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 final meeting of the Cwm Taf PSB Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 2021.

Apologies of absence were received from County Borough Councillors D. Isaac MTCBC and T. Skinner MTCBC.

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 17^th December 2021.

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 17^th December 2021 as an accurate reflection of the meeting.

To appoint a Chair of the Cwm Taf Public Services Board Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the Municipal Year 2021 – 2022.

The Committee elected County Borough Councillor D. Isaac as Chair and County Borough Councillor J. Bencher as Vice Chair respectively. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair agreed to Chair the meeting going forward.  

An opportunity for JOSC Members to be consultees on the Well-being Assessment consultation 2022 and to provide feedback on progress to date and future plans.

Members of the JOSC received an update regarding the Wellbeing Assessment Consultation 2022.

The Senior PSB Support Officer, Lisa Toghill, thanked Members of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cwm Taf PSB for allowing us the time and opportunity to provide an update on the progress on the activity since the December meeting of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Senior PSB Support Officer set everything out under the following headings:

The Approach

Members were reminded that there is a requirement under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act to undertake an assessment of Wellbeing and the guidance sets out the specific elements that the assessment must contain.

Bridgend PSB and the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Board (RPB) have collaborated on the Assessment work and engaging with the communities that we all serve. As Members are aware, a joint Community Assessment Action Group has been set up and until recently included Cllr Caple as a Member. We also have the support of Co-Production Network for Wales helping us to improve our engagement with our communities.

The next meeting of the Community Assessment Action Group is scheduled for 3 February where we will have opportunity to review drafts of the Well-being and Population Needs Assessments covering Cwm Taf Morgannwg.

The statutory consultation period for the Well-being Assessment is planned to begin on 14 February and will run for 6 weeks.

What have we done?

·       Engagement and Involvement

Members will remember the summary of engagement activity carried out throughout the autumn that was provided at the December meeting that covered groups we’ve met with and activities we’ve been involved with.

The Co-Production Network were asked to provide additional support to analyse all the engagement notes and products. An engagement report has been produced summarising key findings and reflecting the scope of the conversations held as well as the challenges we’ve faced. This has been shared with Members, from page 17 of the Document Pack. You will note that at the back of the Engagement Analysis document is some recommendations that we will be looking to address during the consultation process, including addressing gaps.

This engagement analysis document will be translated and used as part of our consultation work, and we are also keen to return to the groups that were involved in the first part of the process to show how their contribution has been used and to continue as an ‘ongoing conversation’. This will be dependent on appetite from the groups, as well as covid restrictions.

The Engagement Group needs to consider how it wants to continue now that the initial phase of activity has passed. There is an appetite to keep momentum going, but there needs to be commitment and resourcing to allow this to happen, as well as understanding and appreciation from all levels about the value that comes from working in a more co-productive way.

Following the update, Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions.

Councillor Cox began and queried why there had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

Members will have the opportunity to monitor progress in this area and identify whether the PSB is meeting its objectives.

Members of the JOSC were provided with a quarterly update on the work of the PSB by Mr Mark Brace, Chair of the PSB.

The Vice Chair welcomed Mr Brace to the Committee and thanked him for attending.

Mr Brace began by thankingthe Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cwm Taf PSB for giving him the time and opportunity to provide them with an update on Board activity.

Members were provided with an update under the following headings:

PSB Future Focus

·         PSB met on the 18^th January, and following on from the October meeting, discussions continued regarding future plans and the need for a ‘roadmap’ for the coming 18 months, leading to the publication of the next Wellbeing Plan.  Both Cwm Taf and Bridgend PSBs have agreed that the merger of the two PSBs to form one CTM PSB will follow the timeline for the publication of the WB Plan.  As last month’s update outlined, the current period is something of a transition as we manage undertaking an Assessment of Well-being in the context of a pandemic and Covid restrictions as well as looking to the creation of one Cwm Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board.

·         The Objectives under the current Wellbeing Plan were on the agenda, and updates were provided by the Leads, which you will find in the reports for today’s meeting.  Discussions continued about what work from the current Objectives could continue moving into the next planning round, in line with what priorities will emerge from the assessment work. There is a continued agreement that the focus must be on the key ‘wicked’ issues, with the central aim of tackling poverty and inequality.

·         Discussions were had around alignment to operational boards such as the Area Planning Board, and the mechanisms for the operational work of the PSB as we move through COVID recovery.  The reprisal of the role of an operational board for the work of the PSB was raised as something we need to consider moving ahead to the next planning phase and with the merger of the two PSBs on the horizon.   Members agreed that if COVID continued to abate, there was appetite for the Strategic Partnership Board to be reconvened.   This will be updated in more detail in the next quarter, in line with the cycle of reporting.

Well-being Assessment and Regional Working (brief overview as Kirsty / Lisa will update on the progress to date)

·         As reported last month, the PSB have been undertaking an assessment of well-being to be published in May 2022. This will be a joint assessment with Bridgend PSB, resulting in one Cwm Taf Morgannwg Wellbeing Assessment.

·         As previously mentioned, we are also collaborating with the Regional Partnership Board as much as possible. They need to undertake and publish a Population Needs Assessment by April 2022 so resources, intelligence, information and opportunities for involvement have been shared as much as possible, this includes the data gathered and engagement activities with members of our communities.

·         As reported last  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

·       Draft Cwm Taf PSB Delivery Plan (Healthy People);

·       Drat Cwm Taf Delivery Plan (Loneliness and Isolation)

·       Draft Cwm Taf PSB Delivery Plan (Strong Economy);

·       Draft Cwm Taf PSB Delivery Plan (Thriving Communities)  

·       Draft Cwm Taf PSB Work Plan 2021-22;

·       Update on the Regional Early Years Integration Transformation; and,

·       ‘Nature & Us’ (by NRW)  

The Vice Chair directed Members to the Information reports and advised Members to contact the Members Redearcher & Scrutiny Officer RCTCBC for further information.

To reflect on the meeting and actions to be taken forward.

The Vice Chair thanked Members for attending and informed Members that this would be the last meeting for the 2021-22 Municipal Year. The Vice Chair also passed along her congratulations to the newly elected Chair, D. Isaac and expressed her gratitude to Members for electing her as the newly appointed Vice Chair.