Agenda and minutes

Apologies were intimated by:-

Councillor John Semple (attending another meeting on Council business)

Councillor Douglas Philand (attending another meeting on Council business)

Councillor Donald MacMillan (attending another meeting on Council business)

Councillor Donald Kelly

Mark Benton, Scottish Ambulance Service

Christina West, NHS Highland

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting.

The Minute of the last meeting held on 5 December 2012 was approved as a true and correct record, subject to the following change:.

Page 5, AOB:

Audrey Baird requested that a letter be written on behalf of the local Community to express concerns on the time delay in obtaining funds from the LEADER programme. 

Matters Arising:

Councillor Currie highlighted some amendments which were needed to the CPG distribution list.  

Decision:

Noted that Theresa McLetchie would implement these changes.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9 January, 2013 was approved as a true and correct record.

A presentation by Alastair MacGregor, Chief Executive – ACHA.

The group heard a presentation by Alastair MacGregor, Chief Executive – ACHA.

Councillor McAlpine detailed his concerns in regards ongoing dampness issues in some of the ACHA properties in Tarbert and questioned if this was resulting in a void in the ACHA rental section, if remedial work was proving ineffective.  Alastair MacGregor responded that there were some historical dampness issues in several ACHA properties in Tarbert.    Yvonne Litster. ACHA Area manager, detailed difficulties encountered with some joint ownership properties, whereby ACHA in endeavouring to undertake remedial works faced conflict with other joint owners. She reported that on occasion it had been necessary to liaise with Argyll and Bute Council to issue enforcement orders.

Discussion continued in the potential issues which would result when the Welfare Reform Act was implemented.

The Chair enquired if there would be respite care provison in the Extra Care Housing being built by Fyne Homes in Lochgilphead.

Decision:

Agreed that ACHA would provide further detail on the status of remedial work on the properties with dampness in Tarbert.

Agreed that ACHA would ascertain from Fyne Homes if any of the Extra Care Housing had been apportioned for respite care.

The Chair thanked Alastair MacGregor for his informative presentation and update.

Presentation on recent HM Inspection of Tarbert Academy Learning Community by Phil Denning, HM Inspector. 

The Group heard a presentation by Phil Denning, HM Inspector on the recent HM Inspection undertaken of Community and Learning Development (CLD) partners within the area of Tarbert Academy.

Discussion followed in regards the need to work more closely with local Community Planning groups, developing more good practice in local communities and encourage more young people to be involved in local projects and initiatives.

The Chair thanked Phil Denning for his presentation and report.  Phil Denning commended the help and support extended by Jeanne Holles and highlighted this support as elements of good practice.

Decision

1.          Noted that the MAKI CPG requested an updated report on how actions in the report had been progressed by Community Learing staff and the local community to enable ongoing continuous development of the Tarbert Academy learning community. 

2.          Agreed that this report should be discussed by the Community Planning Partnership at the end of March to enable replication of this effective process in other local learning communities in Argyll and Bute.

The Area Governance Manager reported that this issue had come from a local Community Council meeting and was in regards to a suitable response time from Council Officers in dealing and actioning complaints.  Shirley intimated that she would respond directly to the person who raised this issue.

There were no updates.  

Inspector Tom Harper reported that there would be no change in Strathclyde Police delivery of service at local level after 1st April with the implementation of the National Force. Contact details would remain the same, although email addresses may have a slight differentiation.

Councillor McAlpine detailed his concerns at the lack of police involvement in local community issues, lack of visibility in the community and the increase of crime in Tarbert.  The Chair affirmed that, in her opinion, vandalism had increased in Tarbert.  

Inspector Tom Harper reported on the difficulties in providing officers to attend local events and advised that the vacant position at Tarbert would be going to advert shortly. He also updated the group of the appointment of Safer Communities Officers who would be based in Mid-Argyll and be the points of contact in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour, Joint Tasking and Partnership working.

Decision

1.    Agreed that Inspector Harper would provide an update to Ward 2 Members in regards the vacant position in Tarbert.

2.    Agreed that Inspector Harper would provide up-to-date crime statistics for Tarbert.

Group Commander Eddie Renfrew reported on the success of the Winter Strategy Fire Campaign, which had run from 19 December, 2012 - January, 2013 and thanked partners for their help and support.

He advised that the figure for Road Traffic Accidents were down for this year.

The Young Fire Fighters in Campbeltown were doing extremely well and discussions were on-going with Argyll College in attaining a qualification and, perhaps, instigating a future course.

A further initiative - The Red Truck - had been very successful while based in Tarbert.  A total of 40 people had been trained and it has also been used for possible recruitment.  The Red Truck would be moving to Lochgilphead on 6 April.

Group Commander Renfrew then gave a short presentation on the Local Plan for Argyll and Bute.

