These papers address the key messages from a series of expert roundtables convened by the Welsh Government’s Counsel General and Minister for European Transition, Jeremy Miles MS.
The issues which the papers highlight are important for the Welsh Government’s planning for economic and social recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic, but are also relevant to public services and other organisations that are developing recovery strategies.
What we found
The Coronavirus pandemic has amplified inequalities in health outcomes, housing conditions, educational attainment, economic opportunity, and wellbeing.
The Welsh Government’s recovery strategy needs to reflect the intersectionality of vulnerability and target those most at risk.
The Welsh Government’s recovery strategy should be guided by a clear sense of priorities. Ministers need to decide what to stop doing, as well as which new initiatives to pursue.
It is important that the Welsh Government and public services develop recovery strategies that:
- Encourage a joined-up approach across government and the whole public service;
- Provide a concerted attempt to influence UK Government policy and lever investment; and
- Are firmly based in evidence and experience from around the world.
Key areas to focus on
Modelling suggests that a decade of efforts to close the attainment gap could be lost. The education system needs to be mobilised to address this risk.
The social care sector has to be a priority. The Welsh Government needs to invest in key workers whose contribution has been highlighted by the Coronavirus crisis and ensure that there is a more resilient basis for social care provision in future.
The immediate health crisis led to rapid transformation in the delivery of some public services – for example: digital health care; collaboration between health, social care and communities; and coordination of national and local government. It is important to build on this and not allow barriers to reform to reappear.
The public has accepted a greatly enhanced role for the state and there have been some potentially significant behavioural changes. The Welsh Government should try to build on and embed these in order to create fairer, more sustainable communities.
Recommendations
Experts recommended that the Welsh Government embarks on a cross-government effort to bring together an imaginative set of evidence-based policies to:
- Support vocational training and further education, as well as higher education;
- Streamline employability and business support programmes;
- Encourage proactive procurement and market shaping focused on a small set of priorities for the Welsh economy, supporting a green recovery and capturing value creation within Wales; and
- Simplify and target the social safety net in Wales, starting with existing devolved powers.