, May 29.

The Henry Tudor Trust, which will operate the new heritage centre, is asking residents and visitors to give their views on how Henry Tudor’s story should be told.

The designs have been developed by exhibition specialists Image Makers, with feedback forms available for members of the public to submit comments. These responses will help refine the exhibition as the project develops.

The new logo for the centre, created by Haverfordwest-based marketing company Media2Motion, will also be on display.

Work is currently underway to refurbish the Grade II-listed building at South Quay, which will house the new exhibition. The centre will also include a new public library, replacing the current library on The Commons, as well as a café.

The capital project is being funded by the Welsh Government, UK Government and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will fund a programme of events and activities at the new centre, alongside volunteering opportunities and educational resources for schools.

The exhibition plans can be viewed at Pembroke Town Hall from Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am to 1:00pm. The town hall is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.