# Minister for Children and Social Care

The Minister for Children and Social Care (Welsh: Y Gweinidog Plant a Gofal Cymdeithasol) is a minister of the Welsh Government, accountable to the cabinet secretary for health and social care. The current officeholder is Dawn Bowden since March 2024.

## Deputy ministers

| Name | Name | Entered office | Left office | Other offices held | Political party | Government |
| Deputy Secretary for Health and Social Services |||||||||
| | Alun Pugh | 23 February 2000 | 17 October 2000 | | Labour | Interim Rhodri Morgan administration |
| Deputy Minister for Health and Social Care |||||||||
| | John Griffiths | 13 May 2003 | 2007 | | Labour | Second Rhodri Morgan government |
| Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services |||||||||
| | Gwenda Thomas | 31 May 2007 | 19 July 2007 | | Labour | Third Rhodri Morgan government |
| Deputy Minister for Social Services |||||||||
| | Gwenda Thomas | 19 July 2007 | 10 December 2009 | | Labour | Fourth Rhodri Morgan government |
| | Gwenda Thomas | 10 December 2009 | 2011 | | Labour | First Jones government |
| Deputy Minister for Children & Social Services |||||||||
| | Gwenda Thomas | 13 May 2011 | 11 September 2014 | | Labour | Second Jones government |
| Minister for Social Services and Public Health |||||||||
| | Rebecca Evans | 19 May 2016 | 2017 | | Labour | Third Jones government |
| Minister for Children and Social Care (2017–18) Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care (2018) |||||||||
| | Huw Irranca-Davies | 3 November 2017 | 2018 | Older People brief added in May 2018. | Labour | Third Jones government |
| Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services (2018–2021) Deputy Minister for Social Services (2021–2024) |||||||||
| | Julie Morgan | 13 December 2018 | 20 March 2024 | | Labour | First Drakeford government |
| | Julie Morgan | 13 December 2018 | 20 March 2024 | | Labour | Second Drakeford government |
| Minister for Social Care (2024) |||||||||
| | Dawn Bowden | 21 March 2024 | 11 September 2024 | | Labour | Gething government |
| | Dawn Bowden | 21 March 2024 | 11 September 2024 | | Labour | Eluned Morgan government |
| Minister for Children and Social Care |||||||||
| | Dawn Bowden | 11 September 2024 | Incumbent | | Labour | Eluned Morgan government |

## Responsibilities

The post's responsibilities are:
* 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 is accountable and deputy to the Minister for Health and Social Services.