Agenda item

(a)          That the committee endorses the arrangements for the transition from the Flintshire Local Service Board to the Flintshire Public Services Board;

(b)          That the committee endorses the progress on the two single integrated plan priorities (i) People enjoying good health, well-being and independence and (ii) People are safe; and

(c)          That regular progress reports be made to the committee.

The Chief Executive introduced the report which presented an overview of arrangements for the transition of the Flintshire Local Service Boards (LSB) to a Public Services Board (PSB) in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.  An update of the Flintshire LSB Single Integrated Plan (SIP) priorities was also provided. 

                        The report provided information on the progress in transition from a voluntary to statutory arrangement in accordance with the Act and an update on the work of the board.  The Chief Executive explained that there were four LSBs in North Wales (Denbighshire/Conwy, Ynys Môn/Gwynedd, Wrexham and Flintshire) and added that Councillor Arnold Woolley had previously been a member of the LSB. 

The Chief Executive felt that the LSB was a very effective partnership and one of its strengths had been the quality of the relationships between the representatives on the Board.  It was a very trusting partnership and was highly regarded in Wales as being very successful.  He felt that there would be a smooth transition to the PSB as it would consist of the same representatives with the same priorities. 

From April 2016 the PSB would have a statutory duty to produce an Assessment of Local Well-being (by March 2017) and a Local Well-being Plan (by March 2018) and these would replace the existing SIP.  A risk assessment had been carried out, which had been positive, and had been endorsed by Welsh Government (WG).  A report to a future meeting of the Committee would provide information on how the PSB was meeting its statutory duties. 

Councillor Richard Jones asked which Overview & Scrutiny Committee would scrutinise the performance of the Board.  The Chief Executive said that elements of its work would fall in the remit of the Social and Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee but that this Committee would have an overview scrutinising the PSB.  The partners of the Board would also need to consider their own scrutiny arrangements.  Councillor Jones proposed that an update report should be considered by this Committee in three to six months.  The Member Engagement Manager confirmed that an entry was included on the Forward Work Programme for the meeting on 14 July 2016. 

                        In referring to the comment of the Chief Executive about the strength of the relationships between the representatives, Councillor Robin Guest asked to what extent the PSB was a networking organisation.  The Chief Executive said that the PSB had a function to deliver improvements to the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of the area and met four times a year.  He suggested that the work of some partners was less understood than others and that the LSB had been a mechanism to sharing information and good practice. 

                        Councillor Arnold Woolley referred to a meeting he had attended the previous week to allow better understanding of the changes that were to take place.  This included the proposal to create Community Interest Committees and Councillor Woolley asked if an update on this could be provided on the powers that the Committees would have, how members would be elected and how they would be funded.  The Chief Executive explained that this had been suggested in the Local Government Bill and the Council was preparing a detailed response to the consultation.  In the Bill, WG had made an assumption that Wales would consist of larger Councils and that area committees would be necessary to allow more local consideration of issues.  He suggested that Flintshire already had a solution to this as the County was covered by Town & Community Councils.  The Chief Executive reminded Members that the Bill had not been adopted and therefore the proposals may not be implemented.  He advised that he did not have any details on funding or the powers for the area committees.  Councillor Woolley disagreed with the provision of such committees as he felt that this would be in conflict with the work of Flintshire County Council and the Town & Community Councils.  The Chief Executive suggested that the idea of Area Committees be rejected by Members.   

                        Following a discussion, Councillor Woolley suggested that the recommendation should include that regular updates reports be submitted to the Committee for consideration.                      

            RESOLVED:

(a)          That the committee endorses the arrangements for the transition from the Flintshire Local Service Board to the Flintshire Public Services Board;

(b)          That the committee endorses the progress on the two single integrated plan priorities (i) People enjoying good health, well-being and independence and (ii) People are safe; and

(c)          That regular progress reports be made to the committee.