The Transformation Portfolio

What is the Transformation Portfolio?

The Transformation Portfolio brings together Powys County Council's major change programmes into one coordinated plan for improving the lives of residents. It covers the strategic, cross council work needed to deliver better outcomes for people and communities, modernise services, tackle future challenges, and make sure the council remains sustainable for generations to come.

The portfolio spans everything from how we support vulnerable residents, improve education and transport, build new homes, respond to the climate emergency, strengthen local communities and grow the economy — to how we use digital tools and data to improve services.

This joined up approach ensures that we make decisions based on clear evidence, focus on real outcomes, and deliver improvements that residents can feel in their everyday lives.

Why transformation is important

Powys faces significant challenges: rising demand for services, changes in population, national policy requirements, the climate and nature emergencies, and financial pressures. To meet these challenges, we must change how we work — not through small adjustments, but through fundamental transformation in how services are designed, funded, and delivered.

Transformation is essential because it enables us to:

• Put residents first and design services around their needs
• Protect essential services in a challenging financial environment
• Invest in prevention to reduce long-term pressure on services
• Work more efficiently and sustainably
• Strengthen communities and tackle inequalities
• Create a stronger, fairer, greener Powys for the future

In summary

The Transformation Portfolio is helping to reshape Powys County Council so that services are:

• Stronger - improving wellbeing, resilience and opportunity
• Fairer - reducing inequalities and making sure no one is left behind
• Greener - protecting Powys' natural environment and preparing for the future

Each programme contributes directly to improving life for residents — in homes, schools, communities, workplaces and everyday interactions with the council.

Current Transformation Programmes

Social Services and Wellbeing Transformation

The Social Services and Wellbeing programme focuses on ensuring people of all ages can live safely, independently, and with dignity.

What this means for residents

• Better, safer support for children and families, including purpose-built Family Time Centres in Brecon and Llandrindod that provide welcoming spaces for meaningful time together.
• More children able to stay close to home, thanks to new fostering approaches
• More help earlier, through Early Help Hubs and improved support pathways so families receive the right help before issues escalate.
• Better care at home, with modernised domiciliary care that gives more people the ability to live independently.
• Improved extra‑care housing, providing safer, supportive homes for older residents and preventing unnecessary admissions to hospital or residential care.

Transforming Education

The Transforming Education programme is modernising schools and learning so that every child has the best possible start in life.

What this means for learners and families

• Safe, modern learning environments, with major new school builds across the county.
• Supportive transitions, ensuring children moving from schools that have closed settle quickly into new settings with broader opportunities and better resources.
• Expansion of Welsh‑medium provision, strengthening Welsh culture and giving children the lifelong advantage of bilingualism.
• Improved Additional Learning Needs support, with streamlined processes, better collaboration, and earlier intervention.
• A clearer, stronger post‑16 offer, shaped by extensive learner, parent, and school community engagement.

Transforming Education

Climate and Nature

This programme leads the council's response to the climate and nature emergencies and ensures Powys becomes more resilient.

What this means for residents

• A cleaner, greener council, with investment in energy‑saving measures across buildings, reducing carbon emissions and freeing up resources for frontline services.
• Better protection against flooding and extreme weather, through major projects such as the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme.
• A clear route to Net Zero, backed by a new Climate and Nature Action Plan and dedicated programme leadership.
• Support for local businesses, helping improve climate resilience and protect local jobs.

Climate change - the Climate Emergency

Place Based Planning

Place Based Planning brings communities, services and infrastructure together to design better local solutions based on the unique needs of each area.

What this means for communities

• Improved community engagement, with each locality area supported by stronger communication and dedicated online spaces.
• Better-connected towns and villages, through redesigned public transport networks and new demand responsive travel options.
• Support for community groups, including funding to help local organisations deliver services, support volunteers, and build new local projects.
• More coordinated planning, reducing duplication across services and improving how council teams work with residents.

Tackling Poverty

This programme brings together work across housing, money advice, economic growth and community support to reduce inequalities.

What this means for residents

• More affordable homes, with new affordable council homes, site development, and repurposed buildings creating secure places for families to live.
• Expanded homelessness prevention, including a new triage team helping people access stable accommodation sooner.
• Better access to money support, including proactive use of data (LIFT platform) to identify households who may be missing out on financial help.
• Stronger, community‑led solutions, backed by Shared Prosperity funding for local projects, warm hubs, food support, youth engagement, and more.
• Empowering young people, including work from the Child Poverty Task Force to involve young people directly in shaping solutions.

Digital Powys

Improving accessibility, efficiency and customer experience through digital innovation.

Benefits for residents:

• Apply for school transport, business rates relief, permits and event notices any time, online
• Faster, simpler processes with less paperwork
• Clearer, more accurate information
• Digital tools that improve safety, compliance and service quality

Digital Powys

How We Monitor Progress

Effective oversight is essential to delivering a stronger, fairer, greener Powys. The Transformation Portfolio is monitored through a robust governance and assurance framework that ensures programmes stay on track, deliver real impact for residents, and provide transparency to elected members and the public.

Clear Governance Structure

Each programme within the portfolio is overseen by:

• A Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) who is accountable for delivery
• A dedicated Programme Board that meets regularly to review progress
• Input from specialist teams such as Digital, Evidence & Insight, Finance, Human Resources and Communications

Portfolio wide oversight is provided through the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT), and Cabinet, ensuring strategic alignment and strong corporate ownership.

Quarterly Reporting to Cabinet and Corporate Leadership Team (CLT)

Every quarter, the Portfolio produces a comprehensive report for Cabinet and CLT, summarising programme status, achievements, risks and issues, finances and evidences of impact for residents.

These reports ensure senior leaders have full visibility and can take timely decisions where needed.

End of Year reporting to Cabinet, CLT and Finance Scrutiny Panel

We publish a comprehensive End of Year Report that reviews progress across the entire Transformation Portfolio. It brings together evidence from all programmes, summarising achievements, risks, lessons learned, and any changes needed for the year ahead.

As part of the quarterly and end of year reports, each programme tracks:

• Cashable savings (budget reductions)
• Non‑cashable savings (cost avoidance and efficiency)
• Community and social value impact