Agenda item

KEY ISSUES:

The Future Generations Act 2015 requires public bodies to improve social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing in their area through statutory a Public Service Board (PSB). Local government has been afforded the responsibility to scrutinise the PSB and to ensure the principles of the act are applied to policy and decision-making in Monmouthshire.

On 21st January 2016 it was agreed at Council to establish a bespoke scrutiny arrangement to scrutinise the activities of the PSB. It proposed that the existing four scrutiny committees play a key role in ensuring that future generations are considered through their scrutiny of policy and decision-making. The recommendations were accepted and the council has established a PSB Select Committee to scrutinise the activities of the PSB.

The Public Service Board Select Committee held its first meeting on 28th June 2016 at which they discussed and agreed an effective working approach.

Monmouthshire’s Scrutiny Arrangements and Progress to date

The objective was to establish fit for purpose scrutiny arrangements by 1st April 2016 and in doing so, to draft terms of reference, to develop a governance structure, to agree a forward plan and to train and support elected members on their roles and responsibilities. The intended outcome was to deliver a scrutiny function which holds the Public Service Board to account and conducts effective scrutiny in line with the expectations of the Future Generations Act.

The progress is as follows:

·         The Council established fit for purpose scrutiny arrangements in January 2016 via a new and bespoke Select Committee to scrutinise the Public Service Board. An expert in sustainability was commissioned to assist in defining roles and responsibilities for the scrutiny function in relation to scrutiny of public service boards (this was grant funded by Welsh Government).

·         All Members of the new Public Service Board Select Committee were provided with the necessary training in order to equip them to perform the scrutiny role, with sessions held during March and June 2016.

·         Bespoke scrutiny training was provided to the Council’s other scrutiny committees to enable members to challenge officers and the Cabinet on Future Generations in line with the expectations of the Act.

·         The Council was one of the early adopters of the Future Generations Act and one of the first to establish bespoke scrutiny arrangements and advice has been sought from other Councils and the PSB Network meeting on the approach adopted.

·         The governance structure of the Public Service Board has been reviewed and recommendations made to the PSB. Furthermore, scrutiny of the robustness of the evidence gathering process for the “well-being assessment” took place during the summer of 2016.

·         Scrutiny has since considered the emerging findings of the well-being assessment, with the draft well-being assessment also being scrutinised and recommendations made to the PSB.

·         In scrutinising the final well-being assessment, key PSB Partners (National Resources Wales and Public Health Wales) and the Chair of the PSB were invited to discuss key priorities for collaborative/shared delivery.

Future work:

The PSB Select Committee will discuss the process for producing a well-being plan by March 2018 and the emerging development of that plan will be subject to scrutiny.

The change in elected membership of the PSB Select Committee as a result of the local government elections has required full training to be given to the new committee during the summer/autumn of 2017 to ensure clarity on roles and responsibilities.