Since May 2026 the Senedd has focused on delayed hospital discharge, funding for councils and the pace of the Plaid Cymru Government's plan for a national care service. Members have also argued about care workforce pay, unpaid and young carers, and rural community beds. Corporate parenting, safeguarding and children's services have drawn long debates.
The main arguments
Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) said 1,275 people were stuck in hospital awaiting social care and cited a WLGA funding gap above £200 million. Peter Fox (Welsh Conservatives) asked whether councils would get extra funding for social care and children's services. Contributions: [1][2]
May 2021Mar 2026
2,759 contributions in the Sixth Senedd touched on this. The busiest month was Mar 2023, with 356.
Who raises it
Labour62%
Conservative18%
Plaid14%
Lib Dem5%
Independent1%
Share of the 1,843 contributions on this subject, by the speaker's party.
Delyth Jewell and Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) set out a national care service with a national academy and national standards. James Evans (Reform UK) opposed it as bureaucracy. Natasha Asghar (Welsh Conservatives) said it would not fix capacity, recruitment or discharge delays. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
On workforce, Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru) said 84 per cent of staff receive the real living wage and fair pay agreements are progressing. James Evans (Reform UK) wanted pay above that level. Kiera Marshall (Plaid Cymru) raised reports of exploited migrant homecare workers. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Unpaid carers: Jayne Bryant (Welsh Labour) sought a statement on the 'At breaking point' report and asked about short breaks. David Hughes (Reform UK) asked for extra respite funding. Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) raised young carers' lack of assessments. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
On corporate parenting, Sarah Cooper-Lesadd (Reform UK) argued health boards should face statutory duties, not a voluntary charter. Counsel General Elfyn Llwyd said over 70 bodies had signed, a revised code of practice is coming and legislation stays under review. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
On safeguarding, Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru) announced a whole-system programme with an oversight board. Catherine Cullen (Reform UK) warned of burdensome procedures. Sam Rowlands and Peter Fox (Welsh Conservatives) called for a Wales-wide grooming gangs inquiry. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) pressed ministers to stop closures of community hospital beds in Powys, saying they are vital for rehabilitation and getting people home. Claire Archibald (Reform UK) said rural community care had not replaced reduced hospital roles. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Where the parties stand
Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru Members, in government, back a national care service, a national care academy, fair pay agreements, a new carers strategy and a national safeguarding programme. They say care must be consistent across Wales and delivered locally. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Welsh Conservatives
Welsh Conservatives call for health and social care integration, ask how councils will be funded, and want closed community wards reopened. Natasha Asghar said a national care system is not the answer and wanted immediate improvements. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Welsh Labour
Welsh Labour Members point to the previous Government's record, ask how integrated discharge pathways will be funded, press on carers' short breaks and corporate parenting, and say they share the aspiration for a national health and care service. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Reform UK
Reform UK Members stress delayed discharge, rural care gaps and workforce shortages, oppose a national care service, favour integrating social care into health, and want statutory corporate parenting duties on health boards. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds raises people stuck in hospital, the funding gap, young carers, care leavers and community beds in Powys. She supports a statutory duty for corporate parenting and has called for a dedicated Cabinet role for children. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
What the government is being pressed on
1Jane Dodds asked what ministers will do for people stuck in hospital awaiting social care. Mabon ap Gwynfor (Plaid Cymru) set winter priorities including proactive community frailty care and stronger community support for older people. Contributions: [1][2]
2Peter Fox twice asked whether councils will get a funding uplift for social care. The contributions provided include no ministerial answer on this point. Contributions: [1][2]
3Jane Dodds asked for assurance that community hospital beds in Powys will not be cut. The contributions provided include no ministerial answer. Contributions: [1][2][3]
4James Evans asked when a proper pay structure for care staff will come. Delyth Jewell said the real living wage is the minimum, fair pay agreements are progressing, and the new programme carries £3.6 million. Contributions: [1][2][3]
5Sarah Cooper-Lesadd asked why health boards are not under statutory corporate parenting duties. Elfyn Llwyd said Ministers lack direct powers under the 2026 Act, a code of practice chapter is due, and legislation remains under review. Contributions: [1][2][3]
What the public is asking for
The petitions ask, among other things, for no loss of beds or community hospital closures in Powys (10,473 signatures), for councils to prioritise quality and safety when commissioning social care (650), and for stronger codes to support autistic children (382).
