Agenda item

Derbyn diweddariad ar Raglen Waith y Bwrdd Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus ar gyfer Chwarter 1 a'r amcanion a gyflawnwyd hyd yma. 

Kirsty Smith (KS), Senior PSB Support Officer, provided Members with an update on the Quarter 1 PSB Work Programme.

The Senior PSB Support Officer thanked Members of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cwm Taf PSB for allowing us time and opportunity to provide them with an update on Board activity since we last met in September 2021. Members were informed that the PSB Chair, Mark Brace, sends apologies and is unable to attend this rescheduled JOSC meeting and has worked with the PSB Support Team to prepare this update.

The Senior PSB Support Officer continued the update and outlined key points as follows:

PSB: Future Focus

·         PSB last met in October and the agenda was very much focused on the future – both in terms of the focus and structure of Public Services Boards in Cwm Taf Morgannwg. As Members will be aware, the current period is something is 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. It’s also important that we consider the Board’s existing Objectives and what the PSB can do this year, as well as what work carries forward in preparing for the new Cwm Taf Morgannwg Well-being Plan to be published in 2023.

·         The October meeting had representatives from the Community Safety Partnership, the Substance Misuse Area Planning Board and the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board in attendance to hear their experience of working within the regional partnership structures. Following discussions, Members agreed that way forward needs to be based on a foundation of information and suggested discussion with the RPB in terms of alignment and delivery mechanisms. There is full support the direction for one Cwm Taf Morgannwg PSB operating with strategic intent. An action was taken back to work with representatives from the PSB and delivery boards to draft a timeline for the merger and identify work that would need to be undertaken.

·         PSB welcomed the JOSC recommendation, given via the Chair at the October meeting, that over the medium term the Public Service Board must demonstrate its value and role in improving the delivery of public services and that its purpose makes a positive difference to the residents of Merthyr and Rhondda Cynon Taf. We feel that the work underway regarding the Assessment helps this and the engagement work has given PSB officers the opportunity to speak with residents and groups about what that positive difference could look like. The Committee will appreciate that, as with most other areas and organisations, the ambitions of the PSB have been curtailed by the challenges of the last couple of years where focus has, quite rightly, had to be on the response to the pandemic. However, the Community Impact Assessment commissioned into the impact of COVID by both PSBs and RPB was an example of how we are able to react to circumstances and this has provided good information on the current and future needs for communities and will feed into the current Wellbeing Assessment work.

Well-being Assessment and Regional Working

·       As Members will be aware, the PSB needs to undertake 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 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 will be shared as much as possible. The support teams have also been working closely on the developing draft documents to ensure the same sources are used, and key messages ‘read across’ both documents.

·         We decided to extend the period of engagement beyond the 100 days initially discussed through our work with Co-Production Network Wales. December 17^th (today) is the official end of the work, and the online conversation tool will be closed this afternoon. The Co-Production Network have also been asked to provide additional support to analyse all of the engagement notes and products. An engagement report will be produced summarising key findings and reflecting the scope of the conversations held.

·         The draft data report has been produced by Practice Solutions Limited (available as an embedded document in the pack – page 22). It was received by Bridgend PSB on 13 December and has been shared virtually with Cwm Taf PSB members for comment.

·         The Assessment is still on schedule to be published at the end of April 2022 with the Data and Engagement Reports will be shared as supporting documents.

Ongoing work

·         Given the reporting pattern of the PSB, the October meeting did not feature quarterly updates from Objective leads on the existing Well-being Objectives: Thriving Communities, Healthy People, Strong Economy and Tackling Loneliness and Isolation.

·         Time is being given on the agenda for January’s PSB for updates to be given on a highlight/exception basis where and we will also be asking for Objective Leads, and members, to look at how we can refocus existing workstreams for the future (and the new Wellbeing Plan) so that work is not lost or overlooked.

·         Work continues against the current Objectives, as set out to members in the Update on Quarter 1 PSB Work Programme (page 13 of the document pack). As mentioned, further detail will be expected following the January PSB but of note:

o   The Community Hubs and neighbourhood networks initiated under the ‘Thriving Communities’ objective continue to be used as part of the Covid response and supporting vulnerable residents. PSB Officers have also been making use of the networks and Hubs as part of the engagement work for the Well-being Assessment. As set out in the update report, sustainability of the Hubs continues to be a concern and will likely be at the heart of the January update for this Objective. The Chair has met with the Community Zone Implementation Group about the sustainability of this project, and the PSB will work with the group to explore funding opportunities to maintain the benefits of this work to the communities involved and to explore how to widen these initiatives to other areas.

