Agenda and minutes

The Chair, on behalf of the Community Services Committee congratulated Stuart Liddell, piping instructor with the Council and Pipe Major of the Grade 1 Inveraray and District Pipe Band, on receiving an MBE in the New Year Honours for services to piping and music education. 

The Chair intimated that Councillor Kieron Green, who was not a member of the Community Services Committee, had notified the Executive Director that he wished, in terms of Standing Order 22.1 to speak but not vote on items 9a and 9b of the Agenda.  The Chair confirmed that she would exercise her discretion to allow Councillor Green to speak but not vote on items 9a and 9b of this Minute.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Julie McKenzie, Alison Palmer (Teacher Representative) and Lorna Stewart (Teacher Representative).

There were no declarations of interest.

Community Services Committee held on 15 December 2022

The Minute of the Community Services Committee held on 15 December 2022 was approved as a correct record.

Report by Divisional Commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland

Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff presented the Quarter 3 – 2022/23 update in relation to the Argyll and Bute Local Policing Plan 2020 – 2023 and responded to a number of questions asked.

Thereafter, she, along with Chief Inspector Simon Shanks, Area Commander for Oban, Lorn, the Isles, Mid Argyll and Kintyre, and Chief Inspector Samantha Glasgow, Area Commander for Bute, Cowal and Helensburgh, responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report for Quarter 3 2022/23 by Divisional Commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland, submitted)

Margaret Anderson (Church representative) joined the meeting during consideration of the foregoing item.

Report by Divisional Commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland

In accordance with the Police & Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, Police Scotland has a responsibility to prepare Local Police Plans for the period 2023-26.  The draft plan was before the Committee for consideration prior to publication.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and approved the Local Police Plan – Argyll and Bute attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

(Reference: Report by Divisional Commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland and Draft Argyll and Bute – L Division – Local Policing Plan for 2023-2026, submitted)

Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Group Commander Fraser Grant introduced Watch Commander Tony McGloin, who had recently been promoted into the Local Authority Liaison Officer role in community safety engagement, and Station Commander Anthony Mallon, who had recently moved from his Training reference to Prevention and Protection within the area. 

With the aid of power point slides, Group Commander Fraser then presented a report highlighting Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s review of local performance within Argyll and Bute for Q3 2022-2023 and the Officers responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Q3 2022-2023 Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted)

Report by Chief Social Work Officer, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

A report providing an update on the second annual review of the Children and Young People’s Service Plan 2020-2023 was before the Committee for noting on 15 December 2022.  At this meeting the Committee agreed to refer this item to the next meeting of the Community Services Committee as a substantive item.

Decision

The Committee agreed to consider and note:-

1.    NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council were jointly and equally responsible for children’s services planning;

2.    Argyll and Bute’s Children and Young People’s Services Plan 2020-2023 Year 2 review for the period 2021/22 had been approved by Argyll and Bute’s Children Strategic Group; and

3.    the submission of the Children and Young People’s Services Plan Year 2 review to Scottish Government as per the legislative requirement.

(Reference: Report by Chief Social Work Officer, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership dated 30 August 2022, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

Following the release on 28 February 2023 of data on the Scottish Government’s Insight tool, a report updating Members on final attainment, across all Argyll and Bute Secondary Schools was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to:

1.    consider the information in this report, particularly as it related to the attainment performance of school leavers;

2.    note the increase in attainment brought about by successful appeals, at authority level and school-by-school;

3.    note, as also recommended in December’s report, that for the first time since session 2018/19, pupil performance and outcomes were based solely on examination performance; and

4.    note that the information contained in this report constituted all attainment across both National Qualifications and Wider Achievement courses, the latter of which was described in the December report without the associated tariff points having been included in statistics.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 9 March 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report updating the Committee on the current situation of Kilchrenan Primary School was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to note the decision of the Committee in March 2022, and the updated position of the School as set out within this report;

2.    that Kilchrenan Primary School should continue to be mothballed on a temporary basis and the School premises be retained on a care and maintenance basis.

3.    to note that there had been no requests to use the building since March 2022, but that should any be made they would be considered in the light of the current condition of the building, and any recommissioning works required; and

4.    that the Education Service would undertake the required preliminary Consultation for Kilchrenan Primary School, in compliance with the preliminary requirements as set out in the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, and thereafter prepare an Options Appraisal for Members’ consideration at the August 2023 meeting of the Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 6 February 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of the Options Appraisal for Achaleven Primary School, carried out in accordance with the preliminary requirements set out in Section 12A of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, as amended, was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to note the outcome of this consideration of the preliminary requirements; and

2.    that Officers now formulate a draft closure proposal that would come back to the August 2023 meeting of the Committee for approval by Members, which, if approved, would subsequently trigger a formal consultation process under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 7 February 2023 and Options Appraisal for Achaleven Primary School, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of the Options Appraisal for Southend Primary School, carried out in accordance with the preliminary requirements set out in Section 12A of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, as amended, was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to note the outcome of this consideration of the preliminary requirements; and

2.    that Officers now formulate a draft closure proposal that would come back to the August 2023 meeting of the Committee for approval by Members, which, if approved, would subsequently trigger a formal consultation process under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 7 February 2023 and Options Appraisal for Southend Primary School, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of a draft proposal to extend St Joseph’s Primary School’s catchment area, formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to adopt the draft proposal, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, as “a relevant proposal” that should now proceed to a statutory consultation under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 9 February 2023 and Proposal Paper to Rezone the Catchment Area of St Joseph’s Primary School, submitted)

Extract from Minute of Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee held on 7 December 2022

Consideration was given to a recommendation from the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee meeting held on 7 December 2022, that the Committee exercise its functions of the Council as Education Authority, to request that the Executive Director with responsibility for Education prepares an initial report outlining the way forward and potential for a proposal in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 which would allow for an initial business case to be formulated with a view to replacing the existing outdated Campbeltown primary schools of Dalintober and Castlehill, and that the completed report be presented to a meeting of the Community Services Committee for deliberation in early 2023.

Decision

The Committee agreed to request that the Executive Director with responsibility for Education prepare an initial report outlining the way forward and potential for a proposal in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 which would allow for an initial business case to be formulated with a view to replacing the existing outdated Campbeltown primary schools of Dalintober and Castlehill, and that the completed report be presented to a meeting of the Community Services Committee for deliberation in early 2023.

(Reference: Extract from Minute of Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee held on 7 December 2022, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of all external establishment inspections reports received across Argyll and Bute Education Service during the period November 2022 to January 2023 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated January 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing the Committee with an update on the performance of Live Argyll’s provision of Community Learning and Development (CLD), and the monitoring and governance arrangements for CLD between liveArgyll (LA) and the Council as set out in the 30 June 2021 Transfer Agreement between the Council and the Trust, was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated February 2023 and CLD Partnership Annual Report September 2021 – August 2022, submitted)

The Community Services Committee work plan for 2023-2024 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the work plan.

(Reference: Community Services Committee Work Plan 2023-2024, submitted)