Written Statement: The Future of Sustainable Social Services Third Sector and Key Third Sector Organisation Grants, options from April 2026 onwards

We are pleased to confirm continued funding of over £10 million for the social care sector, through the Sustainable Social Services Third Sector and Key Third Sector Organisation Grants, in the 2026–27 financial year. 

This funding from the Welsh Government will secure the delivery of key services including: 

• ChildLine Cymru, run by the NSPCC, continuing to provide its free, confidential 24‑hour helpline for young people up to the age of 19, offering support in both English and Welsh.
• The Wales Council of the Blind (WCB) strengthening its collaboration with the Welsh Government to improve the lives of people with sight loss.
• All Wales People First’s Hear me! Include me! Respect me! project empowers learning‑disabled self‑advocates to shape and evaluate services to influence delivery under the Social Services and Well‑being (Wales) Act and other legislation at local, national, and regional levels.
• Care & Repair Powys and Age Cymru Powys’ Mamwlad project supporting older members of the farming community to stay living at home independently and safely.

Together, these, and a broad suite of other initiatives reflect a shared commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and resilience across Wales.

This decision provides our valued social care third sector delivery partners with the platform for a future grant funding agreement of sufficient length to provide consistency and assurance for delivery and workforce planning. The current budget backdrop leading into an election year means that it is prudent to extend current arrangements for a further year – meaning that any successor arrangements can be committed to by a new government, with the option to do so for an extended term. 

Looking ahead to 2027-28, we are proposing to run an application-based and rigorous process, developed with engagement with the third sector, to re-consider and re-shape delivery, informed by the code of practice for funding the third sector. This will also enable agreed delivery under the grants for 2027-28 onwards to take into account any new commitments arising from the 2026-30 programme for government and developing policy plans in 2026-27 for areas such as learning disability, neurodiversity, or unpaid carers.

A further year of consistent high-quality delivery in 2026-27 will consolidate success of the grant-funded activity to date and provide valuable time for an incoming administration to determine how, and for what, it supports the third sector for the remainder of the term.

With vital funding secured for another year, we are excited to develop new, forward-looking delivery that reflects the evolving social care needs of Wales.