Introduction and Background to the Assessment

Wales faces a number of challenges now and in the future, such as climate change, poverty, health inequalities and jobs and growth. To tackle these we need to work together. To give current and future generations a good quality of life we need to think about the long term impact of the decisions we make.

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 gives a legally-binding common purpose – the seven well-being goals – for national government, local government, local health boards and other specified public bodies. It details the ways in which specified public bodies must work, and work together to improve the well-being of Wales.

The Act states that an Assessment of Local Wellbeing must be produced to support these public bodies in the setting of wellbeing objectives and in the production of any plans set in motion to improve the wellbeing of the people who live in their area. This report is the first part in producing that Wellbeing Assessment.

How has this Assessment been produced

To describe all aspects of wellbeing would be an enormous task, so this Assessment aims to provide only an outline of the more strategic issues affecting the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire. In producing the Assessment we have taken an ‘engagement led’ approach. The journey has not started with pre-conceived ideas or abstract data analysis, but with extensive engagement both with local communities and the staff who work in the different public sector organisations. People were encouraged to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of living in the area or providing public services to the people.

We have grouped what people were saying into strategic topics and looked into the data and available supporting research papers to see where there is sound evidence to support the perceptions and feelings. In particular we have tried to consider the implications of each topic on the wellbeing of the individual and how it contributes to the 7 wellbeing goals set out in the Ac.

As well as providing an analysis of the current situation, where possible, data has been collected to track progress over time and consider how the future may look if current trends continue.

Limitations of this Assessment and next stages

We know that this Assessment will only provide a strategic outline or framework for public sector bodies to produce their wellbeing objectives. It gives a broad but quite shallow analysis of each of the topic areas it covers. It is intended only as the first step in the process and will evolve as an assessment over time.

To move on from this Assessment we recommend that the public services consider prioritising a number of the topic areas, and then commission more in depth analysis on each of these. This will keep the Assessment manageable and impactive. This next stage of the Assessment process should look to provide a clear bridge between the strategic topics discussed and the response that is needed by public services working in partnership with the communities.