Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Chief Officers’ Group will take place in Committee Room 1, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 21 April 2016 at 11.00 am.

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

Lunch will be provided at 1.00 pm.

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 2 February 2016.

3. The Commission on Highland Democracy

The Council is in the process of establishing a Commission on Highland Democracy. This will build on the National Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy which published its findings in 2014, and will continue conversations locally about what kind of democracy we want to have in the Highlands. Approximately 12-14 people will sit on the Commission and it will be independently chaired by Rory Mair CBE, the former Chief Executive of COSLA and resident of the Highlands. The circulated report, presented to the Council on 10 March 2016, sets out the context for a Highland Commission and the sort of questions the Commission may wish to consider.  It is hoped that the Commission will be established by the end of May and will collect evidence for up to six months.

Rory Mair will be in attendance to discuss the forthcoming Commission with partners.

The Group is asked to note the report and that a Commission on Highland Democracy is in the process of being established.

4. Audit Scotland Report: Community Planning - An Update

There is circulated the Audit Scotland Report “Community Planning – An Update”.

The Group is asked to consider and discuss the report, its findings and recommendations.

5. Implementing the Community Empowerment Act

i. Statutory Guidance and Regulations for the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015

There is circulated the consultation on Draft Guidance and Regulation for Part 2 Community Planning of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

The Group is asked to discuss the draft guidance and consider its implications for Highland.

ii. Local Community Planning Experiments – An Update

There is circulated Report No COG/06/16 dated 11 April 2016 by the Acting Head of Policy, Highland Council, which provides an update on how to progress local community planning experiments within the context of the community planning duties contained within the Community Empowerment Act along with duties contained within the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013.

The Group is asked to:-

i. consider the discussions that have taken place to date in relation to taking forward local community planning experiments;
ii. note the discussions with key groups that are required prior to finalising proposals for the June Board and suggest any other forums to hold discussions with; and
iii. agree that the small working group continue in order to develop the arrangements and self-assessment framework further and report back to the next COG.

iii. SEP Index – Targeting Partnership Action

There is circulated Report No COG/07/16 dated 12 April 2016 by the Head of Health Inequalities, NHS Highland, and the Acting Head of Policy, Highland Council which provides an update on further work undertaken in relation to the SEP Index and recommends how to utilise this Index to target partnership action, including Locality Planning.

The Group is asked to agree:-

i. to recommend to the CPP Board, at its June meeting, that the SEP Index and the communities identified in Appendix 3 of the report be used to inform priorities for development of locality plans to meet the requirements of the Community Empowerment Act; and
ii. that discussions take place with District Partnerships and any other relevant local structures to raise awareness of the SEP Index and consider its uses to tackle inequalities.

iv. Participatory Budgeting Update

There is circulated Report No COG/08/16 dated 12 April 2016 by the Acting Head of Policy which highlights progress in the development of participatory budgeting (PB) in Highland. It sets PB in the context of the requirements of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, particularly the requirements to develop local democratic structures and involve communities in decision-making around resources.

The Group is asked to:-

i. note the statutory requirement for public participation in decision-making, including resource allocation, and that statutory guidance on this Part of the Act is awaited;
ii. comment on progress so far, noting the arrangements for rolling out PB across Highland; and
iii. consider how partners might contribute to the process.

v. Taking forward the shared duty on Community Planning – feedback from Chief Executive discussions

The Chief Executive, Highland Council, will give a verbal update.

6. Community Planning Improvement Programme – Final Report

There is circulated Report No COG/09/16 dated 30 March 2016 by the Chief Officer, Highland Third Sector Interface, which explains that the Community Planning Improvement Process has now been completed and a Plan (appended to the report) has been drafted for consideration and adoption by the Highland CPP.

The Group is asked to:-

i. discuss and comment on the plan; and
ii. consider the recommendation that, if adopted by the CPP Board, the COG would have general oversight of the progression of the plan and support the commitment necessary (time and resource) to the realisation of the plan.

7. City-Region Deal

The Director of Development and Infrastructure will give a presentation on the City-Region Deal. In that regard, there are circulated, for information, a brochure and the Heads of Terms agreement.

8. Scottish Care Leavers Covenant

There is circulated Report No COG/10/16 dated 8 April 2016 by the Director of Care and Learning, Highland Council, which explains that the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant was produced by an alliance of children’s organisations as “a bold step to make the changes needed to give care leavers the bright and better future they deserve.” It sets out a cross-sector approach to implementation of Part 10 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, by supporting corporate parents to deliver changes in action and practice to bring consistency to entitlement and support to young people.

The Group is asked to recommend to the Community Planning Board that it sign up to and endorse the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant.

9. Breakthrough Achievement – Social Isolation and Loneliness

At the Chief Officers’ Group on 2 February 2016, the Group agreed that NHS Highland progress a piece of work on social isolation and loneliness and that consideration be given to what the breakthrough achievement would be. In that regard, there is circulated Report No COG/11/16 by the Head of Health Inequalities, NHS Highland.

The Group is asked to agree that a breakthrough achievement for 2016/17 will be to sign up to a campaign that would see 1 in 3 staff in partner agencies sign a pledge to take action to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

10. Volunteer Week

The Chief Officer, Highland Third Sector Interface, will give a verbal update on Volunteer Week.

11. Future Agenda Items – Community Planning Board

Agenda items proposed for the Community Planning Board on 30 June 2016 are listed below:-

• Quarterly Progress Reports (Q4 2015/16) for all CPP themes
• Presentation on the Economy
• The Commission on Highland Democracy
• Audit Scotland national report: Community Planning – An Update
• Implementing the Community Empowerment Act
  - Statutory guidance and regulations for the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015
  - Local Community Planning Experiments – An Update
  - SEP Index - Targeting Partnership Action
  - Participatory Budgeting Update
• CPP approach to tackling fuel poverty
• Community Planning Improvement Programme
• Community Justice Governance
• Scottish Care Leavers Covenant
• Breakthrough Achievement – Social Isolation and Loneliness
• Syrian Refugees Update
• Strategic Police Priorities Consultation

12. Future Agenda Items – Chief Officers’ Group

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

• Living Wage arrangements across the CPP
• The Scope for a Salary Sacrifice Scheme for HLH Membership
• HIE Youth Survey
• Partnership Approach to Improvement Methodologies
• The ongoing work within the Council and in partnership to continue to support the closing of the gender pay gap in Highland
• Progress report on the implementation of the Community Empowerment Act 2015

13. Future Meeting Dates

Group Members are reminded that the following meeting dates have been notified for 2016:-

19 May
11 August
11 November