Have your say on support for the vulnerable

A new inquiry will look at how effective support for vulnerable people in their homes is in Wales - and Llangollen people can have their say.


The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee will examine the Welsh Government’s Supporting People Programme, which provides grant funding to deliver services for people with learning difficulties, mental health issues, and young people with support needs.

Services are provided either through local authorities, or through third-party providers such as charities.

The programme currently supports around 67,000 people in Wales and for 2016-17 financial year has a ‘ring-fenced’ budget of almost £125 million.

However, the recent publication by the Welsh Government of the detail of its budget plans has created some uncertainty about the way in which Supporting People funding will be managed in the future and this will be taken into account as part of the committee’s work.

A report from the Wales Audit Office earlier this year found inconsistent levels of delivery in different parts of the country, due in part to inadequate guidance from the Welsh Government.

“The Supporting People Programme delivers what are undoubtedly valuable services to vulnerable people in a range of different circumstances,” said Nick Ramsay AM, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

“However, the pace of progress is a concern and it is disappointing that the Welsh Government still does not have a good enough understanding of the programme’s overall impact some fourteen years on from its initial launch.

“We will be looking at how the programme is developing to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, how almost £125 million pounds is being spent, and how the effectiveness of these services and all that money is being monitored.”

* Anyone wishing to contribute to the inquiry can find more information on the Public Accounts Committee’s web pages. The consultation closes on 22 December 2017.