Residents in Carmarthenshire are being asked their views on a range of public services from housing to health.

It comes following the launch of a regional survey covering four regions - Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys - which focuses on key areas like education, housing, health, crime, leisure and access to the coast and countryside.

The survey asks people to rate their own experiences of these services and their perceptions of the experience that other people in our society may have.

Powys Teaching Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Dyfed Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire Service, Wales Ambulance Services NHS Trust, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park Authority and the Police and Crime commissioner, have collaborated to create the survey.

Feedback will inform work around equality and how people with protected characteristics are affected or treated when trying to access services provided by the sector.

All public bodies have to produce a Strategic Equality Plan to ensure services are provided and accessible to all residents and service users irrespective of their age, gender, sexuality, religion, language preference or disability.

There are nine protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010. The Equality and Human Rights Commission have recently published a report called ‘Is Wales Fairer’ (2018) which sets out the state of the nation when looking at the more vulnerable groups in society.

Alongside the survey, each region will lead on engaging with particular community groups that represent and advocate for some of the less heard groups like LGBTQ or re-settled refugees. The survey can be accessed on our website and closes on June 14.