In March we published our final report covering the activity of the project, including 65 stories from people who use care and support services or who are carers, our key findings and recommendations.  You can read the full report here.

We have since been awarded further funding to continue MtM until October 2020.  Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan, said:

'I welcome the phase one findings and recommendations from the Measuring the Mountain project, they are wide ranging and cover a number of significant and important areas that the whole of the social care sector in Wales needs to consider.

This report is important to the whole sector, including government, local authorities, the third sector and practitioners. I want the sector to own and take forward the recommendations to ensure that, as the changes demanded by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 continue to be embedded into practice, the findings set out in the report are used to actively inform these changes.

The positive momentum that has been created from this project must continue and it is for this reason that I have agreed to fund Measuring the Mountain for a further 18 months. The next phase of the project will allow us further insight and understanding to help guide the sector towards improvement. Crucially the project will expand on the excellent work that was undertaken in 2018/19 and will further explore the gaps that were identified in phase one.

Projects of this type are crucial and provide the opportunity to reflect on what we are currently delivering and how we can further develop– and, most importantly, how we can ensure that all people accessing care and support in Wales are able to achieve the well-being outcomes that matter most to them.'

Throughout the rest of 2019 and until May 31st 2020 we will be gathering further experiences from people about using care and support services or of being carer, and in May 2020 we will be hosting a second Citizens’ Jury to examine a key topic in-depth.

If you have stories to share, or you know others who do, please get in touch.  If you would like to know more about the Jury and how to get involved please email Katie – Katie.cooke@southwales.ac.uk.

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