Agenda and draft minutes

Due to the number of apologies received, the meeting would not be quorate.  Therefore, it was agreed by all present to continue the meeting and provide recommendations for the Board to consider via email and review and approve them at the next PSB meeting.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 July 2019 (copy attached).

The minutes of the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board held on 5 July 2019, were submitted for approval.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board meeting held on 5 July 2019, be recommended for approval as a correct record.

No matters arising.

To inform members of progress to date against the priority areas and seek approval for specific areas of work.

(a)  Mental Well-being

To receive a verbal update on the Mental Well-being priority by Richard Firth (Public Health Wales)

(b)  Community Empowerment

To receive a verbal update on the Community Empowerment priority by Judith Greenhalgh (Chief Executive, DCC), and Helen Wilkinson (Chief Executive, DVSC)

(c)  Environmental Resilience

To receive an update on the Environment Resilience priority (copy attached) by the Chair and Iwan Davies (Chief Executive, CCBC)

2.10 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.

(a)  Mental Well-being

Richard Firth (Public Health Wales) provided an update on the mental well-being priority.  He confirmed a workshop had been held in November 2018.  It had covered good mental well-being for all ages to enable people to function effectively and to avoid future mental health issues.

The building of initiatives and opportunities to link into other priorities had been identified.  The term mental well-being is quite nebulous.  Therefore work would continue in the coming months to define actions and a report to be presented at a future PSB meeting.

(b)  Community Empowerment

Nicola Kneale, Strategic Planning Team Manager (DCC) provided an update on the Community Empowerment priority.

A meeting had taken place with Steve Grayson (BCUHB), NRW, Public Health Wales and Leisure Departments of Local Authorities to ascertain the best way forward to tackle weight management.  Local authorities will work with Health to ensure that health practitioners and partners delivering weight management programmes know where to signpost people to in order to find out about ‘social prescribing’ initiatives.

It had been very well received and future meetings were to be arranged.  The meeting had taken place the previous week and more updates would be provided at future PSB meetings.

An update on DVSC’s Dementia Aware Community Led programme will be provided at the next meeting.

(c)  Environment Resilience

Fran Lewis, Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager (CCBC) provided an update on the Community Green Pledges and Environmental Policy Statements (previously circulated).

Following the approval of the Green Pledges at the July meeting, the branding has been enhanced as requested.  It was confirmed that the marketing department in Conwy County Borough Council has been commissioned from the regional PSB grant to launch and promote the pledges.  The launch of the pilot scheme will commence once the toolkit is finalised and will be communicated to the marketing teams from other PSB organisations.  

The Environment Policy Statement (Appendix C) had been revised in line with the discussion at the July meeting.  It now focuses on two commitment areas (commitment 1 - carbon & energy and commitment 2 - climate change adaptation) with the other previous 7 ‘commitments’ becoming outputs of the relevant commitment.  By focusing on the specified commitments this will have a direct impact on achieving the other output areas.  It was confirmed that key measures need to be identified.  A requestwas made that partners nominate lead officers to support this work within their organisations.

The Board discussed the timescales involved in meeting the proposed actions.  It was emphasised that partner organisations will be at different stages of achievement at the outset and appreciate the time taken to reach different steps will differ between partners.  Therefore there is no set timescales for organisations to complete this work other than the national deadlines.  It was clarified that statutory dates had been included in the document, but the statement was more about collective support and sharing good practice. 

Discussion took place as to whether carbon reductions by 2030 should be a target or an aspiration.  It was agreed to change the wording to “aspire” to reduce carbon emissions by 2030. 

It was confirmed that at a workshop which had been held the previous week, a great deal of discussion had taken place regarding climate change, coastal issues and community action.  The Deputy Leader of CCBC, Councillor Goronwy Edwards confirmed that coastal protection needed to be one of the main issues to be dealt with as it was a major concern for the people they represented.  Reassurance was given to Councillor Edwards that coastal flooding was included in the Environmental Policy Statement.

All members were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To formally review the membership of the Public Services Board following the development of the priority areas (copy attached).

The Chair will lead on this item.

3.00 p.m. – 3.15 p.m.

The Chair introduced the Review of PSB membership report (previously circulated).

The Board had requested that membership be formally reviewed following the development of the priority areas.

Discussion commenced to consider the following representatives:

(i)            Snowdonia National Park Authority

(ii)          Representative of Area of National Beauty Denbighshire

(iii)         Town and Community Council representative, and

(iv)         Housing and Regeneration representative.

Members expressed concern that membership could become too large for the Board to have an effective delivery model. 

It was suggested that both Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) and the Representative of the Area of National Beauty Denbighshire be represented at sub-group level. Further suggestion that SNPA be invited to sit on any regional group that is formed following the development of the environment workshop proposals.

Members suggested that Town and Community Councils should be represented on the Board but recognised the difficulties that could arise in appointing a single representative to represent all the Town & Community Councils.  Members recommended that this be explored further. 

Members suggested that there should be a housing regeneration representative on the Board.  Suggested approaching Community Housing Cymru for a nomination which would represent both Conwy and Denbighshire counties.

Keep Wales Tidy and also the National Trust was suggested to be added to the stakeholder list.

Following discussion, it was suggested to cross check the list of prospective members for the potential regional group against the environment sub-group and workshop delegates.

