Over recent months, we have also set out our own priorities for the next Welsh Government, grounded in frontline experience and the voices of those who use our services. These focus on prevention, access, integration and ensuring that lived experience is at the heart of decision-making.

So, what do the parties’ priorities look like?

What we like

There is clear and welcome consensus across political parties on several key areas.

Prevention and early intervention

Across the political spectrum, including Welsh Labour, the Greens, and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, there is strong emphasis on shifting towards prevention and early support. Proposals include expanding community-based services, strengthening support for young people, and addressing wider determinants of health such as poverty and housing.

Integration and joined-up care

Commitments to improve integration between health and social care are evident in manifestos from Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK, and the Welsh Conservatives. While approaches differ – from structural reform to improved coordination – there is shared recognition that fragmentation remains a key challenge.

Workforce development and carers

Support for the workforce and unpaid carers is also a consistent theme. Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, and the Welsh Conservatives all include commitments relating to pay, training, and recognition of carers, while the Welsh Liberal Democrats highlight the need to close the gap between carers’ rights and the reality on the ground.

What we want to see more of

Even though there are positive signals, several areas remain underdeveloped.

Delivery and accountability

While ambition is clear across all parties, detail on how commitments will be delivered is often limited. Questions remain around funding, implementation, and accountability.

Lived experience and co-production

Although most parties reference engagement, there is less clarity on how people with lived experience will be meaningfully involved in shaping services and policy. This needs to be a priority for any future Welsh Government genuinely interested in improving services.

Complex needs and system gaps

There is comparatively less focus on people with co-occurring needs, including those experiencing both mental ill health and substance use challenges, with little mention of such issues in any party manifesto despite the clear evidence of gaps in support.

Conclusion

Across manifestos from Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and Reform UK, there is clear recognition that the system must change. Commitments on prevention, integration, and workforce development are encouraging.

The challenge now is delivery. We call upon whoever plays a part in the next Welsh Government to prioritise the mental health of the people of Wales; be that those with poor mental well-being, serious mental illness, addictions and substance use issues, or those who provide unpaid care.

As a long-established organisation working across Wales, and across multiple sectors, to support and empower people with the most complex of needs, Adferiad believes in providing the quickest and easiest route to recovery. You can read more about our five priorities for the next Welsh Government here.

As 7^th May approaches, there is an opportunity for all parties to move beyond high-level ambition and set out credible, fully costed, and accountable plans. The next Welsh Government will need not only to set a direction, but to demonstrate how meaningful, lasting change will be achieved.

Click the links below to read the parties’ manifestos:

Welsh Labour
Plaid Cymru
Welsh Conservatives
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Green Party Wales
Reform UK

The post Senedd Elections 2026: What do party manifestos mean for health, social care and communities in Wales? appeared first on Adferiad.

When Sarah’s mental health first started to decline in 2014, she didn’t fully recognise it. Instead, she kept herself busy, mainly through volunteering and further learning. It gave her purpose and something to focus on.

“I was fine if I was busy,” she says. “I just wanted to help others. My drive was to be better for myself and my little boy, and I thought volunteering would help, which it did, for a while.”

Sarah threw herself into it. She loved the work, won awards for volunteering, and was eventually offered a job. On the outside, things looked like they were going well.

“I did so much, even when I was ill.”

But underneath, things hadn’t gone away. If anything, they were building up.

“The more I was doing well in my job, especially working with people with mental health difficulties, the more I started to realise I wasn’t really OK.”

After the birth of her second child in 2017, a health visitor had raised concerns about PTSD. Sarah went to her GP, but nothing was really followed up.

“They didn’t address it, so I just carried on and kept myself busy. The feelings were always there; I just tried to push them away.”

In December 2018, Sarah finally opened up about her struggles to her boss.

“They were really shocked, because I’d hidden it so well.”

Then COVID hit in March 2020. Working from home removed all the distractions she had relied on. Being in the house brought everything back to the surface.

“For the first time since the domestic violence relationship had ended, I had to sit with my emotions on my own.”

By April 2020, it had become too much, and she was signed off work. Later that year, she received a diagnosis of PTSD three years after first raising concerns about her mental health with her GP.

In May 2020, Sarah reached crisis point.

“I didn’t know what to do, so I called 999. I rang about ten times asking for help. Because my crisis wasn’t deemed a risk to my physical health, they would send an ambulance but didn’t take me to hospital. I was begging them.”

The police came at the end of June 2020, and the one officer later told her it was one of the most complex mental health situations he had seen, they said “she shouldn’t have been left for a few hours, let alone a few weeks.”

Sarah was in crisis for six weeks before being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

“It felt like everything I had worked towards just came crashing down.”

