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Social care legislation as an act of integration

Natalie Davies (School of Social Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK)
Wulf Livingston (Glyndwr University, Wrexham, UK)
Emyr Owen (Glyndwr University, Wrexham, UK)
Peter Huxley (Bangor University, Bangor, UK)

Journal of Integrated Care

ISSN: 1476-9018

Article publication date: 20 June 2016

366

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate health and social care integration in North Wales in a short window of time between the assent of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and its implementation in 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings are based on the experiences of health and social care professionals from six Local Authorities and one Regional Health Board working in a management role with strategic responsibility, gathered from an online survey (n=43), semi-structured face-to-face interviews (n=14) and supplemented with reflective interviews with regional coordinators responsible for facilitating cross-organisational working (n=2).

Findings

Senior managers are devoting considerable energy to understanding the implications of the new legislation, ensuring that their organisations will be ready and able to successfully implement it. This work is perceived to be commensurate with wider agendas to transform and integrate working practices and services, influenced by a range of financial, environmental, organisational, social and policy factors.

Originality/value

This research has direct implications for stakeholders in North Wales, having already been used to shape conversations about integration in the region, and furthermore builds upon existing knowledge in the academic and professional field of integration, with additional limited wider implications for policy and research.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank to the North Wales Social Services Improvement Collaborative, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, Gwynedd Council, Ynys Môn County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council. This research was supported through Welsh Government Transformation Funding.

Citation

Davies, N., Livingston, W., Owen, E. and Huxley, P. (2016), "Social care legislation as an act of integration", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 139-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-03-2016-0009

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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