Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Chief Officers’ Group will take place in Committee Room 2, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 11 November 2015 at 1.30 pm, preceded by a networking lunch at 1.00 pm.

You are invited to attend the meeting and the business to be considered is noted below.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Chief Officers’ Group – Note of Meeting

There is circulated for approval Note of Meeting of the Chief Officers’ Group held on 13 August 2015.

3. Community Planning Board – Minutes of Meeting

There are circulated for comment draft Minutes of the Community Planning Board held on 11 September 2015 together with, for reference, the Action Note previously circulated by email.

4. Partnership Approach to Digital Inclusion

There is circulated Report No COG/24/15 by the Depute Chief Executive, Highland Council, which explains that as more and more information, processes and services are going online, the benefits and opportunities for internet users are growing.  The level of digital exclusion is also growing for those who are unable to go online.  This report provides an update on the work that is currently ongoing to address issues surrounding digital inclusion in the Highlands.

The Group is asked to:-

i. note the progress made on digital inclusion; and
ii. indicate the level of involvement the Community Planning Partnership and its members should have in the Digital    
   Highland Partnership.

5. Action Programmes for Inner Moray Firth and Caithness & Sutherland Local Development Plans

There is circulated Report No COG/25/15 by the Director of Development and Infrastructure, Highland Council, which presents two documents known as Action Programmes for consideration and endorsement by the Chief Officers Group and for referral to the CPP Board: a Proposed Action Programme for the Caithness & Sutherland Proposed Local Development Plan and a final Action Programme for the adopted Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan.  These documents outline the actions for public sector partners and developers in working together to coordinate the delivery of infrastructure and services along with new growth and regeneration to improve our Highland communities.

The Group is asked to:-

i.  consider and endorse the Action Programmes for the Caithness & Sutherland Proposed Local Development Plan
    and the adopted Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan; and
ii. recommend their referral to the next meeting of the CPP Board for consideration and final endorsement.

6. Safe Young Highlanders Events

There is circulated Report No COG/26/15 by the Chief Executive, HLH, which proposes the expansion of the number of annual Safe Young Highlanders events from the current five to seven, to enable greater numbers of primary school pupils to attend.  High Life Highland would organise and promote the events with the support of Partnership agencies attending to deliver their relevant elements of activity.

The Group is asked to agree:-

i.  to support the widening of the Safe Young Highlanders events to ensure coverage across the area and that each
    partner allocate a single point of contact from within their organisation to work with HLH on the development of
    the events;
ii. that commitment be sought from each of the core partner agencies listed in section 2 iv) of the report to attend all
    seven local events; and
iii. that it be remitted to HLH to undertake the planning and co-ordination of the series.

7. Implementing the Community Empowerment Act – Workshop Session

a. Taking forward the new CPP duties: discussion

There is circulated Report No COG/27/15 by the Head of Policy and Reform, Highland Council, which provides an opportunity for the COG to consider the implementation issues arising from the new legal duties for the CPP in advance of statutory guidance being available.  This will support partners’ readiness for implementation.

The Group is asked to deliberate the areas highlighted in the report to ensure the readiness of the Highland CPP to implement the new CPP duties.  Partners’ views will be gathered to identify new processes required.  Further consideration will be needed when statutory guidance is available to ensure compliance.

b. Rural Deprivation and Inequalities – making use of the SEP Index

There will follow Report No COG/28/15 by the Head of Health Improvement, NHS Highland.

c. Briefing on Local Community Planning Experiments

There is circulated Report No COG/29/15 by the Head of Policy and Reform, Highland Council which provides a briefing to support discussions on creating new local community planning arrangements.  The COG has agreed this as its collaborative challenge so discussion will be facilitated by Nick Wilding and Chris Bruce from the Scottish Government’s Ingage Team.

The Group is asked to consider the issues in delivering local community planning across Highland.  A workshop session is planned for the discussion.

d. The Highland Third Sector Census

The Chief Officer, Highland Third Sector Interface, will give a presentation on the Highland Third Sector Census.

8. Future Agenda Items – Community Planning Board

Agenda items proposed for the Community Planning Board on 2 December 2015 are listed below:-

• Local Outcomes Profile Workshop – Colin Mair and Emily Lynch leading (10.00 am – 1.00 pm)
• Delivering Partnership Outcomes – progress reports (April to September 2015) for all CPP themes
• Update on Partnership Action to Increase Digital Inclusion
• Action Programme for the Caithless and Sutherland Local Development Plan (CaSPlan)
• Child Sexual Exploitation (3.00 pm)
• Implementing the Community Empowerment Act
• Scottish Care Leavers Covenant
• Living Wage arrangements across the CPP
• Venue for Board Meeting – UHI Campus?
• Syrian Refugee Update?

9. Future Agenda Items – Chief Officers’ Group

Agenda items proposed for future meetings of the Chief Officers’ Group are listed below:-

• The Scope for a Salary Sacrifice Scheme for HLH Membership
• How to strengthen future agendas in terms of economic priorities, with a discussion led by HIE
• Food and Drink – how it cuts across a number of SOA themes
• HIE Youth Survey
• Ideas on a Conference to develop a Partnership Strategy to Reduce Poverty
• The Future of the Highland Compact – recommendations from the short-life Working Group
• Partnership Approach to Improvement Methodologies
• CPP Performance Reporting – Community Empowerment Act
• Prevention and Joint Resourcing Update
• HIE Strategic Intervention
• CPP Approach to Participation Requests           

10. Future Meeting Dates

Meeting dates for 2016 will be arranged in early course and electronic invitations issued.  In accordance with previous discussions, the duration will be extended to four hours (11.00 am to 3.30 pm with a networking lunch from 1.00 pm to 1.30 pm).