Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Community Planning Board held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 4 March 2015 at 10.00 am.

Present:

Representing the Highland Council (HC):
Mr D Hendry 
Dr D Alston
Ms J Douglas
Mr S Barron
Mr B Alexander
Mr G Hamilton
Ms C McDiarmid
Mr P Mascarenhas

Representing Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE):
Ms C Wright

Representing the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI):
Ms M Gillies

Representing High Life Highland (HLH):
Mr D McLachlan
Mr I Murray

Representing NHS Highland (NHSH):
Ms E Mead
Dr H van Woerden
Mr K Oliver

Representing Police Scotland (PS):
Temp Ch Supt A MacPherson

Representing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS):
Dr M Foxley
Mr S Hay

Representing the Scottish Government (SG):
Mr J Pryce

Representing Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH):
Mr G Hogg

Representing the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI):
Prof C Mulholland
Ms F Larg

In attendance:

Mr K Murray, Gaelic Development Manager
Miss J Maclennan, Principal Administrator, Corporate Development Service
Miss M Murray, Committee Administrator, Corporate Development Service

Also in attendance:

Mr R Maclean, Gaelic author and broadcaster (Item 3)

Mr D Hendry in the Chair

Business

Preliminaries

Prior to the commencement of formal business, the Chairman welcomed Dr Hugo van Woerden, NHS Highland to the meeting, Dr van Woerden having replaced Dr M Somerville as Director of Public Health and Health Policy.  The inclusion of High Life Highland in the Community Planning Partnership was also welcomed. 

1. Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr J Gray, Mrs C Wilson, Ms M Morris, Mr S Black, Mr S Finlayson, Ms M Wylie, Mr G Coutts, Ch Supt J Innes, Mr R Iffla and Mr I Ross.

2. Minutes

There had been circulated, and were APPROVED, Minutes of the Community Planning Board held on 5 December 2014.

3. Presentation: “Gaelic – Language of Opportunity”/Gaelic Strategic Planning and Development in the
    Highland CPP

Following agreement at the last Board meeting, Mr R Maclean, Gaelic author and broadcaster, undertook a presentation on “Gaelic - Language of Opportunity”. In addition, there had been circulated Report No CPB/01/15 by the CEO of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Gaelic Development Manager which outlined the outcomes from the first meeting of the Short Life Working Group on Gaelic.

During his presentation, Mr Maclean welcomed the inclusion of Gaelic in the 2013/14-2018/19 Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) between the Highland Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and the Scottish Government and the support that the Community Planning Board gave to Gaelic.  He emphasised the role Gaelic played in various aspects of living and working in Highland with his presentation covering five main areas; Heritage; Environment; Education; Health; and Economy.  Covering each topic separately he provided evidence of where Gaelic had had a positive impact, areas which needed to be developed and the potential for individuals and the area as a whole to benefit from it.  He also highlighted the findings of the recent independent report which showed that 60% of businesses surveyed felt that the use of Gaelic enhanced the value of the language within the community.  Over half the businesses said that Gaelic was an asset, particularly when used to promote the creative industries, tourism, food and drink.  The research also showed that the potential value of Gaelic to Scotland’s economy was between £82m and £149m.
The Board was also informed of the outcomes of the Short Life Working Group on Gaelic.  The Working Group had been formed following a request from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and had looked at Gaelic’s place within areas of the SOA.  There was a real desire for more collaborative working around Gaelic, especially for those with responsibility for Statutory Gaelic Language Plans, so ways of working together, as opposed to in silos, were being considered including the sharing of translation services and staff training and development opportunities.  The Working Group had also prepared a Statement of Ambition for the Highland CPP.  Subject to the Board supporting the recommendations detailed in the report, the proposal was that the Working Group would meet again and to draw up terms of reference and to address how the Highland Culture Strategic Board could be supported.

