The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is looking at how social care in Wales could be improved and wants to hear from older people across Wales about their experiences of receiving help and support from social care services, to learn more about what’s working well and where changes are needed.

The Commissioner will use the evidence shared by older people to consider whether the quality of the social care support people are receiving in Wales reflects the standards set out in policy and legislation, which appears not always to be the case based on the issues and concerns raised by older people.

She will publish a report in 2026 that sets out her findings, together with recommendations for action to address any issues she identifies.

We want to reach out as widely as possible, to capture the voices and experiences of older people from a wide range of backgrounds and communities, and we hope you can support this by sharing information about the Commissioner’s survey via your communications channels and encouraging people to respond.

To capture older people’s experiences of receiving social care services, the Commissioner has developed a multiple choice survey.

The survey can be completed online here:

www.olderpeople.wales/socialcare

Paper copies of the survey are also available if you’d like to share these with older people you work with or support. If you’d like us to send you any paper copies, please call us on 03442 640 670 or email ask@olderpeople.wales.

Completed surveys can be returned to the Commissioner’s office via Freepost.

Older people can also complete the survey over the phone with a member of the Commissioner’s team by calling 03442 640 670.   

Could you help to make sure Merthyr Tydfil is represented in national research?

Baromedr Cymru is the new Welsh voluntary sector ‘barometer’ organised by WCVA and Nottingham Trent University. The rolling data source will provide an up-to-date picture on what’s happening across the voluntary sector in  Wales.

In return for completing a short survey each quarter, participants will receive personalised data that could be a game-changer in decision making.

WHAT DO YOU GET ACCESS TO?

Access to Baromedr Cymru will give you evidence to back up your funding applications and inform conversations with stakeholders and decision makers:

Every organisation that contributes will receive a personalised dashboard, showing how your responses compare to others across the sector. It’s a useful way to reflect, benchmark and plan.

Each quarterly ‘wave’ will be accompanied by a short report, highlighting findings and digging deeper into areas of particular interest.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

For those signed up, Baromedr Cymru will involve a short, quarterly survey asking organisations in Merthyr Tydfil about:

• Your financial position
• Volunteer and staffing pressures
• Demand for services
• Confidence about the future
• Plus a rotating section on ‘hot topics’ or areas we want to explore in more depth

Each organisation responds just once per quarter, typically via a staff member or volunteer who understands how the organisation is doing.

You can sign up HERE

Last year following consultation with VAMT members through the training and support questionnaire we circulated, our members said that they wanted more support and information regarding funding and governance.

To ensure we met the needs of our members we facilitated 16 Meet the Funder sessions from April to the end of November. A variety of training opportunities from First Aid, Safeguarding Group B, Bystander Intervention Training to Tea and Tec and Trauma Response, as well as Nest Framework and Chairing Effective Meetings supported 49 individuals with governance.

Here’s what’s coming up so far in January and February, keep an eye on our social media and your emails for further updates.

To book on any of our training and Meet the Funder sessions, contact karen.vowles@vamt.net or emily.whiteman-cranston@vamt.net

The Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy Progress Report 2025 was published on 02 December. Alongside the progress report, we have also published:

• The Child Poverty Strategy Monitoring Framework which reports on robust population level data on a range of child poverty indicators and measures
• Evidence from people with lived experience of poverty to understand how policies and actions are, or are not, making a difference to the lives of children, young people and families at a household level.

The Welsh Government is committed to tackling child poverty as an absolute priority.

We want a Wales where children and young people can access their rights, enjoy wellbeing, and fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio-economic circumstances).

We can’t do this alone. The important work of our partners in the public, third and private sectors, working with us, for families in poverty, is crucial if we are to have a real impact on child poverty in Wales.

Together we can tackle poverty and deliver on the rights of all children and young people of Wales.

Find out more at: Child poverty strategy for Wales: strategy and progress | GOV.WALES

Tackling Poverty & Supp. Families/Trechu Tlodi a Chef. Teuluoedd TacklingPovertyAndSupportingFamilies@gov.wales