Pobl Welcomes Deputy Minister for Social Services

Based in Risca, the first service she visited was one which provides a high degree of support to an individual with complex needs. Meanwhile, the second service was Ty Eirlys, a bespoke independent living setting, designed for individuals with learning disabilities who can live as independently as possible, accessing support as and when they want it.

The purpose of the visits was to give the Deputy Minister the opportunity to see first-hand examples of supported living services, with differing levels of support being provided.

The visits also opened up conversations around out of county/country placements, the transition from children to adult services, integrated commissioning and capital funding. There was also scope to speak about the successes and challenges of setting up services such as the ones she visited, alongside the sector-wide issue of recruitment – both the successes and the barriers.

Towards the end of her visit to Ty Eirlys, Ms Morgan took the opportunity to sit down with some of the individuals who live there and engaged in conversation about life at the service, holidays and hobbies. She also faced some interesting questions herself, from one particular individual, who showed a genuine interest in politics and funding.

Speaking about the visit, James Wadlow, Director of Care & Responsible Individual at Pobl said, “It was brilliant to meet Ms Morgan and her team. The opportunity for her to see our services and also hear first-hand about the successes and the challenges in our sector. I hope that it will generate future consultations and collaborations.”

After the visit, the individuals who live at Ty Eirlys spoke about how interesting it was to meet Julie Morgan MS and that they had enjoyed the experience. It is hoped that more visits will be on the agenda soon.