Agenda and minutes

Andrew Campbell welcomed everyone and introduced Sue Gledhill, Highlands and Islands Enterprise to the meeting.

Andrew advised that Marlene Baillie, Local Authority Liaison Officer, had recently taken up the post of Inspector in Dunoon.  Marlene’s successor on the Management Committee would be Sergeant Gordon Anderson whom the Committee looked forward to meeting.

It was agreed that Andrew would write to Marlene to thank her for her involvement with the Partnership and wishing her well in her new post.

Action Note: Andrew Campbell to write to Marlene Baillie

The minutes of the meeting of 23 August 2006 were accepted as an accurate record.

Customer Contact Centre

Brian Barker advised that the Project Boart had yet to meet.

Reference minutes of last meeting held on 23 August 2006 Andrew Campbell agreed to continue as Chair of the Management Committee until October 2007.                       

The Management Committee discussed the note circulated by Eileen Wilson, Community Planning Manager, clarifying duties expected of the Chair and agreed that –

• The Chair of the Argyll & Bute Community Planning Partnership Management Committee should rotate amongst the partners for a term of 2 years.
• The Chair would not be a Council representative as the Council already Chairs the full CPP
• The Vice-Chair would deputise for the Chair and take on the role of the Chair when the Chair retires.

The meeting received positive comments from Ken Abernethy, Aileen Edwards and others on the helpful note and in regard to the opportunity given to each  partner organisation to take on the role of Vice-chair and then Chair of the CPP Management Committee for a term of 2 years.

The Management Committee discussed the appointment of Vice-Chair of the Management Committee and agreed Raymond Park, Strathclyde Police, be invited to act as Vice-Chair in the first instance, followed by Elaine Garman of NHS Highland, followed by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue.

Action Note:   Andrew Campbell to contact Superintendent Raymond

Park, Strathclyde Police, inviting him to act as Vice-Chair

Report by Arlene Cullum

Arlene Cullum, Argyll and Bute Council’s Corporate Funding Officer had circulated a note to the Management Committee providing information on the establishment of Big Lottery Fund local partnerships hubs for discussion and feed back their views to Arlene.

Arlene had indicated that the establishment of local partnership Hubs would have many benefits, including ensuring that funding met priorities of the CPP, maximising funding into Argyll and Bute through intelligent investment (eg appropriate match funding), maximising resources through Partnership working – savings, streamlining funding deadlines and information required with external funders, Partnership with BLF would ensure needs understood and funding targeted, and information on who would be receiving funding for forward planning.

It was agreed that Arlene should progress the development of the Argyll & Bute Local Partnership HUB, with the input of Eileen Wilson, CPP Manager, feeding into the Management Committee.  A progress report will be submitted to the Management Committee meeting on 6 December 2006.

                        Action Note:   Eileen Wilson to provide a progress report to the

Management Committee meeting to be held on 6

December 2006

The Management Committee noted Eileen Wilson’s report on the Community Planning Annual Review 2005/06.

The meeting discussed various matters arising from the review, including the format and size of the document, and showing the processes that had improved with CPP involvement.  Eileen advised that as much information as possible had been included in the review report which was produced to give the Management Committee and partners the opportunity to amend this prior to submission to the CPP Biennial Conference in June 2007.

It was agreed that appropriate, up to date, photographic evidence of partnership achievements, contact details and additional comments from partner organisations should be included in the review.

The meeting agreed that a shortened document should also be produced as a convenient information leaflet which would be distributed to local communities throughout the area

Action note:         Partners to submit comments on the report along with photographs to Eileen Wilson by the end of October 2006

Eileen Wilson submitted note, copies having previously been circulated, on the Community Plan for 2007-2012 which would be built around the leading Rural Area vision for Argyll and Bute and developed through a process of collaboration where partners and communities have the opportunity to comment  on the proposed key topics to be addressed by the partnership over the five year period.

