How We Care: Understanding the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

At its foundation are five important principles.

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is more than just a piece of legislation. It represents a cultural shift in how care and support are provided across Wales — for adults, children, and carers. It brings together a wide range of existing laws into one single framework, and most importantly, it puts the person at the heart of the process.

The Act applies to anyone who may need care and support, and to carers who provide it. It guides how local authorities, health boards, and other partners should work with people to improve lives — not just meet needs.

At its foundation are five important principles. These principles are not just ideals — they are practical, guiding values that shape every conversation, plan, and decision made in social care.

Let’s explore each one and how it shapes good practice.

1. Voice and Control

This principle is about giving people a say in their own lives.

Rather than being passive recipients of care, individuals should be active participants. This means listening to people, respecting their views, and ensuring they have control over the decisions that affect them. Whether it’s a young carer deciding on school support or an older adult planning their independence, the care and support process must begin with the question:“What matters to you?”

Voice and control also includes the right to advocacy, accessible communication, and support for people to express their views in their own way.

2. Prevention and Early Intervention

Good care doesn’t wait for a crisis.

The Act promotes an approach that focuses on stopping problems before they start, or at least before they become more serious. This means offering timely advice, information, and community-based support — such as local wellbeing services, short-term help after illness, or peer support groups.

Early intervention reduces pressure on services and gives people the tools to stay well, stay connected, and stay independent.

For example, helping a struggling parent find family support early could prevent a breakdown in relationships later. Or providing a walking frame and a falls check for an older adult could prevent a hospital admission.

3. Well-being

Well-being is the central goal of the Act — not just physical health, but a person’s overall quality of life.

Well-being includes:

• Being safe and secure

• Having good relationships

• Being active in the community

• Having a stable home

• Accessing education, work, or hobbies

• Having a sense of purpose and self-worth

Support should be designed with these things in mind. Plans should not focus only on “what’s wrong” but on helping people achieve what’s important to them.

For instance, a young person with a disability might be fully safe and cared for — but if they’re isolated, lonely, or unable to pursue interests, their well-being is not truly being supported.

4. Co-production

Co-production is about partnership and equality.

People who use services have lived experience. That experience matters just as much as professional knowledge. Co-production means that individuals, carers, families, and communities are involved in designing, delivering, and reviewing their support.

They don’t just answer questions — they help shape the answers.

In practice, this could mean:

• Working with service users to design a day centre timetable

• Co-creating a care plan with a person, not for them

• Including carers in policy discussions

• Asking communities what kind of local support would work best for them

Co-production recognises that people are not problems to be solved — they are experts in their own lives.

5. Multi-agency Working

No one service has all the answers — and no one’s life fits neatly into just one box.

Multi-agency working means that organisations must work together, not in silos. Health, education, housing, social services, voluntary organisations, and others must cooperate to offer joined-up support.

This is especially important in situations involving complex needs, such as:

• A child in school struggling with home life and behaviour

• An older adult needing health care, equipment, and housing adaptations

• A carer supporting someone with mental health and addiction issues

When agencies collaborate well, individuals don’t have to repeat themselves, fall through the gaps, or get contradictory support. They receive one coordinated, thoughtful response.

In Summary

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is a landmark piece of legislation because it focuses on people first — their voice, their strengths, and their goals.

Its five principles guide us to:

• Listen deeply

• Act early

• Focus on the whole person

• Work with, not just for

• And bring services together

This way of working isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about building a system that promotes dignity, independence, and long-term well-being — for everyone in Wales.

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