Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Daniel Hampsey, Paul Kennedy, Julie McKenzie and Dougie Philand and Margaret Anderson, Dorothy Wallace.

There were no declarations of interest.

Community Services Committee held on 12 December 2024

The Minute of the Community Services Committee held on 12 December 2024 was approved as a correct record

Councillor Maurice Corry joined the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

With the aid of power point slides, Group Commander Brian Wardle presented a report highlighting Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s review of local performance within Argyll and Bute for Q3 (1 October 2024 – 31 December 2024) and responded to a number of questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Q3 2024/25 Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted)

Councillor Amanda Hampsey joined the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

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

Chief Superintendent Gary I’Anson presented the Argyll and Bute Performance Summary Report of Police Scotland’s Policing Priorities for 1 April 2024 – 31 December 2024 and responded to questions asked.

Decision

The Committee reviewed and noted the content of the report.

(Reference: Report for April 2024 – December 2024 by Divisional Commander for Argyll and Bute, West Dumbarton Division, Police Scotland, submitted)

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

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing performance for FQ2 (July – September) 2024/25 for Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership.

Decision

The Committee agreed to:

1.      acknowledge performance for FQ2 2024/25 (July - September);

2.      acknowledge performance update on the National Health & Wellbeing Outcomes and Ministerial Steering Group Integration Indicators; and

3.      note Delayed Discharge Sitrep as of 30 September 2024.

(Reference: Report by Senior Manager, Performance and Improvement, Argyll and Bute HSCP dated 6 March 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report presenting the refreshed Education vision and strategy document Our Children, Their Future – Thriving Together, along with a presentation from pupils of Colgrain Primary School.

Decision

The Community Services Committee considered and approved the refreshed Education Service vision and strategy: Our Children, Their Future – Thriving Together as informed by consultation and engagement with staff, parents/carers, pupils and wider partners.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 24 February 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on actions being taken within the Education Service to support Care Experienced Children and Young People to achieve the best possible educational outcomes and a presentation from a young person.  The report also detailed the expenditure against the grant allocated by Scottish Government to Argyll and Bute for session 2023/24 from the Scottish Attainment Challenge Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund.

Decision

The Community Services Committee –

1.    endorsed the work undertaken by Argyll and Bute Education Services as part of the Corporate Parenting Board to improve the educational attainment and life chances of Care Experienced Children and Young People;

2.    noted that the spending plan for the grant allocated by Scottish Government to Argyll and Bute for session 2023/24 from the Scottish Attainment Challenge Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund had been produced and monitored by the Education Lead for Care Experienced Children and Young People, in consultation with key partners and specifically the Social Work Lead for Care Experience, the Chief Education Officer and Chief Social Worker;

3.    agreed the attainment funding for Care Experienced Children and Young People would support the continued input from the Care Experienced Education Team (Virtual Head Teacher and Health and Wellbeing Liaison Officers); and

4.    agreed that the Chief Education Officer continues to provide updates on the improved outcomes for Care Experienced Children and Young People to the Corporate Parenting Board and Business Continuity Committee/Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 6 March 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on how the Council is utilising Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) funding in order to improve outcomes for children and young people in Argyll and Bute through addressing the challenges of the poverty-related attainment gap.

Decision

The Community Services Committee –

1.      noted the progress made toward achieving the aims and objectives of the Argyll and Bute Strategic Equity Funding Plan ‘SEF plan 2023- 26: Tackling the Poverty Related Attainment gap in Argyll and Bute’;

2.      noted the update on 2024-25 Scottish Government Pupil Equity and Strategic Equity Funding;

3.      noted 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.      commended the very good progress towards achieving the 2023- 2024 stretch aims; and

5.      agreed that further updates 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 31 January 2025, submitted)

Councillor Iain Paterson left the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the delivery and impact of the Counselling in Schools service from October 2023 – December 2024.

Decision

The Community Services Committee –

1.    noted the continued positive impact Counselling in Schools has had on children and young people’s wellbeing since its inception in January 2023, and supported the on-going commitment to deliver this service within all schools;

2.    agreed the continued need for support across the Health and Social Care Partnership and the Education Service to further embed this service within current processes, ensure a clear continuum of support and improve access for children and young people; and

3.    noted that a successful approach requires joint working between Education establishments and the Counselling in Schools Service as partners in co-facilitation including the use of school spaces for young people to access their counselling sessions.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 6 March 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing the outcome and findings of the statutory consultation exercise undertaken in respect of the formal Proposal to rezone the catchment area for Dalmally Primary School so that it is extended to include the whole of the catchment area of the former Bridge of Orchy Primary School, as detailed in the published Consultation Report; and in accordance with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, as amended (the 2010 Act).

Decision

The Community Services Committee –

1.      considered the content of the Consultation Report; and

2.      approved the implementation of the Proposal to rezone the catchment area for Dalmally Primary School so that it is extended to include the whole catchment area of the former Bridge of Orchy Primary School, with effect from 6th March 2025.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 28 January 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the current situation of Luing Primary School. The report proposed a number of measures under which the Education Service can monitor the position of the School over the forthcoming year.

Decision

The Community Services Committee agreed that –

1.    Luing Primary School continue to be mothballed on a temporary basis, and that the building be retained for one year on a care and maintenance basis;

2.    officers would conduct a review of the School’s mothballing ahead of the Committee’s March 2026 meeting; and

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

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 5 February 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on final attainment across all Argyll and Bute Secondary Schools.

Decision

The Community Services Committee –

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

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

3.      noted that the information contained in the 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; and

4.      noted the difficulty in making meaningful comparisons with leavers cohorts over the last few sessions due to alterations in assessment methods and also shifting patterns of school leaving, which are not unique to Argyll and Bute and have occurred nationally.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 6 March 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing all external education establishment inspection reports received across Argyll and Bute Education Service during the period December 2024 to March 2025.

Decision

The Community Services Committee agreed to note –

1.    the content of the report;

2.    this quarterly report would be presented on an ongoing basis to the Community Services Committee detailing all establishment inspections conducted and published by Education Scotland within that period; and

3.    that Ward members would receive copies of school inspection reports for schools within their area as published by Education Scotland.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 6 March 2025, submitted)

The Community Services Committee work plan for 2024-2025 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the work plan.

(Reference: Community Services Committee Work Plan 2024-2025, submitted)