Board Members welcomed the presentation and made the following comments:-

• Gaelic’s links to interpreting the natural heritage of both Highland and Scotland as a whole were recognised and it was pointed out that publications by SNH interpreting the Gaelic landscape always proved popular;
• tourism links to the landscape and the environment were vital;
• in addition to the cultural benefits, it was important to publicise economic information to demonstrate the financial value of Gaelic.  Reference was made to the report produced by HIE demonstrating the economic and social value of Gaelic and HIE were now looking at producing the necessary tools to support businesses in developing how they used Gaelic;
• it was important to promote the health and educational benefits of Gaelic.  In particular, there was research indicating that bilingualism might delay the onset of dementia and the benefits of bilingualism in children were well documented, reference being made to the statistic in the presentation that Gaelic Medium pupils had higher attainment levels in English reading than their English counterparts by Primary 5;
• once Gaelic Medium Units were established and bedded in, it had been proven that Gaelic Medium Education was a cheaper education system than English Medium.  However, information was sought on the current position in terms of recruiting Gaelic Medium secondary school teachers, an area which had proved difficult in the past;
• the issue of Gaelic being included on signage was also raised and it was suggested that when signs needed to be replaced, this provided an opportunity to erect bilingual signs.  Disappointment was expressed that, with the creation of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Gaelic straplines had been lost.  Police Scotland confirmed that they were drawing up their Gaelic Language Plan and the issues highlighted would be addressed;
• in the third sector, Gaelic, and its culture, was an integral part of many community and volunteer groups; and
• despite progress, it was recognised that there were still elements resistant to Gaelic and, as a Partnership, it was important to have a clear and consistent message about the importance of Gaelic.

The Board NOTED the issues arising in the presentation and AGREED:-

i.  the overarching Statement of Ambition as set out in section 3.2 of the report;
ii. that a Thematic Policy Group on Gaelic Strategic Planning and Development be established within the CPP; with a
    Remit to be drafted for the Board by the Short Life Working Group;
iii. that Lead Officers would represent partners on the Gaelic Strategic Planning and Development Thematic Policy
    Group; and
iv. that work be done to identify how the Gaelic Strategic Planning and Development Thematic Policy Group could
    support the work of the Highland Strategic Culture Board.

4. Delivering Partnership Outcomes

The following updates had been provided by Responsible Officers on the current delivery plans for the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA), the partnership’s agreed strategic priorities and developing partnership working:-

a. Economic Growth and Regeneration

The circulated report by HIE, as lead partner on this theme, referred to macro-economic conditions and their importance to international trade.  The Scottish Government had published, on 3 March 2015, its Economic Strategy which appeared to fit well with how Highland had dealt with economic development.  The Strategy sat around four key pillars (Investment, Innovation, Inclusive Growth and International Opportunities) and reflected well how HIE addressed issues at a more local level.  It was acknowledged that there were challenges around oil and gas but, to date, there had been no significant impact locally on job numbers although the situation would continue to be monitored.  Information was also provided on specific investments, the roll-out of next generation broadband and the importance of working with businesses and communities to exploit opportunities.

During discussion, reference was made to the statistic provided in the previous item that Germans had shown the highest percentage of interest in Gaelic and it was confirmed that Germany was a key export destination and, in visitor numbers, came in second/third place.  Reference was also made to the level of wages in Highland and confirmation was sought that all public sector workers were receiving the Living Wage.  Whilst it was believed to be the case in the public sector, there were areas of the private sector where this was not being achieved and the Programme for Government’s Scottish Business Pledge was encouraging businesses to addresses equality measures.

The Board:-

i. NOTED the update; and
ii. AGREED that confirmation be sought that all public sector workers in Highland were in receipt of the Living Wage. 

b. Employability

The circulated report by the Council, as lead partner on this theme, provided a brief overview of key indicators and progress in response to emerging priorities which were shaping delivery in 2015.  The Employability strand of the SOA had two long term outcomes, namely, to widen participation in the labour market across all client groups and across all Highland geographies; and to enable the regions’ young people to have the opportunity to flourish and to contribute to the sustainable economic growth of the Highland economy.  A review of this section of the SOA was being undertaken and would be reported to a future meeting.  In terms of statistics, the headline unemployment rate had dropped from 3% in January 2013 to 1.8% in January 2015.  Youth unemployment had also improved considerably, dropping from 990 in January 2013 to 620 in January 2015.  The report went on to detail activity in relation to the ESF Programme 2014-20, Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy and the Skills Investment Plan.

