5. What is the Welsh Government doing to help drive recruitment into the social care sector in north Wales? OQ57276

[Inaudible.]—funding a national advertising and social media campaign. We are supporting a range of targeted initiatives to encourage the take-up of employment in social care. We fund regional staff to support campaigns led by local authorities and by health boards.

Thank you, Minister, that's excellent to hear, and I'm sure you'd agree that throughout the pandemic, care homes in my constituency of Clwyd South have dealt incredibly well with the huge challenges that coronavirus has brought, often to the detriment of both the physical and the mental health of staff. On behalf of those care settings in my constituency, can I ask how the £42 million of extra funding announced by the Welsh Government will help them?

I thank Ken Skates for that question, and also thank him for his recognition of the tremendous work that has been done in the care sector during the pandemic. We were very pleased to allocate the additional £42 million allocation, and that was announced through the health and social care winter plan. And the winter plan sets out how this investment will provide community-based integrated responses, and additional support for carers and for families. I know that the recovery plan responses we have received from local authorities show that Clwyd South will benefit from targeted financial support for providers of social care, increasing the current number of volunteers and the recruitment of additional workforce for specific service areas, such as complex disability services, domiciliary care, children's services and supported living. Where providers have not been able to resume the provision of day-care services, for example, there will be financial support and also investment to support additional technology within residential facilities and more activities for residents.