Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Wendy Brownlie to her first meeting of the Committee in her new role as Head of Education: Learning and Teaching.

The Chair then intimated that Wendy was nominated for, and subsequently awarded, the Excellence in Professional Learning Award.

This prestigious GTC Scotland Award recognises the central role that leadership at all levels plays in creating and sustaining professional learning environments where teacher professionalism can flourish and bring about sustained impact on learning and learners.

The work that Wendy has taken forward within Argyll and Bute, specifically enabling a culture of professional learning which is informed by the Professional Standards and what it means to become, be and grow as a teacher in Scotland, is being shared nationally as an example of excellent practice.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair congratulated Wendy on this magnificent achievement.

The Chair intimated that Councillor Donald Kelly, 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 item 10 of the Agenda.  The Chair confirmed that she would exercise her discretion to allow Councillor Kelly to speak on item 10 of this Minute.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mary-Jean Devon.

Councillor Graham Hardie noted in relation to item 6 (Argyll & Bute HSCP – Performance Report January 2022) on the Agenda that he was appointed to the role of non-Executive Member of NHS Highland Board by the Council.  Having taken note of the updated Standards Commission Guidance in relation to declarations (issued on 7 December 2021) with specific reference to section 5.4(c) he did not consider that he had a relevant connection and as such would remain the meeting and speak and vote on this report.

Community Services Committee 16 December 2021

The Minute of the Community Services Committee held on 16 December 2021 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 Quarter 3 – 2021/22 update in relation to the Argyll and Bute Local Policing Plan 2020 – 2023 and she, along with

Emma Grimason, Chief Inspector for Cowal, Bute and Helensburgh, and Marlene Baillie, Chief Inspector for Mid Argyll, Kintyre, Oban and Lorn, responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report for Quarter 3 2021/22 by Divisional Commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland, submitted)

Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Group Commander Gregg McKearney presented a report highlighting Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s review of local performance within Argyll and Bute for Q3 2021-2022 and responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Q3 2021-2022 Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted)

Report by Head of Strategic Planning, Performance and Technology, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

Consideration was given to a report which provided an update on the impact of service performance with regards to the Covid-19 Pandemic and the progress made with regard to remobilising health and social care services in Argyll and Bute.

Decision

The Committee considered and noted the IJB Health and Social Care Partnership report presented to the IJB in January 2022.

(Reference: Report by Head of Strategic Planning, Performance & Technology, Argyll & Bute HSCP, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A paper presenting the Committee with the FQ3 2021/22 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Education Service was considered.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and scrutinised the FQ3 2021/22 KPI Report as presented.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 24 January 2022, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report updating the Committee on the current situation of Kilchrenan Primary School and inviting Members to agree to the recommendations outlined was considered.

Decision

The Committee agreed that:

1.    Kilchrenan Primary School be mothballed on a temporary basis and that the building be retained for two years on a care and maintenance basis;

2.    Officers would prepare a review of the school’s mothballing for the Committee’s March 2023 meeting at which Members could decide on a continued period of mothballing or request Officers to begin a preliminary exercise with a view to starting the pre-consultation process to consider the future options for Kilchrenan Primary School; and

3.    The community would have pre-arranged access to the building to promote community functions during the period of mothballing.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 10 March 2022, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A paper providing an overview of the Argyll and Bute Primary achievement in Literacy and Numeracy for P1, P4 and P7 published by the Scottish Government on 14 December 2021 in Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) 2020/21, was considered along with an update on the Scottish Government’s 2022 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan for Scottish Education.

The paper also outlined Argyll and Bute Council Education Service’s collaboration with the Northern Alliance Regional Improvement Collaborative and detailed spending relating to the £600,000 of funding for Covid-19 recovery provided by Argyll and Bute Council.

Decision

The Committee:

1.    considered the 2020/21 overview of the Primary and Secondary achievement in Literacy and Numeracy for P1, P4 and P7 within Argyll and Bute:

2.    noted that ACEL achievement data was not collected in 2020 by Scottish Government due to the impact of Covid-19 and in 2021, the collection was limited to Literacy and Numeracy achievement in the Primary sector;

3.    noted the update on the Scottish Government’s 2022 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan for Scottish Education;

4.    noted the level and nature of collaboration between Argyll and Bute Council Education Service and the Northern Alliance Regional Improvement Collaborative; and

5.    noted the spending in relation to the Council’s £600,000 funding of Covid-19 recovery in Education.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 15 February 2022, submitted)

Extract of Minute of Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee meeting held on 1 December 2021

Consideration was given to a recommendation from the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee meeting held on 1 December 2021, that the Committee exercise its functions of the Council as Education Authority, to request the Executive Director with responsibility for Education to prepare a report in respect to the potential for a proposal, in terms of the School (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 for a new Campbeltown Primary School which would replace the existing primaries of Dalintober and Castlehill and that this report be considered early in 2022.

Decision

The Committee:

1.    noted the request from the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee;

2.    further noted that, since 2017/18, the Council has delivered –

a)     a new Campbeltown Grammar School, at a cost of c.£25million,

b)     spent £1.312 million of capital and £246K of revenue on Campbeltown/South Kintyre primary schools; and has a further £843K of capital expenditure planned for the same schools in the three year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25;

3.    further noted that this Committee, at their meeting on 25 August 2021 considered and agreed a report in relation to the Learning Estate Strategy which stated, at paragraph 4.15, under the heading ‘Future Priorities’ that ‘longer term ambition would also be to review (the school) estate in Kintyre should future funding from Scottish Government become available’; and

4.    agreed that the possibility of further school building in Kintyre, including a primary campus in Campbeltown, be kept under review through the Council’s Learning Estate Strategy, and Learning Estates Investment Plan. 

(Reference: Extract from Minute of Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee 1 December 2021, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of all external education establishment inspection reports received across Argyll and Bute Education Service during the period September 2021 to December 2021 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 2022, submitted)

The Community Services Committee work plan for 2021 – 2022 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the work plan.

(Reference: Community Services Committee Work Plan 2021-2022, submitted)

The Chair acknowledged that this was the last meeting of this Committee in the lifetime of this Council.  She thanked everyone for their participation, their concerned input, their scrutiny and their good humour over the years. 

She also thanked the Executive Director, his support staff and the Education Team.  Special thanks was extended to Councillor Kieron Green for his support as Vice Chair, to her fellow Ward Members, Councillor Gordon Blair and Councillor Alan Reid, and to Councillor Lorna Douglas in her role as Policy Lead for Education the Opposition.

She wished everyone hoping to come back every success at the ballot box and for those going off to do other things, she wished well for the future.