Local Service Boards

Local Service Boards (LSBs), are Wales' new model for engaging the whole of the Welsh public service in a new way of working, by integrating services and responding more effectively to citizens' needs. The purpose of establishing Local Service Boards is to enable local public service leadership to be more effective in responding to citizens. Many LSBs operate as "executives" of the Community Strategy Partnerships, which still remain as the key vision-setting forum for the community.

The aim is to improve local services for citizens by pooling resources and removing bureaucracy or other obstacles. A senior official from the Welsh Assembly Government will work with each local leadership team to help achieve this.

LSBs are not new organisations or institutions, they are the local leadership team. Membership will include key leaders from across public, third and private sectors working as equal partners, taking joint responsibility for connecting the whole network of public services within their area. They will include other key stakeholders in your area such as health, the police and the private sector, so this is a good opportunity to influence the work of other stakeholders as well as the local authority. Your County Voluntary Council (CVC) will know more about local arrangements.

The work of the LSB will be based on the area's community and, from this the Boards will agree, and ensure delivery of, a set of priority joint actions to achieve this. These actions will be expressed as Local Delivery Agreements.

Their role is to ensure concerted and collective leadership across public services, in areas of critical importance for the locality. Their role is not to oversee any individual service, but to ensure an effective whole-system response to the needs of citizens. The work of the Board should be based on the Community Strategy for the area.

For example, where a service is delivered by a range of different organisations, the Board may develop changed patterns of working in their constituent organisations, to ensure the delivery of seamless, citizen-centred services which address the root causes of persistent and fundamental problems.

The Board will ensure that there is effective citizen engagement across sectors, for example by working to develop a consistent strategy for engagement and dialogue with all citizens including children and young people, older people, people with disabilities, people of different cultures and orientations, people who speak Welsh and people who are vulnerable. Third sector organisations are crucial partners to this process.