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• The provision of unpaid care is becoming increasingly common as the population ages, with an expectation that the demand for care provided by spouses and adult children will more than double over the next thirty years (see for example Personal Social Services Research Unit).
• BasedonanationalcalculationconductedbycarersUKandSheffieldUniversityin 2015 (Carers UK, 2015), the cost of replacing unpaid care in West Wales, can be estimated at £924m. This exceeds the NHS annual budget for the region which is almost £727m (Hywel Dda University Health Board 2016).
Gaps and areas for improvement in relation to carers are listed on pages 67 - 70 of the main report.
Children and Young People
• Children and young people make up approximately 22.2% of the population in the West Wales region. The number of young people is expected to stay relatively stable over the next 15 years
• The region has a lower number of Looked After Children (LAC) than the national average
• Care and support needs span a wide range from universal, through early intervention, multiple needs and remedial intervention
• Partner agencies have adopted a broadly consistent continuum of care and support for children and families with a focus on prevention
• Areas for improvement include further development of preventative and early intervention services, building on established programmes such as Family Information Services, Families First and Team Around the Family; refocusing managed care and support to promote independence and wellbeing; improving multi-agency working and improved collaboration across the region to bring services to a consistent level and standard
• Collaborative action should also be considered to address strategic challenges such as reducing budgets, workforce development and the establishment of user-led preventative services
Gaps and areas for improvement in relation to children and young people are listed on pages 84 - 85 of the main report.
Health and Physical Disabilities
• Asignificantproportionofpeopleinthe18-64agegroupwillnotbeaccessingcare and support directly to address specific needs. However, they will benefit from general public health information and programmes aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyles and reducing risks to their health brought about by factors such as smoking and obesity. More generally, adults in Wales will also benefit from combined approaches across sectors and within communities to improve the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of Wales in response to the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2016.
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 Executive Summary