Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Community Safety, Public Engagement and Equalities Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Wednesday, 26 March 2014, at 10.00 a.m.

Present

Mr D Millar, Dr D Alston, Ms J Campbell, Mr A Duffy, Mr M Finlayson, Mr H Fraser, Mrs D MacKay, Mrs A MacLean, Mr M Reiss, Mr I Renwick, Ms G Ross, Mr G Ross, Mr R Saxon, Dr A Sinclair, Ms J Slater

Non-Members also present:

Mr B Clark, Ms J Douglas, Mr R Laird, Mr T MacLennan, Mr B Murphy, Mr J Stone

Officials in attendance:

Ms M Morris, Depute Chief Executive
Ms C McDiarmid, Head of Policy and Reform
Mr J Bruce, Elections Manager
Ms R Mackinnon, Equal Opportunities Officer
Ms I McLellan, Learning and Development Adviser
Mr P Tomalin, Ward Manager
Mrs R Moir, Principal Committee Administrator
Ms L Lee, Committee Administrator
Mr S Taylor, Administrative Assistant

Also in attendance:

Chief Superintendent J Innes, Highland and Islands Divisional Commander, Police Scotland
Mr S Hay, Local Senior Officer for the Highland Area, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Dr M Foxley, Board Member, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board
Mr I Ross, Board Member, Scottish Police Authority
Ms J Menzies, Lead Inspector, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland

An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council.  All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to the Committee.

Mr D Millar in the Chair

Preliminaries

The Chairman confirmed that the meeting would be webcast and gave a short briefing on the Council’s webcasting procedure and protocol.  

He also confirmed that all Members were invited to attend a briefing with the Highland Users Group at 3.00 pm.  In this regard, it was NOTED that in future Members would be given more notice as to which interest group had been invited to participate in such briefings.

1. Apologies for Absence
Liesgeulan

An apology for absence was intimated on behalf of Mrs L Munro.

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

The Committee NOTED the following declarations of interest:

• Item 9:  Ms J Douglas (Non-Financial)

3. Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board – Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas – Bòrd Com-pàirteachas Seirbheisean Poblach na Gàidhealtachd

There had been circulated and were NOTED minutes of meetings of the Highland Public Services Partnership Performance Board held on 13 September (57kb pdf) and 12 December 2013 (63kb pdf).

Community Safety
Com-pàirt Phoblach

4. Improvement Plan for Member Scrutiny and Engagement
Plana Leasachadh airson Sgrùdadh is Conaltradh Bhall

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-01-14 (38kb pdf) dated 14 March 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform providing an update on the Committee’s agreed improvement plan, together with information as to the Member workshop held in December 2013 on readiness for the anticipated inspections of local police and fire and rescue services and Member engagement with them.  The report advised that most improvement action identified previously had been completed and should be closed at the next meeting of the Committee.

The Member workshop, which had been preceded by completion of an online survey, had included presentations on the new partnership arrangements at officer level, as part of the review of community planning structures, and on the development of the local plans for police and fire and rescue services, and had considered the associated inspection questions.  Members in attendance had provided feedback/views on improving plan content, performance reporting, community engagement and partnership working.

The Chairman provided a briefing on his attendance at the Shetland Safety Committee and at an informal meeting with the chairs of the Shetland, Orkney and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar scrutiny boards, where a number of issues had been discussed.  In conjunction with the Shetland Safety Committee, a visit to the Fire Training Centre at Sumburgh Airport had also been arranged, during which he had observed testing of fire fighter breathing apparatus equipment.  He suggested that consideration be given to a similar opportunity being made available to Members of this Committee to visit the fire training facilities in Invergordon.  

Issues discussed at the Shetland Safety Committee had included school transport safety, working with young drivers on safety, drug and alcohol misuse and marine pollution.  A number of issues had also been discussed during his meeting with the other chairs, including concerns over traffic wardens, succession planning and the loss of local knowledge through the use of the single non-emergency phone number.  Concerns had also been raised regarding the close proximity to each other of the three future Scottish Fire Control Centres now identified, and the potential for loss of resilience in the Highlands and Islands with the closure of the Inverness Control Room.  The Chairman referred to the joint press release issued by all four chairs highlighting the issues raised during their meeting and also his letter to the Chief Fire Officer expressing concerns raised by the Council at its meeting in March, copies of which had been circulated to Members.