Building the plan would happen between now and June 2007 when a draft plan will be presented at the 2007 Biennial Conference.  The process will foster new working relationships, build on strengths of existing ones, create new opportunities for joint initiatives and identify new opportunities.

As the first phase of this process the Management Committee discussed and agreed key topics which would be followed up by a more detailed process enabling all partners to further refine the focus of the chosen key topics, such as:-

·         Employment opportunities/raising earnings

·         Affordable housing

·         Improving Skills and Training

·         Health

As well as

·         Property – multi use of buildings

·         Managing change of use of land

·         Public Sector Reform

·         Demographic change

·         Advocacy for rural areas – making the case for rural areas not to lose out

The meeting highlighted the need for a balance between legislation and local community needs/issues.

Report by Brian Barker

A report by Brian Barker had previously been circulated informing the Management Committee of progress to date on the series of Scottish Executive projects running in parallel that  have been focused on public sector reform.

Following publication of the document “Transforming Public Services:  the Next Phase of Reform” earlier in the year as a consultation on the future of public services, the expectation of definite proposals was unfulfilled and the document is focused on principles for reform and an invitation for public sector bodies to respond with innovative ideas.

The Management Committee agreed that partners were happy to consider the local approach to public sector reform and discuss ways of fulfilling a strategic role to develop a vision for the area and change service delivery to improve services.

Eileen Wilson produced a report, copies having previously been circulated, evaluating 3 projects developing skills and experience of individuals, promoting joint working and networking, which are supported by allocation of Community Capacity Building funding –

• Meet the Funders
• Argyll and Bute Youth Participation Conference
• Fundraising Skills in the Community-End of Project Report

It was noted that there was no report on the “Working Together – Toolkit for Kintyre” project by the South Kintyre Community Learning Partnership and that the Dochas Fund project had not started under “Support for Carers”.

The report was noted.

There was no report from Arlene Cullum  on the Volunteer Scotland Lottery Application.

On the matter being raised by Pat Logan, Argyll and Bute Volunteer Centre, the meeting agreed the use of Community Capacity Building Fund for delivering training by the Volunteer Centre in Partnership  with Argyll CVS.

·         Health & Wellbeing Theme Group 1 (Elaine Garman)

·         Argyll and the Islands Local Economic Forum (Alan Milstead)

·         Dunbartonshire Economic Forum (Aileen Edwards)

·         Housing and Communities Theme Group 3 (Donald MacVicar)

Health and Wellbeing Theme Group:  The meeting noted the report from Elaine Garman, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Theme Group, copies having  previously been circulated.

Elaine advised that the Group had developed its way of working over the past year.  Likewise the local public health networks had continued to develop.  Through such developments it is considered that partnership working had improved whilst recognising the need to support some areas to help realise this.  Good progress had been made in the other five priority areas with plenty evidence of local activity in public health networks and initiatives of all kinds coming forward with ideas to improve Argyll and Bute’s health.

Elaine also advised that the Group had approved plans to take forward the Care and Repair scheme in relation to other service developments and that an outline had been prepared in regard to areas to build on with Telecare (community alarms etc) and procurement/equipment storage.

Argyll and the Islands Local Economic Forum:  The meeting noted the report of the Argyll and the Islands Local Economic Forum, copies of which had been circulated, which reported on the Economic Forum, copies of  which had been circulated, which reported on the economic activity in the area.

Ken Abernethy highlighted points in the report, such as Careers Scotland joining staff at AIE in Lochgilphead as part of the integration being effected throughout the Highlands and Islands, that Argyll Air Services were progressing well and that Argyll’s western seaboard may be included among sites being considered for a  Marine National Park.  There were issues regarding transportation of Vestas wind turbines from Campbeltown.

Dunbartonshire Economic Forum: Aileen Edwards, Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire, would provide an update on progress at the next meeting.

Housing and Communities: It was noted that since the last meeting of the Management Committee on 23 August the Strategic Housing Forum had agreed that the merged Housing and Communities Theme Group would meet in December 2006.

No report.