Why we consulted
Last Summer, 3,943 of you took part in a resident's survey to tell us:
- How you feel about us as a Council and our performance,
- What the most pressing challenges were for you and your families; and
- How you’d prioritise areas for investment.
The information you share with us is vitally important as it helps us to get to know you better and develop an understanding of what matters most to you and your families. Our intention therefore is to run the same survey on a regular basis to monitor how your views change over time.
It’s a challenging time for many, and the Council is not immune to these challenges. We face a period of increasing demand for our services in a time where resources (financial and otherwise) are decreasing. Our priority has always been to do the best for our residents and service users, but we must all be realistic about what that looks like in the future. Your continued engagement with us will give us the best chance of delivering services which meet your needs.
Consultation Outcome
The main findings of the survey for 2023 have been shared across the organisation and discussions have taken place about the results. The main findings and the need for development are detailed below along with any arising actions and activity we intend to take in response.
| Finding | What does this mean? | What are we going to do about it? |
|---|---|---|
| Further develop clear, targeted communication | We feel that we can do more and explore different ways of sharing information with residents and service users about our services, how and why we utilise resources in the way that we do and our performance more generally. |
We will share information about our performance in relation to key service areas on a more regular basis. This information will be transparent and meaningful. We will review the way that we share information about how we utilise our resources. To develop a mutual understanding and trust between us and you we will provide more information which sets out realistic outcomes relating to what we can achieve and when we can achieve it. We will communicate this clearly and in a timely manner. |
| Targeted location-based service delivery and intervention |
As part of the survey, we asked you which areas of the county you live in. This has allowed us to understand which areas specific issues relate to. Importantly we can now concentrate our efforts on some of the key areas of need which ensures that we use our resources in the right way. Some of the key issues that you highlighted include:
|
Council Hwb’s located across the county and the ‘Hwb Fach y Wlad’ are providing support and guidance to residents with concerns related to the cost-of-living crisis. This provision is one element of the Council’s wider Tackling Poverty Plan. Our new ‘Tîm Tacluso’, ‘Tidying our Towns’ initiative aims to enhance the cleanliness and appearance of our town centres. The initiative includes a programme of works which will be undertaken over the coming months. A new economic vision is currently being developed for the county. Themes covered will include job creation, support for businesses, attracting investment and capitalising on new and emerging trends and technologies to encourage economic growth. |
| Focussed attention on specific issues |
Several of the issues that you highlighted are complex and significant and therefore warrant further exploration through continued engagement with you and other stakeholders to develop position statements, task and finish groups or partnership working. This is especially relevant to the following themes:
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We will collaborate with partners to develop a prevention strategy and action plan for adult social care to ensure that people get the right support at the right time. A Community Prevention Framework has been launched which provides a single point of contact to support wellbeing. There is also a ‘Connect Carmarthenshire’ digital platform which is designed to provide information on support services, local information, and community events across the county. We will work with the Health Board to provide readily accessible and appropriate levels of support to all with Mental Health issues with an expansion of access and support to Children and Vulnerable Adults. We are scoping the development of a Community Transport Strategy for the county. The Housing Regeneration and Development Delivery Plan confirms our commitment to increasing the supply of good quality and energy efficient affordable homes. We will:
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| Improve alignment with business planning | The timing of the survey can be improved to allow for better alignment with internal future planning procedures. | We will better align the timing of the survey and dissemination of the results internally to allow departments ample time to consider the findings as part of their future business planning activity. This will ensure that the views of residents inform future work plans and priority setting. |