The Chair thanked Group Commander for his informative update and presentation.

Update from Christina West, Locality Manager

Kintyre

·         A further bed modelling meeting was undertaken on 10^th January and agreement reached that Campbeltown Community Hospital will operate with a total of 21 beds from 1^st April, this comprises 19 acute GP beds and 2 continuing care beds for existing patients. In addition it was agreed that there should be a contingency plan to make a further three beds available at short notice should the need arise. A redesign group, led by Donnie Cameron, Clinical Services Manager, will now identify and progress the required actions to implement the changes.

·         To address concerns raised by the Community Council regarding the decisions made at the bed modelling meeting in January, a drop in event has been organised to take place on Thursday 14^th March from 2-8pm in the Town Hall Campbeltown. The information available at the bed modelling will be available for wider community review. Members of the public are invited to drop in at any time and meet with local NHS Highland staff to discuss the recent changes to care provision within the hospital and the community. In addition to staff from the NHS and Social Work there will also be representatives from a number of other organisations who provide services in the community such as Carr-Gorm, the Red Cross and Tele Care. The event will be advertised through the local paper, radio and the distribution of posters

Islay & Jura

·         At a meeting on 16^th January, members of the CHP management team and the Islay GPs agreed a time limited (12 months) package of additional support to ensure the continued safe delivery of health services on Islay.

·         Dr Gordon Peterkin has been appointed to the role of independent clinical expert to support the Review of Health Services on Islay.

·         The first meeting of the Islay Review Steering Group took place on Friday 1^st March, chaired by Robin Creelman, Chair of Argyll & Bute CHP Committee. The Steering Group will be supported by two sub groups, focused on workforce development and public involvement. The health sub group of the community council have been asked to nominate a representative for the Steering Group and each of the sub groups. They will also work with the CHP public involvement manager to identify groups who will be invited to participate in the public involvement group.

·         The GPs have formally notified the CHP that they are now in a position to be able to continue providing GP out of hours services for Port Ellen and Port Charlotte areas. Letters have been sent to all patients registered with the two practices notifying them of this change.

·         The building works to create two new out patient consulting rooms are now complete.   Work is underway in the physiotherapy department and will be completed before the end of March.

·         The dental van will be returning to the Islay Community Hospital site by the end of April. Building work is due to commence this week in the car park on a pedestrian crossing in preparation for the return of the van. The connection to  services will be undertaken by contractors in 6-8 weeks time.

Mid Argyll

·         Further locum GPs will be secured for Inveraray/Furnace GP practice for the period March-June 2013 to ensure service continuity, while we await a decision by Scottish Government regarding a proposal submitted by NHS Highland to test models for sustainable remote and rural health care services. One of the community council representatives has been updated so that the community are kept informed of progress with the GP vacancy.

There was no update.

No update from AVA.

The group gave consideration to the report which sought comments and feedback from Partners on the latest draft of Argyll and Bute’s new Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) 2013-2023.

Decision:

Agreed that Members would feedback any comments to Eileen Wilson, Improvement and Organisational Development (IOD) Project Officer before 21 March, 2013.

The Group considered a report which advised them on the main tasks undertaken by members of the Community Safety Parthership in the MAKI area.

Report by the Improvement and Organisational Development Project Officer (Community Planning)

The Group considered a report to hold an Area Forum event and to finalise the group’s intentions with regards to the event. 

Decision

Agreed that Maryanne Stewart, AVA and Audrey Baird, Community Development Officer would make contact with local groups and feedback comments/views to  Eileen Wilson  and that Maryanne, Audrey and Eileen would develop an outline of an event for consideration at the next MAKI CPG which was scheduled for 5 June, 2013.

Discussion followed and a Saturday in September, 2013 was suggested, as a good time to hold the event,  with Tarbert as a possible venue.

The Group discussed the venue for the MAKI CPG and Tarbert was suggested  as a venue.

Decision

Agreed that Theresa McLetchie would investigate possible venues in Tarbert, with a VC facility, preferably the Templar’s Hall.

The group gave consideration to proposals for the Short Life Working Group (SLWG) which had been established to review the current Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils.

Decision

The group agreed to note the recommendations detailed within the report at 2.1 and 2.2.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Customer Services, dated 20 February, 2013, submitted).

Lorna Elliott informed the group of a recent customer satisfaction survey and detailed that 86% of customers were happy with the service and a further 14% were not.

There were 2 claims officers involved in processing applications, with a 28 day turn around in service deliver. 

Furthermore, there was a facility available to draw down money on a monthly basis.

Councillor Colville commended the programme.

Lorna Elliott advised that group on a potential reduction in funding, amounting to a possible 3%.  She distributed leaflets and literature detailing the service.

The Chair thanked Lorna for attending and providing this update to the group.