- 25/05/2017
- Posted by: Lesley Griffiths MS
- Category: News
An extra £20m will be invested in social services in Wales every year in recognition of the sector’s national strategic importance, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
The recurrent funding will be invested in three priority areas. A total of £9m will increase funding already made available to manage workforce costs, £8m will be used to prevent children from entering care and local authorities will receive £3m to pay for respite for carers.
Wrexham Assembly Member Lesley Griffiths has welcomed the additional funding commitment and said:
“Social care workers perform an admirable job in looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our society. In spite of continued cuts to its budget, the Welsh Government has prioritised funding for social care – with spending on health and social care remaining 6% higher per person in Wales than in England.”
“The sector is integral to safeguarding our NHS and this significant Welsh Government investment will help ensure social services in Wales are strong and sustainable.”
The extra funding is on top of the £25m already provided to local authorities through the revenue support grant.
In addition, the Welsh Government announced in January an additional £10m a year specifically aimed at supporting the social care workforce by meeting the extra costs associated with the introduction of the national living wage.
It brings the total additional investment for social care to £55m in 2017/18.
