For a curious case involving Conwy Council and the Betsi Cadwaladr UHB click here and for a legal commentary on the judgment click here.

An important ‘must see’ play concerning a mother fighting for support and services in a world full of prejudice – it runs from October 15 – October 25 – click here for details.

For a news item in Nation.Cymru concerning the actions of a Welsh Council and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, click here.

The Welsh Government has launched the NOCS – the first rung in the ladder to the National Care and Support Service.  For details click here.

Donald Forrester of CASCADE will discuss his recently published book on social work and human rights.  To register for the seminar click here.

The Welsh Government is proposing to raising the current charging cap for non-residential care from £100 to £120 per week.  The announcement can accessed by clicking here and a commentary in Social Care Today can be accessed by clicking here.

CASCAIDr, the social care advice charity is crowdfunding to obtain barristers’ views on undecided points of law – for details click here.

The Bevan Commission’s report ‘The Foundations for the Future Model of Health and Care in Wales’ can be accessed by clicking here.

ADSS Cymru, Solace Wales, CLILC WLGA and Social Care Wales have jointly published a report with this title – which can be accessed by clicking here.

For Nathan Davies’ Petition  to the Senedd regarding Direct Payments in Wales click here.

For an update on adult social care policy in Wales click here.

For details of Trustee and Staff opportunities with Cerebra, the Disabled Children’s Charity – click here.

The Welsh Government will be introducing legislation to enable direct payments to be paid to people receiving for NHS continuing health care funding.  Click here for the announcement and for a critique in Rhydian (over two years ago) of the unnecessary delay in addressing this long standing problem – click here.

The PSOW is considering investigating the fitness for purpose of (and complaints about) ‘Carers: Needs assessments’.  For details click here.

A report by a Welsh Government convened ‘Expert Group’ has been published.  For the announcement by Julie Morgan MS click here and for the report click here.

For a Senedd article on this issue click here.

The University of Galway wishes to hear from disabled children and young people about the impact that the covid-19 pandemic has had on different aspects of their lives.  For details click here.

For a Carers Wales Policy Briefing on the cost-of-living crisis for unpaid carers in Wales click here.

For a brief article reviewing the last 30 years of social care law – click here.

For details of a Cerebra / Leeds University School of Law Conference (on-line and in person) click here.

Senedd Cymru Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee has published a report on Care Home Commissioning which can be accessed by clicking here.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is launched with the publication of its Terms of Reference – for details, click here.

For a Scottish Employment Tribunal judgment that found a claimant who suffered from long-COVID to be a disabled person in terms of the Equality Act 2010 click here.

For a copy of the submission by Ann James and Luke Clements to the Senedd Petitions Committee concerning Petition P-05-1106 – click here.

Welsh Council found to be in contempt of court for its failure to address the needs of a young disabled man – click here for further details.

For an honest / depressing report on the pressures experienced by carers click here.

For a review by Dr Julie Doughty of this unusual Wales family law case which involved the use of powers under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 click here.

For a valuable new resource from the LSHTM concerning poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries click here.

A briefing by Carers Wales on the annual ‘State of Caring report’ and can be accessed by clicking here.

ADSS Cymru has published the findings of its assessment of the impact of the pandemic on short breaks, respite services and day services – which can be accessed by clicking here.

A BBC news story cites a Care Inspectorate Wales report that has found that almost two-thirds of people who care for disabled children have not been offered an assessment of their needs. For the story – click here and the CIW report click here.

John Harrington, Erin Thomas and Barbara Hughes-Moore of the Cardiff School of Law & Politics have written two papers on this topic, one for the UK Constitutional Law Association click here and the second for the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly click here.

“The current legislative framework [in Wales] constructs social care as a ‘last resort’. Rather than maintaining this view of social care as an unwelcome necessity for some, reform should be centred on the principle that it is a valuable and desirable resource which liberates those using it and is fundamental to the realisation of social justice, equality and people’s basic human rights”.  For an excellent paper by Dr Alison Tarrant click here.

