Agenda and minutes

Members of the JOSC are reminded that, as set out within its terms of reference, their core statutory functions include:-

•     To review or scrutinise the decisions made or actions taken by Board;

•     To review or scrutinise the Board’s governance arrangements;

•     To make reports or recommendations to the Board regarding its functions or governance arrangements;

•     To consider matters relating to the Board as the Welsh Ministers may refer to it and report to the Welsh Ministers accordingly; and

•     To carry out other functions in relation to the Board that are imposed on it by the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The Service Director, Communications & Democratic Services RCTCBC welcomed Members to the meeting of the Cwm Taf PSB Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 2021 (the JOSC) and noted the 5 core statutory functions of the JOSC.  

Apologies of absence were received from County Borough Councillors K. Morgan from RCTCBC and C. Jones and K. Gibbs from MTCBC and Co-Opted Member Mr M. Jehu.  

To receive disclosures of personal interests from Committee Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Note:

1.       Members are requested to identify the item number and subject that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest: and

2.       Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

To approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting held on the 28^th January 2022.

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 28^th January 2022 as an accurate reflection of the meeting.

1.     To appoint a Chair of the Cwm Taf Public Services Board Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the Municipal Year 2022 – 2023; and,

2.     To appoint a Vice Chair of the Cwm Taf Public Services Board Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the Municipal Year 2022 – 2023.

Following discussion, Members RESOLVED:

1.     To appoint Councillor Bevan as Chair of the Cwm Taf Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2022/23 Municipal Year; and,

2.     To appoint Councillor Mytton as Vice Chair of the Cwm Taf Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

For Members of the Cwm Taf PSB Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider the Forward Work Programme for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

The Service Director of Democratic Services & Communications gave an overview to Members in respect of the Cwm Taf Public Service Board Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2022/23. 

Members were advised that the forward work programme sets out a manageable and realistic programme of scrutiny activity, allowing for the more pressing matters to be considered whilst having the flexibility to respond to emerging issues.

 Following discussion, Members RESOLVED to acknowledge the contents of the proposed draft Cwm Taf Joint PSB Joint Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2022/23.    

To receive an update on the work of the Board following the JOSC recommendations. 

Lisa Toghill, the Senior PSB Officer for the Cwm Taf PSB, thanked the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the invitation to this first meeting of the 2022/23 cycle.  Ms Toghill explained that unfortunately, the Chair, Mark Brace, is currently on bereavement leave, and so can’t be in attendance today, and so in his absence, the two Senior PSB Support Officers will present Committe with the update on the work of the PSB.  

As we have recently published our Annual Report, which outlines our work and progress in the past year, we thought it would be useful to highlight key areas of progress and achievement from that, and so I will outline some of our work from 2021-22, then I’ll hand over to Kirsty who will run through our plans for the coming months and year moving forward.

Just to give some context on our duties and processes, it’s worth noting that this was our final Annual Report on the 2018 – 2023 Well?being Plan. The Plan set out the steps to meet our Well?being Objectives as follows:

·       thriving communities,

·       healthy people,

·       a strong economy

·       tackling loneliness and isolation

However, the world as we know it now is a very different place to when the Plan was written and the focus of the Board has rightly shifted to meet new and emerging challenges, particularly around the Covid?19 pandemic, Brexit and more recently the war in Ukraine and the cost?of?living crisis.   Against such a challenging backdrop, we are still in a position to celebrate progress being made.

This will also be the final Annual Report and final cycle of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny function for Cwm Taf as we will be merging with Bridgend to create one Cwm Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board ahead of publishing our new Well?being Plan in May 2023 – Kirsty will outline this in more detail when she updates you on future plans.

Before reporting on some of the work under each of the Objectives, it is important to note that as well as the publication of our Annual Report, we have also carried out and published the next iteration of our Cwm Taf Morgannwg Well-being Assessment.  This was supported by contracted consultants, as well as our partners, but has been a major focus for the PSB support team in the last year.

I will now share some of the highlights under each of the well-being objectives for the past year:

Thriving Communities

Partnership working is at the centre of PSB work.  It has been the driving force of Covid?19 recovery work. The relationships that started in the PSB allowed organisations to integrate their work and resources to work at pace, work smartly and support communities trying to re?build, re?engage and re?connect.

‘Community Hubs’ have been developed across the area as a result of the ‘Thriving Community’ Objective.

A key focus in the last year has been on re?establishing or creating  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider any other business, as the Chair feels appropriate

No urgent items to report.

To reflect on the meeting and actions to be taken forward

The Chair thanked the Committee for electing him as Chair for the 2022-23 Municipal Year and wished to put on record his congratulations to Councillor Mytton for being elected Vice Chair of the Committee.

The Chair thanked Members for attending and referenced the next meeting to be held on the 28^th October 2022.