RESOLVED that

1. Members recommended that Town and Community Councils should be represented on the Board and that this be explored further before an invitation is issued.
2. Members recommended that Community Housing Cymru are approached for a nomination which would represent both Conwy and Denbighshire counties on the Board.

To provide the Board with an update about the PSB scrutiny committee’s forward work programme (copy attached).

The Chair will lead on this item.

3.15 p.m. – 3.25 p.m.

The Chair confirmed that the Joint PSB Scrutiny Committee meeting which was due to take place on Friday 27 September 2019 had been cancelled.

It was confirmed that future Joint PSB Scrutiny Committee meetings would take place following PSB meetings.  The dates had been set by the Joint PSB Scrutiny Committee and not PSB Committee.

RESOLVED that the Forward Work Programme be noted.

            Verbal / presentation:

(a)  Update on Regional Partnership Board (RPB)

(b)  Update on Local Implementation Team (LIT)

(c)  Consider proposals for transformational funding 2020/21(copy attached) (Bethan Jones, BCUHB)

3.25 p.m. – 4.15 p.m.

This item was deferred to the 9 December 2019 PSB meeting.

To consider risks, and discuss and agree actions to mitigate against those risks (copy attached).

Nicola Kneale (Denbighshire County Council)

4.15 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.

The Strategic Planning Team Manager (DCC), Nicola Kneale presented the Risk Register report (previously circulated) to consider the risks, discuss and agree actions to mitigate against those risks.

PSB1 – the risk that the PSB had insufficient funding, resources and capacity to deliver the priorities identified in the Well-being Plan. 

It was confirmed that there would be a Regional PSB grant of £80k.  The risk could be downgraded to D3 but would be monitored.

PSB2 – the risk that partner organisations are not committee to the Board.

The Strategic Planning Team Manager confirmed the risk could be downgraded to C3 as organisations engaged well with the Conwy & Denbighshire PSB.  This would be monitored and if any issues arose she would report back to the Board.

PSB3 – the risk that the PSB fails to maximise the potential impact it could achieve through a collaborative approach.

The Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager (CCBC) confirmed a Wales Audit Office report was awaited on PSBs.

PSB4 – the risk that the complex partnership landscape both regionally and sub-regionally impacts on the delivery of the Well-being Plan.

The score was currently appropriate but would require mitigation actions.

PSB5 – the risk that funding that was available via the EU is no longer available post Brexit implementation impacting on academia, agricultural industries and deprivation programmes.

Following a discussion it was agreed that risk PSB5 was a risk for Local Authorities but not for the PSB and therefore should be removed from the Risk Register.

RESOLVED that the PSB Risk Register be updated and circulated to all PSB members for approval to be signed off.

To receive a presentation by Fran Lewis (CCBC) regarding the BSL Interpretation Service – Conwy Pilot.

4.30 p.m. – 4.45 p.m.

The Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager (CCBC) introduced a presentation of the BSL Interpretation Service (Conwy Pilot).

It was a 12 month pilot scheme which would conclude in December 2019.  The pilot was under contract with Sign Solutions.

The service was available 24/7/365 and free to the customer.  It provided British Sign Language (BSL) communication support via video at all council receptions.  Residents were able to sign in to Sign Solutions on smart phones, tablets and laptops reducing the need to physically attend at the council offices.

There are three distinct groups of people with sensory loss:

·         Blind and partially sighted people

·         Deaf people

·         Deafblind people (important to note that many individuals who were deafblind had some residual sight and/or hearing.  It was not about the amount of sight and hearing a person had but the combined impact of having more than one sensory impairment)

Upskilling of staff via the online Deaf Awareness e-learning course had been very well received and to date 300 staff had taken part.  Further information about the pilot is available on the Council’s web site  https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Council/Contact-Us/Sign.aspx

The presentation and the service was extremely well received by all Board members present.

RESOLVED that the PSB note the presentation of the BSL Interpretation Service – Conwy Pilot.

The Chair will lead on this item.

The PSBs Forward Work Programme (FWP) (previously circulated) was presented for consideration.  Members confirmed the Agenda and reports due at the next PSB meeting to be held on 9 December 2019, as follows:

Decision Items:

      i.        Update on PSB priorities –

a.    Mental Well-being

b.    Community Empowerment

c.    Environmental Resilience

Discussion Items:

    ii.        Health & Wellbeing – Deferred from 23 September 2019 meeting.

a.    Update on Regional Partnership Board (RPB)

b.    Update on Local Implementation Team (LIT)

c.    Consider proposals for transformational funding 2020/21 (Bethan Jones, BCUHB)

   iii.        Welsh Energy Service

   iv.        Foundational Economy and PSBs (Helen Wilkinson)

    v.        Grants update and learning from spend.

RESOLVED that the Forward Work Programme be approved.

Event presentation and minutes.

For information only.

Joint Ministerial letter and event report.

For information only.

1000 Lives Improvement Cymru Conference 2019: Rethinking How We Improve

The Corporate Performance and Improvement Manager (CCBC) confirmed 1000 lives were offering support to help PSBs with mental health wellbeing.  They were focussed on acute health priorities.

The PSB Development Officer (CCBC) stated information was available but she would circulate it to all Board Members.

The meeting concluded at 3.45 p.m.