For a troubling article from Carers Wales concerning profound policy changes – click here.

Revised NHS CHC guidance (and DST) has been published.  We will provide a short overview in due course.

For the Guidance / DST click here and for the Ministerial statement click here.

The Welsh Government has issued a Code of Practice on the Delivery of Autism Services and accompanying Practice Guidance.  For the Code click here and for the guidance click here.

The Welsh Government has published an independent report ‘Locked out: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19’ and also published a statement in response to this report.  To access the report – click here and to access the Government’s response – click here.

For an excellent paper by Dr Alison Tarrant in the IWA publication ‘The Welsh Agenda’ click here.

For a podcast of Luke Clements, housing law specialist Spike Mullings, Sue James & Esther Pilger (both of the Legal Action Group)  discussing the new book ‘Clustered injustice and the level green’ – click here.

The Welsh Government has announced that it will – on the 22 March 2021 – suspend the social care provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020: provisions that no local authority  sought necessary to activate.  For the announcement – click here.

For a copy of the 2021 Social Care law Newsletter – with updates for England and Wales click here.

For details of the review click here and for how to submit evidence (by the 3 March 20201 deadline) click here.

For the critical report ‘Unequal impact? Coronavirus, disability and access to services’  click here and the Press Release click here.

A recording of the 2020 Memorial Lecture by Baroness Jane Campbell can be accessed by clicking here.  Jane Campbell’s website can be accessed by clicking here and includes a powerful opinion piece ‘The Pandemic of Disability Rights’.

Carers Wales has published its annual ‘Track the Act’ report which focusses on the impact of the COVID- 19 restrictions.  A Senedd Research paper on the same topic has also been published.  The Carers Wales paper can be accessed by clicking here and the Senedd paper by clicking here.

Can an English family court order the unlawful detention of a Welsh child? For a probing analysis by Dr Julie Doughty of the Court of Appeal judgment in Re T (A Child) [2018] EWCA Civ 2136 click here.

A lecture delivered on-line for Carers Trust Carmarthenshire Crossroads Sir Gâr on Carers Rights Day November 2020. The lecture is divided into six sections – each of which can be aceessed by clicking here:

‘Caring behind closed doors: six months on’.

A powerful report (covering the whole of the UK) – click here

Care home lessons to be learned in Wales from the first wave of Covid–19

EHCR Report & care homes – click here

WG ‘Rapid-Review’ – click here

For a damning report on the 18,562 care residents who died in England in the first 3 months of the COVID-19 outbreak – click here.

A new book – to be published October 2020.  For details click here.

For details of a survey for people with any neurodevelopmental conditions, and their families, on the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures – click here.

Baroness Jane Campbell will deliver the annual Caroline Gooding Memorial Disability Law Lecture on 30 October 12.00 noon -13.30pm  ‘Disability Rights and the Pandemic: A Story of Survival?’ via Zoom for the School of Law at the University of Leeds.  To secure a place, click here.

Sam Strickland and Rhys Bowler are campaigning for the introduction of Personal Health Budgets for people who are eligible and in receipt of a Continuing Health Care provision.

For more about their campaign – click here.

For a welcome and powerful paper from the Welsh Parliament ‘Into sharp relief: inequality and the pandemic’ click here.

Cerebra is looking for a part-time Information and Support Officer to be part of the Legal Entitlements and Problem-Solving (LEaP) Project.  For details click here.

An obituary for the great NHS CHC campaigner can be accessed by clicking here.

For a YouTube talk by Luke Clements for the Sustainable Care Seminar Series (15 June 2020) click here.

A powerful report with some troubling statistics from by Sibs the charity supporting disabled people’s siblings – which can be accessed by clicking here.

The Welsh Government has published ‘Guidance for unpaid carers: coronavirus (COVID-19) – which can be accessed by clicking here.

