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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to approve the PSB Annual Report for 2024/25 and executive summary.
Apologies were received from Christine Harley (HM Prisons and Probation Service); Felicity Llewellyn, Emma Palmer and Diane Reynolds (Powys County Council); Alison Perry (Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office); Clair Swales (PAVO) and Hayley Thomas (Powys Teaching Health Board).
Proposed by Gavin Bown and seconded by Mererid Bowley, the Board resolved to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 15th July 2025 as a correct record.
3.1. Evidence and Insight Catherine James and Connor Farmer provided a quarter 2 progress update for the Evidence and Insight Step. • Progress on the Online PSB Hub: The launch of the online Powys PSB hub was slightly delayed and had been realigned to coincide with the launch of the planned climate hub (being developed to support the Responding to the Climate Emergency Step), which would be contained within the overall PSB Hub on the Have Your Say Powys engagement website. o The hub aimed to improve the PSB’s communication with the public and facilitate idea sharing. • Well-being Assessment Preparation: Activity for the Step was now focused on preparing for the PSB’s upcoming Well-being Assessment, due 1 Page 5 Public Service Board Thursday, 25 September 2025 for publication from March 2027. The Regional Partnership Board’s Population Needs Assessment was also due for publication, with both assessments sharing a similar timeframe. • Milestone Achievements: The statuses for the Step’s key milestones were noted. The six-monthly engagement insight report milestone had been achieved, the remaining milestones were on track except for the milestone for establishing a regular public engagement mechanism, due to prioritisation of well-being assessment preparation. • Data Sharing Agreements: Responding to Mererid Bowley’s question, Catherine James and Connor Farmer confirmed agreements existed, mainly as memoranda of understanding, with formal agreements in place for sharing personal data between some organisations such as the Council and Health Board. • Next Steps and Partner Involvement: Catherine James requested that organisations identify key data officers to support the Well-being Assessment.
Liz Hutchins provided a quarter 2 update for the Responding to the Climate Emergency Step. • Phase Two Progress and Stakeholder Engagement: An overview of the Step’s transition to phase two work was provided, which involved deepening understanding of climate risks, sharing evidence from phase one with stakeholders and developing integrated approaches to climate action. o An event was planned for 15 November to engage a broad range of stakeholders, including community groups and local businesses. o Liz Hutchins queried whether there was appetite for an informed stakeholder group to be consulted on climate initiatives planned by PSB organisations. The Chair noted Powys Action on the Climate Emergency as a potential group for this role. • Development of the Climate Hub: The climate hub was being designed to provide accessible information to the public, signpost resources and to showcase climate action across different sectors in Powys. o The importance of not duplicating existing resources was highlighted. A communications consultant was providing support around messaging. • Climate Risk Workshops and Risk Ownership: A series of climate risk workshops were planned to share analysis, facilitate understanding of risk ownership amongst organisations and to develop action plans to promote climate resilience. o Partner organisations were requested to nominate officers to attend the upcoming workshops; they would build on previous work and involve both senior leaders and nominated officers. • Funding Challenges and Future Planning: Liz Hutchins raised concerns about the sustainability of funding the Step’s work beyond February 2026, noting reliance on the Shared Prosperity Fund and the difficulty in securing core public sector funding from sources like the National Lottery. o A funding bid was being submitted to the WLGA to support strategic climate action, informed by the ‘onion diagram’ and Monitoring, Evaluation, Action and Learning (MEAL) approach. o The Board discussed the need for coordinated efforts to secure future funding and maintain capacity. • Service Adaptation and Data Sharing: Iwan Cray explained Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service's shift towards prevention of fires (linked to the Community Risk Management Plan) and addressing climate driven risks such as wildfires and flooding, highlighting the use of 'balanced rooms’. o Balance rooms referred to the balance of diversity of thought, involving stakeholders from within and outside the organisation to inform decision-making. o The need for improved data sharing, coordination and a longer-term focus among public bodies was noted; sharing wildfire location data was noted as an example that could help inform the climate risk assessment.
