Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Community Planning Board held in the Culduthel Christian Centre, 5 Culduthel Avenue, Inverness on Thursday 3 October 2019 at 10.00 am.

Present:    
    
Representing the Highland Council (HC):
Mr A Christie
Ms L Denovan (Substitute)
Ms L Weber
Ms A Clark

Representing Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE):
Mr D Oxley

Representing the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI):
Ms I Grigor
Mr I Donald

Representing High Life Highland (HLH):
Mr S Walsh

Representing NHS Highland (NHSH):
Mr I Stewart
Ms C Steer

Representing Police Scotland (PS):
Supt R MacKillop (Substitute)

Representing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS):
Mr F Nixon (Substitute)

Representing Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH):
Mr G Hogg

Community Partnership Chairs:
Mr E Sinclair, Caithness
Ch Insp J Wilson, Sutherland
Ms S Street, Mid Ross (Substitute)
Ch Insp B Mackay, Nairn
Mr F Nixon, Badenoch and Strathspey (also representing the SFRS)
Mr G Ross, Inverness

In attendance:

Mr I Kyle, Chair, Community Learning, Development and Engagement Delivery Group
Ms E de Waal, Project Coordinator, Highland Aspiring Communities Project
Miss M Murray, Committee Administrator, Highland Council

Mr F Nixon in the Chair

Business

1.    Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr G Moir, Mr X McDade, Mrs M Davidson, Mr B Lobban, Mr A Mackinnon, Ms M Smith, Ms D Manson, Mr S Black, Mr J Gibbs, Prof B Robertson, Ch Supt G Macdonald, Mr R Middlemiss, Dr D Mackinnon, Mr D MacBeath, Mr A Dick, Ms A Clark and Mr R Muir.

2.    Minutes of Meetings

The Board:

i.    APPROVED the Minutes of the Community Planning Board – 20 June 2019;
ii.    NOTED the draft Note of the Chief Officers Group – 30 August 2019; and
iii.    NOTED the Minutes of the Community Justice Partnership – 12 June 2019.

3.    Developing Community Partnerships – Updates from Chairs

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

a.    Caithness (Eann Sinclair, HIE)
b.    Sutherland (Jamie Wilson, Police Scotland)
c.    East Ross (Andy Dick, SFRS)
d.    Mid Ross (Ann Clark, NHS Highland)
e.    Skye, Lochalsh and West Ross (Robert Muir, HIE – no update available)
f.    Lochaber (vacant – no update available)
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:

• it was highlighted that a proposal had been developed to build on the valuable work of the Aspiring Communities team in both Caithness and Sutherland.  An application would be submitted week beginning 7 October which it was hoped would come to fruition by the end of the year;
• the comprehensive report in respect of Sutherland Community Partnership, which was testament to the good work taking place, was welcomed;
• in relation to East Ross Community Partnership, it was explained that the current Chair, Andy Dick, had moved on to a promoted post in Aberdeenshire.  The Local Senior Officer would identify a replacement Chair as soon as possible and notify partners accordingly;
• it was highlighted that Education Scotland would be visiting Mid Ross Community Partnership in early November, as a follow-up to last year’s Community Learning and Development inspection, and preparations were underway in that regard.  It was added that the inspectors would be looking at information across all Community Partnerships and discussion in that regard would take place at the Community Partnership Chairs’ meeting following the Board;
• in relation to Lochaber Community Partnership, the appointment of a new Chair would be the subject of discussion at an NHS Highland Board Development Session later in the month and the decision would be notified to partners thereafter;
• in relation to Nairn Community Partnership, the lack of representation by some partners was an issue.  This would initially be addressed by the Chair and escalated if necessary; and
• in relation to Badenoch and Strathspey Community Partnership, attention was drawn to the excellent engagement work undertaken by the Engagement Officer for Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey, which had resulted in a significant amount of evidence for inclusion in the Child’s Plan.  This demonstrated what could be achieved with dedicated resources.

The Board:

i.    NOTED the updates; and
ii.    AGREED that partners be notified of the new Chairs of East Ross and Lochaber Community Partnerships as soon as they had been identified.

