Agenda item

To gain approval of the final Well-Being Plan for Flintshire, prior to publication.

That the Well-being Plan be endorsed. 

The Chief Executive introduced the report to seek approval of the final Well-being Plan for Flintshire, prior to publication.  He advised that the report provided an overview of the work of the Flintshire Public Services Board (PSB) and the development of the Well-being Plan (the Plan).

                        The Chief Executive provided background information and reported on the main considerations.  He commented that Flintshire was renowned for its record of partnership working and advised that the Plan had been developed alongside the Council Plan and provided a strong alignment and ‘fit’ with the priorities.  The Plan was to be adopted by the County Council as a statutory requirement. 

The Chief Executive gave a joint presentation with the Corporate Business and Communications Executive Officer which covered the following key points.  He invited the Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy), Chief Officer (Social Services), and Chief Officer (Strategic Programmes) to report on the five priorities for the Well-being Pan.

• statutory and non-statutory (invited) members
• the Well-being Plan
• how the Plan has been developed
• the five priorities:

• next steps – development and publication of the Delivery Plan 

            The Chief Executive advised that the Well-being Plan was subject to variation and was recommended for formal adoption by the Council as a statutory plan by 4 May 2018.

            In moving the recommendation, Councillor Aaron Shotton thanked the Chief Executive and officers for the work that had been undertaken with colleagues in partner organisations.  He said that the objectives of the Well-being Plan were complimentary to the Council’s five year Plan and that it was not possible for the Authority to achieve all the improvements it wanted without working in collaboration with partners in the public sector.  He expressed praise for the level of partnership work being undertaken to achieve common objectives and positive outcomes for the benefit of Flintshire’s residents.  He specifically thanked Councillor Billy Mullin and the Chief Executive for their work on the Flintshire Public Services Board and for providing leadership to the Board and partners.  He asked Members to support the Plan and said he looked forward to delivering the outcomes. 

Councillor Mike Peers asked for details of the County Council  membership on the Board.  He referred to the priority on Economy and Skills and the need to develop skills for employment opportunities.  He said it was important for community businesses to have the opportunity to link into the Board to identify the employment skills they needed in their businesses.  He referred to the information on Community Safety on page 58 of the report and acknowledged the work that was taking place.  He suggested that information also be included on community policing and engagement with the public, and commented on the reassurance that the police presence provided in terms of public safety and well-being. Councillor Peers also suggested that the priority on Environment should be linked directly into the local development plan to reflect the ambitions and objectives  of the Well-being Plan and the Council Plan.

Councillor Carol Ellis referred to the Council’s proposal to extend residential care on the Marleyfield site in Buckley, which she said would alleviate  the pressure on

accident and emergency services in local hospitals and was an example of how the Council worked in partnership with the Health Board.

Councillor Heesom said he had some concerns around the linkage between the Council Plan and the Well-being Plan.  He referred to the reference in paragraph 1.10 in the report, to feedback from the Welsh Government and the Future Generations

Commissioner on the draft Flintshire Assessment and asked if a copy of the feedback could be provided to Members.  The Chief Executive advised that an all-Member workshop would be held on the Council Plan on 29 May, and that it would be submitted for adoption by the Council in final form at its meeting in June. He commented that officers were confident that the linkage was strong but said that a shared partnership plan should not be over dominated by the Council Plan.  The Chief Executive agreed

to provide a copy of the feedback to Councillor Heesom and other Members  on request.

Councillor Paul Shotton commented on the priority Community Safety and the need for partners to be involved in intelligence gathering  around organised criminal gangs in Flintshire.  He also referred to the Economy and Skills priority and commented on the recent jobs fair at Deeside Leisure Centre and said over 500 jobs had been on offer which demonstrated the diverse range of employment and training opportunities  available in Flintshire.  Councillor Shotton also took the opportunity pay  tribute to the work of the Communities First team.

Councillor Aaron Shotton referred to the comments made by Councillor Peers on the importance of ensuring that the Authority and its partners in the public sector  were in tune with identifying the skills required by local businesses.  He gave assurance to Councillor Peers that his comments would be addressed and that this work should be accomplished through the work of the North Wales Growth Deal.

RESOLVED:

That the Well-being Plan be endorsed.