1. About this guide
Last updated: 9 Jun 2025
Foreword
Society is changing quickly. The types of people who use social care services, and the people who support and care for them, are also changing.
We can’t underestimate the importance of an organisation’s culture. By culture, we mean ‘the way things are done around here’.
This includes an organisation’s leadership style, its values and behaviours, systems and processes and the partnerships that underpin the way it works.
The culture of our organisations affects how we deliver care and support, and the quality of services – including how well we support the well-being outcomes of people who receive care and support, and how staff feel about their work.
In Wales, our legislation – including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 – is underpinned by a strengths-based and rights-based approach.
Using this legislation, we can share an understanding and commitment to create and maintain positive cultures so that people who use, or give, care and support can thrive.
We know you may already be developing positive cultures and doing things to improve the quality of care and well-being outcomes for individuals.
So, we’re delighted to present – together – this guide to help you build, maintain and improve cultures in your setting.
Leaders and managers are central to creating and maintaining organisational culture.
As leaders in our own organisations, we’re committed to focusing on people’s rights and strengths.
We work compassionately to embed positive cultures in all aspects of our work – individually and together.
We’re pleased to support you to do the same.
Albert Heaney CBE, Chief Social Care Officer for Wales
Gillian Baranski, Chief Inspector for Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
Sarah McCarty, Chief Executive of Social Care Wales
About the language in this guide
We know language is very personal. We believe in a strengths-based approach where we treat people as individuals.
When we collectively discuss racism in this guide, we may use “the experience of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people” or use “ethnic minority”.
In social care, it’s important to support people to express their identity in the way they choose. This helps us to develop a strong and inclusive positive culture.
It’s essential that you talk and listen to your staff and the people who receive care and support.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for managers and leaders in social care. It recognises people can be leaders wherever they work in an organisation, regardless of their formal status or job title.
This guide is for anyone who plans, delivers or improves national or local social care services.
This includes:
- leaders and managers in social care services (including third sector organisations and user led organisations)
- health board and local authority commissioners
- Welsh Government policy leads
- Care Inspectorate Wales
- Social Care Wales.