Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Community Planning Board held in the Main Conference Room, Police Scotland Divisional Headquarters, Old Perth Road, Inverness on Wednesday 19 December 2018 at 10.00 am.

Present:    
    
Representing the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA):
Mrs C Caddick (Substitute)

Representing the Highland Council (HC):
Mr A Christie
Ms D Manson
Mr S Black
Mr I Kyle (Substitute)
Ms A Clark
Mr P Mascarenhas
Ms E Johnston

Representing Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE):
Mr J Gibbs

Representing High Life Highland (HLH):
Mr I Murray

Representing NHS Highland (NHSH):
Dr D Alston
Ms C Steer

Representing Police Scotland (PS):
Ch Supt G Macdonald

Representing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS):
Mr R Middlemiss

Representing Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH):
Mr B Leyshon (Substitute)

Representing the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI):
Mr D MacBeath

Community Partnership Chairs:
Mr E Sinclair, Caithness
Ch Insp I Maclelland, Sutherland
Ms A Clark, Mid Ross
Mr S MacPherson, Skye, Lochalsh and West Ross
Mr F Nixon, Badenoch and Strathspey
Mr G Ross, Inverness
    
In attendance:

Mr R Muir, Area Manager – Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, HIE
Miss M Murray, Committee Administrator, Highland Council

Ch Supt G Macdonald in the Chair

Business

1.    Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr G Moir, Mrs M Davidson, Mr B Lobban, Mr A Mackinnon, Ms M Smith, Ms S Campbell, Mr W Gilfillan, Mr D Oxley, Ms I Grigor, Mr D McLachlan, Prof H van Woerden, Dr D Mackinnon, Mr G Hogg and Mr R Dibble.

2.    Minutes of Meetings

The Board:

i.    APPROVED the Minutes of the Community Planning Board – 4 October 2018;
ii.    NOTED the draft Note of the Chief Officers Group – 9 November 2018; and
iii.    NOTED the Minutes of the Community Justice Partnership – 12 September 2018.

3.    Developing Community Partnerships

i.    Updates from Chairs

There had been circulated updates from Community Partnership Chairs, as follows:

a.    Caithness (Eann Sinclair, HIE)
b.    Sutherland (Iain Maclelland, Police Scotland)
c.    East Ross (Ricky Dibble, SFRS)
d.    Mid Ross (Ann Clark, NHS Highland)
e.    Skye, Lochalsh and West Ross (Stuart MacPherson, HIE)
f.    Lochaber (no update available due to there being no Chair in post)
g.    Nairn (Brian Mackay, Police Scotland)
h.    Badenoch and Strathspey (Fraser Nixon, SFRS)
i.    Inverness (Graham Ross, Highland Council)

