Agendas, reports and minutes

Note of Meeting of the Chief Officers Group held in Committee Room 2, Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Thursday, 30 January 2014, at 2.00 p.m.

Present:
The Highland Council:

Mr S Barron
Mr B Alexander
Mr W Gilfillan
Ms C McDiarmid
Mr A McCann

The Highland Third Sector Interface:
Ms V Cameron

NHS Highland:
Ms E Mead
Dr M Somerville
Ms M Paton

Police Scotland:
Mr J Innes

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service:
Mr S Hay

Scottish Natural Heritage:
Mr G Hogg

University of the Highlands and Islands:
Mr M Wright

In Attendance:
Mrs R Moir, Principal Committee Administrator, the Highland Council  

1. Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Ms M Morris and Mr S Black, The Highland Council, Mr M Johnson, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Ms M Wylie, The Highland Third Sector Interface, Mrs J Baird, NHS Highland, Mr J Pryce, the Scottish Government, and Ms F Larg, University of the Highlands and Islands.

2. Minutes

i. Chief Officers Group

There had been circulated and were APPROVED Minutes of Meeting of the Chief Officers Group held on 26 November 2013.

The Group NOTED that henceforth Action Notes would be produced following these meetings and circulated to partners.

ii. Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board

There had been circulated for reference, and were NOTED, Draft Minutes of Meeting of the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board held on 12 December 2013.

3. Community Planning Structure and Accountability Review

i. Local Community Planning Models

At its meeting on 26 November 2013, the Group had agreed that the Corporate Manager prepare a report for this meeting on potential local community planning models, with particular reference to the scope for building on the existing structure of District Partnerships (DPs) to provide a model for delivering at least some partnership/SOA themes and for reinforcing links to those other agencies whose remit might not sit readily within the DP envelope, with the Lochaber model highlighted as a model of good practice.

There had been circulated Report No. COG/2/14 dated 27 January 2014 by the Head of Community and Democratic Engagement showing local community planning arrangements currently in place across Highland, with reference to the Lochaber model, and proposing that the Guidance for District Partnerships be reviewed to enable DPs to strengthen links with local community planning arrangements.  The report analysed the existing arrangements with reference to their coverage of the themes of Early Years, Older People, Safer Highland, Environment, and Employment & Economy.

Comments made during discussion included:

• The DP model was not intended to displace or duplicate existing effective local arrangements, but to offer a framework where gaps existed.
• The rationale for developing new structures was a focus on achieving outcomes benefitting local communities.
• Recognition was needed that streamlining structures with a view to greater effectiveness might require the dismantling of some current “legacy” arrangements.
• Whilst a localised geography-based structure was effective for delivery of people-centred services, addressing wider environmental issues might require some different approaches.
• A change in the role of District Partnerships and in the DP Guidance document would imply a change in the Council/NHS Partnership Agreement and could require its formal amendment. 
• Consideration was being given to how best to involve the Highland Third Sector Interface in these arrangements.

After discussion, the Group AGREED that:

i. a joint report be prepared by the Highland Council and NHS Highland for the next Group meeting clarifying the role of NHS Locality Planning meetings and District Partnerships (DPs) and recommending a way forward that would add value;
ii. District Partnerships be used to deliver the safer theme where there were 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 2014);
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, with a report on the re-draft brought back to this Group in the first instance.

ii. Chief Officers Group

There had been circulated Report No. COG/2/14 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 report reminded partners that, in their recent review of this Group’s remit, they had reinforced their desire to:

• identify key priorities to work on together that would have the greatest impact in the Highlands
• ensure that collaboration was real and effective and felt by the workforce across public services, with good practice shared and community planning relevant to everyone
• develop performance systems and self-evaluation that enabled peer review of progress in achieving outcomes.

The report also reminded partners of Audit Scotland’s four key lines of enquiry for community planning audits – Clear Strategic Priorities; Shared Leadership and Governance; Promoting Collaboration; Performance Management – and drew attention to a request by the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board (HPSPPB) that consideration be given to its title.  The report suggested that further discussion on identifying partnership priorities would help to address issues around the membership of this Group and also that of the HPSPPB, as well as the Group’s wider engagement with each partner’s leadership / management teams.