4.    Feedback from the CPP Development Day on 23 August 2019

The Chair of the Chief Officers Group/Director of Business and Sector Development, HIE, and the Acting Head of Policy, Highland Council, gave a presentation on the CPP Development Day on 23 August 2019.  The format of the day was summarised and detailed information was provided on the key actions identified, namely, to explore the possibility of an independent Chair of the Community Planning Board; to develop Terms of Reference for CPP structures at all levels; to identify key priorities; and the provision of support for Community Partnerships.  An overarching action was the need to identify resources to support and deliver on priorities.  Following the Development Day, key partners had met to discuss how best to move forward and it was intended to develop formal proposals for consideration by the Chief Officers Group and Board on 14 November and 18 December 2019 respectively.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• establishing links between the Highland Outcome Improvement Plan (HOIP) and Community Partnership priorities and actions was key;
• it was necessary to focus on the CPP’s priorities and get added value from partners coming together at meetings;
• in relation to the proposals to be presented to the Chief Officers Group and Board, it would be helpful to provide a timeline for implementation;
• it was necessary to expedite matters, and it was suggested that any new arrangements should be in place for the start of the new financial year;
• some Members considered the appointment of an independent Chair of the Board to be critical and suggested the report to the December Board should include potential recruitment processes for the post so that all the options were available and Members could make an informed decision.  It was hoped that the Board would one day be a public meeting, and the best means of achieving public engagement and interaction was an independent Chair who could be an ambassador for the CPP.  However, it was explained that it was first necessary to agree what the CPP structure would be going forward, and the Terms of Reference.  In addition, it was necessary to be mindful of the fact that there was a cost implication associated with the appointment of an independent Chair;
• it was necessary for the CPP to evaluate the HOIP and locality plans and hold itself to account in a robust way;
• the current CPP structure was complex and it was necessary to review how well it was working.  In relation to the Chief Officers Group and Board in particular, there was a significant overlap in terms of both the membership and the business, and it was questioned whether two separate groups were needed;
• a number of Board Members were not in attendance as they did not find it a productive use of their time, and it was necessary to turn that around; and
• Members of the Board were currently accountable to their own organisations/governance structures, and it was suggested that could be looked at.  A CPP body was needed that could find the resources required and drive decision-making at a pan-Highland level.

The Board:

i.    NOTED the feedback from the CPP Development Day; and
ii.    AGREED that formal proposals, including a timeline for implementation, be presented to the Chief Officers Group and Board on 14 November and 18 December 2019 respectively.

5.    Highland Outcome Improvement Plan (HOIP) Annual Report

There had been circulated Report No CPB/08/19 on behalf of the HOIP Subgroup.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• further work was required in terms of engaging with Community Partnerships and ensuring appropriate linkages between the HOIP Action Plans and Community Partnership priorities and actions.  Discussion in that regard would take place following the Board, at a meeting of HOIP Delivery Group leads and Community Partnership Chairs;
• given the challenges in terms of resources, it was necessary to identify existing data sources that could be used to evidence progress;
• key to the Community Learning, Development and Engagement (CLDE) Action Plan was the establishment of CLDE networks, and the importance of strong links between the networks and Community Partnerships was emphasised.  It was added that one of the ongoing challenges in that regard was the need to identify CLDE leads in a number of areas; and
• attention was drawn to the poor attendance at some of the Delivery Groups, and the need for chief officers to ensure that their agencies were represented was emphasised.

The Board NOTED:

i.    the update from the HOIP Delivery Groups;
ii.    the work identified at the CPP Development Day to progress the Action Plans and ensure appropriate linkages with Community Partnership priorities;
iii.    CPP performance in relation to the key national performance indicators; and
iv.    that updated HOIP Action Plans, including key performance indicators to support activity, would be presented to the December Board for consideration.

6.    Update on preparations for/impact of leaving the European Union

Verbal updates were provided on preparations for exiting the EU, during which it was explained that partners were working on the assumption of a no deal Brexit on 31 October 2019.  From a resilience planning perspective, the arrangements remained as previously reported.

The position regarding World Trade Organisation tariffs was becoming clearer and attention was drawn to the potential impact of a no deal Brexit on sectors such as agriculture, fishing, food and drink, and textiles.  HIE was in regular discussions with businesses and was examining the implications at both a sectoral and geographical level.  Updates would continue to be provided to the COG and Board.

Reference was made to the European funding that currently supported agriculture and crofting, and concern was expressed regarding the impact on Highland’s rural economy, particularly in remote and fragile areas, should that funding cease.  Discussions were underway in terms of what should replace it in a Scottish or UK context, and it was suggested that, where there were opportunities, it was necessary to lobby the Scottish Government for there to be no interruption to agricultural support.  In addition, assuming that support was to continue, it was necessary to ensure that Highland was seen as a high priority.

In relation to opportunities for lobbying, it was highlighted that the Convention of the Highlands and Islands, which had representatives from a number of partner agencies, was scheduled to meet in Inverness later in the month and would be a good opportunity for informal discussions with Scottish Ministers.

The Board NOTED the position.

7.    Local Child Poverty Action Report

There had been circulated Report No CPB/09/19 by the Acting Head of Policy, Highland Council.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:

• there was real value in using the Action Report as evidence and it was suggested that it be circulated to all community planning partners, including Community Partnership Chairs and HOIP Delivery Group Chairs.  It was added that the detailed Needs Assessment that supported the Action Report could also be made available, should partners wish to examine the data in more depth; 
• the process of producing the Action Report had been helpful in terms of reflecting on the significant amount of work taking place across the CPP around the theme of reducing inequalities;
• poverty was a cross-cutting theme in the various Inverness Community Partnership Plans and specific work was in progress with the target of reducing it;
• although child poverty sat within the Poverty Reduction Delivery Group, it needed to be embedded across all the HOIP priorities;
• a short presentation that could be used by partner agencies/Community Partnership Chairs, setting out some of the headlines from the Action Report, would be helpful;
• the data in the report proved what had been discussed anecdotally for some time in terms of rural poverty and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation not being an appropriate measure in that regard.  In particular, the statistics by Council Ward demonstrated that child poverty was a challenge throughout Highland communities and was not confined to areas of multiple deprivation; and
• one of the ongoing benefits of producing the report was the establishment of a network of partnerships with a similar demographic/interest in rural poverty.