While she was in hospital, things became even more difficult. Her partner and his family began legal proceedings regarding her children without her knowing.

“That completely shocked me as he and his family appeared to be so supportive about what I was going through.”

After being discharged from her section after 14 days, she returned home and was served legal papers the very next day. The court process lasted nine months, during which she was only allowed two hours a week of supervised contact with her youngest child.

“That was hard. I didn’t have time to process anything – I just had to get on with it.”

Sarah was also receiving therapy remotely at the time, due to COVID, but it didn’t feel helpful.

“I felt misunderstood. There was no real human connection, because they couldn’t see me.”

After everything, Sarah realised something needed to change, not just for her, but for others going through similar experiences. She wanted something that felt more human, where her voice and experience mattered, and where she could begin to rebuild hope for the future.

She joined Cardiff and Vale Recovery College in 2021, where she began to better understand mental health and her own experiences.

“It really helped me make sense of things.”

Through that, she got involved with Caniad, first online when it was in North Wales and then more actively when it came to Cardiff.

“Being involved with Caniad helped me so much. I’m grateful for the support I received.”

Through Caniad, Sarah felt listened to, understood, and valued.

Now, Sarah is involved in NHS Wales Performance & Improvement work in Wales, using her lived experience to help shape mental health services and give something back.

“If it wasn’t for that support from Caniad, especially Jason and Chloe, I wouldn’t be doing any of this work for NHS Wales Perfromance & Improvement.”

She’s passionate about what needs to change.

“I want more focus on prevention, not just crisis. And more support for the third sector; these people really do change lives.”

Looking back, Sarah can see how far she has come. Although things were once overwhelming, she is now using her experiences to support others and show that recovery is possible.

“There is still life after mental health struggles or addiction. Don’t be scared to share your story, it can give someone else hope.”

The post Sarah Stephens Inspires Change Through Lived Experience appeared first on Adferiad.

A main theme became apparent: services work better when they are built with people, not just for them. Those who have experienced crisis often described systems that felt confusing, fragmented, and at times lacking compassion. By bringing service users, staff, and partners together in the same space, the conversation shifted. It became less about fixing people and more about fixing how support is offered.

One of the most powerful insights was that ‘crisis’ can mean different things to different people. Trying to define it too strictly risks missing the point. What matters more is how services respond: taking time to listen, communicate clearly, and understand what individuals actually need in that moment.

The role of the third sector also stood out strongly. Organisations like Adferiad bring a different kind of expertise by being grounded in lived experience, community connection, and flexibility. Rather than being seen as an add-on, our contribution is essential. Treating the third sector as an equal partner alongside statutory services helps create a more joined-up and responsive system.

The workshops explored a simple framework: somewhere to go, someone to help, someone to respond, and someone to support. While straightforward, these ideas reflect real gaps in the current system. People need welcoming, safe spaces, not just busy emergency departments. They need clear and easy ways to access help, and responses that feel human, not purely clinical. And importantly, support shouldn’t stop suddenly, once the immediate crisis has passed.

What sits underneath all of this is co-production. Not as a one-off exercise, but as an ongoing way of working. It means working together, valuing different kinds of expertise, and being open to doing things differently.

If services are serious about improving crisis care, this approach isn’t optional, it is essential.

The post Putting People at the Centre of Crisis Care appeared first on Adferiad.

Change Step is an Adferiad service that provides vital support to veterans and the Armed Forces community across Wales, with a particular focus on those experiencing serious mental illness and related challenges. One thing that makes Change Step stand out is its peer mentoring approach: support delivered by veterans, for veterans. Staff understand first-hand the realities of military life, creating an environment where individuals feel heard, understood, and respected.

Peer mentoring is central to Change Step’s philosophy, with support being provided by individuals who have faced similar challenges, allowing for a unique level of trust and connection. It’s an approach that helps break down barriers and encourages individuals to open up about their struggles.

Change Step Peer Mentors provide one-to-one guidance, practical advice, and ongoing encouragement, drawing on their own experiences to help other veterans navigate difficult periods in their lives. Each person receives a full assessment of their needs, ensuring that the support offered is tailored and effective. Peer Mentors not only provide direct support but also help individuals access specialist services. By working alongside other organisations, Change Step ensures that veterans, their families, and their carers receive the comprehensive support they need to move forward.