During discussion, Members welcomed both the scrutiny role performed by Area Committees and the attendance of Police and Fire representatives at Local District Partnership meetings, and sought reassurance that this practice would continue.

The Committee NOTED:

i. the progress made with the improvement plan appended to the report;
ii. the positive response from the online survey about police and fire engagement in advance of the workshop;
iii. that drafts of the local plans for police and fire and rescue were being considered as separate items at this meeting, and that the focus at the workshop on the inspection questions on local plans would help to develop the Council’s feedback on them; and
iv. that Members of the Education, Children and Adult Services Committee would continue to have access via email to the community safety reports for this Committee.

The Committee AGREED that further workshop(s) be arranged when the timing of the inspection of local police and fire services, and member engagement with them, was clearer.

5. Police Reports
Aithisgean Poilis

i. Performance Report Against the Interim Highland Local Policing Plan 2013-14
Dèanadas mu choinneamh Plana Eadar-amail Phoileasachd Ionadail na Gàidhealtachd 2013-14

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-02-14 (94kb pdf) dated 17 March 2014 by the Divisional Commander for Police providing an update to Committee Members on the progress with reference to the objectives outlined in the Highland Local Policing Plan 2013-14, together with statistical information on a range of targets.

The Divisional Commander summarised the main points of the report, which provided information in accordance with the Highland Local Policing Plan 2013-14.  Performance was being maintained, with overall crime figures continuing to fall.  In particular, Class 1 violent crime had reduced by 30.3% from 317 to 221 for the year to date.  This was attributed to partnership activity and combined operations carried out over the festive period.  He advised that his officers were working closely with roads policing colleagues to obtain very detailed information from the previous 3 years on crash clusters, and that deployment of trunk roads policing assets and road policing local assets in those crash cluster sites would be a priority.  The report also included information on cyclist collisions from 2009 to 2013.  

The Divisional Commander tabled an information sheet containing data for the Highland area provided by the Police Scotland Analysis and Performance Team, and advised Members that, with their agreement, information in this format could be included with the Divisional Commander’s report to each future Committee meeting.

During discussion, the Divisional Commander’s responses to a number of comments/questions included:

• doorstep crime would be included as a priority in the Local Plan in recognition of its impact, particularly on vulnerable individuals
• positive liaison continued with licensees to highlight the benefits of greater emphasis on providing support through early evening preventative visits to licensed premises 
• in future road accident statistics could be presented so as to separate out fatal and serious incidents 
• it was recognised that road closures following traffic accidents could be highly disruptive in rural areas, and options for speedier processing, without compromising effective investigation, would be explored, including any potential for utilising new technologies 
• drugs detections had led to significant seizures of assets.
  

Other points raised by Members included:

• the reported reduction in serious assaults and in complaints against disorder was welcom
• the reduction in detection rates for domestic abuse was concerning 
• it would be helpful to have performance figures covering a longer period, to assist in identifying trends 
• more information should be made available relating to complaints 
• it would be helpful to have greater clarity on emergency response times outwith Inverness 
• local engagement and reporting to Community Councils was welcomed; such reports should also be forwarded to Area Committees.
  

Mr I Ross, chair of the Scottish Police Authority’s Complaints and Conduct Committee, gave a short briefing on the role of the Authority, with particular reference to its scrutiny of the handling of complaints against the police, and also drew attention to the role of the independent Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

After discussion, the Committee AGREED:

i. that data for the Highland area provided by the Police Scotland Analysis and Performance Team, in the style as tabled, be included with the Divisional Commander’s report to each future Committee; and
ii. to request that comparative performance information be provided covering a three year period, to assist identification of performance trends.

The Committee also NOTED:

i. the progress made against the objectives set within the Highland Local Policing Plan 2013-2014;
ii. that statistical information on complaints within Highland would be provided to the Committee; and
iii. that statistical information would be provided differentiating between fatal and serious road traffic injuries.

ii. The Draft Highland Local Policing Plan 2014-17
Dreachd Plana Phoileasachd Ionadail na Gàidhealtachd 2014-17

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-03-14 (127kb pdf) dated 17 March 2014 by the Divisional Commander for Police presenting the proposed 2014-17 Highland Local Policing Plan to the Committee for scrutiny and comment.

