The Supporting People Programme supports a wide range of people at risk of crisis, including people at risk of homelessness, families fleeing domestic abuse, people with mental or physical health problems, or with learning disabilities, ex-service personnel, care leavers, and older people in need of support.
Speaking in the Assembly Debate on Supporting People, I called on the Welsh Government to protect the key preventative services provided by the Supporting People Programme, the Homelessness Prevention Grant and the Housing Transition Fund from any financial cuts.
This funding helps to saves lives and provides a platform for other sources of funds to be deployed into prevention work.
By preventing homelessness, preventing spending on Health and Social Care and increasing community safety, it minimises the need for high cost interventions and reduces avoidable pressure on statutory services.
Because the Programme works with people before their problems escalate, further cuts to these mutually supporting funds would do irreparable damage and effectively mean a bigger cut to statutory services.
Speaking in the Debate on Bovine TB, I stated that this is one of the biggest threats facing the Welsh cattle industry and, quoting the British Veterinary Association, that control measures in cattle must occur alongside simultaneous and coordinated measures in badgers, other wildlife and susceptible farm species. They believe that slaughtering cattle testing positive for Bovine TB is essential, but has not been enough to get on top of the disease. They therefore also state that badger culling in a targeted, effective and humane manner is necessary in carefully selected areas, and call on the Welsh Government to include this within a comprehensive Bovine TB Strategy.
School trips have clear benefits for pupils and, quoting the Health and Safety Executive, I asked the Education Secretary to ensure that mistaken health and safety concerns don’t prevent these from happening.
I also asked her to ensure that all schools and local authorities in Wales know how they should be advising pupils experiencing homophobic bullying in schools.
I hosted the Co-production Network for Wales Assembly Seminar, discussing what we need to do to ensure public services, citizens and communities work together effectively, and attended events with the Association of British Neurologists and British Heart Foundation Cymru, and Cartrefi Conwy’s Older Person’s Day.
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