The Board NOTED progress and activity underway in response to the ESF Programme 2014-20, Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy and the Skills Investment Plan, which together would inform a revised SOA Action Plan 2015.

c. Early Years/Children

The circulated report by the Council, as lead partner on this theme, explained that the Council and NHS Highland had agreed a performance framework for children’s services, as outlined in For Highland’s Children 4, and provided details of the current situation in relation to those measures relating specifically to early years.  A number of baselines and targets were still to be established and some processes required to be put in place to collect data for new outcome targets.  Work within the Early Years Collaborative continued to develop a method and culture for delivering improvement and frontline staff and managers across a range of services were using the Model for Improvement to accelerate change.  The report also provided details of the number of improvement projects taking place in respect of each National Key Change Theme.

The Director of Care and Learning explained that the significant amount of improvement activity taking place could not be supported by the current infrastructure and it was intended to host an event in late March/early April to explore a new improvement infrastructure to take forward early years activity.  Partners who wished to be involved were encouraged to contact him directly.

The Board NOTED the update.

d. Safer and Stronger Communities

The circulated report by Police Scotland, as lead partner on this theme, explained that work on developing the Safer Highland structure was complete and attention was drawn to the revised chart, which now included Road Safety; CONTEST/Serious Organised Crime; Anti-social Behaviour; Youth Justice; and Hate Crime Groups.  Although work had previously been ongoing in these areas, including the Groups in the structure provided focus and governance and they were bedding in well.  In terms of performance, crime had reduced by 19% overall and statistics were provided in respect of the four groups, namely, Violence; Sexual Offences; Theft; and Vandalism/Fire-raising.  It was highlighted that raising the profile of Safer Highland and the contribution it made to community planning and community safety would continue to be a priority.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• the dual measures of crime reduction and increased detection were a critical improvement;
• in relation to the structure chart, the importance of showing the links with communities was emphasised, both in terms of them feeding in to the SOA and information being fed back out; and
• there was good work taking place at regional and local level but it was necessary to improve communication between the various forums and the Community Empowerment Bill presented an opportunity to stimulate change.

Thereafter, the Board NOTED the update.

e. Health Inequalities and Physical Inactivity

The circulated report by NHS Highland, as lead partner on this theme, explained that, since the last meeting, the Group had reviewed the Health Inequalities Action Plan, following endorsement of the updated delivery plan, and reviewed the Group’s terms of reference following discussions about including a workstream on rural poverty.  Emerging themes for further action included the development of an action plan to progress work on rural poverty and a co-ordinated learning and development/awareness raising plan across the partners.  The report went on to provide an update on progress on the specific priorities of Preventative Spend; Health, Housing and Homelessness; Welfare Reform; and Physical Activity.  An update was also provided in relation to self-assessment.

The Board NOTED:-

i.  progress in developing the remit of the Group to include a workstream on rural poverty; and
ii. action on the specific priorities of preventative spend; health; housing and homelessness; welfare reform; and
    physical activity.

f. Outcomes for Older People

The circulated report by NHS Highland, as lead partner on this theme, outlined recent activity by the Adult Services Commissioning Group and the Older People’s Improvement Group and explained that all performance indicators had been reviewed to allow focus on evidencing improvements in relation to a number of priorities, details of which were provided.  The report went on to provide updates on Telecare redesign; single point of contact; the Change and Improvement Plan; the integrated inspection of older people’s services; quality in care homes; and care at home.

