Agenda and minutes

The Chair intimated that Councillors Kieron Green and Andrew Vennard had notified the Executive Director that they wished, in terms of Standing Order 22.1, to speak but not vote on items 13a and 13b of the Agenda.

The Chair confirmed that she would exercise her discretion to allow Councillors Green and Vennard to speak but not vote on items 13a and 13b of this Minute.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Audrey Forrest, Andrew Kain, Iain Shonny Paterson and from Reverend Sandy MacPherson (Church Representative).

There were no declarations of interest.

Community Services Committee held on 8 June 2023

The Minute of the Community Services Committee held on 8 June 2023 was approved as a correct record.

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

Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff presented the Argyll & Bute Performance Summary Report of Police Scotland’s Policing Priorities for 2023-2026 for the reporting period April – June 2023.

Thereafter, she, along with Chief Inspector Simon Shanks, Area Commander for Oban, Lorn, the Isles, Mid Argyll and Kintyre, and Communities Inspector James McArthur for Helensburgh, Dunoon and the Isle of Bute, responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report for Quarter 1 2023/24 by Divisional Commander for Argyll and Bute West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland, submitted)

Councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess and Margaret Anderson (Church Representative) joined the meeting during consideration of the foregoing item.

Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

With the aid of power point slides, Area Commander Joe McKay, presented a report highlighting Scottish fire and Rescue Service’s review of local performance within Argyll and Bute for Q1 2023-2024 and responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Q1 2023-2024 Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted)

Due to technical difficulties, Councillor Daniel Hampsey left the meeting during consideration of the foregoing item.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report updating the Committee on the appointment of one non-voting teaching representative to sit on the Community Services Committee to represent the teacher workforce was considered.

Decision

The Committee noted the content of the report and endorsed the appointment of Dan Semple as the representative nominated as a non-voting member of the Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 24 August 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report updating the Committee on the progress made by the Education Service in achieving the priorities including in the Argyll and Bute Education Plan for 2023-23 presented at Community Services Committee in August 2022, and outlining priority actions for 2023-24 was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to:

1.    note the progress made with respect to priority actions within the 2022-24 Education Strategic Plan outlined in the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2022-23;

2.    approve the Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2022-23 and Strategic Plan 2022-24 (2023-24 update) (Appendix 1);

3.    approve the publishing of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 (2023-24 update) and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2022-23; and

4.    approve the submission of the of the Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 (2023-24 update) and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2022-23 to Scottish Government.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 21 July 2023, Education Strategic Plan 2022-2024 (2023-24 update) and Education Service Progress and Impact Report 2022-23, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report advising of the proposed refresh of the Education Vision and Strategy – Our Children, Their Future was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to note the proposal to refresh the Education Vision and Strategy to align with the changing national and local policy contexts;

2.    to note the proposed consultation and timescales to gather all stakeholder views; and

3.    that a further report be presented to the Committee following consultation.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 12 July 2023 and Current Education Vision and Strategy, Our Children Their Future, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing an update in regards to the review of Additional Support Needs (ASN) services within Argyll and Bute, and proposing a number of measures to address the growing and increasingly complex needs of our children and young people was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to acknowledge the growth in the number of children with a recognised Additional Support Need at a national level, and specifically within Argyll and Bute;

2.    that lobbying of the Scottish Government, in collaboration with other Scottish local authorities to address the funding gap facing local authorities in meeting the needs of our children and young people effectively should be pursued, in the first instance through COSLA;

3.    to accept the professional advice from the Education Service in regard to how to best address the issues set out in this paper within Argyll and Bute, and deliver on Council priorities set for Education;

4.    to support funding of the revenue and capital required to implement the proposals, and note that the revenue savings which had been identified within existing Education Service resources, could otherwise be put towards the Council’s ongoing revenue funding gap, and therefore recommend to Council that they –

a.    approve virement of the phase 1 capital costs of £1,255,000 from within the Education Service as set out in Appendix 1,

b.    approve virement of the phase 1, revenue costs of £495,560 as appropriate, up to £495,560 from within the Education Service as set out in Appendix 1, and

c.    agree in principle the viring of revenue and capital funding within the Education Service, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Security Regulations paragraphs 3.14 to 3.16, for phase 2 of the proposals, with the necessary report(s) being submitted to Council at the appropriate time and subject to the Council’s overall financial position at that time.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 24 August 2023 and Funding Detail for Phase 1 and Current spend on External Day Placements for Education, submitted)

The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed, to take a short break at 12.30 pm for lunch.

