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Council welcomes Ombudsman’s care report

Published: 31/10/2024

Flintshire County Council has welcomed a report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales into services for carers.

Michelle Morris undertook an ‘Own Initiative’ investigation looking at how local authorities are fulfilling their duties to offer all carers a needs assessment if they require additional support.

Flintshire has around 18,000 carers, many of whom receive support from Social Services or through NEWCIS – a third sector organisation commissioned by the Council.

The Ombudsman considered the processes for supporting carers at Flintshire, as well as Caerphilly County Borough Council, Ceredigion County Council and Neath Port Talbot Council.

The Ombudsman’s lead adviser said that, overall, carers are being asked about their experiences and are able to express and explore a wide range and variety of support needs. The report said the four authorities had effectively assessed whether adult carers had needs for support and had worked with carers to identify what those needs were.

The Ombudsman highlighted several areas of good practice in Flintshire, as well as making a number of recommendations for service development.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Wellbeing, Councillor Christine Jones, said: “We greatly value the key contribution that carers of all ages make in supporting their loved ones.

“I’m really proud of the wide range of carers services that we deliver here in Flintshire, both in-house and with partners. I am pleased to see that the Ombudsman has identified good practice in supporting carers in Flintshire and we are always looking for ways to improve our services and welcome the recommendations made in the report.”

Chief Executive of NEWCIS, Claire Sullivan, added: “We would like to thank the Ombudsman for highlighting the contribution of unpaid carers to society. The report focusses on an element of a much wider range of support available to carers in Flintshire. NEWCIS provides a lifeline to carers of all ages and backgrounds and offers a range of services tailored to meet individual needs.

“We are constantly striving to raise awareness of our services in order to reach out to even more people and are looking forward to welcoming all carers to our new Carers Centre, located on Mold High Street, which is due to open in November 2024.”

Support available through NEWCIS includes financial support, an award-winning respite scheme, carer needs assessments, counselling, training, peer support groups, hospital support and more. NEWCIS can help carers to access the information, guidance and support they need to help them in their caring role, as well as informing them about their rights as an unpaid carer. For more information, click here.