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• further information was sought, and provided, on the joint work being undertaken by Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau and Wick High School to tackle poverty, particularly amongst young people;
• detailed discussion took place regarding the misuse of drugs in Caithness and the associated community concern, particularly in relation to the emerging issue in terms of prescription drugs being purchased online from overseas.  Amongst the points raised were how much of the data was anecdotal as opposed to trend, and how it was being logged; the opportunities, in terms of locality, children’s and adult plans, for preventative, multi-agency work; the importance of links with the Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, which had produced community profiles for each Community Partnership and signed off a new strategy and action plan; and the need to weave the issue into the work of the Community Partnership rather than addressing it in isolation.  In relation to public protection and risk management it was explained that, whilst the issue was a challenge, it had yet to be determined whether it represented a significant risk.  It was suggested that further local intelligence was required and, if necessary, the matter would be escalated through the appropriate channels.  Partners also raised the issue of Personal and Social Education (PSE) and the importance of it being up-to-date and relevant to Highland’s young people.  The Chair of Mid Ross Community Partnership highlighted that PSE had emerged from the consultation that had taken place in respect of the children’s plan, and work was taking place at local level in terms of incorporating young people’s views on how it needed to change.  She undertook to establish the local position and update Community Partnership Chairs accordingly. It was added that there was also a Highland Substance Awareness Toolkit which had been developed in conjunction with young people to support schools and the curriculum;
• the Chair of Sutherland Community Partnership drew attention to the Partnership Presentation Day scheduled to take place in Lairg on 30 January 2019.  Other Partnerships were welcome to participate and he undertook to circulate details;
• it was highlighted that a number of successful initiatives had arisen from Sutherland Community Partnership – eg a community food store, work by young people to educate the elderly on the use of technology, and MiDAS training for volunteer drivers.  In terms of how to capture such examples of good practice, the Partnership Chair undertook to prepare a template and suggested that consideration be given to establishing a central directory that all partners could contribute to.  Support was expressed in that regard, and it was highlighted that there was a Members’ section on the CPP website that could potentially be utilised.  In relation to older people and technology, the Chair of Mid Ross Community Partnership added that an emerging issue was the difficulty some older people faced in accessing services as so much had moved online.  Initial discussions had taken place regarding young people providing assistance, and she undertook to share the work that had brought the issue to light and suggested that cross-partnership discussions take place as to how to address it;
• the Suicide Intervention and Prevention Programme training had been well received and, on the point being raised, it was confirmed that there were more dates planned over the next six months and beyond, and there were opportunities to extend the training beyond partnership agencies;
• it was confirmed that the recent Audit Scotland report on health and social care integration had been discussed at NHS Highland’s Audit Committee and consideration was being given to the best forum to discuss it with partners;
• in relation to Skye, Lochalsh and West Ross Community Partnership, it was highlighted that Robert Muir, Area Manager – Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, HIE, had returned to work and would resume the role of Chair in due course;
• with regard to the Ritchie Report, a useful meeting with the community had taken place in early December and another was planned for May 2019.  In addition, some additional resource had been identified, both by the community and NHS Highland, in support of the process;
• on behalf of NHS Highland, the Chair of the NHS Highland Board apologised for the issues being experienced in relation to Lochaber Community Partnership.  With regard to the support element, discussions had taken place with the Chief Officer, NHS Highland, and it was considered that progress could be made quickly.  Appointing a Chair required the appointment of Non-Executive Directors to the NHS Highland Board which, it was explained, was a national process and would not be completed until March 2019.  However, he undertook to review the deployment of existing Non-Executives with a view to implementing a short-term solution.  The Chair welcomed the update and the Acting Chair of Skye, Lochalsh, and West Ross Community Partnership extended an offer of support in terms of sharing experience;
• the appointment of Community Engagement Workers through the Aspiring Communities fund was welcomed and thanks were expressed to the Chief Officer, HTSI, in that regard;
• existing Community Partnership Chairs had been in post for some two years, and the need to identify new Chairs and start planning the handover was emphasised;
• it was necessary to address the disparity in support provided by statutory partners and ensure that there was fairness and equity across Community Partnerships.  In that regard, it was explained that Community Partnership resourcing had been discussed at the Chief Officers Group and it had been agreed that a meeting of lead agencies be convened in January 2019 to agree how to progress matters.  Further discussion ensued, during which expansion was sought, and provided, on the discussions that had taken place and, in particular, the proposed hub/virtual environment model.  It was added that Community Partnerships undertook invaluable work and Chief Officers were committed, as a matter of urgency, to putting more formal arrangements in place to support them going forward.  It was suggested that the solution would be a hybrid of the potential options, involving identifying small sums of money as well as staff resource.  All partners were operating in the same challenging financial arena but it was emphasised that a small amount of funding could make a difference to community initiatives;
• from a Council perspective, there was real political support for the work taking place in localities and it featured heavily in the Council Programme;
• an issue that had emerged during the Community Learning and Development inspection and the Community Partnership Development Day was that partners still needed to raise awareness amongst staff in terms of what Community Planning was about and what their contribution might be.  It was added that the need for cultural change had also arisen at the COSLA facilitated workshop in respect of the Local Governance Review, which would be discussed under item 5 on the agenda; and
• the Chair of Inverness Community Partnership drew attention to the “It’s good to know” showcase event by voluntary sector organisations, which had taken place at the last Partnership meeting, and commended it to partners.

Thereafter, the Chair having welcomed the standardisation of the update reports and commended the good work taking place in the various localities, the Board:

i.    NOTED  the updates; and
ii.    AGREED that the possibility of implementing a directory of good practice on the CPP website be explored.

ii.    Update from Chief Officers Group

There had been circulated Report No CPB/13/18 on behalf of the Chief Officers Group.

