Whilst specific areas for improvement are identified in each of the thematic reports, there are a number of generic recommendations which need to be considered by the RPB if it is to drive sustainable change to services on the ground. These are set out below under the core principles of the Act:
Voice and control
- Ensure that maintaining people’s dignity and protecting individuals from neglect and abuse must lie at the heart of all services.
- Ensure all services are available in Welsh for those who require them.
Prevention and early intervention
- Build on the considerable foundations in place across the service areas covered in this assessment to ensure appropriate services are available to prevent or delay the need for ongoing care and support and that the prevention ethos underpins all levels and types of care. Specifically, opportunities should be taken to develop consistent preventative frameworks across services, which build on existing good practice, facilitate transition between children and adult’s services and demonstrably reduce the need for ongoing care and support.
- Invest in the development of community-based preventative services, including social enterprise, cooperatives, user-led and third sector provision thus building the resilience of communities and, thereby, of people needing care and support.
- Align the Intermediate Care Fund (ICF) and Cluster Development Change Programmes to build consistent, whole system change on the ground.
Wellbeing
- Prioritise support for carers, enabling them and those they care for to live fulfilled and independent lives for as long as possible.
- Further improve transition services to facilitate effective planning across services and ensure that young people continue to receive appropriate care and support into early adulthood.
Co-production
- Ensure that people needing care and support and carers are involved meaningfully at all stages in the planning, delivery and review of services. This needs to happen at strategic level, engaging with citizens over the future shape of care and support and expectations on individuals to promote their own wellbeing and operationally, ensuring that assessment and care planning allows people to express personal outcomes and influence decisions regarding the support needed to attain them.