The Chief Executive, NHS Highland, explained that Telecare was particularly important in terms of enabling people to stay in their own homes for longer and she encouraged partners to visit the “Living it Up” website, a link to which could be provided, which used technology to provide care and support.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• the developments in relation to Telecare redesign were welcomed and it was highlighted that the partnership work being undertaken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and NHS Highland on risk identification and, more recently, falls prevention, was mutually beneficial in terms of sharing knowledge and skills;
• the survival rate for adults who had an out of hospital cardiac arrest was 4% in Scotland, as opposed to 30% in Scandinavia and 40% in Seattle.  The figures in Seattle were due to the widespread provision of defibrillators and the high number of people trained to carry out emergency resuscitation.  The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was taking the issue very seriously and reference was made to the launch of a new initiative.  During further discussion, it was highlighted that HLH now had defibrillators in 16 leisure centres and trained staff throughout Highland so there might be opportunities for partnership working in the future.  SNH was also putting defibrillators in all its offices and main national nature reserves.  It was suggested that a mapping exercise be carried out to highlight any gaps in defibrillator provision in communities, particularly in rural areas.  The Chief Executive, NHS Highland, welcomed the suggestion and undertook to progress it;
• in relation to care at home, the changes to hospital discharge planning, which were part of the drive to support people to return home from hospital as soon as possible, were significant from the point of view of the patient; and
• one of the Council’s “Smart City” project themes would be digital health and this would present opportunities for partnership working.

Thereafter, the Board:-

i.  NOTED the update;
ii. AGREED that a link to the “Living it Up” website be circulated to Board Members; and
iii. AGREED that a mapping exercise be carried out in relation to the provision of defibrillators in local communities.

g. Environmental Outcomes

The circulated report by SNH, as lead partner on this theme, highlighted a number of events in 2015 including the inaugural Highland Wildlife Crime Conference on 12 March, to which key stakeholders had been invited; the Highland Environment Forum on 17 March, at which the Highland Biodiversity Action Plan would be re-launched following a review; and the annual Highland Biodiversity Conference on 30 March, at which volunteering and the health benefits of engaging with biodiversity would be particular themes.  In addition, information was provided on the funding available under the Scottish Rural Development Programme, which would run until the end of March 2020.  In terms of achievements, the target in the SOA in relation to the condition of features on designated sites had now been met, a year ahead of schedule.  SNH had also met its 2019/20 target to reduce carbon emissions by 43%.

During discussion regarding the Highland Wildlife Crime Conference, it was stated that, whilst NHS Highland was not an obvious partner, it was a big employer and it was suggested that consideration be given to how to get the message across to staff who might be out in the countryside so that they could feed back any incidents.  In response, it was confirmed that Chief Inspector Gough, Police Scotland, was leading on the Conference and arrangements would be made for a representative of NHS Highland to be invited.

Thereafter, the Board:-

i. NOTED the update; and
ii. AGREED that a representative of NHS Highland be invited to attend the Highland Wildlife Crime Conference.

h. Community Learning and Development

The circulated report by the Council, as lead partner on this theme, summarised the background to Community Learning and Development (CLD) and the formation of the CLD Strategic Partnership.  A significant amount of work had been undertaken and the report summarised the main points.  In particular, it was explained that the Strategic Partnership had agreed to produce a single strategic development plan which fulfilled the requirements of the CLD legislation but could also act as the Partnership’s work plan.  The CPP had agreed that District Partnerships could form the building blocks for CLD activity and this was currently being discussed at District Partnership meetings where it was receiving a generally positive response.  It had also been agreed that a representative from each District Partnership join the CLD Strategic Partnership to help achieve local input into strategic decision making and that that group of nine people should reflect the range of partners.  The majority of partners had confirmed that they would be willing to identify an officer with this responsibility although it had been recognised that the role was not appropriate for every partner – for example, the Highland Third Sector Interface and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.  In relation to statutory inspections of CLD, most partners did not feel well equipped to support local organisation and details were provided of a pilot in Alness whereby High Life Highland had been commissioned to co-ordinate the preparatory activity.  This had worked well and would be considered as the model for future inspections, although it was highlighted that a change to the contract between the Council and HLH would be required.

In speaking to the report, the Director of Care and Learning explained that the concept of combining community planning with locality planning at District Partnerships was seen to make sense locally.  However, there were significant implications and challenges and it was suggested that, in order to take it forward, a milestone discussion was required at a future meeting of the Board.  The Chairman confirmed that this would take place.

