Flintshire autism case raises concern over care plan delays
A Flintshire case has raised concerns over whether councils are complying with their legal duties to autistic adults under Welsh law.
North Wales MS Mark Isherwood told the Senedd today, Tuesday January 13, that he attended the care and support plan of “yet another autistic Flintshire constituent” who had been left waiting two years for a review.
He said the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 requires that individuals must be treated as equal partners in planning their care and that plans for adults must be reviewed at least once every 12 months.
“The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and its code of conduct state that an individual must feel that they’re an equal partner in their relationship with professionals, that care and support plans must contain a clear date, agreed with the individual, by which the plan will be reviewed,” he said.
“In the case of an adult, the date of review must not exceed 12 months. This was two years,” he added.
Mr Isherwood also said that in cases where eligible care and support needs are identified, and the person wishes to receive one, direct payments must be made available to help achieve personal outcomes. He claimed that these legal requirements “are routinely ignored”.
He asked: “What is the purpose of Welsh Government legislation if it is not monitored and, when necessary, enforced, or at least support put in place, to ensure that the practitioners are doing it right?”
Responding, First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “It is important to recognise the difficulties that many people living with autism and neurodivergent conditions suffer, and it is important to recognise the support that is needed for them and also their families.”
She said the Welsh Government had “statutory duties set out in the autism code of practice” and that “pilots and new ways of working” were being developed to provide earlier and more needs-led support.
“We recognise that more needs to be done in relation to waiting times and to deliver that post-diagnostic support,” she said. “You are quite right: we need to make sure that the statutory duties that we set out in law are actually enacted, and we do have organisations to make sure that that happens.”
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