Agenda item

(a)       That progress made in the end of year reports be noted and that the commitments for the current year, as reflected in the Single Integrated Plan, be endorsed; and

(b)       That the Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee investigate poor attendance at drug and alcohol education sessions.

The Policy & Performance Manager introduced the end of year assessments for:

·             the progress of the Local Service Board (LSB) Priorities and its key Strategic Partnerships and;

·             the priorities for each of the Strategic Partnerships for the year ahead.

The four priorities which had been adopted by the Flintshire LSB and linked to the Council’s Improvement Plan were:

1.       Lead by example as employers and community leaders.

2.       People are safe.

3.       People enjoy good health, wellbeing and independence.

4.       Organisational environmental practices.

An end of year assessment indicated good progress on Priorities 1, 2 and 4 whilst satisfactory progress had been reported for Priority 3 due to this being a new Board and developing the working relationship between the Council and the Health Board on locality working.

The Policy & Performance Manager highlighted several changes to the key related strategic partnerships to the LSB, including two new areas, and explained that some names had been changed to focus on supporting the delivery of the Single Integrated Plan.

Councillor Nigel Steele-Mortimer said that he hoped these changes would be of benefit.  The Chief Executive explained that for example the Health, Social Care & Well-being Partnership Board had covered too large an area and that its replacement, the Health, Well-being and Independence Board was more focussed and operational around specific Priorities.

In response to a query from Councillor Ian Dunbar, the Policy & Performance Manager provided clarification on key areas of work on Priority 1 including the development of apprenticeship frameworks in housing and construction.  The Chief Executive spoke of the initiative to create 20 shared engineering apprenticeships linked to the Deeside Enterprise Zone and Coleg Cambria, and work with secondary schools to develop a more consistent approach to promoting and accessing apprenticeships.

In relation to earlier discussion on the Community Safety Partnership and concerns on the effects of alcohol abuse, Councillor Dave Mackie asked if it was possible to review the approach to treating individuals with alcohol problems to identify a way forward.  When asked by Councillor Joe Johnson about comparison with other Councils’ activity on this issue, the Chief Executive reiterated previous comments about positive work in Flintshire.  Whilst he shared the concerns, he stated that a priority of Public Health Wales was to tackle alcohol abuse and that the problem had been acknowledged at regional level, although there was no immediate fundamental solution.

The Chairman suggested that this topic was perhaps better dealt with under the remit of the Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Chief Executive suggested that a report could be brought to the Committee on progress with the current review on use of resources.  The Policy & Performance Manager reassured Members that there were a number of specific actions and activities within the Single Integrated Plan (SIP).

RESOLVED:

(a)       That progress made in the end of year reports be noted and that the commitments for the current year, as reflected in the Single Integrated Plan, be endorsed; and

(b)       That the Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee investigate poor attendance at drug and alcohol education sessions.