We believe that people should be at the centre of public services, with voice and control in their lives and communities.
We have the opportunity to create the Welsh Way together– wellbeing in our communities for everyone, where everyone can give something towards it and everyone can get that extra bit of support when they need it .
The background
Our sector delivers public services including health, social
care and housing-related support, employment and skills training,
education, community development, advice and advocacy, community
justice, recycling and environmental initiatives. Nearly
three quarters of these third sector organisations are local.
There is scope for health boards and local authorities to work
much more imaginatively with us all to develop better services that
are closer to people, more responsive to needs, and add value by
drawing on community resources.
Health and social care is placing emphasis on prevention, early
intervention, and developing more community-based support.
The third sector can help people to stay in their community, and
bepart of their community.
What we're doing
Co-production
We are working to promote co-production as an approach to the
development and delivery of services.
Co-production creates a bigger 'cake' of resources with not
just public sector staff and budgets, but also service users,
families, neighbours, local third sector organisations and the
wider community in a 'total service' which releases new energies
and skills. It means that commissioned services and
self-organised support can work alongside one another rather than
operating in isolation.
Community Hubs
We all want to live in healthier, happier, safer, more
prosperous communities. This wellbeing can only be created
when people design it themselves. Life changing developments are
most likely to happen when a community comes together and tackles
problems from the ground up, starting and ending with the needs of
local people and when they have ownership of the process.
Community action has always been strong in Wales. Today there
are lots of more resilient communities being built by community
organisations themselves, co-producing to overcome barriers and
generate additional benefits, from a 'hub' within their areas. You
can find out how community hubs are making a difference to people's
lives in our booklet - Community Hubs: A vision for Wales.
Citizen Directed Support
This is being developed in social care in Wales, and WCVA is
supporting it with our sector because it is a strong way of
co-producing. It is about people being in control of the support
they need to live the life they choose.
Documents and Resources