Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to the joint report of the
Director of Public Health, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and the Service Lead Integrated Wellbeing Networks.

The Service Lead Integrated Wellbeing Networks advised that the report provided an update on the progress made against implementation of the regional Integrated Well-being Network transformation programme in Blaenau Gwent.  She informed Members that Covid had impacted greatly on this initiative and therefore had to deviate from the original objectives.  In relation to health and well-being, efforts had been realigned with the community to support accessing services across the borough to maintain positive well-being at home during lockdown periods. 

A Member commented that Tredegar town centre was now a free wi-fi centre as funding had been secured for the next three years and felt it was important to make the community aware of this.  The Service Lead agreed to advertise the free wi-fi in Tredegar town centre through network groups.

In response to a Member’s question regarding access to befriending services, the Service Lead advised that this was a specific befriending service, pre-Covid befriending was identified as a key priority.   A voluntary organisation in Abergavenny had wanted to expand their befriending service into the Brynmawr area and after consultation, some befrienders had been recruited, pre-Covid, to that befriending service and as Covid developed the befriending service was rolled out to the whole of Blaenau Gwent and further.  Currently the voluntary organisation was at full capacity but had secured additional funding to be able to increase capacity across Blaenau Gwent.

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted and endorse Option 1; namely that the Public Services Board Scrutiny Committee accept the report and appendices as provided prior to it being submitted to the Public Services Board.