The Board:

i.    NOTED the update on resourcing of Community Partnerships and that a meeting of lead agencies would take place in the new year to progress this work;
ii.    NOTED the outcome of the Aspiring Communities bid and recruitment process and AGREED to support the following 12 month project plan, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report; and
iii.    NOTED the outputs from the Community Partnership development day held in Strathpeffer on 16 November 2018.

4.    Proposed Breakthrough Achievement – Single Use Plastics

There had been circulated Report No CPB/14/18 by the Unit Manager, South Highland, SNH.

In addition to the report, the Director of Development and Infrastructure, Highland Council, summarised the objectives in the Council’s Single Use Plastic Strategy and Action Plan, which had been approved by the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee on 8 November 2018.  He offered to share the Action Plan with partners and suggested that work be undertaken with key people in partner agencies to develop a CPP Action Plan.

During discussion, partners expressed support for the proposed breakthrough achievement, commenting that it was prudent to collectively do something proactive rather than waiting for new legislation to be implemented.  Given that much of the concern was about plastic in the marine environment it was suggested that it was necessary to involve the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which was not currently represented on the CPP.

Thereafter, the Board AGREED:

i.    a breakthrough achievement to:

• remove plastic straws from general use across all partners;
• remove, or reduce as far as possible, single use plastics from catering operations;
• work with contractors and suppliers to reduce/remove single use plastics where appropriate and explore how this might be incorporated formally into procurement processes; and
• collaborate across named contacts in each organisation to:

           - share thinking, knowledge and experience across the Partnership; and
           - raise awareness externally within Highland to promote the issue of plastic pollution and its solutions.

ii.    that the Council’s Single Use Plastic Action Plan be shared with partners; and
iii.    that work be undertaken with key people in partner agencies, including SEPA, to develop a CPP Single Use Plastic Action Plan.

5.    Local Governance Review

There had been circulated Report No CPB/15/18 by the Acting Head of Policy, Highland Council.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• on the point being raised, it was confirmed that the outcome of the Commission on Highland Democracy had been fed back to the Government at an early stage;
• information was sought, and provided, in terms of what other proposals were being developed across Scotland, only three of which had been publicly submitted to date.  In particular, it was explained that some of the emerging themes were around structural change or improved collaboration in relation to particular thematic areas such as health and social care.  Support for Community Councils was also a key theme across the country.  The emerging themes in Highland related to improving collaboration rather than structural change, and a positive response had been received in that regard;
• something not captured in the report was the need to try and achieve a greater understanding of the complex collaboration required in an area as diverse as Highland, and the tensions that existed between the city of Inverness and fragile rural areas;
• Police Scotland had been asked to provide a national response and common themes emerging from the engagement events that had taken place were bureaucracy from national to local government and the Government inferring it wanted a particular outcome but not having the enablers in place to allow it to be delivered.  In addition, where savings were realised locally, eg through estate realignment, it would be preferable if the money was reinvested in the area rather than going into central funds;
• there was a desire for Scottish cities to have more say over what Transport Scotland and Scottish Enterprise did locally;
• the review presented an opportunity for the CPP to be really thoughtful and challenge itself in terms of whether it could do a lot more locally than it was doing already;
• it would be helpful not to see the issues in relation to Community Councils as a separate strand and to take cognisance of them in whatever proposal was developed.  In that regard, it was highlighted that the Council had had significant engagement with Community Councils in recent months and that had helped get them to a more positive place;
• the need for clarity of message to communities in terms of their ability to influence was emphasised, as was the need to be as inclusive as possible in terms of the groups represented.  In terms of how that would be taken forward beyond submitting a proposal, it was explained that there were two potential arms, namely, Community Partnerships and, in relation to key themes such as transport, poverty etc, the HOIP Delivery Groups;
• it might be sensible to set out what the CPP’s aims and aspirations were so that there was an understanding of what the Partnership was doing and wanted to achieve itself, and that the proposal was about enabling better collaboration through different mechanisms;
• there was a drive to do more locally but there were a number of barriers;
• in relation to inclusivity, it was acknowledged that Community Partnerships were not where they wanted to be.  However, all Partnerships were undertaking work that was giving them information about what community groups thought about their engagement methods, and were taking steps to try and improve.  A key message was that communities wanted Partnerships to go to them, not the other way around, so efforts had been focussed on engaging with people outwith Partnership meetings.  For example, in Mid Ross, partners had recently attended a parents evening at Ben Wyvis Primary School.  There were examples of good practice in terms of how to be more inclusive and it was necessary to support existing structures to implement that way of working and potentially develop some tools.  It was added that it was necessary to close the feedback loop and ensure that robust processes were in place in that regard.  Above all, communities were interested in whether anything had changed as a result of their input and unless it could be demonstrated that resources were being redirected in line with their priorities they would not continue to engage;
• work to date had focussed on geographical communities and it was necessary to look at communities of interest and how they fed into the CPP structure;
• whilst all partners were challenged financially, there were still great opportunities and it was important to be mindful of the message given out;
• people responded well to engagement about the future of their community.  For example, there had been a big turnout at the recent Fort William 2040 public workshop; and
• the complexity of the partnerships in Highland might not be as well understood at national level and it was suggested that signposting areas of best practice that exemplified what was being sought in terms of capacity building and inclusivity would be helpful.

