A Social Co-operation Forum for Wales was established to bring together all those working to develop co-operative models of support in the field of social care and well-being. This is particularly important following the introduction of the Social Services & Wellbeing (Wales) Act in April 2016. The Act places a duty on local authorities to promote co-operatives, social enterprise, user-led and third sector organisations for social care, and also seeks to ensure that citizen-users of social care have a “strong voice and real control”. The Forum believes that user-led and multi-stakeholder co-operatives, embracing co-operative principles of democracy and co-ownership, are ideal models for achieving the Act’s aspirations.
The Forum is a membership network promoting co-operative models of social care and well-being. We promote social care innovation in Wales based on co-operative values and methods of working, with particular but not exclusive emphasis on user-controlled delivery models.
Currently meeting 4 times a year, the Forum aims:
- To bring together representatives of the key stakeholder constituencies
- To encourage and support the sustainable development of local co-operatives
- To encourage and support the “co-operisation” of existing social care provider organisations
- To encourage and support a strategic programme of co-operative education
- To encourage the creation and implementation of legislation, policies and guidance for social care (and related services) which foster the development of services and systems based on co-operative values and principles
- To continue to learn from relevant international developments in co-operation and social care
For more information please visit: www.socialcoopforum.wales
