Agenda item

Cllr. Dilwyn Morgan to present the report.

a)    To accept the report.

b)    To encourage the implementation of the plan in other parts of the county.

A report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being and the Head of Department.

It was noted that this report was extremely interesting and formed another part of the big picture. It was explained that the work in this scheme helped to keep people out of hospitals and services in the Dyffryn Nantlle area. It was explained that the scheme was not entirely unique but a further step for their community hubs which were to be found across the county.

The officer elaborated that it was a simple scheme, which brought people together and to work with the community to respond to the challenges of delivering preventative services at a local level. It was noted that it helped residents in the Dyffryn Nantlle area to freely access the support they needed without having to approach several different agencies. It was added that the aim was to empower those who work and live in the area to help individuals in their community. It was emphasised that the Council was one of many partners involved in the scheme, and that the Council's role was to facilitate the work of setting in motion the necessary conversations.

It was stated that 3 main things had guided the development of this partnership. The first involved commissioning research from the National Development Team for Inclusion to discuss with organisations in the area to see what the situation was in terms of supporting people and if there was a desire to develop something a little different to support people within their communities.

The second involved members of the Leadership Team setting a challenge to consider what the Council could do in terms of helping people to access the support they needed without having to approach every agency or individual Council departments. This led to a multi-departmental workshop to discuss the issue which resulted in all departments allocating time for staff working in Dyffryn Nantlle to come together for further discussion.

The third involved establishing Lles Nantlle to draw in different organisations such as the surgery, Cynefin, Adra and local organisations such as Yr Orsaf. By coming together it was possible to create a vision, get to know one another but more importantly understand each other's work in order to work together to respond to the demand. It was emphasised that they were not coming together to talk but rather to understand what was happening in the area. A Coordinator had now been appointed for a period of 6 months who will work at Yr Orsaf in Penygroes. It will be possible to call into the Lounge for a chat with officers where their contacts can be used to respond to needs.

It was emphasised that the organisations were clearly committed to be involved in this scheme which was developing and evolving through continuous learning. It was explained that it involved more than just delivering individual services but rather creating a collaborative environment that led to innovation to fill gaps in care. It was noted that this model was positively inspiring which would lead to a healthier community.

The Local Member for Penygroes noted his experience of being part of the scheme. It was noted that it had developed from a meeting where there was an awareness that there was a different way of working in a community. He highlighted that there was a strong desire in the area to implement this and that this was the first time that such meetings had taken place, with more and more people becoming involved and continuing to attend meetings. A positive feeling of transformation was expressed, where the community played a vital role with the Council coordinating rather than leading. He emphasised that it was a community project to keep people away from services and to live a prosperous, resilient and viable life in their communities - something that needed to be emulated across the county.

In discussing the report it was asked whether the project was for the whole area of Dyffryn Nantlle or just Penygroes, and when Y Lolfa would be open to the public. It was noted that it was for Dyffryn Nantlle and that they hoped that Y Lolfa could open in October. 

When discussing Y Lolfa it was asked who would be available there for residents – would there be different organisations there from week to week? It was explained that there were no definite arrangements in place as yet, but it was noted that those meetings where everyone had familiarised themselves with each other's work had enabled officers to become aware of everyone's role and how different agencies could help with different problems.

Regarding the Lles Nantlle meetings, it was asked what kind of items were being put on the agenda. It was noted that a specific framework was being followed by a company specialising in providing community-led support. It was also explained that the meetings were facilitated and not formal. It was highlighted that discussions had identified that different agencies were coming across the same barriers and that therefore they could work together to overcome these.

A question was asked as to how the scheme was being funded and if there were resources to roll it out further. It was explained that the budget was very small with contributions from several of the organisations and that there was a need to look for funding after the 6-month period. In terms of moving forward and rolling this out across the county, it was noted that the report was being put before them today for forward scrutiny to see whether there was support for such schemes.

It was highlighted that there was a similar scheme in Bangor where a Community Hub had opened in the City Centre. The officers who had helped to deliver such a scheme in Bangor were also thanked.

DECISION

a)    To accept the report. 

b)    To encourage the implementation of the scheme in other parts of the county.