Agenda item

To submit a report by the Senior Partnership Manager Gwynedd & Môn.

Submitted a report and presentation, by the Senior Partnerships Manager Gwynedd and Ynys Môn in relation to the above.

The Senior Partnerships Manager stated that Welsh Government Statutory Guidance places a strategic planning duty upon Local Authorities to prepare a Single Integrated Plan for its area. The Plan offers the opportunity to develop preventative and early intervention initiatives which begin to address inequalities and cycles of dependency upon core statutory services as previously agreed by the Local Services Board. It also needs to meet the statutory responsibilities in relation to Children and Young People; Health, Social Care and Well-being; and Community Safety. The Plan will also address the former purpose of the Community Strategies.

The Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Local Services Board made a number of significant decisions relating to its future vision and strategic direction which was highlighted within the report.

In accordance with the commissioning work completed separately, projects are already in place across both Gwynedd and Ynys Môn and at this time it is intended to continue with these work-streams in order to allow the transformation journey of the Local Services Board to evolve and translate into priorities and specific work- streams.  It will therefore be necessary to revise the Single Integrated Plan priorities and work programmes over the coming year to reflect the new ambition, vision and strategic direction of the Local Service Board.  The timeline was outlined to the Committee as noted at Page 4 of the report.

The key drivers for Gwynedd and Ynys Môn were outlined as follows :-

•  Demographic effects;

•  Financial pressures becoming more acute;

•  Increasing demands on frontline services;

•  Citizen expectations;

•  Economic decline increasing demand on services;

•  Response to legislative changes underpinning statutory services;

•  Service transformation – different models of service delivery;

•  Prioritise public expenditure to avoid negative outcomes;

•  Much in common across both Counties.

Issues raised by Members :-

•  Partnerships are at present being reviewed across North Wales as service integration becomes an increased focus. Questions were raised around whether the Single Integrated Plan was currently premature and whether it would be wise to await the results of this review of partnerships. The Senior Partnerships Manager responded that 2 or 3 reviews had currently been commissioned. The review referred to within the report to this Committee has been commissioned by the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board.  It is expected that some Regional recommendations will materialise from the review in due course. She also referred to the Williams Report which stressed the need for local partnerships on local and sub-regional levels.

•  Members challenged whether a new and different Plan needs to be prepared by next year as new Plans are to be published in the form of a Wellbeing Plan.  Questions were also raised regarding if there is a requirement to prepare a Single Integrated Plan at present. The Senior Partnerships Manager responded that technically in accordance Welsh Government Guidance (shared purpose – shared delivery) a Single Integrated Plan must be prepared for the area. The Corporate Assessment scheduled to take place at this Council in February 2015 would appraise our strategic planning arrangements.  Welsh Government needed assurance that local authorities have a Single Integrated Plan in place.  She further stated that the style and format of the new Single Integrated Plan will be different to the current Plan.

•  Members were concerned that duplication might arise with other existing initiatives i.e. Welfare Reform Bill and the Local Support Framework. The sharing of resources between authorities might also be an issue due to the context of size of both authorities. The Senior Partnerships Manager responded to clarify that the objective was to ensure that the local implementation of national initiatives were complementary, avoiding duplication.

The Chair invited Mr. J. R. Jones, Chief Officer (Medwrn Môn) and Mr. Gerallt Ll. Jones, Managing Director – Menter Môn to address the meeting.

Mr. J.R. Jones stated that he had some concerns regarding the status of the Single Integrated Plan as there are a number of regional partnerships which already exist. He stated that he was cautious as to how this Plan between Gwynedd and Ynys Môn will influence and be taken on board by existing partnerships.  He further stated that it is important for the local residents of the Island to have awareness of the changes associated with the Single Integrated Plan.

Mr. Gerallt Ll. Jones stated that there is a need for serious and in-depth discussion between partnerships in respect of the potential of social enterprises and to gauge the appetite for externalisation of some services which are not statutory. He stated that in England there had been more progress to establish enterprises .

Following further deliberations it was RESOLVED :-

•  To note the progress to date in preparing the Single Integrated Plan for Gwynedd and Ynys Môn;

•  To submit observations on the content of the Single Integrated Plan it its current form as a means of providing assurances that the interests of the people of Anglesey are safeguarded;

•  To submit observations of the Local Services Board transformation journey.

ACTION : That the Senior Partnerships Manager be invited back to this Committee in the Autumn to give an update on the Single Integrated Plan.