Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:32 pm on 3 July 2018.
Thank you very much, Mark. I think there may have been about seven or eight points there, so I'm going to try, if I can, to deal with them as quickly as I possibly can. First, in terms of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report, which made some recommendations against themes such as more accessible and adaptable homes, installation of home adaptations, matching people to the right people who need them, and supporting people who live independently, well it very much falls within the work streams that we've now identified within this independent living programme and the ministerial group as well. So, we will work within that to make it quicker and easier for people to secure helpful adaptations when they need them, to improve access to building the facilities.
We're also currently collecting data to help us understand how we can streamline this process further. So, we will carefully consider the recommendations in that report, and it'll help us inform our ongoing work, with the local authorities, I have to say, as well, and with wider partners, to improve access to suitable homes. In terms of engagement with the DWP community partnership teams, I will indeed make sure that we have that ongoing engagement with them. It's important to have joined-up work across different streams of Government, both devolved and non-devolved.
In respect of Wrexham adult services, I'm sure they'll have heard the point that he's made today, but, if he wants to write to me with any further information, I will be happy to ask my officials to enquire about anything that he's raising.
I recently attended the deafness and hearing loss CPG, where some of these issues were raised, and I took them up immediately with my officials. It is important that appropriate assessment by local authorities is conducted and the right specialist services are provided.
On the points raised around epilepsy, I'll certainly take those back. I'm sure my colleague Vaughan Gething, the Cabinet Secretary for health, will have been listening as well, and I'll take those back to him so that we can discuss those further.
In respect of regional partnership boards, Mark, you're absolutely right. The point has been raised about the meaningful engagement at those. In fact, there is some really good practice and, in fact, one of the regional partnership boards is chaired very ably by a third sector partner, representing the wide umbrella reach of those third sector organisations, and, in some, it's really working very well; in others, it's an evolving feast, because the RPBs are relatively recent. But I have indeed, and in fact I'm on a tranche of going around the regional partnership boards at the moment, and it's one of the things that I'll be stressing to them as I go around, the meaningful engagement with social value, with third sector organisations—both in delivery, but also at a strategic level. I think that has covered all the points, but, if I've missed any, I'll happily chat to you afterwards as well.