The Plan outlined the local policing priorities and objectives for the Highland local authority area for 2014-2017 and was a statutory requirement under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.  It had been produced as part of a planning process which took account of the Scottish Government’s national outcomes, the setting of Community Planning Partnership objectives through single outcome agreements, the strategic police priorities set by Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Police Authority’s Strategic Police Plan and Police Scotland’s Annual Policing Plan.  

The priorities and objectives in the Plan had been identified by looking at national and local intelligence and community safety trends, as well as the views and concerns of the public, locally elected officials and community planning partners.  With the support of Ward Managers, this exercise had included an extensive Policing and Fire and Rescue Plan consultation exercise with every Ward within Highland.  The Plan supported the overall objectives within the Highland Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) and would be supported by 22 Ward Policing Plans outlining the policing priorities at a Ward level.

There had also been circulated Report No. cpe-04-14 (217kb pdf) dated 18 March 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform reminding Members of the requirement placed on a local commander by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 to prepare and submit a local police plan to the relevant local authority for approval, and advising the Committee as to the amendments and process required for approving the first Local Police Plan for Highland 2014–2017.  Prior to final approval by the Council, this would include, in addition to consideration by this Committee, referral to the Education, Children and Adult Services (ECAS) Committee at its next meeting in May 2014, given that Committee’s interest in relevant areas such as youth justice and alcohol and drugs.

The report recommended a number of improvements to the Plan, including:

• comments on the introduction and foreword
• the need for further information on resourcing, a commitment to joint resourcing locally and for the performance content to be strengthened 
• various improvements to ensure alignment with the SOA, e.g. in relation to alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour, road safety, hate crimes and violence against women as partnership priorities 
• the need for contextual information describing the high levels of community safety in the region and where the plan content and layout could be strengthened.
  

During discussion, Members raised the following points:

• whilst Members welcomed plans to deliver the Driving Ambition Campaign to young drivers in 22 High Schools, concern was raised that conducting the scheme over a 24 month period would be less effective than the former 12 month period, which it was suggested had allowed more pupils to benefit
• initiatives contained within the Plan to support the reduction in wildlife crime in the Highlands were welcomed; in particular, emphasis should be placed on encouraging measures to reduce badger-baiting in the Caithness area 
• the Council’s annual public information leaflet should include a request for feedback from the public on issues relating to police and fire 
• reference should be made to measuring the duration of trunk road closures following serious accidents, with a view to using this information to encourage investment in new road traffic investigation technology 
• it was important to ensure that vulnerable adults were well represented within the Plan 
• whilst there was only minor reference to Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) within the draft plan, it was likely that this would be raised when the draft was considered by the ECAS Committee at its meeting in May.
  

During discussion, a request was made asking the Committee to recommend that the Highland Council lend its full support to the cross-party agreement of the Scottish Parliament to introduce Graduated Driver Licensing for new drivers in Scotland and call on the Westminster Government to recognise the weight of public opinion behind this initiative.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that the draft Plan would be adjusted to reflect the comments from both this Committee and the ECAS Committee, prior to its final submission to Council in May 2014.

In response to comments, the Local Commander expressed his gratitude to Members for their scrutiny of the Plan and advised that, in light of the Committee’s comments, the Driving Ambition Campaign could be implemented over a 12 month period.  He also advised that performance figures showing a three year average comparison would be available from the Committee’s next meeting.

The Committee AGREED:

i. the improvements required for approval to be given to the local police plan, as set out in section 3 of the Head of Policy and Reform’s report; and
ii. to amend the reference to conducting the Driving Ambition programme in all 22 High Schools to reflect a 12 month rather than 24 month target period.

The Committee NOTED that the draft local plan would also be considered by the Education, Children and Adult Services Committee in May 2014, before Council approval of the local plan was sought in June 2014, based on the recommendations from both Committees.