Thereafter, the Board:

i.    NOTED the discussions which had taken place since the last Board meeting on developing a proposal for the Local Governance Review;
ii.    NOTED the feedback from the COSLA facilitated workshop;
iii.    NOTED the key emerging themes;
iv.    NOTED the arrangements for agreeing a final submission to the Scottish Government; and
v.    AGREED to develop a final proposal, based on the points raised during discussion, for consideration by the Chief Officers Group on 23 January 2019 and circulation to Board Members for final consideration prior to submission at the end of January 2019.

6.    Community Asset Reviews

There had been circulated Report No CPB/16/18 by the Community and Democratic Engagement Manager, Highland Council.

The Community and Democratic Engagement Manager gave a brief presentation in amplification of the report.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• reference was made to the review of the Police Scotland estate and the lessons learned in terms of meaningful public engagement;
• support was expressed for the approach described, which presented an opportunity to realign the public sector estate and create far more dynamic, efficient public services in communities;
• there were a number of areas throughout Highland where the approach could be replicated and it was considered that significant progress could be made as a partnership over the next 12 months;
• examples of colocation with the Department for Work and Pensions and other agencies in Council properties in Wick and Fort William were provided;
• colocation was easier to implement in conjunction with new projects.  Where partners were seeking to rationalise and there was not a lot of capital it was more challenging;
• in areas where there was not an active property market, rationalisation could lead to redundant buildings.  As demonstrated by the recent town centre health checks, buildings mattered to communities in terms of confidence and a significant number of redundant buildings could have a negative impact.  If properties were to be vacated it was necessary to have a plan as to their future use so that town centres did not become run down and unattractive, to the detriment of locals and visitors
• the Council had challenging targets for rationalising properties next year, and there was merit in working more closely with partners;
• approaches from the third sector and communities were often from more vibrant communities with capacity and it was important to ensure that the CPP’s focus on inequalities was built into the community asset review process.  Indeed, other partners added that it should be addressing inequalities that drove the process;
• it was less about the buildings themselves than what happened in them, and it was necessary to break down the barriers in terms of individual areas of responsibility and work together in innovative ways to make services and amenity space more accessible and improve outcomes;
• if people understood the challenges driving change and the importance of sustainability into the future they would be more understanding when it came to some of the difficult decisions that had to be made.  The need for clarity of message from the beginning was emphasised, and it was suggested that a piece of work in that regard would be helpful;
• the information from localities was key in terms of understanding the various tensions that existed – for example, what were the issues within the city of Inverness and how did they impact on the rest of Highland in terms of opportunities for growth etc.  In addition, housing was a real challenge in some parts of Highland, whether in terms of depopulation leading to empty houses in Wick or the lack of affordable housing in the Cairngorms National Park, Inverness and the west;
• in the context of education, all the agencies involved were expected to be more joined up and have more coherent provision, and that included the appropriate use of the available estate.  There were two major campus developments currently being progressed, as well as a number of smaller ones, and it was imperative that the relevant agencies discussed the estate requirements to make sure they were not only college campuses but could embrace the needs of the school sector and other agencies;
• partners questioned what could be done systematically to ensure that the necessary consultation took place and all opportunities for collaboration were fully embraced;
• in terms of next steps, it was suggested that it was a matter of identifying pilot areas and having discussions with Community Partnerships as to how to approach the matter locally;