The Committee reconvened at 12.55 pm.  Councillor Paul Kennedy did not return to the meeting.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing an update on the initial outcome of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) 2023 examination diet for young people in Argyll and Bute was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to:

1.    note the guidance from the SQA, detailed at paragraph 4.3 of the report, about qualitative comparisons of data over the last four years;

2.    note the outcome of the initial SQA examination results for pupils in academic year 2022/23, and that the performance of Argyll and Bute schools in 2023 was above the current national performance in SQA examinations in two of the four measures (National 4 and Higher) at A-C, and above all four measures (National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher) at A-D; and

3.    request that the Executive Director with responsibility for Education provide further reports to the Community Services Committee to allow the consideration of updated statistical school and national information, scheduled to be released by Insight (school data analysis tool) in September 2023 and February 2024.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 24 August 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A paper providing the Committee with an update on the refreshed Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) which is supported by funding through the Attainment Scotland Fund was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to commend the very good progress towards achieving the 2022-2023 stretch aims and the draft stretch aims developed for period 2023-2026 as required by the Scottish Attainment Challenge;

2.    to note the update on 2023 Scottish Government Pupil Equity and Strategic Equity Funding;

3.    to note the provision of strategic guidance at Scottish Government and Authority levels to support the implementation of the Pupil Equity Funding and Strategic Equity Funding;

4.    with the content of the Argyll and Bute Strategic Equity Funding Plan ‘SEF Plan 2023-26: Tackling the Poverty Related Attainment Gap in Argyll and Bute’; and

5.    that a further update on the Scottish Attainment Challenge would be presented to a future meeting of the Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 30 July 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report on the new Armed Forces Covenant Duty which came into effect across the UK on 22 November 2022 was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed:

1.    to note the change to the Armed Forces Covenant Statutory Duty 2022;

2.    to note the progress of the Education Service in fulfilling the duties of the Armed Forces Covenant and the remaining areas for action which related directly Education;

3.    that this area of Local Authority duty continued to remain a key focus for Education; and

4.    that alternative funding sources be investigated for the key posts of Service Pupil Advisor and Additional Support for Learning Teacher, to ensure the continued fulfilment of our statutory duties.

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

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of the Options Appraisal for Kilchrenan 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 proposal that would be presented to the December 2023 meeting of the Committee for approval by Members which, if adopted, would subsequently trigger the formal consultation process under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 28 July 2023 and Options Appraisal – Kilchrenan Primary School dated August 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of a draft proposal for Achaleven Primary School formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, as amended (the 2010 Act), was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to adopt the draft proposal, as set out in Appendix A of the report, as a ‘relevant proposal’ that was now to proceed to statutory consultation under the 2010 Act.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 9 August 2023 and Proposal Paper, Achaleven Primary School dated August 2023, submitted)

Councillor Daniel Hampsey returned to the meeting during consideration of the foregoing item.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of a draft proposal for Southend Primary School formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, as amended (the 2010 Act), was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to adopt the draft proposal, as set out in Appendix A of the report, as a ‘relevant proposal’ that was now to proceed to statutory consultation under the 2010 Act.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 9 August 2023 and Proposal Paper, Southend Primary School dated August 2023, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of the outcome and findings of the statutory consultation exercise undertaken in respect of the formal proposal to rezone the catchment area for St Joseph’s Primary School so that it is extended to the whole of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed to:

1.    note the contents of the Consultation Report (Appendix A); and

2.    approve the implementation of the following proposal –

·         That the catchment area of St Joseph’s Primary School be rezoned so that it was extended to include the whole of the Helensburgh and Lomond area, with effect from 24 August 2023.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 27 July 2023 and Consultation Report dated August 2023, submitted)

Councillor Gordon Blair left the meeting during consideration of the foregoing item.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services

The Council has a duty under the Gaelic Language Act to prepare and deliver a Gaelic Language Plan.  As part of this duty, the Council must complete and submit a monitoring report on progress against the plan on an annual basis in a format determined by Bòrd na Gaidhlig.

A report providing the Committee with the details of this year’s progress update on the plan as submitted to Bòrd na Gaidhlig was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted:

1.    the progress being made on the plan; and

2.    that this progress report related to the plan prior to the agreed changes mandated by the Minister in December 2022.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services dated 6 July 2023 and Gaelic Language Progress Report 2021-22, 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)