Who ministers are meeting
Ministers have met regional partnership boards, Social Care Wales, young carers' and care-experienced young people's organisations, the National Independent Safeguarding Board and the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and held a social care roundtable.
In the Sixth Senedd (2021 to 2026)
From the previous Senedd's record, for issues that run across both. The rest of this analysis covers the Seventh Senedd only.
In the Sixth Senedd, Members debated unpaid carers' support, a real living wage for care workers, the national care service, and the transformation of children's services. Debate on children's care included removing profit and calls for an independent review of child protection after Logan Mwangi's death.
In February 2022 Julie Morgan (Welsh Labour) announced the real living wage for registered care workers. Peredur Owen Griffiths (Plaid Cymru) sought pay parity with health, and Darren Millar (Welsh Conservatives) welcomed it while noting a £10 manifesto pledge. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In June 2023 Peredur Owen Griffiths (Plaid Cymru) welcomed the national care service work as a co-operation agreement commitment. Gareth Davies (Welsh Conservatives) called the statement broad-brush and warm-worded, noting children's services were not covered. Contributions: [1][2]
In October 2024 the Bill to eliminate private profit from children's care was debated. Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) and Mabon ap Gwynfor (Plaid Cymru) supported it; Altaf Hussain (Welsh Conservatives) warned of unintended consequences. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In December 2022 Conservatives and Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan backed an independent review of children's services after Logan Mwangi's death. Julie Morgan (Welsh Labour) listed earlier reviews and four joint inspections. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Written by AI on 30 October 2026 from 216 contributions in the Senedd between 19 May 2026 and 21 October 2026, with the petitions and ministers' meetings on this brief. Each point links to the contributions it draws on; check them before quoting. How the analysis is written.
Where things stand
Statistics published by the Welsh Government. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Delays in leaving hospital
1,417
September 2026
A year earlier
1,374(September 2025)
Before the 2026 election
1,275(April 2026)
Adults in NHS hospital beds who were clinically ready to leave but whose move home or to the next stage of care had been delayed by more than 48 hours, counted on a census day each month.
This count began in April 2023, replacing an earlier measure of delayed transfers of care.
The Programme for Government 2026 to 2030 belongs to the Seventh Senedd. Choose the Seventh Senedd to see how often each commitment has come up.
Strengthening social care
Move towards a National Care Service by strengthening social care through a National Service Programme ensuring consistent standards, improved data collection and a better supported workforce.
Deliver safeguarding reform that strengthens the protection of children and adults through clearer accountability, stronger leadership and better use of data and intelligence to drive continuous improvement in practice.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
From the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government's latest press releases and Cabinet statements on this brief.
• New Safeguarding programme to strengthen protection for children, young people and adults at risk from abuse and neglect. • A new Ministerial Assurance Board and intelligence hub to detect warning signs earlier and…
In the news
The latest headlines on this brief, linking to each outlet's story.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Sixth Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 1.3%.
Ministers' meetings with outside organisations and their engagements on this brief, from the register the Welsh Government publishes every three months. 1 since the 2026 election:
13 July 2026
Bwrdd Diogelu Annibynnol Cenedlaethol / National Independent Safeguarding Board
Meeting, Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
On 26 April 2024, the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister is holding a scrutiny session about support for Care Experienced Children with the new First Minister, Vaughan Gething MS.
Contributions tagged in each month of the Sixth Senedd. No sittings were held in August 2021, August 2022, August 2023, December 2024, February 2025, March 2025, April 2025, May 2025, June 2025, July 2025, August 2025, September 2025, October 2025, November 2025 and December 2025.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
May 2021
2
June 2021
11
July 2021
9
August 2021
No sittings
September 2021
12
October 2021
22
November 2021
31
December 2021
26
January 2022
36
February 2022
29
March 2022
146
April 2022
81
May 2022
56
June 2022
103
July 2022
30
August 2022
No sittings
September 2022
4
October 2022
28
November 2022
44
December 2022
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
Children looked after by Welsh councils on 31 March each year, including children on care orders and other children provided with accommodation by their council. Children looked after only for short breaks (respite care) are not counted.
The publisher rounds these figures to the nearest 5.