• it was important to emphasise that the process could be a positive opportunity for communities, not only in terms of better collaboration and outcomes, but in terms of freeing up money from buildings that could be invested in other things;
• there might be merit in a community profile approach, similar to that taken to alcohol and drugs issues;
• while pilots were a good way forward, the need for a strategic framework was emphasised and it was suggested that this be delegated to the Chief Officers Group.  It was added that some communities might not welcome the term “pilot”;
• it would be helpful for Community Partnerships to have a common starting point in terms of tools;
• the directory of good practice referred to under item 3i would be a good place to highlight examples of colocation etc already taking place;
• there was a need for greater impetus in relation to the Highland Public Sector Property Group, and it was suggested that the Council’s Director of Development and Infrastructure and Community and Democratic Engagement Manager attend the next meeting and report back to the Board.  Regular reports to the Board on live projects would also be helpful;
• the approach presented an opportunity for some quick wins, and it was necessary to give it more prominence across the CPP.  It was suggested that, to facilitate forward-thinking and communication between agencies, Community Asset Reviews should be a standing item on the Board and Community Partnership agendas;
• discussion took place regarding community asset transfer, during which it was suggested that there might be merit in organisations such as HTSI, the Development Trusts Association and Community Land Scotland sharing their experiences.  In addition, there might be opportunities in relation to the national Strengthening Communities Conference run by HIE.  The Community and Democratic Engagement Manager explained that there were various models developing throughout Highland that it would be worth highlighting, examples of which were provided.  It was added that community asset transfer presented interesting opportunities in terms of how communities could actually support partner organisations.  It would be helpful to look at what was happening in terms of capacity building for communities to take assets on, and it was suggested that an update in that regard be provided to a future meeting; and
• the urgency in terms of the issues being faced in relation to recruitment and retention was emphasised, and it was suggested that the matter be added to the agenda for the Chief Officers Group on 23 January 2019.  In relation to the associated requirement for housing in some areas, it was explained that converting older buildings into housing was sometimes challenging due to the cost benchmarks, and attention was drawn to the Strategic Housing Investment Plan.

The Board AGREED:

i.    to support the approach described and that it should be a standing item on future agendas;
ii.    that there was a need for greater impetus in relation to the Highland Public Sector Property Group and that the Council’s Director of Development and Infrastructure and Community and Democratic Engagement Manager attend the next meeting and report back to the next Board;
iii.    that it be delegated to the Chief Officers Group to develop a strategic framework and communication strategy;
iv.    that discussions take place at Community Partnership level in terms of local assets and how they could potentially be better utilised;
v.    that an update on the current position in terms of capacity building for communities to take on assets be provided to a future meeting; and
vi.    that talent attraction and retention be added to the agenda for the Chief Officers Group on 23 January 2019.

7.    Update on Breakthrough Achievement on Suicide Prevention

There had been circulated Report No CPB/17/18 by the Head of Health Improvement and the Health Promotion Specialist, NHS Highland, on behalf of Ch Supt Macdonald, Police Scotland.

Having congratulated those involved on the success of the initiative, the Board:

i.    NOTED progress with the breakthrough achievement on suicide prevention;
ii.    AGREED to encourage staff from partner organisations to sign up to the “2nd round” of Suicide Intervention and Prevention Programme training; and
iii.    AGREED to continue to promote the Prevent Suicide - Highland App.

8.    Date of Next Meeting

The Board NOTED that the next meeting would be held on Thursday 21 March 2018 in the Main Conference Room, Police Scotland Divisional Headquarters, Old Perth Road, Inverness.

Valedictory

Given her imminent retirement, thanks were expressed to Elaine Mead, Chief Executive, NHS Highland, for her valuable contribution to the Community Planning Partnership over a number of years.

The meeting ended at 12.20 pm.