In accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board is required to publish an assessment of well-being for the area.
The Act is a new law that aims to get public services and communities working together to tackle the challenges Wales faces now and in the future in order to improve the long-term social, environmental, cultural and economic well-being of Wales.
The Well-being Assessment will be used to inform a number of long term plans. It has been used to inform individual Public sector Improvement Plans (Corporate Plans) and it will also be used to inform the development of priorities of the Public Service Board Well-being plan for the area. This plan will be published in April 2018.
This Well-being Assessment seeks to capture the strengths and assets of its people and communities. It also seeks to describe the challenges and opportunities faced both now and in the future. The Well-being Assessment has been informed by data, national and local research and most importantly feedback provided to us from residents, visitors and businesses through the County Conversation during the summer and autumn of 2016 – which was conducted with public sector partners across Conwy and Denbighshire.
Importantly, partners on the Conwy and Denbighshire Public Services Board have worked collaboratively on the Well-being Assessment. We have taken this approach to ensure that the assessment is shaped using the expertise, knowledge and insight of all the Public Services Board partners.
- Introduction and background
- Consultation and engagement
- Browse by Wellbeing Theme
- Browse by Wellbeing Goal
- Browse by Community Area
- Directory of Topics
- National Indicators of Wellbeing
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.
Consultation and Engagement
The aim at the onset was to make this assessment engagement lead. Staff working within the public sector, members of the public, community groups and local businesses have all contributed their experiences of visiting, living or working in Conwy and Denbighshire counties. They discussed the strengths and weaknesses of living in the area or providing public services to the people.
- Some of the engagement that has informed this assessment includes:
- The county conversation with the public in Conwy and Denbighshire Counties which with support from Community Voice, received around 500 responses and engaged 30+ community groups.
- Engagement commissioned with harder to reach groups through the North Wales Race and Equality Network and through Wrexham council including: Physical disability Group, Carer’s Group, Alzheimer’s society, BAWSO, Portuguese community representatives, Polish Community representatives, Visually Impaired Support Group, LGBT Group, and the Deaf Association.
- The engagement work under the Social Care and Wellbeing Act 2014 included responses from over 120 third sector organisations and workshops with Social Care and Health staff across North Wales.
- Feedback from 30+ small businesses in the Colwyn Bay area
- Life in Rural Conwy Research – interviews with 24 people on life and the challenges for people living in rural communities
- Representatives from all internal Council Services and all partner organisations listed as part of the PSB below have had the opportunity to contribute to this assessment. These include:
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o Conwy County Borough Council o Denbighshire Council o Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board o North Wales Fire & Rescue Service o Natural Resource Wales o Community and Voluntary Support Conwy
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o Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council o Wales Community rehabilitation Company o North Wales Police o Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office o Welsh Government o Public Health Wales |
- Council member engagement so far through the Improving Conwy workshops in September 2016 and the Conwy Priorities Plan workshop on the 29th November 2016.
An innovative, productive and low carbon society which recognises the limits of the global environment and therefore uses resources efficiently and proportionately (including acting on climate change); and which develops a skilled and well-educated population in an economy which generates wealth and provides employment opportunities, allowing people to take advantage of the wealth generated through securing decent work.
A nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change).
A society in which people’s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood.
A society that enables people to fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio economic background and circumstances).
Attractive, viable, safe and well-connected communities.
Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language
A society that promotes and protects culture, heritage and the Welsh language, and which encourages people to participate in the arts, and sports and recreation.
A nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global well-being.
| Community Areas | |
| Creuddyn | Rhyl |
| Conwy Coastal West | Prestatyn & Meliden |
| Conwy Coastal Central | Elwy |
| Conwy Coastal East | Denbigh |
| Conwy Rural | Ruthin |
| Dee Valley | |
| (1) Prosperous | (2) Resilient | (3) Healthier | (4) More equal | (5) Cohesive | (6) Culture | (7) Global |
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires that the local well-being assessments take into account the national indicators that were laid before the Welsh Assembly in May 2016. The attachement below shows how this assessment has considered these indicators.
