Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network

Established in 1999, the Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network is a collective group of over 400 members who work in health, social care and wellbeing in Cardiff.

The Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network:
  • Presents a collective voice from the third sector, and facilitates and encourages involvement in joint planning groups;
  • Influences local, regional and national policy by responding to consultations;
  • Co-ordinates and maintains communication channels between the voluntary and statutory sector;
  • Identifies gaps in provision;
  • Responds to unmet needs;
  • Campaigns/lobbies for better, integrated services.

Membership of the Network is open to individuals working in third sector organisations whose area of benefit is Cardiff. This can include national or regional voluntary organisations’ projects or offices if they are based in Cardiff or deliver support and services across the Capital City. To find out how you can become a member of the Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network, or for any other information, please contact Duncan Innes at: [email protected] | Mobile: 07973 725 355.

The Trustees’ Network will meet four times a year and will be hosted alternatively in venues across Cardiff.

Membership and all network events are free

If there are any agenda items you would like to be discussed at any future network meetings, please email Duncan Innes at: [email protected]. Suggestions received already include: Cooperation and collaboration; How to influence the political process; What ACE reports will mean in practice; Disguised disability discrimination in employment and lack of employment opportunities and support for people with disabilities in Wales; Welsh Language/Context and Active Offer Principle; Risk Assessment; and the Impact of the EU referendum.

Register for the Next Meeting

Click to register for the next Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network meeting.

Previous Meeting Minutes

Click here to see the previous meeting minutes.

Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014
Wales Safeguarding Procedures 
Analysis of C3SC Consultation responses:
A-Z Carers’ DirectoryCarers Directory 2016 updated version

In January 2010, the ‘Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010’ came into force and places a duty on all health boards to create a Carers’ Information and Communication Strategy that will demonstrate how they will support carers.
Joint work was undertaken by Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board (UHB) in developing their strategy, in partnership with local authorities, C3SC, VCVS and the third sector. The strategy has now been submitted to Welsh Government for approval.
The working group has maintained its structure in order to deliver key pieces of work that will offer benefits to carers. This includes a Cardiff and Vale Carers’ Handbook, training and learning resources for staff from statutory agencies and the third sector, and the Cardiff and Vale A-Z Carers’ Directory.

This Directory offers a collated reference book of third sector and statutory services that carers can access for support.

If you are a carer or a carer service provider and would like to contact the Cardiff and Vale Health Board, please email: [email protected]

Download a PDF of the directory here.

News and Other info:

Section 16 Network Forum: On 30 November 2023, C3SC hosted a members’ forum on the Cardiff Council  consultation on Cardiff Adult Services Proposals. You can view the write-up of the forum by following the link here.

Stay Steady Virtual Clinic – Have you had a fall in the last year? Do you need to use your hands to get up from a chair or ever feel unsteady on your feet? Does a fear of falling stop you taking part in activities or doing daily tasks?  If you answered yes to any of these, then contact Cardiff and Vale UHB to get advice on managing the risk of falls by calling 029 2183 2552 or email [email protected]. Leave your details and they will contact you within a few days.  Stay Steady clinics offer consultations with a falls specialist physiotherapist which can be done over the phone or a secure video link.

Minimum alcohol price set in Wales for 2 March 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-50068865

Chat Health: When a young person texts 07520 615 718 they will connect to a School Nurse where they can obtain confidential advice, information and support. The service is active Monday to Friday and out of hours there will be a bounce-back messaging system offering a range of contact details for other organisations.

Cardiff and Vale UHB are the first in Wales to offer the service which is widely used across England.

Chat Health is an additional service to the weekly School Nurse Drop-ins, which are currently being reviewed to ensure that staff are fully equipped to support emotional and mental health issues.

chat help chat help cym

Integrated Autism Service: The ASD national team at the WLGA have published new Supporting Guidance for the Integrated Autism Service

New Community Food and Nutrition Skills Course dates are available.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): A new era in partnership working between the Third Sector and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has recently been signed, reflecting shared ambitions for improving health outcomes and a commitment to working together to deliver the UHB’s ten year strategy Shaping Our Future Wellbeing.