An interesting article by Amy Clifton for the Welsh Parliament ‘In Brief’ concerning the challenges facing the adult social care sector in Wales as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – click here to access.

Social Work Action Network (SWAN) is hosting a webinar ‘Fighting for Social Justice: What’s Happening to Human Rights during Covid-19? – for access details click here.

A webinar with Joanne Clement and Jonathan Auburn of 11KBW Chambers can be accessed by clicking here – the access password is 8Y@m=+1k.  The PowerPoint can be accessed by clicking here.

Thanks to Joanne and Jonathan for making the webinar available through Rhydian: SWL in Wales.

A webinar with Jonathan Auburn and Joanne Clement of 11KBW Chambers can be accessed by clicking here – the access password is 11KBW2020.

Thanks to Jonathan and Joanne for making the webinar available through Rhydian: SWL in Wales

Information about vulnerable children and safeguarding during the coronavirus pandemic – click here.

For a British Medical Journal Editorial on ‘Covid-19: why we need a national health and socialcare service’ click here.

For a ‘Position Statement’ from the Disability Law Service condemning the Act’s curtailment of social care support rights click here.

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee of the National Assembly for Wales has published a report on its ‘inquiry into the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in relation to carers’.  The report has 31 recommendations – including the requirement for ‘a clear action plan’ to address ‘the failings of implementation’.  For the full report, click here.

For a talk by Lady Hale, President of the UK Supreme Court click here.

The Transparency Project has an excellent explanation of the impact of the Supreme Court decision in – Re D [2019] UKSC 42 written by Dr Julie Doughty.  Click here for the link.

.For the most recent update – click here.

Dr. Julie Doughty is the Deputy Director of Cardiff Law School’s Centre for Health and Social Care Research.  Julie has developed the Children’s Social Care Law in Wales website and has kindly agreed to share her regular updates on ‘children’s social care law and policy relating to Wales’.  For the September 2019 update click here.

For a copy of the 2019 Social Care law Newsletter – with updates for England and Wales click here.

For an update by Julie Morgan AM on the Independent Care Assessment process – click here.

As part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to tackling unequal outcomes caused by socioeconomic disadvantage, the Deputy Minister, Jane Hutt, has announced that it plans to make ‘rapid progress over the next few months with a view to the socioeconomic duty being commenced later this year’ – click here for her announcement.

Scotland implemented such a measure last year (click here for details) and for a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission concerning socio economic rights – click here.

BASW Cymru has developed a new on-line resource ‘Social work law in Wales PPEG’ for members and the wider social work profession in Wales. To access this click here.

The Welsh Government has issued for consultation a draft code of practice ‘Measuring social services performance’ – to access the consultation documents click here.

At the end of 2018 the BBC reported on the decimation of legal aid – with Wales a prime example.  TA Law of Swansea has now announced its withdrawal from legal aid.  It appears there may now only be two firms authorised to provide community care legal aid in the whole of Wales.

A Welsh Government funded research report into ‘What Really Matters in Social Care to Individuals in Wales’ can be accessed by clicking here. It contains some interesting material and a pie diagram (page 58) that suggests that the impact of the 2014 has not been ‘transformative’.

MS Martin Searle Solicitors are interested to hear from anyone who has experience of an Independent User Trust to manage NHS Continuing NHS Healthcare payments in Wales.  If you can help please contact Rachel Burley-Stower at Rachel@ms-solicitors.co.uk.

To access a Petition to stop the detention of people with autism & learning disabilities in ATU’s click here.

For an interim report summarising the evidence the Welsh Government has received on the future of the WILG click here.

For a report concerning the views of Citizens’ Jury on this question – click here.

Dr Simon Hoffman has produced two additional briefings for the Bevan Foundation (for the first briefing on ‘incorporation’ click here).  The new briefings concern: (1) Equality & Well-being; and (2) Accountability & Enforcement and can be accessed by clicking here.

