Clwyd South MS highlights the “tremendous efforts” of care homes during the pandemic

The Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South highlighted the ‘tremendous’ efforts of care homes in his constituency throughout coronavirus pandemic in the Senedd this week.

During questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Ken Skates MS took the opportunity to ask what the Welsh Government is doing to help drive recruitment into the social care sector in North Wales and pressed the Minister on how the recent
announcement of £42m of extra funding – in addition to the £248m already confirmed – will benefit local care settings.

Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan, said the Welsh Government was funding a national advertising and social media campaign to attract more people to the care sector, adding: “We are supporting a range of targeted initiatives to encourage the take-up of employment in social care. We fund regional staff to support campaigns led by local authorities and by health boards.”

Mr Skates said: “Thank you, Minister, that’s excellent to hear, and I’m sure you’d agree that throughout the pandemic care homes in my constituency of Clwyd South have dealt incredibly well with the huge challenges that coronavirus has brought, often to the
detriment of both the physical and the mental health of staff.

“On behalf of those care settings in my constituency, can I ask how the £42m of extra funding announced by the Welsh Government will help them?”

The Deputy Minister responded: “I thank Ken Skates for his recognition of the tremendous work that has been done in the care sector during the pandemic.

“We were very pleased to allocate the additional £42m, and that was announced through the health and social care winter plan. And the winter plan sets out how this investment will provide community-based integrated responses, and additional support for carers
and for families.

“I know that the recovery plan responses we have received from local authorities show that Clwyd South will benefit from targeted financial support for providers of social care, increasing the current number of volunteers and the recruitment of additional workforce for specific service areas such as complex disability services, domiciliary care, children’s services and supported living.

“Where providers have not been able to resume the provision of day-care services, for example, there will be financial support and also investment to support additional technology within residential facilities and more activities for residents.”

Afterwards, Mr Skates said: “Staff and volunteers at care homes in Clwyd South have gone way above the call of duty during the pandemic, adapting to their world being turned upside down on top of the usual demands of providing such professional and compassionate care.

“The demands on the social care settings have never been greater, and I’m pleased the Welsh Government has recognised this and shown its commitment to supporting them.”

The Welsh Government’s NHS winter plan was published recently after months of planning and significant investment in health and social care to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.

More than £248m has already been invested through the NHS recovery fund to help health boards tackle waiting times and transform the way they deliver services such as non-urgent patient transport, which will help ease pressure on ambulance services and ensure
patients can access the care they need.