Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jan Brown, Audrey Forrest and Daniel Hampsey, Anne Horn and Yvonne McNeilly, and from Lorna Stewart (Teacher representative) and Reverend Dorothy Wallace (Church representative).

There were no declarations of interest.

Community Services Committee 28 August 2025

The Minute of the Community Services Committee held on 28 August 2025 was approved as a correct record.

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

Chief Superintendent Garry I’Anson presented the Argyll and Bute Performance Summary Report of Police Scotland’s Policing Priorities for April – September 2025 and responded to questions asked.

With the aid of power point slides a presentation on local activities was also given by Chief Inspector James MacArthur, Chief Inspector Lee Page and Superintendent Lynsey Booth and thereafter Officers responded to questions asked.

Decision

The Community Services Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Report for April – September 2025 by Divisional Commander for Argyll & Bute & West Dunbartonshire Division, Police Scotland, submitted)

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 Station Commander Rob Taylor and Watch Commander Tony McGloin presented a report highlighting Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s review of local performance and partnership working within Argyll and Bute for Q2 (1 July – 30 September 2025) and responded to questions asked.

Decision

The Community Services Committee reviewed and noted the contents of the report.

(Reference: Q2 2025/26 Report by Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, submitted)

The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed, to vary the order of business and consider Agenda item 9 next to allow the Officer presenting Agenda items 6, 7 and 8 time to join the meeting.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing the Community Services Committee with 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 was considered.

A presentation by Shian Doyle, a pupil from Dunoon Grammar School, on her lived experience was also given.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    continued to endorse 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 2024- 25 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.    noted the significant progress made in reducing the attainment gap between Care Experienced and all learners;

4.    noted the continued progress made across key indicators including sustained reduction in exclusions, increased staff awareness and confidence in supporting Care Experienced learners and partnership working to drive positive change;

5.    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);

6.    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 /Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 11 December 2025, submitted)

Report by Senior Manager, Performance & Improvement, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

A reporting detailing performance for FQ4 (January – March 2025) 2024/25 for Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership was before the Committee for consideration.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    acknowledged performance for FQ4 2024/25 (January – March 2025);

2.    acknowledged performance update on the National Health & Wellbeing Outcomes and Ministerial Steering Group Integration Indicators (Appendix 1); and

3.    noted Delayed Discharge Sitrep as of 31 March 2025 (Appendix 2).

(Reference: Report by Senior Manager, Performance & Improvement, Argyll & Bute HSCP dated 11 December 2025, submitted)

Report by Senior Manager, Performance & Improvement, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

A reporting detailing performance for FQ1 (April – June 2025) 2025/26 for Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership was before the Committee for consideration.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    noted revised suite of 77 Key Performance Indictors within the Integrated Performance Management Framework for 2025/26;

2.    considered performance for FQ1 2025/26 (April – June 2025);

3.    noted Delayed Discharge Sitrep as of 30 June 2025 (Appendix 1); and

4.    acknowledged latest performance against the National Health & Wellbeing Outcomes and Ministerial Steering Group Integration Indicators (Appendix 2).

(Reference: Report by Senior Manager, Performance & Improvement, Argyll & Bute HSCP dated 11 December 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report aiming to give an overview of essential performance data and outcomes for all students in Argyll and Bute’s ten secondary schools for the 2024/2025 academic session, utilising local authority attainment data along with information provided by the Scottish Government’s Insight tool, was considered.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    considered the information contained in this report;

2.    commended the hard work and commitment of pupils and staff in securing these levels of attainment and achievement and recognised the crucial role in such success played by parents and carers in partnership with the schools;

3.    noted the SQA directive that, because of the different assessment arrangements in place each year over the period 2020-2023, meaningful comparison was limited between current results and performance in recent previous sessions; and 

4.    noted that a further report would come to a future meeting of the Committee once final Insight data for session 2024-2025 was made available in the February 2026 Insight update.

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

Report by Business Improvement Manager, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

The Annual Performance Report for the Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership for the year 2024/25 was before the Committee for consideration.

Decision

The Community Services Committee noted and considered the Annual Performance Report for the Health and Social Care Partnership for the year 2024/25.

(Report by Business Improvement Manager, Argyll & Bute HSCP dated 11 December 2025, submitted)

The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed to take a short comfort break at 12.25 pm.

The Committee reconvened at 12.30 pm with all those present as per the sederunt.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing Members with information on the most recent Annual Participation Measure published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in August 2025, covering the period April 2024 – March 2025, was considered.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    considered the information in relation to the 2024-2025 Annual Participation Measure;

2.    noted the increase in Participation in Argyll and Bute from 2023-24 to 2024-25, and the narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap in Participation during the same period; and

3.    noted the consistently strong performance of Argyll and Bute as a council area in facilitating the participation of 16 - 19 year olds.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 11 December 2025, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report updating the Community Services Committee on the current status of Furnace Primary School and inviting Members to agree to the recommendations outlined, was considered.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    noted the decision of the Committee in December 2024, and the updated position of the school as set out within this report;

2.    agreed that Furnace Primary School continues to be mothballed on a temporary basis and the school premises be retained on a care and maintenance basis;

3.    noted that since December 2024 there had been requests for school lets and should any further let requests be made, they would be considered in light of the current condition of the building and any existing lets; and

4.    agreed that the Education Service would undertake the required preliminary engagement for Furnace 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 June 2026 meeting of the Community Services Committee.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated 7 November 2025, submitted)

At this point Councillors Maurice Corry, and Fiona Howard advised in relation to item 13 of the agenda (Live Argyll – Monitoring and Performance Reporting) that they had been appointed to the Live Argyll 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) they did not consider that they had a relevant connection and as such would remain in the meeting during the consideration of this item of Business.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Commercial Services

A report providing the Community Services Committee with the annual update on performance and monitoring arrangements between Live Argyll (LA) and the Council as set out in the various agreements between the Council and the Trust was considered.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    considered the contents of this report together with the Live Argyll Annual Report 2024/25 attached at Appendix 1; and

2.    noted that the Live Argyll Business Plan 2026/27 was currently under production following initial consideration at Council on 26 November 2025 and would be brought back to Budget Meeting in February 2026.

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Commercial Services dated December 2025 and Live Argyll Annual Report 2024/25, submitted)

Report by Head of Children, Families and Justice Services/Chief Social Work Officer, Argyll & Bute Health & Social Care Partnership

A report on the second annual review of the Children and Young People’s Services Plan 2023 – 2026 which provided an overview of performance and progress to date in delivering the agreed outcomes was considered.

Decision

The Community Services Committee:

1.    noted that Argyll & Bute Council were jointly responsible for children’s services planning along with NHS Highland through the Community Planning Partnership;

2.    noted the significant work of the wider multi-agency children’s planning partners including many third sector partners along with the Scottish Reporters Administration, Scottish Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland;

3.    noted the progress indicated within the Children and Young People’s Services Plan 2023 – 26; and

4.    endorsed the review submitted to Scottish Government as per legislative requirement.

(Reference: Report for Head of Children, Families and Justice Services/Chief Social Work Officer, Argyll and Bute HSCP dated 28 November 2025 and Year 2 (2024/25) Annual Review of the Children and Young People’s Services Plan 2023 - 2026, submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education

A report providing details of all external establishment inspection reports received across Argyll and Bute Education Service during the period August to December 2025 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted:-

1.    the contents of this 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 November 2025, submitted)

The Community Services Committee work plan for 2054-2026 was before the Committee for information.

Decision

The Committee noted the contents of the work plan.

(Reference: Community Services Committee Work Plan 2025-2026, submitted)