The All Wales Integrated Referral Form (eAWIR) project has reached an important milestone in the development of a single, standardised digital referral approach for safeguarding and wellbeing concerns across Wales. The project was established to address variation in local referral routes, forms and information requirements, which can create inconsistency for professionals and partner agencies, particularly where services operate across organisational boundaries.
Through collaboration across local authorities and partners, the project is working to simplify the referral process, improve the quality and consistency of information received, and support a more joined-up experience for those using the form. The pilot has involved Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, while also generating learning to inform a longer-term all-Wales approach.
The pilot is ongoing, with real referrals being submitted by a defined group of professionals and processed across participating authorities via the Doc-works online portal. Early feedback indicates improved referral quality and sustained partner engagement, despite the need for some manual handling at this stage. Additional funding secured through WLGA has enabled the programme to be extended until the end of June 2026, providing further opportunity to gather insight, refine the approach and support future rollout.
Successes so far
The project has successfully delivered and tested a working electronic referral form, confirming the feasibility of a broader roll-out across Wales. Pilot activity has enabled participating local authorities to access and use the platform in practice, while regular oversight and engagement have helped maintain momentum and shared visibility of progress.
Key achievements include:
- A working prototype and live pilot are now in place.
- Multiple local authorities are actively engaged in testing and shaping the form.
- Feedback loops have been established for both referrers and front-door teams.
- The project has broadened professional participation to gather multi-disciplinary insight.
- Data mapping work has progressed to support future interoperability.
- Additional support has enabled the pilot to continue, allowing more time for learning and refinement.
What happens next
The next phase will focus on building on the pilot learning and preparing for wider adoption. This includes continuing to refine the form based on stakeholder feedback, progressing integration activity with case management systems, developing the public-facing pathway, and working with partners to support future onboarding across Wales.
Overall, eAWIR represents a significant step towards a more consistent, collaborative and digital approach to referrals in Wales. The progress made so far provides a strong foundation for the next stage of delivery and for shaping a national model that reflects local insight and practical experience.