During discussion on the possible change of Board name, it was commented that the term “Highland Public Service Partnership” was not readily recognised, while familiarity with the term “Community Planning Partnership” had matured.  Whilst brevity of name was commendable, it should not inhibit clarity; addition of an explanatory strapline could be helpful.

After discussion, the Group AGREED:

i. to use Audit Scotland’s four Key Lines of Enquiry as an approach to improving the Partnership;
ii. to hold a workshop before the Partnership Board meeting on 6 March 2014 to focus on identifying partnership priorities; and
iii. to recommend re-branding the current HPSP Performance Board with a name more recognisable to the wider public, supplemented by a strapline, and to consider as an example “Community Planning Partnership (Delivering for the Highlands Together)”.

4. Partnership Approach to Reducing Health Inequalities

A facilitated discussion took place, 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. 

Participants were asked to allocate the actions from the theme groups, as set out in the Single Outcome Agreement, to the categories in the Health Scotland Health Inequalities Framework (Prevent, Mitigate and Undo).  The exercise resulted in the largest number of actions being allocated under Prevention, with Mitigation receiving fewer, and Undo the least number of actions.  However, a large number of actions were classified as “Unsure of their impact on inequalities”.

Points made during discussion included:

• The mix of outcomes and actions was difficult to assess for impact on inequalities.
• For many actions and outcomes, it was not clear what the expected impact would be, as they were universal statements that did not make any explicit reference to engaging hard to reach, vulnerable or deprived groups.
• There were too many actions for the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) to be able to oversee or be clear that each would make a difference to the outcome.

A number of proposed Chief Officer Group actions emerged from discussion:

• Each theme group should review its action plan in order to:

o categorise its actions as appropriate to be undertaken within one agency or in need of a multi-agency approach
o make explicit reference, where appropriate, to reducing inequalities through specific pro-active work to engage vulnerable and hard to reach groups and those most likely to benefit from the proposed work
o identify one or two key actions or programmes of work that should be a specific focus for the Group and the Partnership Board

• The Chief Officer Group should debate the merits of identifying a small number of key areas that would benefit from a partnership approach and set some criteria for their identification, which could include:

o potential impact on inequalities
o involvement of more than two agencies
o a gap in current work programmes for individual agencies
o a need for strategic direction and leadership
o being agreed as a major issue in terms of numbers/impact/service activity

• There should be further discussion of proposed areas of CPP work and development of multiagency plans in relation to:

o employability
o difficult families
o obesity
o sustainability
o the application of community development as a main tool to focus engagement and work in local communities

It was also suggested that it would be helpful, at the workshop agreed at item 3.2(ii) above, to seek to identify a number of more focussed partnership priorities with key added value for addressing inequalities, with consideration given to a particular focus on the small core of the most difficult and disadvantaged “hard to reach” families, and to the potential for delivery on “gap” issues not otherwise being addressed, with a further report brought back to the Group.

After discussion, the Group NOTED:

i. the wide range of objectives identified by the various theme groups; and
ii. the need to take particular account of those objectives whose delivery for some might in practice also contribute to widening inequality for others.

The Group also AGREED to take forward the Group actions identified during discussion.

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

i. Monitoring and Reporting from Thematic Groups

There had been 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. 

Partners were reminded that the SOA required the following by the end of March 2014:
~ finalisation of delivery plans for the seven themes within the SOA
~ systems to be in place for performance data to be gathered, base-lines set, and data analysed and reported as part of the new governance arrangements for the CPP.

Accordingly, lead officers needed to submit reports in relation to:

o scrutiny and assistance at the Chief Officers Group
o scrutiny at the HPSPP Board
o the annual report to the Scottish Government on the SOA
o partners’ respective governance arrangements
o statutory duties on public performance reporting

The report proposed a single template for all updates, with the last quarterly update in the year providing the annual report, and relevant timescales and processes for submission. 

Comments made during discussion included:

• Partners had a range of reporting obligations and every effort should be made to avoid duplicate of time and effort, while at the same time ensuring that all obligations were met.
• The template as drafted would be time-consuming to complete and an attempt should be made to simplify it and to align it as closely as possible with the templates of other existing required reporting processes.
• Consideration should be given to full reporting to the Partnership Board being done on a six-monthly basis rather than at each quarterly meeting, with “exceptions” reporting only at the intermediate meetings.