*  The Committee also AGREED to recommend that the Highland Council lend its full support to the cross-party agreement of the Scottish Parliament to introduce Graduated Driver Licensing for new drivers in Scotland, and call on the Westminster Government to recognise the weight of public opinion behind this initiative.

iii. Organisational Change Update
Cunntas as Ùr air Atharrachadh Buidhneil

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-05-14 (14kb pdf) dated 17 March 2014 by the Divisional Commander for Police providing an Organisational update on Police Officer numbers in Highland and indicating that, within Highland, the current headcount establishment was 524 officers, consisting of 444 officers in response and community policing areas and 80 officers in the public protection, specialist and divisional support teams.  There were currently 20 vacancies.  In addition to the Divisional establishment, 162 of 666 officers within the North Territorial Area managed by other specialist divisions within Police Scotland, and supporting policing in Highland and the Islands, were based in Highland.  

In speaking to the report, the Divisional Commander advised that officer numbers within the Highland and Islands Division were currently at 675 and that he had autonomy to deploy officers across the area as he deemed, so as to fit demand.  He suggested that a Members’ briefing session be held to explain in greater depth the impact of the Police Scotland deployment model on officer numbers and distribution across Highland, including information on the number of officers in each station and their roles and responsibilities.  He advised that the Division was currently recruiting new constables and that over the previous two months 47 applications had been received.  Whilst he had previously expressed concern that the introduction of the single force might result in officers moving away from the area, in practice more officers had joined than had left, and he was confident that the Division would benefit from the introduction of the new Force deployment model.

The Depute Leader of the Council expressed concern as to the level of scrutiny available to the Committee and sought assurance that the balance between officers and support staff in Highland was appropriate.  The Divisional Commander advised that future reports to the Committee would include information on the number of members of support staff under his line management.  Whilst it was difficult to make comparisons between the deployment of support staff under Police Scotland and that under the former Northern Constabulary, he commented that the operational impact of staff voluntarily leaving had been minimal.  The new deployment model had presented Police Scotland with an opportunity to manage its procedures more efficiently and effectively.  He stressed that the complement of 625 officers working on the front line did not carry out support staff work. He also acknowledged the extremely valuable support provided by Special Constables and undertook to report on their role and number to a future meeting.

Mr I Ross of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) emphasised the importance of ensuring that the Police Service reflected and recognised the distinct differences across Scotland.  He also highlighted the impact of the new staff deployment model, together with the introduction of significant IT changes, on removing duplication and achieving savings.  He acknowledged the reduction in support staff numbers, but emphasised that there had been no compulsory redundancies.  He assured Members that the application of the Service’s voluntary severance/early retirement scheme had been stringently managed to take account of the impact of any given post’s removal on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation as a whole.

The Committee NOTED the update and that future reports would include information on Police Support Staff directly managed by the Divisional Commander; and AGREED that a Members’ briefing session be held to explain in greater depth the impact of the Police Scotland deployment model on officer numbers and distribution across Highland, including information on the number of officers in each station and their roles and responsibilities.

6. Scottish Police Authority Consultation on Stop and Search
Co-chomhairleachadh Ùghdarrais Poilis na h-Alba air Stad is Sgrùd

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-06-14 (272kb pdf) dated 21 February 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform advising that the Scottish Police Authority had sought views by 14 February 2014 on the use of stop and search by Police Scotland and that a response had been sent on behalf of the Council following consultation with Members via Ward Business meetings.

The consultation had suggested that Members were aware of the stop and search procedure; that there had been opportunity in Committee to question the local police commander on its use in the Highlands; and that at the present time there were no known issues on stop and search coming forward from communities or individuals.

During discussion, Members raised the following points:
•    it was suggested that the practice of officers taking sniffer dogs into public houses could be extended into their use in random street searches; however, concern was expressed that random searches on the street would breach civil liberties and so be inappropriate
•    while most cases of stop and search were intelligence-led, Members had no means of scrutinising the rationalisation behind those that were not
•    the consultation response had indicated that stop and search was not perceived to be a problem by young people in Highland
•    the importance was highlighted of establishing the number of searches within Highland resulting in detection, and the suggestion made that these findings should be benchmarked against the rest of Scotland.
Mr I Ross of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) provided background information on the consultation on stop and search, during which he thanked the Council for its submission and advised that the response to the consultation had reflected the high level of public interest in the subject.  The consultation had been organised by the SPA to provide an understanding of the way in which stop and search was being conducted and to highlight any issues arising.  Further topics would be scrutinised by the SPA in a similar way to get a regional and geographical spread of views.