During discussion, it was suggested that consideration be given to how to improve links between the Third Sector and District Partnerships.  There was a role for the CPP to support the development of District Partnerships, both in terms of promoting the role to the public and the quality of discussion and it was proposed that consideration be given to a broader District Partnership remit, aligned to the CPP themes but with specific emphasis on health, social care, community safety and CLD.  In addition, it was suggested that Police Scotland Chair District Partnerships on a rotational basis, in line with the increased responsibilities as a result of the Community Empowerment Bill.

It having been confirmed that the points raised would be taken into account during agenda item 6ii, Developing Local Community Planning, the Board:-

i. NOTED the update; and
ii. AGREED that a milestone discussion on locality planning take place at a future meeting of the Board.

i. SOA Development Plan

The circulated report by the Council provided an update on progress against the six areas for improvement identified by the quality assurance process for the Highland SOA 2013-18.  Although predominantly ahead of target, it was highlighted that there had been some slippage in the action to refresh all delivery plans by October 2014.  However, this would be complete by the end of March 2015.

The Board NOTED the update.

j. Maximising collective resources, shifting to prevention and re-allocating resources between partners
   for best value

The Director of Care and Learning provided a verbal update, during which it was explained that he, together with the Council’s Director of Finance and Head of Policy and Reform, had met with representatives of all partners to consider maximising resources and, in particular, the role of prevention as part of the SOA.  The responsibilities of the CPP in terms of the new legislation had been recognised but it was explained that preventative work was already seen as the way forward as investing in prevention meant that the significant amount of expenditure on reactive services would not be required.  The challenge was shifting resources into preventative activity and, whilst there were examples of that taking place in all partner agencies, it was not coordinated.  The definition of prevention in terms of improving outcomes for people and communities had also been discussed, as well as the need to understand more about the preventative activity taking place and its effectiveness.

Arising from those discussions, it was proposed to focus on a place and a theme.  In terms of a place, work would be undertaken to examine what partner agencies had done to shift towards prevention and activities that would improve outcomes in Merkinch, Inverness.  It was intended to hold the next meeting in Merkinch Community Centre and begin discussions with local community activists and the Community Health Co-ordinator.  The proposed theme was drug and alcohol services and further discussions in that regard would take place at the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, with colleagues in UHI possibly helping to firm up evaluative processes.

During discussion, partners endorsed the Director’s comments and welcomed the strong focus on prevention.  Concentrating on a particular place and theme would allow benchmarking to take place and, if successful, the approach could be extended to other areas or themes.

Thereafter, the Board:-

i. NOTED the update; and
ii. AGREED to endorse the proposals.

k. Workforce Planning and Skills Development

The circulated report by HIE, as lead partner on this theme, explained that a meeting had taken place in January 2015 to undertake a high-level review of workforce planning and skills development.  The meeting brought together the Council, HIE, UHI, Skills Development Scotland and the UHI colleges within the Highland CPP area.  It had been recognised that the existing Highland Works Group (HWG) within the CPP framework could provide the forum for the necessary focus on the delivery of actions for workforce planning and skills development.  The HWG was currently the custodian of the Employability strand of the SOA and included most of the main factors for workforce planning and skills development.  Some slight adjustment of those attending would be required but would be easily delivered.  Going forward, therefore, workforce planning and skills development would be reported on within the Employability strand of the SOA.

The Board NOTED that, going forward, Workforce Planning and Skills Development would be reported on within the Employability strand of the SOA.

5. Audit Scotland Report: Community Planning – Turning Ambition into Action

There had been circulated Report No CPB/02/15 by the Head of Policy and Reform which summarised the key findings from the national Audit Scotland report on community planning.  It identified the implications for the Highland CPP and considered how the CPP could take forward the recommendations in the audit report.  A report would also be provided to the Council’s Community Safety, Public Engagement and Equalities Committee and its Audit and Scrutiny Committee.

