To receive an update from the Chair in respect of work undertaken to date in relation to the transition to a regional Public Services Board for Cwm Taf Morgannwg.
Cofnodion:
The Chair provided Members with an update on the merger of Cwm Taf PSB to become one Cwm Taf Morgannwg PSB.
Following the last JOSC on the 28th October, where the Committee were given a brief update on the merger by Mark Brace, Chair of Cwm Taf and Bridgend PSBs, it was reported that several workshops were undertaken over the summer and autumn of 2022 to develop the Well-being Plan, including a ‘3 Horizons’ session with NRW, to look at future priorities for the new Plan and the future merged PSB.
The Chair also highlighted that a session was scheduled for the 15th November for both PSBs, it’s sub boards and the Chair of the RPB, and that session took place in the Waterton Centre in Bridgend. The Chair and Anita Lewis both attended from the JOSC. The session was well attended and facilitated by Keith Moultrie of Oxford Brookes University. He challenged participants to be clear about why they are creating the new partnership, what is its purpose, what will be its priorities, how will these priorities be delivered, what performance management arrangements will be in place and how will they measure its success. He took us through a series of discussions on how we define a successful partnership, its purpose, analysing the current position, and future proposals and next steps.
Members were informed that many partners felt that the purpose of the PSBs has often been unclear and that has impacted on progress and direction in improving well-being in any significant way. There was a view that more immediate service delivery issues could also be addressed by the PSB where they could make improvements to longer term well-being.
The challenge for the PSB is to balance the long-term focus of the Board detailed in the Act in relation to shorter term service delivery issues faced by the statutory partners, particularly in a time of growing budget pressures.
The session particularly highlighted the importance of:
o Communication both within partner organisations on the work of the PSB and with wider partners and local people, showing what the PSB is working on and how it is making a difference.
o Engaging with communities and ensuring an understanding of the issues facing communities
o Having performance management systems linked to shared outcomes to demonstrate impact.
o
A written proposal by Chris Bradshaw, shared in the session, proposed an overarching PSB to meet annually with an ‘Executive Group’ of chief officers of the health board, local authorities and police – i.e. those viewed to be a major commissioning body – for the purpose of improving the quality of public services and to improve local outcomes.
There was support for an executive board of statutory bodies as it was recognised that this structure worked well during Covid and built on good relationships between executives. There was concern however that this approach could forfeit challenge, not consider the view of issues affecting local people in the area, and also impact on buy in from other partners, including statutory partners, if it was felt to be too local authority led and opportunities to influence direction too limited.
It was felt that the board should be made up of decision makers, who have influence and ability to drive action at pace.
Following the workshop, both boards have received a follow up report, outlining the main points from the session, and have been asked to consider the structure and governance arrangements moving forward based on 2 models, which came from the working groups at the session and Chris Bradshaw’s proposal. Responses have been requested by the 13th January.
It was agreed that the boards would work to an April 2023 deadline to merge as one board, ahead of the publication of the Well-being Plan in May.
The Chair, members and support teams will agree a structure and support arrangements by this date and will hold an initial Shadow Board meeting at the end of February to sign off the final Well-being Plan for 2023-2028.
Members thanked the Chair for the update.