Agenda item

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 in agreement with the Board developing a regional approach.  The Community Green Pledges was agreed and it was noted that further work be carried out on the Environmental Policy Statement.

Members congratulated the officers for their work on the papers.

RESOLVED that:

                      i.        Members recommend that the updates provided for the Mental Well-being and Community Empowerment priorities be noted, and

                    ii.        Further reports on progress be provided at the next PSB meeting.

                   iii.        Members recommend that the progress made in the Environmental Resilience priority (Appendix A) and the updated Community Green Pledges (Appendix B) be noted.

                   iv.        Subject to the revised wording, Members recommend the revised environmental policy statement (appendix C) be approved at the next meeting.

                    v.        Members recommend that each PSB organisation can prioritise the commitments and outputs they wish to focus on, and

                   vi.        Members recommend each organisation nominate a lead officer to be the contact for each of the two commitments.