For a report by the Welsh Governance Centre on the impact of austerity economics click here.

For the first (of three) briefing papers on this issue by Dr Simon Hoffman, Associate Professor at Swansea University click here.

If you are a carer in Wales please consider contributing to Carers Wales survey – click here for the Welsh language survey– and here for the English language survey.

For an independent report by Gillian Loomes for Inclusion London on the views expressed by Disabled People, DPOs and professionals about the proposed changes – click here.

An interesting paper that uses a 2015 Guardian survey that found that social workers in Wales to be the ‘happiest’ (87% compared to 79% in the UK overall).  Andy Pithouse, Charlotte Brookfield and Alyson Rees (all of the Cardiff School of Social Sciences) produce an interesting paper in The British Journal of Social Work analysing why this may be (if of course it ‘be’!) click here for an abstract of the paper.

The Welsh Government has published the draft code for consultation – for details click here

The 2018 report published by Carers Wales on the impact on carers of the failing care system in Wales – click here

An important report published by ‘Contact’ on the additional costs of borne by families with disabled children – click here

To access the BBC story concerning the impact of the WILG Closure click here.

“Unless these inequalities are addressed now, the disadvantage that too many people in Wales face could become entrenched for generations to come.”

To access the Equality and Human Rights Report click here

The Welsh Government has launched its Consultation on its new ‘Framework and Action Plan’ for advancing the right of disabled people to ‘independent living’.  The consultation document can be accessed by clicking hereand the announcement by clicking here.

Nathan Lee Davies has produced an excellent Wales focused note about the ‘UK Independent Mechanism Report’ – only just off the publishing press. Click here for to access Nathan’s commentary.

Publish a ‘Position Statement’ calling for preventative services funding – click here for their report.

The Welsh Government is consulting on ‘Housing Adaptations Service Standards’ which will include timescales for works and payments.  Click here to access the consultation.

A draft of Luke Clements’ Autumn 2018 Newsletter can be accessed by clicking here.

We have posted on the main ‘What’s new’ section of this website a talk by Luke Clements concerning the current English NHS CHC guidance and statistics as they relate to end of life care.  The 2014 Framework guidance in Wales is very similar to the English guidance and so the talk is of direct relevance to Wales.  The difference is that the Welsh Government does not publish detailed statistics (unlike NHS England).

In a new ‘Views from Practice’ paper in the Rhydian on-line journal, Carys Phillips critically analyses the treatment of ‘self-neglect’ by the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014 and its associated guidance – click here to access the paper.

Dr. Julie Doughty is the Deputy Director of Cardiff Law School’s Centre for Health and Social Care Research.  Julie has developed the Children’s Social Care Law in Wales website and has kindly agreed to share her regular updates on ‘children’s social care law and policy relating to Wales’.  For the August 2018 update click here.

A [pdf] copy of the PowerPoint Luke used at the Disability Wales Conference concerning Direct Payments: Policy, Practice and Innovation held at Cefn Lea, Newtown on the 20th July can be accessed by clicking here.

The Welsh Government have published an update note concerning the WILG which can be accessed by clicking here.  An analysis of the situation will be posted on the ‘Rhydian news’ pages shortly.

For details of a new publication from Dr Julie Doughty (Cardiff Law School), Lucy Reed and Paul Magrath click here.

Following its annual conference in June 2017 – The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 – One Year On , BASW Cymru ran a survey to gather the views and experiences of social workers of working under the new Act.  The report can be accessed by clicking here.

Sarah Meakins from Cardiff University and her colleagues have recently published a paper in Adoption and Fostering on findings from the Wales Adoption Study.  This paper will be of particular interest to practitioners in family placement and adoptive parents and in addition to other carers offering permanence to children.  The paper explores the early support needs of newly formed adoptive families and is entitled “The support needs and experiences of newly formed adoptive families; finding from the Wales Adoption Study”.   An abstract can be accessed by clicking here.