The UHB Framework for Working with the Third Sector and the supporting arrangements of an annual Action Plan and Steering Group, set up in 2012, have played a key role in establishing a strong relationship between the UHB and local third sector.  They have supported a joined up approach to the delivery of Shaping Our Future Wellbeing and have embedded a collaborative partnership approach into the way we work together strategically and operationally.

The mechanisms for continuing those strong relationships now need to change to reflect the ‘new’ partnership arena established via key pieces of legislation and Welsh Government policy.  In particular, this includes the roles of the Regional Partnership Board and the Public Services Boards, and the opportunities offered by the shared commitment to the wider transformation and locality agenda.

A MOU has therefore been developed to reflect this new environment, replacing the Framework for Working with the Third Sector; it provides a written statement of our joint commitments and intentions.  The Third Sector is represented in this context by C3SC and Glamorgan Voluntary Services as the local County Voluntary Councils.  The Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Networks in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan were invited to comment on a draft, prior to the signing of the final MOU.  The MOU will be reviewed annually.

Health and Wellbeing Wales App: The Minister for Health and Social Services launched the new App providing easy access to a directory of services to front-line staff across Wales to support service and care provided to patients.  It has over 10,000 national and local organisations and services listed.  It is a collaboration between Welsh Government, Local Government, TSSW and the NHS in Wales.  It combines information from Dewis Cymru, Info engine and NHS Direct Wales to form a virtual Directory of Service. For more information about the App please see the video that has been made as part of the launch https://youtu.be/TvgK_HTpv4Q

Primary Choice launches in Cardiff and Vale: A new campaign to help members of the public choose the right health advice in the local community has been launched by the UHB. Primary Choice aims to educate the public on the skills and expertise of the healthcare professions in the local community so they see the right person, first time  For more information please see the UHB website.

Shaping Our Future Wellbeing strategy website

Joint Ministerial letter to Health Workforce

Cardiff and Vale Director of Services for Older People has recently been updated

Poor hospital discharge process puts patients ‘at risk’

A Healthier Wales: our Plan for Health and Social Care. The Welsh Government have released the plan in response to the Parliamentary Review Report on Health and Social Care in Wales. The plan outlines major changes to the way NHS and social care is organised in the future, bringing more care closer to home, with less reliance on hospitals.

The Outcome of the Consultation on the Major Trauma Network is now available

The Cardiff and Vale UHB have launched the new person-centred toolkit new person-centred toolkit, for people with a dementia or cognitive impairment.

Carers Engagement – The Carers Trust carried out carer engagement from November 2016 to March 2017, they have produced a short two-page document to highlight what they found out.

Read ‘All in the mind – meeting the challenge of alcohol-related brain injury’, by Alcohol Concern.

Cardiff People First talks about cervical screening.

The Population Needs Assessment has now been published. You can also read the Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board Annual Review for 2016/17 here.

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has created an intergenerational resource with the Older People’s Commissioner that aims to encourage schools and groups of older people to establish Intergenerational groups – find out more at https://www.childcomwales.org.uk/our-work/resources/intergenerational-resource/

AGENDA: A Young People’s Guide to Making Positive Relationships Matter is an online tool-kit produced with young people for young people. It aims to support young people to safely and creatively raise awareness of gender inequalities, sexual harassment and violence in schools and communities. Agenda showcases examples of the work young people are already doing in order to inspire and support others to speak out about what matters to them. It includes a wide range of activities and resources. Issues covered include: addressing gender discrimination, consent, LGBT+ rights, bullying, street harassment, FGM, sexual exploitation, relationship violence and many more. *AGENDA is available in English and Welsh. The guide and supporting resources are free to download at www.agenda.wales

Have you heard of the Carers’ Emergency Card and Contingency Plan Scheme?

You will find the Cardiff and the Vale Parents’ Federation ‘Where You Stand’ information guide at: www.whereyoustand.org

Briefings following external events and meetings

The Health and Social Care Facilitators attend a range of different meetings and events, following some of these they produce briefings for the third sector.

Useful links
To find out more:

To find out how you can become a member of the Cardiff Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Network, or for any other information, please contact Duncan Innes at: [email protected] or 07973 725 355.

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