CDS developing in Wales – Progress so far. Rick Wilson 29th April 2010 www.wacds.org.uk

Overview Launch – 29th June 2010 Gaining Assembly Approval Developing Practice Growing and sharing the movement Building the formal Alliance Development of tools

Work to Launch our Alliance We are launching our Alliance on the 29th June at Hope Church Newtown. The Week before the National Social Services Conference Gwenda Thomas can’t attend, so we are inviting a Senior Policy Official. The event will be aimed at bring us as an Alliance together Partner LA’s Partner Providers Already involved citizens. We are going to pitch the event so that it brings together about 120 people.

Work to Launch our Alliance Aims of the event To bring together potential members and other interested individuals and groups to celebrate the launch of Wales Alliance for CDS in Wales. To enable participants to hear about the different components of s CDS models in Wales. To enable participants to meet people involved in the CDS demonstration projects around Wales. To get agreement from CDS potential members to the proposed WACDS constitution and to formally recognise them as members of the Alliance. To formally elect a ‘Council’ for the Alliance in line with the agreed Constitution.

Organising the launch Launch event organisation: The Seren led Publicity team send out weekly email based publicity over the remaining 9 weeks before the event. Builds interest in 4 questions: Do you agree with the principles of CDS? Do you wish to sign up as part of the alliance? Do you want come to the launch? Have you got stories about individuals, groups or agencies changing their lives or work in line with the principles of CDS? The Membership Promotion Team made up of Network Chairs who work with their memberships to get concrete sign ups, potential launch attendee's and a growing catalogue of change stories that can be used to promote media interest. Mencap Cymru will work with the network to generate a logo and branding. The Event Convening will come from Cymorth Cymru, we are being asked to make a contribution to this.

Organising the launch Media awareness and interest Swansea are working to develop an interest with the media in this developing Citizen Directed Support movement. They are building a media pack based on background story currently being written. This story will be augmented by the growing individual stories generated by the Launch Event process. All of this work can be contributed to through our wiki-site http://welshcitizensupport.wikispaces.com/Launch+Event+Development

Gaining Assembly Approval for CDS Work is ongoing Discussion is taking place between ADSS and AWASH with the Assembly, it appears positive. Third sector Cymorth and WCVA are also making representations and are meeting with the Minister in early June. The Independent Commission on Social Services in Wales that will report in November is also considering issues related to personalisation.

Developing Practice There is a growing range of practice experiments across Wales Work taking place in 11 local authorities Wrexham, individual budgets, ‘re-enablement’, Swansea, whole authority, outcome focused, community development. Provider led practice experiments Reach Cardiff – disaggregation of budgets Cymryd Rhan – community development Dimensions – citizen led pre-employment course. Citizen organised experiments Change one thing – experiment in action research within a day centre. These need to be publicised and shared

Growing and Sharing the Movement By the launch we want: 11Local Authorities, 50 organisations or community groups, and 100 Citizens. To be willing to be part of our Alliance. The sign up process is a simple way for us to encourage people to share stories and get involved. This will be a person to person thing.

Building the formal Alliance We will need to develop a constitution for the Alliance It will probably make some conditions on individuals and agency members They sign up to principles and express willingness to contribute. It will probably have a council and feel like a mutual Proportion of statutory & government agencies Proportion of providers and community groups Proportion of citizens

Tools and identity SSIA is building an evaluation tool Mencap Cymru is working collaboratively on branding http://welshcitizensupport.wikispaces.com/Branding Current frontrunner

Next Years programme & Bits and Pieces Next years learning events Dates Subject areas Action Learning sets? WACDS stand at National Social Services Conference Can we make a financial contribution? The cost of a stand is £650.