The impact of this approach can be life-changing, as highlighted by Peter, who has experienced the support the service has to offer. Before connecting with Change Step, he found himself in a very dark place, facing the real possibility of eviction from his flat, and unsure of where to turn. Through veteran-to-veteran peer mentoring, he was able to regain control of his situation. Peter shared, “Change Step has been instrumental in changing my life,” highlighting the profound difference the service made at an extremely difficult time. With the support provided, he is no longer in rent arrears, is receiving the benefits he is entitled to, and is engaging in counselling to aid his recovery. He also reflected on the dedication of the team, saying he had “an awesome peer mentor,” and praising their commitment to going the extra mile.

Stories like Peter’s highlight the importance of connection and understanding in overcoming serious stress. Change Step has supported thousands of veterans and their families across Wales, demonstrating the powerful role peer mentoring can play in helping individuals rebuild their lives and rediscover hope.

Find out more about Change Step here.

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From being sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the mid-1990s to 24 years working at Adferiad now under her belt, Ruth’s story shows how the right support at the right time, paired with determination, can be truly life-changing. We spoke to Ruth about how she changed her life, and helped so many others to do the same along the way.

“I was living in Liverpool during the mid-1990s when my mental health completely unravelled. Vulnerabilities, including unsafe housing, PTSD, bereavement, and substance use, led me to becoming suicidal and to eventually experiencing a psychotic breakdown.

I was sectioned and spent the following year in hospital. I was left feeling that all the things which made me who I was were being stripped away. I had no autonomy, everything was done for me and nobody asked me any basic questions of “how are you?” and “how does this feel?”.

In 1995, I was encouraged to move to Wales. Initially, there was little change, and I spent another year in hospital. I felt like I had no sense of myself and that I had nothing to offer. I also felt institutionally dehumanised. This was made worse by the stigma towards mental illness in the 1990s, which left me feeling just a destructive sort of shame. This was alongside a sense of absolute hopelessness.

Things then changed.

In 1996, I was referred by my care team to a new 24-hour housing project in Aberystwyth – the Ystwyth run by Adferiad (formerly the NSF/Hafal). I was offered a lovely flat in town. Having my own home was suddenly having something wonderful. I also had this very humane and empathic support. The staff believed in me and in the possibility of my future.

Support meant I could make my life, my own again. Adferiad’s recovery-focused ethos allowed me to relearn life skills and to gain confidence. I hadn’t ever come across people before who believed that people could get better, it was like you had the diagnosis and that was it, there was no journey you could go on. Adferiad just did things very differently – you can get better, you can go into work, you can do whatever you feel will fulfil you. It meant I could return to old interests and find new passions. It meant I could learn and develop again.

Adferiad have always encouraged clients to contribute to the running of the service, and so, I became an active volunteer. This then led me to becoming an Adferiad employee in 2002. This presented me with a wonderful opportunity to use my experiences for some good. I have now worked for the organisation for 24 years as both a Manager and a Support worker. During this time, I have had the enormous privilege to help clients as I was helped, and to see them find their way to recovery.

Getting the opportunity to work with the organisation has been brilliant, using what people did to help you to go on and help others, with the knowledge that they will hopefully at some point do the same too. It’s always been a huge privilege to be part of an organisation that wants to make things better. We live in a society where things seem to be getting worse and worse, so to have a few lights left on is going to become more and more important, and I think Adferiad is one of those lights.

It’s hard to encapsulate the last 24 years in a nutshell, but a lot has changed in mental health, and Adferiad, Hafal and NSF Cymru have been instrumental in leading that change. The stigma people with a mental health diagnosis faced was incomparable and the opportunities they had were non-existent.

If you’ve got any kind of social conscience, you want to be part of something that can help drive change, and I think Adferiad have been very much at the forefront of leading that change in support, not just mental health but also drug addiction and across the board in health and social care. Having that opportunity to help people and watch them change, watch them achieve something, shows that you’ve done something worth doing.

NSF Cymru, Hafal and Adferiad were there for me when no one else was, believed in me when no one else did. Don’t forget why we are here and what we do is so important.”

If you would like to get involved or know more about Adferiad’s work in Wales, get in touch with us at info@adferiad.org

The post Celebrating International Women’s Day: Ruth’s Story of Recovery appeared first on Adferiad.

Tracing its roots back to 1974, when student volunteers from Ely pioneered the model, Supported Living refers to social housing schemes that provide personal care and support to people as part of their tenancy, allowing them to live in their own homes. Despite care and housing being provided under separate agreements, and often by different organisations, all services are delivered seamlessly and in partnership, regardless of who is responsible for its component parts. Usually operated in small clusters of housing, accommodation often contains shared spaces, but each person has their own home.

The support and care provided helps people to live as independently as possible, allowing them to choose where they live, who they live with, how they would like to be supported, and most importantly, what happens in their own home.

