New resource on social welfare law in Wales

With the increasing divergence in social welfare law and practice between England and Wales, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to Luke Clements and Ann James who have created "Rhydian", an online resource which provides an authoritative guide to social care law in Wales.  The site is named after - and dedicated to the memory of- Dr Rhydian Fon James, an academic and campaigner for social justice who sadly died at the age of 31 in 2016.  

The site provides an overview of social care law in Wales and offers a menu of specific topics, for example care planning, children in need, education, direct payments and section 117.  It explains the interface between Welsh legislation and its English counterparts, making it invaluable to practitioners who work in both England and Wales.

As the authors make clear the aim of the site is to be a critical commentary on social welfare law in Wales.  To that end they encourage readers to contribute papers and articles, and to develop the site's materials (for example, the section on the Court of Protection is currently empty, with a call for input on the law and practice in this field in relation to people in Wales.)

We encourage colleagues to make use of and contribute to this valuable resource.