The Board AGREED:

i.    the Local Child Poverty Action Report for 2018/19 for Highland; and
ii.    that the Action Report, the detailed Needs Assessment that supported it, and a short presentation, setting out some of the headlines, that could be used by partner agencies/Community Partnerships be circulated to all partners.

8.    The Highland Community Justice Partnership Annual Return

There had been circulated Report No CPB/10/19 on behalf of the Community Justice Partnership.

During discussion, it was commented that other areas of the UK, Manchester being cited as an example, were more successful than Highland in accessing proceeds of crime funding, and a report was sought on how much funding Highland had received in comparison with other areas.  It was added that the Chief Executive of Eden Court had expressed an interest in undertaking some activities with offenders and would welcome funding, and other organisations, such as High Life Highland, could put it to good use in terms of implementing activity that could break the cycle of offending.

Supt MacKillop, Police Scotland, explained that the CashBack for Communities Programme administered proceeds of crime funding in Scotland, and attention was drawn to their website which indicated that Highland had received project spend totalling £2,596,321 between 2018 and 2018, which was reasonably favourable in comparison with other areas.  Nevertheless, Members understood that not all the funding was distributed and questioned where it went and what else it was subsidising.

The Board:

i.    NOTED the Highland Community Justice Partnership Annual Return, as appended to the report; and
ii.    AGREED that a report on proceeds of crime funding, including how much Highland had received in comparison with other areas of the UK, be presented to the next meeting of the Board.

9.    Update on employment opportunities for people with previous convictions    

There had been circulated Report No CPB/11/19 by the Chair of the Community Justice Partnership.

In introducing the report, the Chair of the Community Justice Partnership highlighted that a number of partners had not yet provided information on the current percentage of their workforce with an offending history.  Rather than seek verbal updates, as some partners were not in attendance, he suggested that the information be sought by email.

Partners had also previously been asked to consider reviewing their recruitment practices.  In that regard, it was highlighted that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service had reviewed its policy in respect of the recruitment of people with an offending history, and it was suggested that it would be helpful to share it with partners when it had been finalised.  The Unit Manager – South, SNH, summarised SNH’s recruitment policy, explaining that it would only be known if a member of staff had a criminal record if it had come up as relevant to their role during the disclosure process, and it would therefore not be possible to provide statistics on the percentage of the workforce with an offending history.  He undertook to provide details of the policy, and of SNH’s HR Manager, to the Chair of the Community Justice Partnership.

The Board AGREED:

i.    that information on the current percentage of the workforce with an offending history be sought from those partners who had not yet provided it;
ii.    to nominate representatives to attend the short-life working group described in section 3 of the report, and that details thereof be emailed to the Community Justice Partnership Manager at cjmanager@highlandtsi.org.uk;
iii.    to ensure attendance at the employment event on 7 November 2019, as described in section 4 of the report; and
iv.    that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment policy in respect of people with an offending history be shared with partners when it was available; and
v.    that details of SNH’s HR Manager and recruitment policy in respect of people with an offending history be provided to the Chair of the Community Justice Partnership Manager.

10.    Update on Presumption Against Short Term Sentences

There had been circulated Report No CPB/12/19 by the Chair of the Community Justice Partnership.

During discussion, it was commented that there were community projects that would benefit from the Community Payback scheme, and information was sought on the mechanisms to engage it and how it was promoted within communities.  Other Members added that whilst the Community Payback scheme was very good, its ability to take on specific projects depended on the squad available at the time.

Given the interest in the Community Payback scheme, it was suggested that James Maybee, Principal Officer (Criminal Justice), Highland Council, be invited to attend a future meeting of the Board to provide further information in that regard.

The Board:

i.    NOTED the report; and
ii.    AGREED that James Maybee, Principal Officer (Criminal Justice), Highland Council, be invited to attend a future meeting of the Board to provide further information regarding the Community Payback scheme.
                   
11.    Date of Next Meeting

The Board NOTED that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 18 December 2019 in the Culduthel Christian Centre, 5 Culduthel Avenue, Inverness.

12.    Any Other Business

The Head of Health Improvement, NHS Highland, highlighted that it had been 12 months since the implementation of the CPP’s breakthrough achievement on suicide prevention and it was suggested that a report in that regard be presented to the December Board.

The Board so AGREED.

The meeting ended at 11.25 am.