The Local Authority Social Services Annual Reports (Prescribed Form) (Wales) Regulations 2017
Title, commencement and application1.
(1)
The title of these Regulations is the Local Authority Social Services Annual Reports (Prescribed Form) (Wales) Regulations 2017.
(2)
These Regulations come into force on 4 September 2017 and apply in relation to Wales.
Interpretation2.
In these Regulations—
“the Act” (“y Ddeddf”) means the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014;
“annual report” (“adroddiad blynyddol”) means the report that a local authority is required to prepare and publish in accordance with section 144A of the Act.
Form of annual report3.
The Schedule (which sets out the requirements as to the form of annual reports) has effect.
SCHEDULERequirements as to the form of annual reports
F11.
The information which is required to be included in an annual report must be set out under the following headings—
Chapter 1: Director’s summary
Chapter 2: Context
Chapter 3: Performance assessment
Chapter 4: Other information
2.
The information included in chapter 3 must be set out in four parts under the following headings—
Chapter 3(a): People
Chapter 3(b): Prevention
Chapter 3(c): Partnership and integration
Chapter 3(d): Well-being
3.
The information included in each part of chapter 3 must be set out in four sections under the following headings—
Section (i): What do we know about the quality and impact of what we are doing?
Section (ii): How do we know?
Section (iii): What are we doing well and how can we do better?
Section (iv): What progress did we make on the areas for improvement identified in last year’s report? What difference did we make?
4.
The information included in chapter 4 must be set out in four parts under the following headings—
Chapter 4(a): Inspections and reviews
Chapter 4(b): Complaints and representations
Chapter 4(c): Referencing other sources of information
Chapter 4(d): Any other information
Section 144A of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 was inserted by section 56 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and requires local authorities in Wales to prepare and publish an annual report about the exercise of the authority’s social services functions.
Section 144A(4) requires the annual report to be in such form as may be prescribed by regulations.
These Regulations prescribe the form of the annual report. The requirements as to the form of the annual report are contained in the Schedule to the Regulations. The Schedule describes the headings under which the information which is required to be included in the annual report must be set out.
The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.