The Board:-

i.  NOTED the findings in the national audit report and that for some areas the Highland CPP could demonstrate it
    had made good progress, particularly around leadership and challenge in the CPP and the ability to absorb national
    structure changes into CPP processes.  The audit findings also affirmed the need to continue to work on the CPP
    priorities around joint resourcing and performance reporting;
ii. AGREED that new attention be turned to the local arrangements for community planning, including how they
    influenced and reflected the SOA priorities and how they could be streamlined. This could be taken forward as a
    review that should take into account:-

a. the area-based community planning being developed in areas of multiple deprivation and in the rural communities
    benefitting from HIE’s account-managed approach;
b. the lessons from the approaches in Lochaber and the Badenoch and Strathspey for local community planning;
c. the potential for District Partnerships to evolve for local community planning (reported separately to the Board)
    and the potential review of the Council’s Area Committees;
d. the need for locality/neighbourhood profiling using partnership data, rather than single agency data to start to
    understand local characteristics better and for working with communities on local interventions and service
    changes;
e. the work already in train to localise the SOA on specific themes;
f.  the approach to creating Development Plans;
g. the challenges and support for elected members and non-Executive Board members in ensuring effective local
    community planning, including how to enable and support more community participation;
h. identifying further local democratic experiments, as recommended by the Strengthening Local Democracy
    Commission; and
i.  the requirements of the community empowerment legislation – enabling communities to participate and challenge,
    supporting asset transfers, formalising performance reporting and reviewing how to resource the day to day
    management of the CPP; and

iii. AGREED that the review should take place during the current SOA period to 2017/18, noting that the timescale
    for achieving different elements of the review would be dependent upon a number of factors such as legislative
    requirements, the pace of community development and local interest, capacity and agreement to try new
    approaches. 

6. Local Democratic Experiments

i. Participatory Budgeting

The Council’s Community and Democratic Engagement Manager undertook a presentation during which it was explained that the work being carried out by the Council in relation to participatory budgeting had been driven by the Commission on Strengthening Democracy, the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services and the Community Empowerment Bill.  Participatory budgeting was about letting local people decide how to allocate part of a public budget and information was provided on the benefits which included increasing local capacity, involvement of non-Council bodies and trust in politicians and institutions.  The presentation was accompanied by a video clip which highlighted some of the participatory budgeting initiatives that had been carried out in local authorities throughout the UK.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• engaging people in the decision making process would not only lead to the benefits outlined in the presentation but a greater understanding by the public of the difficult financial choices that had to be made by public bodies;
• it was important that both agencies and communities were aware that rights came with responsibilities;
• it would be challenging for agencies to relinquish control and it was necessary to trust the public to make the right decisions and accept that mistakes might be made;
• it was important to be aware of capacity issues, both in terms of staffing and community representatives being invited to attend a multitude of events;
• there might be a feeling amongst staff that communities were being empowered to take over their role and it was essential to be sensitive to the tensions in what was a very complex issue;
• whilst recognising the challenges, participatory budgeting could be a great success if undertaken with enthusiasm and commitment; and
• there were a number of areas within the Council where quick progress could be made in terms of implementing participatory budgeting.

Thereafter, the Board NOTED:-

i.  the presentation; and
ii. that the Council was likely to pursue the approach in 2015 in some areas and that partners were invited to
    participate where they were able or willing.

