What we will do to make the Council more Effective and Efficient

What we will do for Children and Families
What we will do for Communities and Older People | What we will do for the Economy
What we will do to make the Council more Effective and Efficient
What we will do for our Environment

Are You Registered to Vote?

The Highland Council's Election Team is beginning preparations for the forthcoming General Election, which must be held before Thursday 3 June, 2010, when the Government's five year term of office ends.

Chief Executive Alistair Dodds is returning officer for the three Highland parliamentary constituencies _ Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross Skye and Lochaber and Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey.

He is making arrangements for the 286 polling stations and the three counting venues, which will be in Wick, Dingwall and Inverness.

The public is encouraged to ensure they are registered to vote in the elections and to consider applying for a postal or proxy vote. The Electoral Registration Officer is in the final stages of an extensive canvass of the Highlands, including postal and door to door contact, to ensure people are registered to vote. Anyone with any queries on registration should contact 0800 393 783.

ICT Contract Awarded

The Council has agreed to appoint Fujitsu Services as its preferred bidder for Information Communication and Technology Services over the next five years. The estimated value of the new contract, which will take effect from early in the new year, is more than £66 million.

The new contract will offer the Council and all its staff a number of opportunities for new, improved and flexible ways of working in the future and allow significant investment in new ICT systems and infrastructure for both corporate and school curriculum ICT.

It will deliver significant efficiency savings - £6.76m over the next five years - and cut the carbon footprint of the Council through reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption. As part of their bid, Fujitsu are establishing a North of Scotland ICT centre of excellence in Inverness and will be moving in the new year from their current base within Council headquarters in Inverness.

Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on the Pathfinder North project, which is delivering faster computer links to public buildings, such as schools, libraries and offices in Highland, Moray, Argyll and Bute, Orkney and Shetland.

More than 400 properties in Highland are among the 800 sites upgraded in the scheme, delivered by Thus plc.

Want to Know More?

Would you like more detailed information on Council performance? You can use the following links to access more information:

• Single Outcome Agreement Annual Performance Report 2008/09:
  www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/soa
• The Highland Council Annual Corporate Performance Report 2008/09:
  www.highland.gov.uk/annual-performance-2009.pdf
• The Highland Council Annual Public Performance Survey 2009:
  www.highland.gov.uk/performance-survey-2009.pdf

Community Council Review

The first phase of a major review of Community Council arrangements in Highland, focusing on boundaries, continues until 23 December. Stage one of the consultation process invites suggestions on the area and composition of Community Councils. Many Community Council boundaries were set more than 30 years ago. Community Councils and communities are invited to consider whether these boundaries are still meaningful as they stand, or whether changes in such things as population and settlement patterns should be reflected in altered boundaries. There may also be an opportunity to realign Community Council boundaries with other divisions, such as Polling Districts.

A second 12-week period of public consultation will follow in April 2010, after the Council has produced a new Highland-wide draft scheme. This will include discussion at Ward Forums.

A third period of consultation will follow in October, next year, when the public is invited to comment on amendments to the draft scheme. The Council currently provides 150 Community Councils in Highland with annual funding of £208,951.

Maps of the current boundaries of Community Councils are available via the home page of the council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk and in Council libraries and Service Points.

Emails should be sent to: ccreview@highland.gov.uk

Written submissions should be sent to: CC Review, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX

Office Accommodation Review

Having established a new flagship office for East Sutherland at Drummuie, Golspie, the Council is now finalising plans to replace our office accommodation at Market Square, Wick. And looking further ahead, the Council is to review our accommodation needs in Inverness, where we have 35 offices and at Dingwall, where we have 12.

Employee of the Year 

David MacIver, The Council's street work project officer in Inverness has been chosen as the Council's Employee of the Year. David (pictured with Convener Sandy Park (left) and Chief Executive Alistair Dodds), received his prize at the Council's recent annual Quality Awards held at the Town House, Inverness. David, who is based at the Homeless Day Centre at Waterloo Place, Inverness, works with rough sleepers and encourages them to register for a home.

Three members of staff received awards for being commended by their Community Council for special recognition. There were Susan Menzies, manager, Hilton Community Centre, Inverness; Henry Flett, community works officer in North West Sutherland and John MacLeod, foreman electrician from Brora. Team of the year went to Portree Primary School, who won a number of sporting awards and a Scottish Educational Award for a Gaelic project. Trainee of the Year was Simon Hindson, graduate planner.

Golspie Shared Services

At Golspie, the Council is joining forces with Northern Constabulary and the Citizens Advice Bureau to share office accommodation at the Service Point, where Council staff are on hand to take messages for the police in their absence on duty, as well handle lost property, make appointments etc. At Lochaline in Ardnamurchan, the Council is working with the Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service to share a site which will house a new primary school as well as a new fire station.

Identity and Passport Service

One of the Council's most significant partnerships is with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). New government legislation introduced last year requires all first time passport applicants to have an interview with an officer from the IPS. Prior to our partnership working, this would have meant that an applicant would have had to travel to the nearest passport office in Glasgow. Now, this service can be provided at six of our rural Service Points namely Fort William, Kingussie, Lochcarron, Lochinver, Portree and Ullapool. Each Service Point has been set up with its own external secure email link through which the IPS receive the applicant's details and time of interview. By using the webcam system, the interview can be completed, with Service Point staff providing an information and guidance role to the applicant.