Terms of reference

The Welsh Government recognises that to deliver improved and sustainable outcomes for carers, it requires support and commitment from statutory and third sector partners across sectors, and carers themselves. The Ministerial Advisory Group for Carers will provide a cross sector response to the challenges carers face and will provide a national forum to target and monitor improvements under the 3 national priorities.

Over time priorities can and will change and our approach allows us the flexibility to respond and adapt to meet our priorities. The Group will support this way of working by identifying new ideas and solutions in response to the different issues faced by carers so that the agenda is continually moving forward.

Members of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Carers (MAG) will have a dual role:

• firstly to contribute their particular knowledge and expertise to the collective advisory role of the MAG, bringing their perspective and experience of carers and caring to inform the Minister and influence carers policy and its implementation
• and secondly to take responsibility to drive change and improvement for carers in their own organisations and sectors

• provide an insight into the operational and strategic challenges to delivering the carers national priorities across sectors, and work together to overcome these
• identify and develop new ideas and solutions in response to the different issues faced by carers
• advise the Minister and Welsh Government officials on challenges and solutions
• provide a national forum to oversee the delivery against the carers national priorities and agreed actions to deliver those priorities
• consider and advise on use of Welsh Government funding for carers and on the effectiveness and impact of this investment and lessons learnt.
• provide advice on how funding should be allocated in future years to support continued delivery against the national priorities
• advise on means of measuring improvement against the national priorities and alignment to agreed actions to deliver the national priorities
• provide a forum to share and peer review the carers content in local and regional plans
• promote and support the identification of good practice from within and outside of Wales and consider how good practice could be widely implemented to deliver improved outcomes for carers in Wales

The MAG will work with and alongside an Engagement and Accountability Group which will be made up of carers and carers’ representative organisations. This will allow the MAG to access the expertise and lived experience of a diverse range of carers. They will provide insight and challenge to the MAG to ensure that their work is effective in addressing issues that matter to carers.

The Engagement and Accountability Group will meet separately from the MAG but will be represented on it. Dialogue between the 2 groups should be a regular and a 2-way relationship.