Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years of Wales | |
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Y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl a’r Blynyddoedd Cynnar (Welsh) | |
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Welsh Government | |
Style | Welsh Minister |
Status | Minister |
Abbreviation | Minister |
Member of | Senedd |
Reports to | the Senedd, the First Minister of Wales and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care |
Seat | Cardiff |
Nominator | First Minister of Wales |
Appointer | The Crown |
Term length | Five years Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every five years |
First holder | Eluned Morgan AM |
Website | gov |
The Minister for Mental Health and Early Years (Welsh: Y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl a’r Blynyddoedd Cynnar) is a minister of the Welsh Government, accountable to the cabinet secretary for health and social care. Established as a cabinet position in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, it was moved to a junior position in 2021. The current officeholder is Sarah Murphy since July 2024.
Ministers
Name | Picture | Entered office | Left office | Other offices held | Political party | Government | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and the Welsh Language | ||||||||
Eluned Morgan | ![]() | 8 October 2020 (during COVID)[1] | 13 May 2021 | Accountable to Minister for Health and Social Services[2] | Labour | First Drakeford government | [1] | |
Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing | ||||||||
Lynne Neagle | 13 May 2021 | 20 March 2024 | Labour | Second Drakeford government | [3] | |||
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years | ||||||||
Jayne Bryant | ![]() | 21 March 2024 | 17 July 2024 | Labour | Gething government | [4] | ||
Sarah Murphy | ![]() | 17 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Gething government | [5] |
Responsibilities
When the post was created as a cabinet post in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, its responsibilities were stated to include at the time to be; mental health services, patient experience, substance misuse, dementia, veterans' health, and the obesity strategy of Wales.[6]
Since becoming a junior post in 2021, the responsibilities of the post are:[3]
- Some public health responsibilities, specifically;
- The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, screening and vaccination.
- Services for Health improvement and wellbeing
- Delivery and performance of NHS Wales
- Escalation procedures
- Responsibility in managing reports from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, such as keeping a receipt of, responding to, and managing the direction of their reports.
- Overseeing the Welsh Government's relationship with Audit Wales in matters relating to the NHS.
- The training and development of the medical workforce, excluding the higher education years 1-5 of Doctors
- Health and social care research and development
- Digital health and health innovation
- Mental health services
- Suicide prevention
- Dementia
- Autism
- Gambling problem-related health impacts
- Substance misuse
- Health of the armed forces and veterans
- Strategy for Obesity
- Food Standards Agency in Wales, including food safety
- Genetically modified food (but not genetically modified crops)
- Experience of patients, their involvement, and the citizens' voices
- Safeguarding
- Services for Adoption and Foster care
- Advocacy services for children and young people's, such as managing complains, representations, as well as advocacy, under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014
- Sharing information under the Children Act 2004
- Cafcass Cymru
- Overseeing and deciding policy regarding social service provision of activities by the local authorities in Wales, including issuing statutory guidance
- Overseeing Social Care Wales
- Regulating domiciliary, residential, adult placements, foster care, under 8's care provision and private healthcare
- Inspecting and reporting the provision of social services by the local authorities in Wales, through the Care Inspectorate Wales, including jointly reviewing social services and responding to any reports
- The rights and entitlements of children and young people, including utilising the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Early years, childcare and play, including the "childcare offer" and its workforce
- Early childhood education and care
- Flying Start for children aged 0–3 years
- Policies for Families First and play
The post-holder launched the "National Framework for Social Prescribing" in December 2023, aiming for the consistent delivery of social prescribing.[7][8] The post-holder also announced in 2023, funding arrangements for Trading Standards Wales, concerning illegal electronic cigarettes,[9] and online therapy services overseen by Powys Teaching Health Board in 2022.[10]
See also
- Ministry
References
- ^ a b "First Minister strengthens ministerial health team | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Welsh Government introduces post of minister for mental health and wellbeing". Care Appointments. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Lynne Neagle MS: Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Wales' new First Minister Vaughan Gething announces his cabinet". ITV News. 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Vaughan Gething reshuffles Welsh Labour top team after resignations". The Independent. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Mental health minister role for Senedd's Eluned". Western Telegraph. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Social prescribing growing in Wales". University of South Wales. 11 December 2023.
- ^ Dave (11 December 2023). "Launching National Framework for Social Prescribing". WCVA. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Welsh Government funding to crack down on illegal vaping market". GVS. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "More than £7m funding for mental health service". Western Telegraph. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.