Ceredigion Public Services Board’s Inaugral Meeting

​Last month (Monday 18 April 2016) the Ceredigion Public Services Board (PSB) held its inaugural meeting in the Council Chamber, Ceredigion County Council Offices, Penmorfa, Aberaeron. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The PSB succeeds the former Local Service Board (LSB) as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 places a statutory duty on specified public bodies to act jointly as PSB’s for each Local Authority area in Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Each PSB must improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural Well-being of its area by contributing to the achievement of Well-being goals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The PSB’s main tasks will be to prepare and publish an assessment of the state of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being in Ceredigion, prepare and publish a Local Well-being Plan for Ceredigion setting out local objectives and the steps it proposes to take to meet them. It will also take reasonable steps to meet the local objectives it has set and prepare and publish an annual report that sets out the Board’s progress in meeting the local objectives. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

During the first meeting Councillor Ellen ap Gwynn, Ceredigion County Council was elected as Chair and Bernardine Rees, Hywel Dda University Health Board was elected as Vice-chair. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Ellen ap Gwynn said: “I’m very grateful for the support from members of the Board in my appointment as Chair of the first Ceredigion Public Services Board and congratulate Bernadine Rees on her appointment as Vice-chair. I hope that the good work and progress that has been made by the Ceredigion LSB will continue and evolve under the statutory PSB.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bernadine Rees said: “I am delighted to accept the position of Vice-Chair of Ceredigion Public Service Board (PSB). There is huge scope for the new PSB to really make a difference to the people of Ceredigion to build on the work of the past and to improve services in the county and beyond.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Work has begun in earnest on the Board’s first task which will be to prepare and publish an assessment of the state of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being in Ceredigion. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Statutory members of the new Ceredigion PSB include senior representatives from: Ceredigion County Council; Hywel Dda University Health Board; Natural Resources Wales; Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Invited participants on the Board include: Welsh Government; Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations; Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner; Dyfed Powys Police; Dyfed Powys Probation Service; Wales Community Rehabilitation Company; Public Health Wales; Department for Work and Pensions; Aberystwyth University; University of Wales Trinity St David; Coleg Ceredigion; National Library of Wales; One Voice Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​