Agenda item

To consider a report by the strategic Planning Team Manager (copy attached) to seek Council approval for the Conwy & Denbighshire PSB Well-being Plan 2018-23.

 

The Leader, Councillor Hugh Evans introduced the Conwy & Denbighshire Public Services Board Well-being Plan 2018-2023 (previously circulated).

 

The Public Services Board (PSB) is a statutory organisation under the Well-being of Future Generations (WFG) (Wales) Act 2015.

 

A first draft of the plan had been published for consultation between 30 October 2017 and 22 January 2018.  The first draft had included six priorities but at the Conwy & Denbighshire PSB meeting on 29 January 2018, the six priorities were rationalised to three:

(i)              People – Good mental wellbeing for all ages (encompassing the 1^st 1000 days and the impact this had on a person’s future)

(ii)             Community – Community Empowerment (encompassing the resilience of young & older people), and

(iii)            Place – Environment resilience.

These themes complement the priorities set out in Denbighshire’s Corporate Plan.

 

The Strategic Planning & Performance Officer had attended Partnerships Scrutiny Committee on 14 December to present the draft plan and discuss the Committee’s view on the consultation questions.

 

At this juncture, Councillor Jeanette Chamberlain-Jones read out a statement in her capacity as Chair of Partnerships Scrutiny Committee as follows:

 

As Partnerships Scrutiny Committee is the Council’s designated scrutiny committee for Public Services Board matters it was one of the statutory consultees on the draft Well-being Plan.  The Committee was consulted on the PSB’s Well-being Plan’s priorities and contents at its meeting on 14 December 2017.  The points raised by the Committee are detailed in an appendix to the report presented to you today, which you have all had an opportunity to read.    You will see from the points raised by the Committee at that meeting that:

 

·       Members acknowledged that the Plan itself is a high level strategic document which sets out the PSB’s aims and aspirations for the next five years.  Its delivery would, therefore, be dependent on  detailed cross organisational delivery plans and effective joint working by all partners;

·       Members raised a number of points relating to promoting resilience amongst all age groups to improve health and well-being (both physical and mental), reduce obesity and social isolation etc.  It is therefore pleasing that the PSB has, as a result of the consultation exercise, decided to focus on the three main priorities of:

i.                 People - Good mental wellbeing for all ages (including the 1^st 1000 days and the impact this has on a person’s future)

ii.                Community – Community Empowerment (including the resilience of young & older people)

iii.              Place – Environmental resilience

as they are all inter-dependent on each other, and complement one and other.  They also support the prevention and effective partnership working ideology of both the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 for the purpose of building resilience and improving well-being.

·       the power to implement the priorities listed in the Well-being Plan lie with the public service organisations that are members of the PSB, i.e. through their strategic plans, here in Denbighshire our Corporate Plan.  It was pleasing therefore that the themes in the final Well-Being Plan complement our Corporate Plan. To successfully deliver the Well-being Plan all partner organisations would need to work together effectively, they would also need to have clear communication channels with each other and with residents;

·        in order to fulfil its responsibilities in relation to the Plan’s delivery Scrutiny will be monitoring the PSB’s progress in delivering the priorities and the Plan. 

As Denbighshire has a joint PSB with Conwy work is currently underway to examine the most effective method for us to fulfil our PSB scrutiny responsibilities.  The Scrutiny Chairs and Vice-Chairs Group are to shortly examine a number of potential options for scrutinising the PSB in future, including the potential of introducing joint scrutiny arrangements with Conwy.  In the meantime Partnerships Scrutiny Committee will continue to act as the Council’s designated PSB scrutiny committee.

 

Prior to publication of the Plan it had to be approved by the Boards of each PSB member organisation.  In the case of Local Authorities, approval had to be sought from Full Council.

 

During discussion the following points were raised:

·       The business plan for the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl had not yet been circulated.  It was confirmed by the Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, Councillor Bobby Feeley, that following a meeting with the Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Peter Higson, that the Business Plan would be re-submitted in March 2018 and he confirmed there was 100% commitment from BCUHB to the Royal Alexandra development.

·       It was confirmed that collaborative working with public sector partners, community and voluntary services the Plan would progress to improve quality of life for residents.

 

Following discussion it was:

 

RESOLVED that:

(i)              The committee confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix A) as part of its consideration, and

(ii)             Council supports the priorities for the Conwy & Denbighshire PSB Well-being Plan 2018-2023.