About Us
Care Forum Wales is a not-for-profit organisation with more than 400 members across Wales. It was set up on March 1, 1993 to give health and social care providers a collective voice in the debate about how to provide the best outcomes for those who need social care.
We work closely with the Welsh Government, commissioners and regulators to shape policies that focus on making sure people receive high-quality care. And we work to raise the profile of the social care workforce – every year we organise the prestigious Wales Care Awards a celebration of the hard work and dedication of the social care workforce.
We also organise events and conferences to promote best practice and share knowledge among our members. We support special interest groups which focus on specific areas of care. Care Forum Wales members benefit from professional advice, peer support from our WhatsApp Group, our weekly Enews and a free listing on our care provider directory.
Working together to raise standards
Care Forum Wales is proud to have been a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding, Securing Strong Partnerships in Care – an agreement also signed by:
- the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) www.wlga.wales/home
- the Association of Directors for Social Services Cymru (ADSS) www.adss.cymru
- National Care Association (NCA) nationalcareassociation.org.uk
- the Homecare Association (HCA) (formerly the United Kingdom Homecare Association) www.homecareassociation.org.uk
We look forward to the next phase as we work with the Welsh Government’s National Office for Care and Support. We have long campaigned for a national commissioning framework for that will treat providers as equal partners, cut through bureaucracy, increase transparency and ensure accountability of commissioners across health and social care. Above all, we want to replace the current postcode lottery with a single fee methodology that reflects a realistic cost of care and ensures that people with assessed needs are valued equally wherever they live in Wales.
We continue to campaign for improvements to the way social care is organised and delivered in Wales, working closely with Care Inspectorate Wales on the implementation of ratings and a fair and proportionate approach to registration. We work closely too with Social Care Wales to ensure a pragmatic approach to registration of our workforce and with Qualifications Wales to make the qualifications relevant and fit for purpose.
During Covid we campaigned for our heroic workforce to be given the respect it deserves and valued accordingly. As part of the Social Care Fair Work Partnership, we continue to push for better terms and conditions and to ensure that additional funding for Real Living Wage reaches the sector.
We have come a long way but there are many challenges ahead. Social care remains chronically underfunded and held in lower esteem than health services – private provision even more so due to suspicion and misunderstanding. Against this background we face a hike in employer National Insurance Contributions; an Employee Rights Bill that is similarly unlikely to be funded and the Immigration White Paper that removes a vital source of recruitment.
Now, more than ever, is the time to be part of the collective voice.
- If you would like to know more about Care Forum Wales please email enquiries@careforumwales.co.uk
- Find out more about becoming a Care Forum Wales member
Our policies
You can download these documents below:
Our manifesto document (coming soon)
Our mission statement [doc]
Terms and Conditions for membership – CFW Membership Ts Cs 0911.doc – NOT ON SERVER
Dignity in Care Charter [doc]
CFW terms & conditions – CFW Membership Ts Cs 0911.doc – NOT ON SERVER