ii. Developing Local Community Planning

There had been circulated Report No CPB/03/15 by the Council’s Head of Policy and Reform which highlighted the current drivers for localising decision-making and in a partnership context.  These drivers challenged the earlier approach adopted for the CPP which focused on localising arrangements for particular themes.  The evolution of District Partnerships as local community planning forums was worth exploring but there were several issues identified to date for the Board to consider.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• localising community planning was complex and challenging but it was also empowering and, given the various drivers referred to in the report, it was an opportune time to build the basis of a transformative model;
• there were three key points, namely, the opportunity, the challenge and the collective need to ensure that work progressed as quickly as reasonably possible;
• it would be helpful to identify a number of rules such as increasing efficiency, avoiding duplication, improving clarity for local communities and not imposing a top-down structure but allowing a bottom-up structure to develop to meet the top-down requirements.  However, during further discussion it was suggested that setting rules could erect barriers and that principles and values, which could be developed by the Chief Officers’ Group, would be more appropriate;
• the SOA had been structured thematically and it was challenging to now think about splitting it geographically;
• working around the common objectives of the CPP compromised, to some extent, the individual aspirations and objectives of the partner agencies;
• District Partnerships had been specifically established as a result of the integration of health and social care and were not decision making bodies but stakeholder forums with a top-down approach to engagement.  It was emphasised that any changes to their remit would require the approval of both the Council and the NHSH Board;
• District Partnerships needed clarity and a sense of direction in order to move forward.  It was not possible to separate health and social care from the wider local agenda but, whilst they might be able to take on more of a role, it was doubtful that they could cover the full range of the SOA.  In addition, there were a number of other existing structures at a geographical level that should not necessarily be cut across;
• creating additional local forums was not viable in terms of staff resources and it was essential to rationalise;
• it was necessary to differentiate between consultation and engagement;
• focusing on the intended purpose and outcomes would minimise the adversarial elements and the solutions would develop over time; and
• the Director of Care and Learning and the Head of Policy and Reform together with NHS Highland’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Adult Social Care were currently visiting District Partnerships and, in terms of the message being conveyed regarding the direction of travel, it was confirmed that the CPP was minded that District Partnerships could be enhanced, if they thought that made sense, to have a broader community planning agenda.

Thereafter, the Board:-

i.  NOTED the current arrangements for local community planning by theme and by place and the drivers for re-
    thinking local community planning;
ii. NOTED that the scope of District Partnership business was expanding and in some cases this was leading to some
    duplication of work with the Council’s Area Committees.  Area Committees were to be reviewed, with the approach
    to that review to be considered by the Council in mid-March, with potential for that to contribute to a review of
    local community planning arrangements;
iii. AGREED to enable the development of proposals locally for local community planning, taking into account the
    issues identified in the report,  and that staff, non-executive Board and Elected Members be encouraged to be
    creative in their proposals for local experiments, noting that the pace of change might vary across the region;
iv. AGREED that updates on proposals and how they might be supported be provided to the Board, with those
    requiring changes to governance schemes to be approved through each partners’ governance arrangements; and
v. AGREED that the Chief Officers’ Group develop a set of principles and values for developing local community
    planning, taking into account the issues during discussion.

7. Membership of the Highland CPP

There had been circulated Report No CPB/04/15 by the Council’s Head of Policy and Reform which dealt with requests for fuller engagement with the Highland CPP from the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Skills Development Scotland.

The Board AGREED that a Chief Officer and Board Member from both the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Skills Development Scotland be invited to participate in the COG and Board meetings of the CPP, subject to their contribution to those meetings as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report.

8. National Public Health Review Consultation/Engagement – Highland Community Planning Partnership
    Response

There had been circulated Report No CPB/05/15 by the North of Scotland Public Health Network Co-ordinator, the Head of Health Improvement and the Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Highland which set out the background to the national Public Health Review and explained that the CPP Chief Officers’ Group, at its meeting on 23 February 2015, had agreed to a draft response being developed by the Public Health Directorate of NHS Highland.  Given the very tight timescales, it had been agreed to circulate the draft response prepared by NHS Highland and use it as the basis for generating further comment from the CPP.  The final response from the CPP would be produced according to the timetable set out in the report.

The Board:-

i. NOTED the action in relation to the consultation/engagement on the national Public Health Review; and
ii. AGREED to provide any comments on the draft response from the CPP by 10 March 2015.

9. Date of Next Meeting

The Board NOTED that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 3 June 2015 at 10.00 am in the Council Chamber, Highland Council Headquarters, Inverness.

At this point, the Chairman emphasised that it was important that all partners felt they had direct ownership of Community Planning Board agendas.  He encouraged partners to consider whether there were any issues they might want to raise and to liaise with the Council’s Head of Policy and Reform, who co-ordinated the agendas, in that regard.

Mr J Pryce, Director for Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities, Scottish Government, informed the Board that the Cabinet would be held in the Ironworks, Inverness on the afternoon of Monday 23 March 2015, followed by a public event in the evening.  A Programme was being prepared in liaison with the Council and he invited partners to contact him if there were any issues they would like to raise. 

The meeting ended at 12.20 pm.