Mererid Bowley provided a quarter 2 update for the Whole System Approach to Healthy Weight Step, followed by a presentation by Chloe Masefield on the Bwyd Powys Food partnership. • Breastfeeding and Healthy Food Initiatives: Mererid Bowley highlighted the success of the Breastfeeding Welcome scheme with over 320 businesses were participating and the rollout of Healthy Snack awards in preschool settings. o Powys Teaching Health Board's children's team had achieved stage one of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative and were working towards stage two. o Responding to the Chair’s query as to whether other areas had seen success in reducing childhood obesity rates, Mererid Bowley confirmed that the rate in Powys had reduced from 29% (2019) to around 22-23%, noting the value in taking a systems approach to influencing eating preferences and behaviours from an early age. · Breastfeeding Policy Support: Partners were reminded to contact Fiona Valentine at Powys Teaching Health Board if they required support in 3 Page 7 Public Service Board Thursday, 25 September 2025 developing or updating organisational breastfeeding policies, and that the Health Board’s breastfeeding policy was available for reference. · Food Partnership Activities: Chloe Masefield provided a presentation on the structure and achievements of Bwyd Powys Food, including the development of a food strategy, action plan and partnership with various public, private and third sector organisations. Projects included the Future Farms initiative, food mapping and food trails to promote local food producers. o A request was made for organisations to consider signing up to the Powys Food Charter. · Access to Healthy Food and Cooking Skills: A pilot project had been launched to support low-income families with accessing subsidised local vegetable boxes, coupled with free cooking classes and shared meals. o The project leveraged partnerships with local vegetable growers and support from the Health Protection team and Dietetics team to promote community engagement and advise on nutritional value respectively. · Cross-Border Collaboration and Food Resilience: Chloe Masefield and Gavin Bown discussed collaborative efforts with neighbouring local authorities, including joint funding bids and the launch of a civil food resilience project across the Dyfed-Powys area. o This project aimed to develop a resilience strategy, map opportunities and address food shock scenarios, with a food security summit planned for March 2026. · Policy and Planning for Sustainable Food Systems: Discussions included opportunities for supporting nature-friendly, small-scale agricultural holdings and agroforestry, noting planning policy changes and the potential for experimental projects to diversify land use and enhance food system resilience in Powys.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the PSB Annual Report for 2024/25 and executive summary.
Catherine James introduced the draft Powys PSB annual report for 2024/25, highlighting the progress made across key objectives of Powys PSB’s Well-being Plan. • Report Highlights and Achievements: Catherine James provided a summary of the annual report contents, highlighting achievements which included finalising the climate risk assessment, healthy weight initiatives, strengthened partnerships with local food growers as well as with the Regional Partnership Board. • Scrutiny Feedback and Response: The Chair questioned whether the feedback from the PSB Scrutiny Committee had been incorporated into the 4 Page 8 Public Service Board Thursday, 25 September 2025 report; Catherine James clarified that most questions related to future actions rather than past performance. o Responses would be developed in consultation with partner organisations and reported back at the next meeting. The Board RESOLVED to approve the PSB Annual Report for 2024/25 and executive summary.
The PSB's terms of reference had been included in the agenda to provide the Board with an opportunity to review and consider any updates required since its last review in 2022. Connor Farmer explained that the terms of reference must be reviewed after each local government election and periodically as needed, the current review was prompted by recent changes in Board membership and procedural clarifications. The Board agreed to consider any necessary amendments to the terms of reference before the next meeting.
Claire Bryant provided an overview of the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner’s new Police and Crime Plan, outlining its vision, priorities and performance framework. • Plan Structure and Priorities: The Plan was focused on improving trust and confidence, supporting victims, preventing harm and promoting justice, with specific emphasis on partnership working, safeguarding and trauma informed approaches. • Performance Framework and Select Committee Approach: A comprehensive performance framework underpinned the Plan, with quarterly public meetings and thematic reviews (Select Committee approach) held to scrutinise key issues such as youth intervention, road safety and rural crime. • Integration with PSB Objectives: The Chair raised concerns about the separation between the Police and Crime Plan and the PSB's well-being objectives, suggesting a need for cross-referencing and greater alignment. o Claire Bryant acknowledged the challenge due to differing statutory roles and priorities but agreed to explore opportunities for better integration at the officer-level.
The next meeting of Powys PSB was scheduled for 11 December 2025, 14:00 16:00.
The Board noted the forward work programme.
The Board moved into private session to receive sustainability updates from PSB partners. ACTIONS • Data Network Participation: Identify and nominate key data officers from each organisation to participate in the data network, to support the upcoming well-being and population needs assessments. (All PSB partner organisations) • PSB Hub and Climate Hub Demonstration: To arrange a demonstration of the new PSB hub and, if available, the climate hub at the December PSB meeting to showcase engagement activity and resources. (Connor Farmer, Catherine James, Liz Hutchins) • Climate Risk Workshop Preparation: To nominate appropriate officers from each organisation to participate in the upcoming climate risk workshops and ensure senior leaders prioritise attendance at the in-person meeting with Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. (All PSB members/invited participants) • Response to PSB Annual Report Scrutiny Feedback: To receive responses to the questions raised by the PSB Scrutiny Committee at the next PSB meeting in December. • Explore opportunities for sustainable food production: To follow up on the initial discussion around the feasibility for utilising government-owned woodland to support sustainable food production. (Chair, Gavin Bown, Chloe Masefield) • Explore opportunities for integration: To explore future opportunities for integration between the Police and Crime Plan and the PSB’s Well-being Plan at the officer-level. (Claire Bryant, Connor Farmer, All PSB members/invited participants)
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