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

One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru Mr Lyn Cadwallader Chief Executive Prif Weithredwr The Voice of Town and Community Councils Cwmbran Community Council 12 November 2013 Llais Cynghorau Tref a Chymuned www.onevoicewales.org.uk

One Voice Wales Working for Councils across Wales Key Facts:  Three quarters of councils in membership, and growing.  Expanding activities and services.  High level political support.  Increasing recognition and influence nationally and locally . One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales Core Aims 1. To act as the single representative voice for community and town councils in Wales, developing One Voice Wales as necessary to meet this aim 2. To promote a wider understanding and awareness of the role and contribution of community and town councils 3. To develop and advise on policy relating to the sector One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales Core Aims 4. To provide high quality information and advice services to the member councils of One Voice Wales 5. To provide training to develop the knowledge and skills of councillors and officers 6. To promote the sustainable delivery of services by community and town councils. One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales Working for Councils across Wales Three key activities:  Representing councils nationally – influencing the work of other bodies in the interests of the sector.  Facilitating joint development – formally and informally.  Supporting councils individually – advice, guidance and lobbying on specific issues. One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Key Services  Provision of legal advice  General guidance on system and service improvements  Information on policy development  Implementation of National Training Strategy  Promoting take-up of all-Wales opportunities  Promotion of Best Practice and providing networking opportunities One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Key Services  Guidance on community involvement and engagement in local issues  Co-ordination of an annual conference for members  Informative Newsletter & website  Services of Development Officers  Consultancy Services One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Representing Councils  Local Government Partnership Council Raising issues of concern and promoting joint working. Frequent meetings with WG and WLGA.  Proactively influencing policy: Shared Services - Shared Responsibility…Single Integrated Planning; Local Service Boards and Charters with LA’s; Planning Bill – Management Development Research Group; Community Development – developing relationship with CREW Wales Audit Office Local Councils Liaison Committee; WG Sustainable Development Bill Reference Group  Responding to policy consultations: e.g. Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011; Local Government Democracy Bill; Local Government Bye-Laws Bill; Wales Water Strategy; Marine Conservation Zones; Wales Transport Strategy; Health Services re-configuration One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales - Representing Councils  Shaping implementation: - Welsh Government National Assets Working Group; - Welsh Government Third Sector Assets Working Group; - Planning Bill Research Group; - WG Sustainable Development Bill Reference Group; - Sustainable Futures Commissioner Advisory Panel ; - LSB ESF Advisory Group; - Revised Code of Conduct; - Welsh Government Charter Network Working Group; - National Training Advisory Group; - WG War Commemorations Advisory Group; - Participation Cymru National Advisory Panel; - ONS Census Outputs Working Group; - Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales; - Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales; - Public Service Ombudsman for Wales; - Wales Audit Office Local Council Liaison Group. One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales - Representing Councils  Developing national guidance: WAO & Audit Good Practice Guide; Revised Good Councillor Guide Planning & Managing Development Research – Planning Bill; Information Commissioner Wales – recent audits and practice advice; Climate Adaptation Case Studies  Liaising with other bodies/representative bodies: e.g. Welsh Government Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) National Association of Local Councils (England); Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC); Wales Council for Voluntary Associations (WCVA); Planning Aid Wales (PAW) Centre for Regeneration Excellence (CREW)  Raising Awareness of Local Councils: e.g. Quarterly magazine – distributed to AM’s and key partner organisations Website – Members area as an information resource; Research/surveys eg IT, Training Needs, GIS Best practice gathering and sharing One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

One Voice Wales - Governance National Executive Committee  Meets quarterly  34 members – 2 from each Area Committee plus 2 Larger Councils reps  3 Committees – Finance and Resources, Policy, Communications and Commercial Larger Local Councils Committee  Meets quarterly – Councils representing 3,000+ households  Larger Councils Conference introduced 2013 – will be annual event 16 Area Committees  Meet quarterly with each council represented  Invited speakers on topical issues  Facilitated by One Voice Wales regional Development Officer  Local networking opportunity to share experience and best practice  Opportunity to influence national-level developments  Each Area Committee elects two representatives onto the National Executive Committee Audit Panel  Meets quarterly – monitoring/evaluation/risk management One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Governance & Staffing Member Member Councils Councils Chief Executive Lyn Cadwallader Deputy Development Development Development CEO Officer Officer Officer Paul Dr Del Luned Shannon Egan* Morgan* Evans* Robinson* Administration Manager Tracy Gilmartin-Ward Administration Asst. Paula Evans *Part-time Member Member Councils Councils One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Changing times...policy context One Wales: One Planet - Welsh Government central organizing • principle Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 – Power of Wellbeing • Local Government Democracy Bill • Future Generations (formerly Sustainable Development) Bill • Current financial climate – pressure for new models of working at • the local level Devolution of services agenda – asset transfers? • Public Services Commission • One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Current environment  Competitive  Reducing finances  Pressure to support ‘what works’  Everything is potentially ‘up for grabs’  Legislative changes – Future Generations Bill…SD Duty – Planning Bill – Local Democracy Bill – Implementing the Local Government Measure One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

The big challenges…  Asset and service devolution  Public Services Review  Vibrant Places  Community engagement  Community planning  Joint working and collaboration  Taking up new roles  Building capacity to meet future expectations One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

Challenges and Opportunities for the Community and Town Council sector  Image – dispelling myths  Defining our role  Clarity of purpose One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

A new role for Community and Town Councils... Under the Local Government Wales Measure 2011, Community and Town Councils have the power to promote wellbeing. “In Wales, sustainable development is defined in terms of the enhancement of the well-being of people and communities, and quality of life. There is broad stated public support for this approach: a 2005 poll, 89% of those surveyed in Wales agreed with the statement: A government’s prime objective should be achieving the greatest happiness of the people, not the greatest wealth. The other important feature of this definition is long-termism – reflecting the pursuit of wellbeing for future generations, locking in a commitment to maintain ‘endowments’ or natural, social, human and economic capital that will affect wellbeing in the future. It is important to recognise that sustainable development is not only or primarily an environmental concept – it is not ‘greening up’ of government activity, but a broader and deeper concept.” Clive Bates, Director General Sustainable Futures, Welsh Government, July 2011 One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

A model for the community council of the future (1)… Future roles for community councils...  Identifying, utilising and optimising assets  Achieving fairness for everyone  Empowering local governance  Increasing resources for community benefit  Enjoying locally relevant services One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru

A model for the community council of the future (2)…  Enriching social capital and well-being  Valuing local distinctiveness  Developing reliable infrastructure  Enhancing environmental capacity  Supporting a dynamic local economy One Voice Wales Un Llais Cymru