A National Conversation: Llais Strategic Plan 2024-2027

We are going to start a national conversation about what health and social care should look like in the future. We want everyone’s ideas - from every place and every background in Wales - to help make health and care work better together for you. Our goal is for policy makers, governments and health and social care services to listen to what you say and take action so things work in the way you need and want in the future.

How we are going to do it by 2027: 

We will find out what is in place to help you have your say, understand what is already being said, and how services are listening. We will share the good practice we find so others can try it too. We will set up ways, or ask others to set up ways, for people to have their say about health and care - whether it is in their village, town, the whole region, or the whole country. These networks can make big changes happen. We will grow our amazing set of volunteers, from lots of different backgrounds, and ask them to engage with their local communities and represent their views so we can reach more people than ever before. We are going to ask the people who make the policies and run the services to work with us to agree, and drive action to make sure health and care services are really focused on what people need now and in the future. People have told health and social care services they are ready for big changes. We are going to figure out what people mean when they say this and how they will help make it happen. This way, everyone feels like they are part of making things better.

What we are focusing on:

Knowing change is needed: 
We want everyone to understand why change is needed, see the challenges, and be ready to help make those changes.  

Getting more people involved: 
Health and care is for everyone, so we need ideas from all sorts of people to make services better. We're going to get more people talking about what they need and want. 

Everyone playing their part: 
People in Wales are saying they're ready to help make changes where they are needed. We're going to help make sure health and social care is something everyone feels responsible for, so more people join the conversation. 

What we know is important to people:

• Keeping people safe. 
• Making mental health services better. 
• Getting urgent and emergency care when and where you need it.
• Making planned care quicker, less stressful and more joined up.

The outcomes we hope our actions will support

Keep the conversations going

Develop structures and networks so that people, communities, rule-makers, and health and care workers are communicating all the time. This means everyone can keep up with what is needed as things change.

A shared vision for health and social care services 
Everyone involved with health and social care works towards a shared vision for a health and care system that works for everyone, making sure we are ready for whatever comes next and that everyone gets the care and support they need.

Everyone plays their part in making change happen
People everywhere will see that it is time to make major changes to health and care services. They will know what needs to be done and will help make change happen.

How this will help make health and social care better

Changing the way things work 
The ideas that come from talking together in our communities will help change how services work. This means health and care will really match what people in Wales want and need.

More people getting involved
More people adding their ideas, health and care will work better for everyone, no matter where they are from or what they need.

We will speak up to make health and social care services better, more inclusive, easier to access, and focused on what people in Wales need. Our priority is to keep health and social care services including everyone in the conversation, putting people first when designing their services (people-centred service design). 

How we are going to do it by 2027: 

We will make sure when conversations are happening  about health and care, we are there to speak up for  what people need. We will make sure everyone’s ideas  help shape how health and care services grow and change.

We will challenge those in charge of services to work together with us on developing co-ordinated and common ways of gathering, integrating and acting on public feedback in the design and delivery of services and speak up and hold them to account when this isn’t done.  

We will work to understand, identify, tackle and shout about the barriers that contribute to inequalities in health and social care, striving for fairness in access, treatment, and better outcomes for people from all backgrounds. 

We will run impactful initiatives, campaigns and interventions that address local, regional and national issues where services are not meeting people’s needs or where services are great and we think others should know about them.  

We will recognise and support the vital role of caregivers in the health and care system by working with others to develop resources and support that help them in their care-giving responsibilities. We will also ask others to publicly acknowledge carers’ contributions to community health and well-being.

What we are focusing on:

Strategy, policy and service change:
We want to make sure that as health and care services grow and change, they put people’s needs and wants first. 

Help to stay healthy and independent: We're all about making sure everyone knows how to stay healthy and is supported to live healthy and independent lives. 

Community-based solutions: 
We think the best solution are ones that are as close to home as possible. We'll support local health and social care projects that really know what their community needs. 

What we know is important to people:

• Keeping it easy to see a doctor, nurse, social worker or support worker when you need to.
• Making sure services understand and respect everyone’s needs.
• Making sure you get help, care and support as long as you need it.
• Sudden removal or changes to services.

The outcomes we hope our actions will support

Increased recognition of the value of people-centred service design 

More people will know about and believe in  designing health and care that really listens to what people want and need and involves them in the design process.

Enhanced care 
Health and social care that is focused on each person, making sure services fit what you need, not just what is easiest to give.

All voices in Wales 
Services celebrate how diverse and different we all are, making sure everyone gets a say in how things are done. 

How this will help make health and social care better

Stronger community health and social care networks 
Our push for local solutions will lead to stronger, more resilient local health and care ‘ecosystems’. Health and social care services will be better integrated within communities, really understanding and meeting their needs.  