Adferiad is proud to be involved in providing supported accommodation across 21 separate properties across Wales, including a scheme that operates across 5 separate locations in the very city where the model first gained momentum, Cardiff.

Last week, we were delighted to attend the official opening of the latest addition to the Cardiff Supported Living portfolio – Blenheim Court, delivered in partnership with Cadwyn Housing Association, Albany Road Baptist Church, Cardiff Council and Welsh Government. Blenheim Court provides 12 one-bedroom flats across two floors, alongside a welcoming cafe and community meeting spaces.

The transformation of this building into a warm, safe and supportive environment has been made possible because of the dedication and collaboration of everyone involved. Part-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Cardiff Council and Welsh Government, the scheme demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations work together to meet local needs.

The official opening took place on Tuesday, 24th February, which gave guests an opportunity to look around the fantastic facilities. We were also delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, who attended to see the scheme first-hand and learn more about the partnership and the services being delivered.

The support we provide at Blenheim Court and the wider Cardiff Supported Living Service, commissioned by Cardiff City Council Social Care. follows a Core and Cluster model, where individuals hold their own tenancies while receiving background and individually tailored care and support. This approach enables people with complex needs to live as independently as possible, with the reassurance that the right support is there when needed.

Our aim is to deliver person-centred support that helps these individuals stabilise their lives, better manage their mental and physical health and enhance their overall quality of life and independence.

Blenheim Court represents the potential for a sense of community. Together with Cadwyn and the other partners, we are proud to be involved in providing a safe and supportive space where individuals can move forward with their lives.

From small beginnings over 50 years ago, the concept of Supported Living has become a shining example of partnership working and a model on which integrated health and social services, fit for the future, can be built.

The post Supported Living: Bespoke and Joined-Up Care in the 21st Century appeared first on Adferiad.

“This organisation has made an incredible impact on my life and recovery, and I cannot thank them enough for their support. Cyfle Cymru truly makes a difference, and I’m grateful to be part of their mission.” – Chris, Service User

“Volunteering with Cyfle Cymru has empowered me to turn pain into purpose. I hope my journey inspires others to take the first step—whether it’s seeking help, giving back, or simply believing that things can get better.” – Charlie, Service User

With increasing pressure to tackle unemployment, Cyfle Cymru’s commitment to developing participants’ employability and finding them secure, sustainable work continues to shine through, with around 800 people supported into new jobs and a further 3,700 being supported on their journey towards employment. Over 2,000 people have obtained a new qualification or certificate through the service, and more than 2,000 have taken part in community volunteering; milestones in their recovery that they may not have achieved without the support of their peer mentor.

“Every day, I get to see people take steps they never thought possible. I know how that feels, and it’s the most rewarding part of what I do. That’s what makes peer-led services so powerful, people know you understand because you’ve been there. I don’t just talk the talk, I’ve walked the walk.” – Danielle, Team Lead

But the real success of Cyfle Cymru isn’t in numbers and targets, it’s in the stories of its participants and the lives it has changed; and it’s clear to see the difference Cyfle Cymru has made, and continues to make to lives and communities across Wales. It’s more than an Out of Work Service; it’s a shoulder to lean on when people on their recovery journeys need it most. Peer Mentors know how recovery looks and feels, they’ve walked a mile in participants’ shoes and inspire them to take positive steps to change their lives for the better – with many going on to become Peer Mentors themselves!

“The people I meet—the clients, the team, the stories—remind me why I went through what I did. I’ve learned that our darkest moments can lead us to the place we’re meant to be.”

We look forward to seeing the ongoing success of Cyfle Cymru over the coming year!

The post Cyfle Cymru Project Extended to March 2027 appeared first on Adferiad.

Utilising health data from over 460,000 individuals, the authors found that adolescent cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of multiple psychiatric disorders by early adulthood, particularly for psychotic and bipolar disorders.

As an organisation that is committed to ensuring effective, compassionate support is available to individuals living with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar, we wholeheartedly support the authors’ suggestion that these results could inform the development of clinical and educational interventions for parents, adolescents, and clinicians. We also hope to see protective policies in place in the future to prevent or delay adolescent cannabis use, particularly given the growing prevalence of cannabis legalisation across the world.

We are eager to explore this issue in further detail and aim to investigate through additional research of our own in the coming months.

Read the research paper here

The post New Research Highlights the Connection Between Cannabis Use and Psychiatric Disorders appeared first on Adferiad.

What is striking is how specific some of the drug and alcohol use recommendations are. The Independent Sentencing Review that informed the Act even talks about monitoring semaglutide, an experimental drug with no evidence-base for addiction treatment. Yet residential rehabilitation, which is a well-established intervention with a defined role in recovery pathways, is absent.

