Title, commencement and application

1.-(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.

Interpretation

2.  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 report

3.  The Schedule (which sets out the requirements as to the form of annual reports) has effect.

Regulation 3

SCHEDULERequirements as to the form of annual reports

1.  The information which is required to be included in an annual report(2) must be set out under the following headings-

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Director's summary of performance

Chapter 3: How are people shaping our services?

Chapter 4: Promoting and improving the well-being of those we help

Chapter 5: How we do what we do

Chapter 6: Accessing further information and key documents

2.  The information included in chapter 4 must be set out in six parts under the following headings-

Chapter 4(a): Working with people to define and co-produce personal well-being outcomes that people wish to achieve

Chapter 4(b): Working with people and partners to protect and promote people's physical and mental health and emotional well-being

Chapter 4(c): Taking steps to protect and safeguard people from abuse, neglect or harm

Chapter 4(d): Encouraging and supporting people to learn, develop and participate in society

Chapter 4(e): Supporting people to safely develop and maintain healthy domestic, family and personal relationships

Chapter 4(f): Working with and supporting people to achieve greater economic well-being, have a social life and live in suitable accommodation that meets their needs

3.  The information included in each part of chapter 4 must be set out in three sections under the following headings-

Section (i): What did we plan to do last year?

Section (ii): How far did we succeed and what difference did we make?

Section (iii): What are our priorities for next year and why?

4.  The information included in chapter 5 must be set out in three parts under the following headings-

Chapter 5(a): Our workforce and how we support their professional roles

Chapter 5(b): Our financial resources and how we plan for the future

Chapter 5(c): Our partnership working, political and corporate leadership, governance and accountability

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

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.