How we made our supported families’ voices heard in 2022/23
During the past year, we’ve worked hard to amplify our collective voice in key spaces on issues such as the impact of the cost of living, being trauma-informed, the neurodivergence pathway and more.
Gathering insights first-hand from families and other stakeholders, and plugging into policy areas of interest, we have:
Gathered momentum behind the creation of a Welsh Benefits System alongside third sector organisations, with key achievements including :
Presentation of evidence at Welsh Government’s Cross-Party Group on Poverty
HSC’s direct citation and presentation of evidence by Senedd Member, Sioned Williams’, for the ‘Take-Up of Benefits’ Member’s Bill.
Pursued engagement with key Government actors, achieving multiple online and in person strategic meetings with:
Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle.
Minister for Social Services, Julie Morgan, including guest speaker appearance at HSC’s first ‘Valuing our Volunteers’ event.
Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt.
Member of the Senedd and representative for Cardiff Central, Jenny Rathbone
UK Member of Parliament and representative for Pontypridd, Alex Davies-Jones.
Maintained membership in multiple key strategic forums including:
NGO Children’s Policy Officers group
Anti-Poverty Coalition
External Reference Group for the Revision of Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy
WCVA Voluntary sector meetings
Children in Wales Early Years Action Group and other key networks