There is a substantial focus on approved accommodation and community treatment. Of course, these things matter and can be life-changing, but they don’t work in isolation.

For many people leaving prison, rehab is the stage that makes recovery feel within reach. It gives people time to stabilise, rebuild confidence, and start changing their lifestyle patterns. Without that foundation, we’re asking people to go straight from prison into drug-free accommodation, with only limited community-based treatment behind them, and then acting surprised when their sobriety doesn’t hold.

We already know what works. Scotland has shown what is possible through its Prison to Rehab Pathway. It demonstrates what could be implemented in England and Wales.

If sentencing reform is serious about recovery and public safety, rehab needs to be part of the framework: protected funding, routine assessment during sentence planning, clear prison-to-rehab pathways, and discharge planning that includes work, education and long-term support.

If we want these reforms to succeed, we must consider rehab as a vital part of recovery.

The post The Sentencing Act 2026 is Missing Something Very Important – Rehab appeared first on Adferiad.

Ensuring timely access to tribunals for people detained under the Mental Health Act is essential, and it has been encouraging to see Welsh Government acting quickly to address the issue. However, ensuring that relevant standards and safeguards are in place to protect people’s rights is equally as important, and that’s why the agreed amendment to ensure ongoing training is a vital addition.

As an organisation that advocates for the rights of people who live with mental ill-health, many of whom are affected by this law, we understand the importance of appropriate access to justice. This is why we are working with Mind Cymru and The Law Society to assess the impact of a recent pilot in which all Welsh Tribunals have been listed as video conference (online) only, unless an in-person hearing is requested.

If you have been through a mental health tribunal in the past 8 months, you can help us influence the future delivery of mental health tribunals in Wales. We want to capture your lived experience – tell us what worked (or didn’t work!) for you, and whether there is anything that you would like to see improved.

Click here to share your views

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The Brain and Genomics Hub research will focus on those with psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. People with these conditions often have overlapping symptoms and psychiatrists often use treatments that are very similar for these conditions. Biological research, particularly genetic, but also other research, suggests that the causes of these conditions are also overlapping.

The Hub brings together researchers and specialists from across lots of different specialisms. For example, clinicians, neuroimagers, early career researchers, lived experience advisors and charity partners, the lab team, statisticians, and data scientists, and bringing all these together enables new data interpretation which will drive change forward.

This represents a pioneering step forward in serious mental health and research—bringing real hope to people in Wales, across the UK, and internationally who are living with serious mental illness.

It is one of six new research hubs forming part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) programme—the largest ever UK Government investment in serious mental health research.

Once collected and made available for other researchers, this information will represent a landmark data resource, unrivalled across the world.

Adferiad’s Data Officer and Research & Evaluation Lead, James Heard, said:

“I think this is a really important opportunity and it’s great that Adferiad are involved in this research and with the Hub. We really hope that this research will lead to better diagnosis and better treatment options for people.”

While past studies have used MRI and EEG to look at brain structure and functioning, the neuroimaging at the Hub will go beyond this approach into much deeper detail, which allows for analysis of the fine details of electrical functioning in different parts of the brain.

The involvement of people with lived experience in research is often quite narrow, involving only a few people advising on certain elements of the work. However, the Hub is seeking to broaden its approach to co-production and make the process much more inclusive.  Their aim is to create a community so that people who become involved in the study don’t simply become passive participants, but members of the Hub who not only take part but are fully involved and advise on the research throughout its stages.

One of the most exciting parts of this work is the e-cohort, which will identify everyone in Wales that has a diagnosis of severe mental illness. Researchers will then be able to access all the information to help improve our understanding of different conditions. The process will allow researchers to follow people through childhood and adolescence, when they are in contact with health services and education, and they will be able to study whether there are signs in their data that indicates who is going to develop (or when they may to get a diagnosis) of severe mental illness.

Key themes from the launch included:

• Co-production at the heart of research – ensuring that people with lived experience are central to shaping priorities and outcomes.
• Thinking big and being ambitious – aiming not just to understand mental illness but to transform the way it is treated.
• Translation into care – ensuring research findings are directly applied to improve clinical practice and support.
• Partnership working – it was especially encouraging to see the collaboration with Adferiad and Bipolar UK highlighted at the launch.

Alun Thomas, Adferiad CEO, said, “This Hub is about more than research.  It is about changing the world for people with lived experience of serious mental illness, and I am delighted that we are able to ensure those at the heart of this work, people with lived experience, are involved”.

Learn more about this work here, featuring our Research & Evaluation Lead James Heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjA9IUuT7PM

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