Carmarthenshire Local Service Board

Carmarthenshire has a strong record of partnership working between the council, public, private, voluntary and community sectors and has developed a Local Service Board.   The ‘Board’ cuts across the usual organisational and cultural boundaries to develop a ‘public service’ which will focus on customers and the type of service they need and want.

What is it?
The Local Service Board (LSB) is a voluntary arrangement which brings together leaders and chief executives from key organisations, representatives from voluntary and community sectors, and a senior civil servant from the Welsh Assembly Government.  Its purpose is to plan services and overcome barriers and blockages to ensure that all the organisations which provide services within Carmarthenshire do so in a way that puts the customer first.  The community and voluntary sector representatives ensure that local communities have a voice, whilst the senior civil servant from the Welsh Assembly Government offers a link between local, regional and national interests.  The board meets every 2 months.  The Local Service Board is part of the wider network of partnerships known collectively as the Carmarthenshire Partnership.  It oversees a number of strategies and plans and will report to the Community Planning Annual Forum on progress.

What does it do?
As a voluntary arrangement it has no statutory basis on its own but is highly influential in guiding and directing partner organisations in their planning for the future.  In bringing key decision makers together, the Board aims to deal with cross-cutting issues – those that prove almost impossible to be resolved by one organisation working on its own, but which can be resolved if everyone pulls together to make a difference.  It receives presentations and reports on key strategic issues as well as receiving regular updates on progress.

How will it make a difference?
The Board has agreed a Local Delivery Agreement with the Welsh Assembly Government which lists the priorities, actions and milestones that will be delivered over the next year.  For 2008/09 the Board’s focus is Health and Sustainability – two very important issues for Carmarthenshire.  That is not to say that other issues will be overlooked – the Board will also be responsible for developing the long term vision for Carmarthenshire through the Community Strategy and will be responsible for setting and achieving outcomes on wide variety of issues which will make Carmarthenshire a better place for everyone.

What difference will it make to me?
As a service user – by dealing with the cross-cutting issues the Board aims to ensure that all the organisations within Carmarthenshire are ‘joined up’ to be able to provide the best possible service to its customers, now and in the future.  As an employee of a partner organisation – you will be asked to play your part in making the Board, and partnership working, a success.

Interested and want to know more?
There are a number of ways you can find out more –
• Minutes of the meetings are available on line
• You can be invited to attend the annual forum meeting
• You will receive regular updates and annual reports through Community News

Contact the Community Planning team at:
CommunityPlanning@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or by telephone 01267 224659

The LSB for Carmarthenshire is in essence the former Community Planning Steering Group, although the membership has changed slightly. The Board continues to bring together the key decision-makers from the major organisations in the county and is the Executive body of, and is a part of, the Carmarthenshire Partnership Forum. Meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis. To download meeting minutes, click here

Membership of the Local Service Board  

Members consist mainly of senior representatives of those organisations responsible for the strategies in the strategic area. Membership is reviewed on a regular basis, to ensure adequate representation. The current membership includes representatives from the following organisations and sectors:

+ Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services (CAVS)

+ Carmarthenshire County Council

+ Carmarthenshire Local Health Board

+ Coleg Sir Gâr

+ Dept. for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills (Welsh Assembly) - Formerly ELWa

+ Dept. for the Economy & Transport (Welsh Assembly) - Formerly the WDA

+ Dyfed Powys Police

+ Environment Agency Wales

+ Hywel Dda NHS Trust

+ Trinity College, Carmarthen

+ The Community Sector

+ The Private Sector

+ Senior Civil Servant, Welsh Assembly Government (Currently the Director of Dept. for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills)