Rural Inverness Ward Forum
Aird and Loch Ness; Culloden and Ardersier; Inverness South
7 June 2011 at Glen Urquhart Secondary School at 7.30pm
Attendees
Cllr Margaret Davidson - Highland Council (chair)
Nick Beach, Glen Urquhart Community Council
Pam Lucas, Glen Urquhart Community Council
Anne MacDonald, Glen Urquhart Rural Association
Molly Doyle, Strathglass Community Council
Edward Redmond, Strathglass Community Council
Heather Redmond, Strathglass Community Council
Dianne Fraser, Glenurquhart Care Project
Ken Fraser, Glen Urquhart Community Council
Clare Dixon-Carter, Glenurquhart Care Project
Joanne Sutherland, Glenurquhart Care Project
Neil Maclean, Glenurquhart Care Project
Superintendent Stephen MacKay, Northern Constabulary
Chief Inspector Graeme Murdoch, Northern Constabulary
Bill Alexander, Highland Council
Jan Baird, NHS Highland and Highland Council
Charles Stephen, Highland Council
Cllr Margaret Davidson in the Chair
1. Welcome and introduction – Councillor Davidson
2. Apologies
Cllr Hamish Wood -Highland Council
3. Community Safety
Presentation by Superintendent Stephen MacKay and Chief Inspector Graeme Murdoch of Northern Constabulary. There is a 61% detection rate of Class 1 – 5 crimes in the area. They remain committed to staff numbers and maintaining local accountability. This area will have a full complement of Officers from 1st July with PC Gary Ross the Community Officer for Drumnadrochit.
Representatives from Cannich and from Drumnadrochit raised a variety of concerns:
Cannich
• Anti- social behaviour – residents should call the Police who will respond
• Were promised a Police surgery every 2/3 weeks – PC Karen MacKenzie now covers Cannich
• Heavy Goods lorries on narrow roads
Drumnadrochit
• Will Community Officer have a remit to spend time in the village? Yes.
• Road safety up the Glen – constant stream of trucks going to the borrow pit.
• What is the policy on school visits? Officers should liaise with schools.
4. Planning for the integration of care, health and education in Children’s and Adults Services
Presentation by Bill Alexander and Jan Baird (Powerpoint presentation attached).
There is a need for change to provide improved joint services for clients.
NHS Highland and Highland Council have developed the Lead Agency Model whereby responsibility for delivering adult services will be by NHS Highland and responsibility for delivering children’s services will be by Highland Council:
• The total resource will go to one agency to deliver one aspect.
• Each will be accountable to the other for delivery of services
• Start with universal services e.g. children’s services = school
Questions and discussion
• Will there be organisational/change issues?
• How will accountability work? Local Partnerships provide more accountability with local knowledge. These areas will have a small team including District Nurses with local knowledge.
• Will there be demarcation issues? – single budget eliminates that.
• CHP not really working – why will this new model? Local Partnerships provide more accountability with local knowledge.
• How will budget constraints and/or overspends be dealt with? – set a 5 year plan with annual review and performance framework
• Older people’s services will require more money/resources – we can free up costly hospital admissions and redirect resources to community services. Currently, emergency admissions to Raigmore costs £70 million – care at home costs £17 million. Some work will be required regarding community expectations as resources are finite.
• Both organisations need faith and trust to make this work – this will allow funds to move around to deliver services.
• Transport costs are high – but are key to delivering good quality services.
• Discussion about most appropriate boundaries for Local Partnerships – perhaps east and west Inverness – this would be better but not best. Potential to be based on population distribution. Discussion about potential for urban Inverness surrounded by a rural ring.
5. Forum ended at 9.15 p.m.