o   The ongoing work of the Vulnerability Profile work being piloted in RCT. This is nearing completion and a final analysis is expected before the end of the financial year, and rollout across the region.

o   The PSB, through colleagues in Merthyr Council, have been involved in Public Health Wales’ ‘Participating in good, fair work for health, well-being and Equity Panel’, now known as the ‘Fair Work Panel’. This has been looking at the wider benefits of employment on health. Views are being sought from Board members as to how the work can best support partnership action and where there are opportunities to collaborate to achieve mutually beneficial goals of creating, supporting and normalising fair work, improving skills and access to fair work as well as monitoring and evaluating the impact of efforts to increase participation in fair work, using data and intelligence to direct their efforts.

o   RCT and Merthyr have both submitted bids for the National Lottery Community Fund’s ‘Mind Our Future’ grant programme around children and young person’s mental health, as well as the impact of loneliness and isolation. £10million is available to create and implement a vision for a more resilient and mentally healthy future for young people in their community. The PSB supported and were involved in shaping both applications and we await news.

·         The Board continues to look for opportunities to maximise contribution to the seven national well-being goals and received a presentation from Brecon Beacons National Park and their Management Plan at their last meeting. This sparked an interest in members looking to collaborate as much as possible, as well as suggesting that the January PSB meeting devotes some time to the Climate and Nature Emergencies so that we collectively understand what is already underway in the region, and where potentially the PSB can add value, with a view to informing the future Well-being Plan.

·         Similarly, the PSB have supported a bid to the National Institute for Health Research for the creation of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Determinants Research Collaboration. The funding is available to create a research infrastructure with a focus on the determinants of health inequalities. If successful, the funding will allow the region to establish the first regional multidisciplinary research team in Wales and provide the learning and experience to develop a model that can be rolled out nationally. JOSC will be provided with an update on any progress or success with the funding bids.

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

The Chair referred Members to page 10 of the minutes from the last meeting of the JOSC and sought an update on the RAG system update in future PSB reports to Scrutiny. The Senior PSB Support Officer advised Members that this is in relation to the Wellbeing Plan, which will be going to the Board meeting in January 2022. However, it was emphasised that when this was discussed with the objective leads there was a feeling that a RAG system update may not be informative given the long term focus of the objectives.

Discussions continued and the Chair referenced page 24 of the report and the risk factors for young children and queried whether this is a high priority for the Board. The Senior PSB Support Officer advised Members that some issues will be picked up under safeguarding but that as the Board looks towards the regional structures that need to be in place the Board is looking to work closely with the operational boards and critical concerns will be escalated to the PSB. It was emphasised that children and young people is definitely something that the Board is looking to do more work around.

The Chair further referenced page 14 of the report and praised the fact the resilient hubs have been prioritised and queried if it was a priority of the Board to move towards community resilient hubs. The Senior PSB Support Officer reminded Members that the community hubs were started with one in RCT and one in Merthyr Tydfil and the models have been rolled out across RCT, however, the roll out isnt looking to be replicated in Merthyr Tydfil as the existing hub has been a heavy demand on the Local Authority. The sustainability of these hubs is a concern for the Board and it would be remiss to look to develop this further before securing what is already in place. The Chair noted that this is an aspect of work that the Scrutiny Committee can look into in future meetings.

Discussions ensued and Mr Mel Jehu referred Members to the sad deaths of children in our communities and assured Members of the JOSC that safeguarding has been addressed in a formal way at the South Wales Police and Crime Panel, where Mr Jehu sits as Vice Chair. Mr Jehu then queried how best practice is being identified in one area and passed on to other areas and also referenced the Gellideg Hub in Merthyr Tydfil as an example of a community hub that works well and queried what is being done to replicate this as best practice across the region.  The Senior PSB Support Officer advised Members that ultimately its vital that these hubs are community owned and that the PSB takes a step back. However, the Board would be looking to see where they’ve been so successful and where that can be replicated. The Chair noted that it would be worth a visit to the Gellideg Hub and asked if this can be added in to JOSC Work Programme for the 2021-22 Municipal Year. In respect of the community hubs, Councillor Bonetto also noted that important work being done in the Community Hubs across the region and referenced the hub in her ward and the important work being done in respect of men’s mental health. Councillor Bonetto emphasised that the hubs are working for the communities themselves and assist community needs. Councillor Will Jones noted that communities adapt and that community hubs are doing an excellent job. Councillor Jones noted that it is support the hubs need rarther than total involvement of the PSB. The Chair noted his agreement and noted that this should be a key focus for Scrutiny going forward.

Following discussion, Members RESOLVED to note the update in respect of the Quarter 1 PSB Work Programme.