Social Care News

Powys Regional Partnership Board sets priorities for first year of operation

The Powys Regional Partnership Board (PRPB) met for the second time on June 27 at the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) offices in Llandrindod Wells. 

Melanie Minty, CFW policy adviser (pictured), is representing providers on the board which brings together local authority leaders, chief executives and managing directors from Powys County Council and Powys Teaching Health Board, PAVO, the third sector, private organisations who deliver care and citizen representatives.

• If you have any questions or issues and you are within the PRPB area please contact our policy adviser Melanie.

What will the Powys Regional Partnership Board do?

The role of the board is to ensure the new legislation in regard to Part 9 of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act (SSWBA) is implemented effectively. The Board will have responsibility to deliver on the aspirations of the Act to improve outcomes for the care and wellbeing of people in Powys.

The board will shape and challenge critical issues in health and social care services in Powys.

Minutes from the PRPB meeting

The chair, Amanda Lewis, strategic director of people, opened the meeting by sharing a presentation on the arrangements across Wales from a Welsh Government event.

Owen Judd who represents carers at the PRPB was the only citizen in attendance to participate and contribute at this national event from across Wales.

Sue Hughes, partnership support officer at Powys Council, followed with a presentation of the board's proposed future work and priorities for year one of its operation.

She explained the challenge facing the board in how the flow of work is aligned and managed to avoid duplication and the need to work with other partnerships.

She added: "Many projects have already commenced through our joint working and planning arrangements, as well as our commitment under the One Powys Plan and integration with Powys Teaching Health Board.

There are a number of projects currently being undertaken and the board confirmed that it needed to develop a mechanism to prioritise and ensure sufficient time and attention is given to the priority areas under the Welsh Government guidelines."

Priorities for year one – Powys Regional Partnership Board

For year one of operation it agreed that the areas for in-depth scrutiny are as follows:

• Develop an in depth shared regional population and service assessment that links to Future Generations Assessment
• Establish an everybody’s business model for identifying and assessing carers needs (inc champions)
• A return to home project for individuals with a learning disability
• Ensure Integrated Care Teams are in place for Older People
• Establish an Integrated Disability Service for Children with Complex Needs (includes pooled funds)
• Agree the strategy and implementation plans for Early Intervention and Prevention Services ensuring that the requirements of the SSWB Act are covered across all age

Population and Service Assessment a priority

A second critical area for the board was discussed regarding the Population and Service Assessment.

Diane Reynolds from the council’s corporate insight centre presented the work underway in collating a joint Population Assessment between the council and local health board in understanding the needs for care and support and carers who are in need of support.

Diane explained that the Welsh Government requires performance information for the Act, and the population assessment will form part of this work. However, she highlighted that this is not just a stats exercise or data collection, but needs to draw on local knowledge from staff, service users and citizens by listening and learning to what matters most to people in Powys.

The Population Assessment must be completed by March 2017.

Communications was also on the agenda to look at developing an identity for the board and how it can collectively share information on its work. A communications steering group met in early June at Ponthafren in Newtown with officers from PCC, PTHB, PAVO and citizen participation from Janet Rodgers, MBE.

The group had looked at the current branding across Powys and collectively agreed on an option to take to the board for discussion. The board accepted the option in principle with a few amends required.

Powys Regional Partnership Board – next meeting August 22

The board’s next meeting will be 22 August 2016. If you have any questions in relation to the board and its work, please direct your enquiry to Sue Hughes (sue.hughes@powys.gov.uk or 07917460679)