Working together for a Healthier Gwent for the right care and support, in the right place, at the right time. Gwent Regional Partnership Board In Wales, there are Partnership Arrangements Regulations that says local councils and health boards must create a Regional Partnership Board (RPB) within their region. RPBs need to make sure effective services, and care and support are in place to best meet the needs of their respective population. The goals of the RPBs are to make sure the partners involved, work effectively together. These boards help plan and work together to make sure that local care and support services are available for people living in the community. Through the Gwent RPB, we can make sure the people in Gwent have the services and support they need. The Gwent RPB covers five Local Authorities including, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport, Monmouthshire and Torfaen. The Gwent RPB has an important job to do:

• We look at what care and support services people in the area tell us they need, this is done through a Population Needs Assessment (PNA)
• We write and share an Area Plan, and use the Area Plan to help improve or create care and support services that people tell us they want.
• We make sure there’s enough money and resources to support these plans and the care and support services we have in Gwent.
• Sometimes, the organisations who are a part of the RPB will pool money together to help deliver care and support services to make sure Gwent has the services and support it needs.

The RPB focuses on helping:

• Older people with care and support needs, long term health conditions and dementia.
• People with learning disabilities.
• Unpaid carers and young carers.
• Services that support children and families.
• Children with extra care and support needs due to disabilities or illness.

To deliver the RPB priorities and the objectives of the Area Plan, the RPB have established 7 strategic integrated partnerships, which also have oversight of the relevant programmes of work and projects within the new Regional Integration Fund (RIF). These sub partnerships report to the RPB and update on progress against Area Plan priorities and challenges:

• Carers Strategic Partnership
• Children and Families Strategic Partnership
• Dementia Strategic Partnership
• Gwent Adult Strategic Partnership
• Health, Housing and Social Care Strategic Partnership
• Mental Health and Learning Disability Strategic Partnership
• Autism and Neurodiversity Strategic Partnership

The thematic partnerships each deliver on sections of the Area Plan, as part of a strategic work programme, which is also translated at a local level via the Integrated Partnership Boards and Neighbourhood Care Networks (NCNs). The RPB has also established enabling and supporting partnerships as part of the requirements set out in the SSWB Act and this includes:

• The regional citizens network (including carers), with two champion representatives to sit on the Board.
• The Value-Based provider and third sector forum, to connect to the RPB directly – having two elected representatives to sit on the Board.
• A regional Joint Commissioning group
• A regional Workforce Development Board