Recognition and support for caregivers 
Caregivers will get the spotlight and support they deserve in making everyone’s health and care journey a bit easier. This will lead to better information, practical support, and wellbeing for carers. 

Co-designed health and social care pathways 
With our push for co-ordination and integration of public feedback into service design, we hope to see health and social care pathways that are co-designed with those who use them. This will ensure that services are shaped by the experiences and needs of people, leading to more personalised care and support plans and improved outcomes. 

Continuous improvement 
By holding service providers accountable for involving communities in the planning and adaptation of services, a culture of continuous improvement will continue to be developed. Services will be regularly reviewed and adapted based on feedback from those who use them,  ensuring that they remain relevant, effective,  and aligned with the needs of the population.

We are committed to supporting health and social care to be more joined up, helping services to work well with each other to match what the community wants and needs. No one organisation can do this alone. We want to join forces with people from all sectors and use their strengths and experiences to help make services better, to share what works well and to avoid duplication and waste.  

How we are going to do it by 2027: 

Promote collaboration between organisations:  
Create strong collaborations with health, social care, third sector and communities,  building and getting  involved in networks and partnerships that support  services to be better connected and effectively address community needs.  

Work with others on local, regional and national initiatives, drawing on their strengths, expertise, and lived experiences to maximise the impact or messaging.  

Effective sharing of things that work: Identify and share examples of effective health and care models and practices across the network, encouraging adoption and adaptation to suit local contexts. Working towards establishing a platform for the exchange of successful strategies and innovations in health and social care, promoting a culture of learning and continuous improvement. 

Work with others to help coordinate effort and action across services working in the same areas, to reduce doing the same thing twice, using limited resources well to improve service quality and accessibility. 

What we are focusing on:

Make learning and improving a priority.
Building on our strengths in Wales of being closer to our communities and take learning from others seriously.  

Information exchange: 
Build our understanding, and share what we know with others, so that they can understand people views and experiences of within their communities and help them involve people on the issues.  

What we know is important to people:

• Joined up health and social care services where people do not feel movement from one service to another.
• Sharing good practice and adapting it for local needs.
• Focusing on people.
• Not repeating the same mistakes that have been made before.

The outcomes we hope our actions will support

Stronger and more impactful collaboration
Further development and active involvement of  people and communities in the work of groups  like Regional Partnership Boards, Public Services Boards, Advisory Committees, and Steering Groups will demonstrate what a truly integrated approach to health and social care can look like. These entities will become more impactful, working well together to drive forward a unified strategy for health and social care in Wales.

Innovative joint care and support models 
Exploring and sharing resources will support collaborative projects and initiatives that span multiple organisations and sectors, breaking down barriers to innovation and health and care provision. 

How this will help make health and social care better

Joined up services
We want to make sure that when people need different kinds of care and support, they can move from one service to another easily, without getting confused or having to wait a long time. This way, everyone knows what to do next, and people feel more relaxed, cared for and supported. 

Sharing what works best 
Ideas and ways of helping people that have worked really well in one place are shared so that other places can try them too. This helps everyone get better at taking care of people’s health and social care, making things better for everyone.

Using resources well without waste 
Health and social care services work together to make sure they use what they have in the best way possible, so they don’t waste anything. This means planning together to make sure they are not doing the same thing more than once when they do not need to, which helps make sure everyone can get the help they need.

Always learning to get better 
We want our health and care services to keep getting better by learning from what people in our communities tell them and from the great things happening around the world. This way, we can change and improve to make sure we are always getting the best care.

The rate at which health and social care services are bringing in digital tools, data-driven strategies, and ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasing. These developments can make services easier and faster for everyone. It is natural for people to feel a bit unsure about using them, or worried about things like how their personal information is protected and kept safe. We want to help people and services talk to each other so everyone feels confident with these new tools and technologies, everyone can use them if they want to and no one feels left out. 

How we are going to do it by 2027: 

We will engage communities to see what they think  about new technology in health and care, especially if they are worried or have questions. 

We will get health and social care services to make sure that when they use your personal information, they are careful with it, keeping it private and only using it to help provide better care. 

We will work with others so they make sure new tech tools are easy and helpful for everyone to use, even if tech stuff usually seems a bit tricky, you do not have it or do not normally use it. We want to make sure nobody gets left behind. 

We will keep up to date and keep learning about all the new technology coming out so we can help you and your community understand and use it better. 

We will work with those who keep an eye on how these new tech tools are working in health and care, making sure they are really helping people like they should. 

What we are focusing on:

• Getting everyone involved: We want to make sure everyone's ideas and thoughts are included by services when new tech is being talked about and created in health and care. Celebrating when this is done well, pointing out where it could be better and working with others to involve people where this isn’t happening.  
• Helping everyone understand and use tech: Make sure organisations help people understand more about how tech can make health and care better and work on making sure everyone is supported to use it in a way that meets their individual needs and circumstances. 
• Digital inclusion: We know that new tech can make some things better, but we also want to make sure it doesn't make things harder for some people. We want to make sure others are supporting ways that everyone can get the help they need to use health and care tech.  

