The National Assembly for Wales' Health and Social Care Committee has recommended that the Assembly agrees the general principles of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Bill, but has called for a series of amendments to be made to strengthen the Bill.
The Bill, introduced in February 2015 by the Welsh Government's Minister for Health and Social Services, Mark Drakeford AM, is intended to be a companion to the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. It seeks to improve the quality of care and support people receive in Wales by revising and simplifying the legal framework for the regulation and inspection of social care services and the social care workforce.
The Committee unanimously supports the Bill's aims, but believes that the provisions need to be strengthened in a number of areas, including workforce registration, the involvement and engagement of the public in the inspection regime, and oversight of local authority and local health board social care commissioning.
David Rees AM, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, said:
"Many people in Wales, including some of the most vulnerable in our communities, rely on social care services and the people who deliver them. Sadly, we have all seen and heard examples in which people have been let down by poor care.
"The evidence we heard clearly highlighted the need for this Bill to provide a sound basis for a well-regulated social care sector, in which high-quality services are delivered by a properly trained, qualified and regulated social care workforce.
"Our 46 evidence-based recommendations seek to strengthen the regulatory and inspection framework set out by the Bill, make sure that it complements the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, and support the development of a robust and sustainable social care sector in which the people of Wales can have confidence."