Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

14 Assessment of needs for care and support, support for carers and preventative services

(1) A local authority and each Local Health Board any part of whose area lies within the area of the local authority must, in accordance with regulations, jointly assess—

(a) the extent to which there are people in the local authority’s area who need care and support;

(b) the extent to which there are carers in the local authority’s area who need support;

(c) the extent to which there are people in the local authority’s area whose needs for care and support (or, in the case of carers, support) are not being met (by the authority, the Board or otherwise);

(d) the range and level of services required to meet the care and support needs of people in the local authority’s area (including the support needs of carers);

(e) the range and level of services required to achieve the purposes in section 15(2) (preventative services) in the local authority’s area;

(f) the actions required to provide the range and level of services identified in accordance with paragraphs (d) and (e) through the medium of Welsh.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) may, for example, provide for the timing and review of assessments.

(3) In section 40 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (health and well-being strategies)—

(a) after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) The responsible bodies must take into account the most recent assessment under section 14 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (assessment of needs for care and support, support for carers and preventative services) in the formulation or review of the strategy.

(2B) The responsible bodies must jointly publish the strategy.

(2C) The Local Health Board (or Boards) responsible for the strategy must submit to the Welsh Ministers any part of the strategy which relates to the health and well-being of carers (and if more than one Board is responsible for the strategy, they must do so jointly).”;

(b) in subsection (6), after paragraph (g) insert—

“(h) the submission of the strategy or a part of the strategy, to the Welsh Ministers (including, for example, the form in which and the time by which the strategy or part is to be submitted).”;

(c) in subsection (9), insert in the appropriate place—

• ““carer” has the same meaning as in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014,”.

(4) In section 26 of the Children Act 2004 (children and young people’s plans), after subsection (1A) insert—

“(1AA) A local authority in Wales must take into account the most recent assessment under section 14 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (assessment of needs for care and support, support for carers and preventative services) in the preparation and review of the plan.”