Background

In April 2016, The Social Services and Well-being Act (2014) introduced new requirements for local councils and health boards to work in partnership. As a result, Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs) were established across Wales to meet people's health and care needs. Powys' Regional Partnership Board is therefore a statutory legal body and its key role is to identify areas of improvement for care and support services in Powys. The Board has also been legally tasked with identifying opportunities for Social Care and Health to integrate.

Social Services & Well-being Act (Wales) 2014 - Core Principles

• Put individuals and their needs at the centre of care, and giving them a significant voice in, and control over, achieving the outcomes that help them achieve well-being
• Encourage individuals to self-support wherever possible, with local council support being focused on the most vulnerable
• Develop sustainable social services through a co-productive approach that leads to more people being able to be supported without the need for assessments and managed social care support
• Secure more effective care and support through collaboration and partnership working

Legislative requirements

• RPBs established on Local Health Board footprints under Part 9 of the Act
• Board membership is prescribed and must comprise of (as a minimum): Executive Members from the local council, directors of Social Services, health board independent members and senior executives, national and local third sector representation, users and carers and independent provider representation
• Additional members can be co-opted as necessary

RPBs must

• Ensure partners work effectively to improve outcomes for people in their area
• Ensure that the partnership bodies provide sufficient resources for the partnership arrangements
• Determine where integrated services, care and support will be most beneficial to people within their region, informed by the views of service users
• Undertake a population needs assessment
• Ensure partners prioritise integration in the following areas:
  • Older people with complex needs and long term conditions, including dementia
  • People with learning disabilities
  • Carers, including young carers
  • Integrated family support services
  • Children with complex needs due to disability or illness

Area Plans

The legislation requires the RPB to produce an Area Plan to outline how services could be delivered in an integrated way in the future, in response to the Population Assessment. It also outlines the delivery intentions for the Health and Care Strategy. The Area Plan outlines:

• The actions partners will take in relation to priority integration areas
• Details of pooled funds
• How services will be procured or arranged to be delivered, including by alternative delivery models
• Details of preventative services
• Actions being taken in relation to provision of information, advice and assistance
• Actions required to deliver services through medium of Welsh
• Care and support contributions to well-being plans