VOTE PASSES FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR UNPAID CARERS

“They save Welsh Government £10 billion a year, but their statutory rights on accessing support are not being sufficiently upheld” – Sioned Williams MS

The Senedd has today (Wednesday 5 February 2025) voted in favour of more support for unpaid carers.

Sioned Williams MS, who represents South Wales West in the Senedd, brought forward a proposal for a Bill on ensuring recognition and support for unpaid carers, following research by Carers Wales that showed carers are not receiving the support they’re entitled to.

Despite all carers having a legal right to a Carer’s Needs Assessment, under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, reports have shown that only between 0.3% and 8% of carers who need an assessment are receiving one.

Rob Simkins, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at Carers Wales welcomed the debate and said that “the changes unpaid carers need to see cannot happen fast enough.”

The motion overwhelmingly passed which indicates the level of support for better measures to implement the Act.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said:

“At the last count, unpaid carers save Welsh Government £10 billion a year through providing care that would otherwise be picked up by health and social care services. However, their value to those they provide care for is immeasurable. 

“In many ways, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 was groundbreaking in enshrining the rights of carers into law. But sadly the rhetoric does not match the reality and too few of our carers are benefiting from the rights that have been granted them.

“The bill I proposed would ensure that Welsh Government take steps to address the multitude of current failings evidenced by many reports around the 2014 Act’s implementation.”

Rob Simkins, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, Carers Wales said:

“We welcome this debate and the recognition that far too many unpaid carers in Wales are not seeing their rights under the Act fulfilled, as evidenced in our Track the Act report released last year. While good work is ongoing to tackle these issues, the changes unpaid carers need to see cannot happen fast enough.

“We hope today’s debate can help everyone re-double their efforts and direct resource into providing better support for the hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers across Wales. We owe it to them to do better.”

ENDS / DIWEDD

EDITOR’S NOTES / NODIADAU I’R GOLYGYDD:

Sioned Williams MS’s brought forward a Members’ Legislative Proposal (MLP), which proposed that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on ensuring recognition and support for unpaid carers.
2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:
   1. improve the support available from the Welsh Government, local authorities and healthcare settings for unpaid carers, based on the rights set out in the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014;
   2. solidify data capture and monitoring of engagement with unpaid carers across statutory services to be reported on periodically;
   3. ensure greater sharing of unpaid carers’ data, where appropriate, between statutory services to support carers as they navigate services and advocate for the person(s) they care for; and
   4. place a duty on the Welsh Government and local authorities to recognise unpaid carers as a priority group in the design and delivery of all future policy interventions.

English: https://record.assembly.wales/Motion/8724

Cymraeg: https://cofnod.senedd.cymru/Motion/8724

31 Members of Senedd voted in favour of the debate, 2 voted against and the remainder abstained. The itemised voting results will appear on the Senedd record in due course.

A Members Legislative Proposal is non-binding, but gives an indication as to the support a future Bill may gain. Further clarity on MLPs can be found in the ‘Guidance on the proper conduct of Senedd business’ in paragraph 152 onwards: https://senedd.wales/media/3jvikkck/collation_of_guidance_eng.pdf

About Carers Wales:

• Carers Wales exists to make life better for the more than 310,000 unpaid carers across Wales.
• They are led by their 5,000 members in Wales, the vast majority of whom are unpaid carers, and together they provide support for and campaign with unpaid carers to secure lasting change.
• Carers Wales is part of Carers UK and have been leading the way on carers’ rights for 60 years.