Following discussion, the Group AGREED that a revised reporting template be brought to the next Group meeting with a view to reducing the bureaucratic demand on staff time; and NOTED the responsibility on lead officers to:

i. complete the delivery plans by the end of March 2014, or ideally for the Partnership Board meeting on 6 March 2014, to include the performance and actions to be achieved with partners; and
ii. take responsibility for completing the performance templates, once agreed, and submitting them to the Council’s Corporate Performance Team in time for Group and Board scrutiny.

ii. Thematic Groups - Progress Updates

Thematic leads provided brief verbal updates on:

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

Comments made during discussion included:

• In relation to the Early Years theme: there was considerable activity at a national level on childcare issues that would impact on local delivery and could assist focus.
• In relation to the Safer Highland theme: the move to national Services for both Police and Fire & Rescue meant that some administrative arrangements were still in transition; progress was, however, satisfactory.
• In relation to the Inequalities theme: work was progressing on a range of issues, including on mapping the various community development resources; there needed, however, to be recognition that community development officers were in post in relation to a wide range of themes/responsibilities/agencies and a comprehensive overview was needed for any mapping exercise.
• In relation to the Older People theme: NHSH would share the draft of a new Strategic Commissioning Document with partners in the Group.
• Also on this theme: there would be benefit in some partnership work being carried out on developing a public communications strategy in relation to the changing approaches and expectations on Older People care.
• In relation to the Environment theme: attention was drawn to the development of the Highland Environment Forum, in particular its role in drawing together a range of related voluntary activities.

Having considered the comments made and issues raised, the Group NOTED the updates and that further discussions would be held between the relevant partner bodies on the mapping of community worker / community development posts and their appropriate co-ordination in the interests of optimising support to local communities and avoiding duplication, with a further report to the Group.

6. Joint Resourcing

There had been 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 provided feedback from the National Community Planning Group on the stocktake of joint resourcing.

Comments made during discussion included:

• Some partners did not set local budgets, which were determined at national level.
• Budget decisions by individual partners, such as rationalisation of local assets, could impact on the scope for partnership working in the relevant communities; individual governance requirements, however, could mean constraints on information sharing, other than on an informal basis, particularly where proposals had already reached an advanced stage.  Discussions with partners on such issues should be held as early as possible.
• A report would be brought to a future meeting on the scope for joint procurement; consideration could also be given as to whether and how the Third Sector Interface might also benefit from this.

After discussion, the Group AGREED that:

i. further consideration be given to sharing of budget planning information, given the potential impact on joint working opportunities, while recognising the limited local budget control available to some partners; and
ii. while leaving it open for further suggestions to made over the following couple of weeks, in principle the Highland Community Planning Partnership give a presentation at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands on community planning and joint resourcing and prevention in relation to the issue of homelessness, to be led by the Highland Council Homelessness Team.

7. Highland Public Services Partnership  Performance (HPSP) Board

The Group NOTED the following proposed agenda items for the 6 March HPSP Performance Board meeting:

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

8. Chief Officers Group – Future Meeting Dates

The Group NOTED the following meeting dates for 2014, of which Members had previously been notified, and that other partners were invited to take the chairing role:

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 AGREED the inclusion of the following items as future business, with the main theme of the Group’s next meeting to be the economy:

• the new European Programmes for the next seven years and how these could help to deliver the Partnership’s outcomes (to be considered at an early meeting)
• budget issues, including joint procurement
• partner approaches to improvement, e.g. NHS Highland improvement science; the Highland Council Corporate Improvement Programme approach
• shifting to prevention – update on partnership prevention plan
• better and joined up community engagement – how it fits with the identified themes – and an up-date on Community Learning and Development (CLD)

The Group also AGREED that:

i. other public sector agencies be invited to participate as appropriate in the relevant theme groups, such as: (Safer Highland) the Scottish Prison Service, Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Children's Reporter Administration; (Economy) Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre Plus; (Environment) Crofters Commission; Scottish Environmental Protection Agency; and
ii. consideration be given to holding an Annual Forum of agency leaders.

The meeting ended at 4.45 p.m.