What we know is important to people:

• Making sure no one uses their personal info when they don not want them to.
• Getting help to use the internet and new tech tools.
• Knowing where to find help and info.
• Having choices if they do not want to use tech.

The outcomes we hope our actions will support

More people getting involved in making  health and care better with tech and that changes what people and communities  need and want.   

Making it easier for everyone in Wales to get the health and social care advice and information they need.  

Everyone involved in digital health and social care work together on rules to keep your personal information safe. 

Everyone involved in digital health and social care work together to check if new digital tech is making health and care better for everyone and taking action if not. 

How this will help make health and social care better

More people want to help shape digital health and care services, so more people will understand tech. 

Health and social care services are better and easier to use for everyone in Wales. 

People will trust health and care services more because they know their info is safe and the services meet their needs. 

Health and social care is ready for the future.

We want to be a trusted organisation that is valued by everyone  – the people we serve and the partners we work with in Wales and beyond.  We want to make sure every voice counts, as a champion of people-first engagement in Wales. We want to be a well-run and value based organisation that does not just advocate for change but embodies it, setting the example for inclusivity in health and social care across Wales. We want Llais to be a great place to work, that tries new things and stays up to date with new ways of working. 

How we are going to do it by 2027: 

We will introduce a communication and PR strategy to increase awareness and understanding of our services, influence, build trust and gain recognition of our role  within health and social care. 

We will develop our culture: we will develop and deliver a cultural change programme to support our people to embed and demonstrate our values and behaviours in their work.  

We will introduce our volunteer strategy, making volunteering with us even more rewarding and impactful. Creating more opportunities to volunteer and showing how much we value the major contributions our volunteers make.

Involve and invest in our people (staff and volunteers): Develop more ways for our people to play an active role in the future of the organisation. We will provide better opportunities for development and learning, more chances to suggest and be a part of new ways of working, and co-design an appropriate reward and recognition programme.    

Model accessible and inclusive engagement by developing a comprehensive communication and engagement framework, toolkit and resources for our people and our partners.  

Review our services and make our internal processes better so that we are more efficient and effective, increasing our capacity and maximising the impact of our work. 

What we are focusing on:

Children and young people
We want the voices of children and young people to be heard in health and social care discussions, ensuring that services are designed and adapted to be youth-friendly and responsive to their needs. To do that we must also involve children and young people in developing our own ways of working to ensure that we can effectively represent their voices.

Communicating and promoting our services
Continuously improve our strategies to effectively communicate and promote our services, making sure they are accessible and widely understood by diverse communities across Wales. 

Making sure Equity, Diversity and Inclusion runs through everything we do
Embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in all our ways of working, so we are accessible to everyone - whatever their needs and circumstances - in all parts of Wales, and  can effectively represent their voices.

Maintaining independence whilst working with others
Strengthening our ability to keep our independence and strong representations while still having collaborative relationships with health and social care bodies, making sure any partnerships strengthen our purpose.  

Good governance and transparency
Committing to the highest standards of governance and transparency in every aspect of our work, to be a trusted and respected organisation.  

What we know is important to people:

• Our independence.
• Impact - the ‘so what’ of our work.
• Using public money wisely.
• Valuing that people have different needs.

The outcomes we hope our actions will support

Increased public involvement and trust 
By raising the power and valuing the people’s voice in health and social care, we aim to build greater public trust and involvement in the design and delivery of our health and social care services to meet everyone’s needs.

Llais as a key partner in engagement focused on people’s needs 
Establish Llais as a key partner, embedding engagement practices within Wales, that focus on meaningfully involving people, influencing policy, and service design at a local, regional, and national level.

Strengthened capacity and effectiveness 
Through internal improvements and investments in our people, we will improve our capacity and ways of working, enabling us to do more to represent your voice and affect systemic change. 

How this will help make health and social care better

Enhanced service design and delivery 
By ensuring that services are co-designed with those who use them, we have more responsive, effective, and user-friendly health and social care services across Wales. 

Greater inclusivity in health and social care 
Our focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion will lead to health and social care services that are more accessible to and supportive of diverse populations, reducing disparities in care and outcomes. 

Informed and empowered communities 
Through improved communication and engagement strategies, communities will be better informed about their health and social care options, leading to empowered people who have more of a say in their care decisions.  

Strengthened policy influence 
As Llais becomes widely recognised as a key partner in people-first engagement, our insights and advocacy will have a greater impact on health and social care policies, ensuring they are aligned with the needs and preferences of the Welsh population.