Written Statement: Launch of Transformation of Children’s Services Legacy Report

Today, the Legacy Report for the Transformation Programme for Children’s Services has been published, which ran through the Senedd’s Sixth Senedd Term from 2021 to 2026. This significant Report has been written by members of a cross-sector Transformation Delivery Group who oversaw progress of the Programme and makes 10 recommendations for the next Senedd so this vital work continues. The Group’s broad membership included leaders from agencies involved in the lives of care experienced young people, as well as care experienced young people. 

The Transformation Programme was built on three key elements - radical reform, future provision of services and the whole system working together.   It has been informed by the voice of children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced children’s services. 

This Report outlines the progress made this term and some examples of what the Programme has achieved including: 

• The Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025 (‘The 2025 Act’), making us the first UK nation to introduce a ban on profit from children’s care in Wales. 
• The Care Experienced Summits and the Radical Reform Declaration and Vision – the first of their kind in the UK.
• The development and publication of the Corporate Parenting Charter and its 11 principles of corporate parenting developed with young people. 
• Parental Advocacy services rolled out across Wales. 
• The creation of Foster Wales, this national identity enabled consistent messaging, streamlined recruitment, and fostered a stronger sense of community among carers. 

Together with the Report is an accompanying annex which is a new Early Intervention and Prevention Framework developed by a dedicated work stream established by the Transformation Delivery Group. The Framework draws together learning and experience across Wales to support a whole system approach to maintaining and improving the provision of early intervention and prevention services, to safely reduce the number of babies, children and young people coming into the care system.

Whilst considerable progress has been made in transforming children’s services in Wales we do acknowledge there is more work to do, and the Legacy Report concludes with 10 recommendations from the Delivery Group for the next Senedd term. 

We have taken some big strides on this journey which will continue into the next Senedd term and beyond.