Social Care Wales appoints OB3 to review the regional care career connector role

OB3 Research was commissioned by Social Care Wales (SCW) to conduct an evaluation of the Regional Care Career Connector (regional connector) role.

The regional connector role is funded by SCW via an annual grant allocated to the seven health and social care regions in Wales. It falls under the WeCare Wales provision, launched in 2019, to raise the positive profile and awareness of careers in care (including both social care and early years, as well as childcare and play).

The regional connector role was established to deliver and support the national activity at a regional and local level and connect with key partners and networks. The role is delivered by one individual employed within each of the seven health and social care regions of Wales.

The aim of the review was to provide clear indications of what is working, what is not working and offer recommendations to maximise investment made to support recruitment. The review was expected to cover:

  • what has worked well

  • what investment in the role has achieved

  • what has not worked well and opportunities for improvement

  • options for delivering the regional engagement of WeCare Wales activities and

  • recommendations for the future.