Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Chief Officers Group will take place on Thursday, 30 January 2014, in Committee Room 2, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, at 2.00 p.m.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Michelle Morris
Depute Chief Executive

BUSINESS

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Minutes

i. Chief Officers Group

There are circulated for approval Minutes of Meeting of the Chief Officers Group held on 26 November 2013.

The Group is asked to note that henceforth Action Notes will be produced following these meetings and circulated to partners.

ii. Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board

There are circulated for reference Draft Minutes of Meeting of the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board held on 12 December 2013.

3. Partnership Approach to Reducing Health Inequalities

There will be a facilitated discussion led by the Director of Public Health and supported by the Head of Policy and Reform on reviewing the Partnership’s approach to reducing health inequalities.  Group members are asked to bring to the meeting a copy of the delivery plan for which they are responsible, or of the Single Outcome Agreement.

4. Community Planning Structure and Accountability Review 

i. Chief Officers Group

There is circulated Report No. COG/1/14 dated 24 January 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform setting out proposals for the development of community planning arrangements at the Highland level.

The Group is asked to agree:

i.  to use Audit Scotland’s four Key Lines of Enquiry as an approach to improving the Partnership, beginning with an additional meeting of this Group before 6 March 2014 to focus on identifying partnership priorities, which would help consider issues around the membership of the Group (and the Highland Public Services Partnership [HPSP] Performance Board) and its wider engagement with each partner’s leadership/management teams; and
ii.  how to re-brand the current HPSP Performance Board.

ii. Local Community Planning Models

There is circulated Report No. COG/2/14 by the Head of Communities and Democratic Engagement showing local community planning arrangements currently in place across Highland and proposing that the Guidance for District Partnerships (DPs) be reviewed to enable DPs to strengthen links with local community planning arrangements. 

The Group is asked to agree that:

i. a joint report be prepared by the Highland Council and NHS Highland for the next COG meeting clarifying the role of NHS Locality Planning meetings and DPs and recommending a way forward that adds value;
ii. District Partnerships be used to deliver the safer theme where there are currently no existing arrangements at the DP level (subject to such arrangements being finalised at a meeting between the Director of Health and Social Care and the Chief Superintendent in early February);
iii. a member from each Employability Group make links with the relevant DP and attend that DP where necessary; and
iv. the District Partnership Guidance document be redrafted to reflect these arrangements. 

5. Progress with the Single Outcome Agreement Development Plan and New Actions from the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board

i. Monitoring and Reporting from Thematic Groups

There is circulated Report No. COG/3/14 dated 22 January 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform on developing a consistent approach to monitoring and reporting performance from each thematic group. 

The Group is asked to:

i. discuss and agree the proposed approach to Single Outcome Agreement performance reporting, with the agreed approach used for the 4th quarter of 2013/14 (noting that some will be incomplete given the outstanding work required on delivery plans); and

ii. note the responsibility on lead officers to:

a) complete the delivery plans that include the performance and actions and to be achieved with partners by the end of March 2014, or ideally for the Board meeting on 6 March 2014; and
b) take responsibility for completing the performance templates and submitting them to the Council’s Corporate Performance Team in time for COG and Board scrutiny.

ii. Thematic Groups - Progress Updates

Thematic leads will provide a verbal update on: 

• any issues requiring consideration by the Group in relation to finalising their respective delivery plans by March 2014
• actions arising from the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board meeting held on 12 December 2013 regarding feedback on their performance reports and self-evaluation progress.

The Group is invited to consider the issues raised.

6. Joint Resourcing

There is circulated letter issued on 17 January 2014 from the Chair of the National Community Planning Group to the Chairs of the Community Planning Partnerships, previously forwarded by email to Group members.  The letter provides feedback from the National Community Planning Group on the stocktake of joint resourcing.

The Group is asked to:

• discuss the feedback from the National Community Planning Group on the stocktake of joint resourcing
• consider how to share budget planning information
• agree what the Highland Community Planning Partnership should present at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands on community planning and joint resourcing and prevention

7. Highland Public Services Partnership  Performance Board

Agenda items proposed for the 6 March 2014 meeting of the Highland Public Partnership Performance Board are listed below:

• progress reports from each responsible officer on their thematic delivery plans (standing item)
• partnership contribution to reducing health inequalities
• identifying CPP/Strategic priorities (if additional meeting of COG agreed)
• Board title and membership
• confirming Convention of the Highlands and Islands presentations from Highland CPP
• report on self-assessment programme for Board members (from national programme)
• possible presentation from Education Scotland on CLD requirements and inspections

8. Chief Officers Group – Future Meeting Dates

Group members are reminded that the following meeting dates for 2014 have been notified:

Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Friday, 29 April 2014
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Friday, 8 August 2014
Monday, 22 September 2014
Friday, 7 November 2014

The Group is invited to consider the inclusion of the following items as future business:

• partner approaches to improvement, e.g. NHS Highland improvement science; Highland Council Corporate Improvement Programme approach
• shifting to prevention – up-date on partnership prevention plan
• better and joined up community engagement – how it fits with themes – and an up-date on Community Learning and Development (CLD)