My name’s Professor Judith Hall
and I’m delighted to be asked to chair
the National Advisory Board for Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Care and Social Services provision affects so many lives,
being part of this advisory structure,
gives us a chance to make things better
for the thousands and thousands of people
who utilise these services in Wales.
And its an opportunity through chairing
to give a voice to the considerable expertise there is in the National Advisory Board.
Users,
users of services and service providers themselves,
its an opportunity for them to have a voice in
creating a service of excellence here in Wales.
My name is Joe Powell
and I’m the National Director of All Wales People First.
I’m somebody who lived in care services for many years
and as somebody as director of All Wales People First,
I represent a lot of people with learning disabilities
who rely heavily on the CSSIW and obviously
like any organisation I’ve had mixed experiences
so it was just my opportunity on behalf of them to help
to represent their point of view but
to also support CSSIW as well to deliver the best standards possible
and also to help promote the work that they do
so that people can see the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
I think what I’d like to achieve
from being on the National Advisory Board
is to give a good reflection on the learning disability
experience of our members at All Wales People First
but people with learning disabilities generally,
to help the CSSIW come to the highest standards of practice,
to help them see some of the hidden loop holes
that are in the care system,
which sometimes includes the way we treat our staff
its not just about people with learning disabilities
its about how we treat people in the workplace.
My name’s Ffion Alun,
I work for Estyn Llaw and
we promote bilingualism in the third sector,
I’m also a registered person for an after school club,
so I have worked with CSSIW in that context as well.
I was approached to be part of the Board
because of my Welsh language, knowledge and skills really,
I think that I’m the Welsh voice on the Board.
I think it’s really important that this voice
is heard because there are people in Wales
who need to speak Welsh,
its not a choice its an actual need.
So I think it’s important that their needs are part of the Board.
I feel at times that the CSSIW’s public image
is quite negative,
people are scared of inspections
and staff in settings are scared when inspectors come around
and that’s not always fair I think.
I’d like to be part of something that
could change that perception that CSSIW are there to
make sure that people have a high standard of care,
so that settings are safe and appropriate for everybody.
Wales deserves good or excellent, outstanding care.
There is such a lot going on in Wales
at the moment in terms of care,
social services, well being of our citizens,
and it just feels like a tipping point.
I think by giving a voice to this advisory board,
allowing them to feed forward into
the people making decisions
we can create this atmosphere and this reality
of good and lets face it,
lets have excellence here in Wales.