One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru Mr Lyn Cadwallader Chief Executive - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mr Lyn Cadwallader

Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr Larger Councils Conference 8 July 2015

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

The Voice of Town and Community Councils Llais Cynghorau Tref a Chymuned www.onevoicewales.org.uk

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Changing times...policy context

Legislative Changes – some things haven’t changed…

• Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 – Power of

Wellbeing…implementation

• Local Government Democracy Act
• Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill
• Planning Bill
• Social Care and Environment Bills
• Local Government Reform – White paper Reforming

Local Govt: Power to Local People

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

White Paper – Reforming Local Government: Power to the People

Key points

 Diversity in local government raised  Potential power for LA’s to review Community and Town

Councils

 Principle of subsidiarity  Establishment of Area Boards  Mergers for Community and Town Councils  Competency framework (Accreditation?) – remove sec 137

limitations/CiLCA qualifications for Clerks

 Restrictions on twin hatted councillors?  Rights for community bodies  Role for mutuals

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Current environment facing Larger Councils

 Reducing budgets in LA’s  Services at risk LA’s –opportunities??  Redesign or lose services  Alternative delivery models – next big thing!  Transformation agenda  New community leadership requirements  Uncertain local government map  People expecting more from public services

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Larger Councils facing big challenges…

• Asset and service devolution
• Community engagement/planning
• Joint working and collaboration
• Taking up new roles
• Building capacity to meet future expectations

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Messages from the Minister

• “I would like to see community and town councils more actively

involved in services which meet the needs of vulnerable groups in communities.” – Ageing Population/Youth challenges

• “To respond to these changes, Community and Town Councils

must be more ambitious, open and transparent and prepared to work in partnership with other organisations. The range in sizes, budgets and activities of our grass roots councils in Wales means there is a case for improving consistency. This will require a step change in the capacity and capability of some councils, stronger governance, and wider engagement with

• ther public services and third and private sectors.” – Review of

Large Councils organisational capability

Source: The Wales Training Strategy 2015-19

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Alternative Delivery Models – Challenges

 Graph of Doom  Hearts and Minds: members, workers, Partners  The Holy Grail: from confrontation to common

purpose

 Can’t duck resources and support needs  Social capital and capacity: getting people on board  Scaling up v’s the Slow Burning Platform  A new view of Partnership…town councils very

much in the thinking

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Emerging Thinking – Alternative Delivery Models

Context and Drivers (1)

• Austerity: the cavalry aren’t coming
• Boundaries may change but transformation here to

stay

• A positive case for Public Services Reform
• The scope: anything that isn’t privatisation
• The Co-op/Mutual Commission

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Emerging Thinking – Alternative Delivery Models

Context and Drivers (2)

• Policy supportive of the consumer: putting

communities at the centre of purchase and delivery

• Encouraged to work collaboratively
• Encouraged to work in different ways
• Encouraged to consider earlier intervention and

preventative services

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Larger Councils – Potential Solutions

• Policy – opportunities to influence the

emerging agenda

• Need to learn from each others practice more

effectively

• Need to look further afield…UK and

internationally

• Need to Share Emerging Practice in sector on

asset and service transfer

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

What can Larger Councils do to support transformation agenda?

 Give government an attractive offer eg’s

– ‘Provide the community with effective, accountable and

democratic representation’

– Use our grassroots knowledge to work in partnership with other

councils and bodies to deliver public services, taking on more responsibility where this is appropriate

– Plan for the future by protecting local assets and shaping

development such as new homes

– Modernise how we operate, ensuring large councils are resilient,

efficient and effective, including driving up standards

Source: NALC Manifesto

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Larger Councils: asking for Stronger Local Democracy

 Promote and support the creation of new community and

town councils

 Support the sector to create a improvement and

developent strategy, providing a framework for good governance, community engagement and council improvement

 Work with the sector to encourage more people to

become councillors, promoting contested elections and establishing a democracy support fund

 Strengthen links between local councils and future Public

Service Boards

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Are Larger Councils ready for the future? National Survey results

 40% have trouble paying bills  59% predict a widening gap between rich and

poor

 59% believe climate change effects will get

worse

 81% of people have used the internet  58% went to an arts event last year  35% want to set up their own business  79% feel there is respect in their community

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Key requirement to enable change to happen…

“Welsh Government needs to give time and space and resources to make this agenda work”

Unitary Authority CEO

Mr Lyn Cadwallader

Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru Thank You and Questions

Diolch yn Fawr

www.onevoicewales.org.uk