The Chairman thanked Mr Ross for his comments.

The Committee AGREED to HOMOLOGATE the submission sent to the Scottish Police Authority in February 2014 in response to the consultation on the use of stop and search by Police Scotland since 1 April 2013.

7. Fire and Rescue Service Reports
Aithisgean na Seirbheis Smàlaidh is Teasairginn

i. Quarterly Performance Report
Aithisg Dèanadais Ràitheil

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-07-14 (17kb pdf) dated 16 March 2014 by the Local Senior Officer for Fire and Rescue detailing Fire and Rescue Service performance across a range of Intervention, Prevention and Protection activities, in line with set target delivery for 2013/14.  Issues covered in the report included: Community Safety activity, such as legislative fire safety audits and home fire safety visits; key performance indicators; area statistical information; general news items; and incident summaries of interest.

The Local Senior Officer informed Members that there would be changes to the report format in the future as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) would be moving to 3-year reporting of statistics, so that trends could be more easily identified.  The SFRS would also be launching an Adult and Children’s protection policy.  In speaking to the report, he stressed the importance of partnership working, data sharing and targeted home fire safety visits in reducing casualties, and gave assurances that the SFRS was committed to its retained stations and that recruitment was ongoing.  The contribution made by local employers in releasing retained fire fighters to attend call-outs was vital and appreciated.

During discussion, Members raised a number of points including:

• that performance data reporting over five years would be more useful than over three, as this would better allow for variables such as the weather and wild fires
• the importance of working with partners 
• the welcome reduction in the number of malicious fires.
  

Responses to questions raised included that:

• the target for legislative safety inspections for hospitals and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMSOs) would be met – peripatetic inspection teams from other parts of Scotland were helping to carry out this work and additional inspection officers were being trained
• there was no single reason for the increase in the number of house fires, and no observable pattern; the importance of smoke detectors and escape plans was emphasised 
• SFRS was aware of the high number of false alarm call-outs and the negative impact this had on morale and employer willingness to release staff, and such call-outs were being targeted 
• fire fighters were routinely deployed at stations local to their workplace, if this was distant from their home station 
• all opportunities to work with partners, such as the local Alzheimer’s support group, were taken up – this was essential and had proven extremely effective 
• as previously proposed by the Committee, retained fire fighter recruits had been sought from among Highland Council staff 
• press allegations that stations were “off the run” because of gaps in training were inaccurate; training was ongoing, with 95% of fire fighters being fully competent; the remaining 5% comprised new officers completing their training and a small number of people on long-term sick leave.  
  

Dr M Foxley, Board Member, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, gave an overview of the main issues currently being focussed on by SFRS, including: the availability and training of fire fighters; the potential for home-based women to provide fire cover during the day in remoter communities, with childcare solutions being investigated; the need to reduce false alarm call-outs; the importance of working with partners to reduce risk; the possible introduction of more flexible retained fire fighter contract hours; and the limitations of performance statistics, an example being that a low number of call-outs for a particular unit might be due to effective preventative work, rather than poor performance.  He emphasised that the provision of fire cover in remoter areas ultimately lay with communities.

The Committee NOTED the position and the information given and AGREED to request that comparative performance information be provided covering at least a three year period, to assist identification of performance trends.

ii. Draft Highland Local Fire and Rescue Plan
Dreachd Plana Smàlaidh agus Teasairginn Ionadail na Gàidhealtachd

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-08-14 (2221kb pdf) dated 16 March 2014 by the Local Senior Officer for Fire and Rescue, together with, appended to the report, the Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan for Highland 2014-2017.

Creation of the Local Plan was required under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, as was the production by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) of a Strategic Plan for Scotland.  The circulated documents relating to the Draft Local Plan acknowledged its role as a link between the four strategic aims in the SFRS Strategic Plan 2013-2016 and how these would be delivered at local level for the communities of Highland.  The Draft Plan set out the seven key priorities for the SFRS within the Highland area, based on the local risk profile and risk analysis, together with identification of community priorities through local engagement and consultation:

• local risk management and preparedness
• reduction of accidental dwelling fires 
• reduction of fire casualties and injuries 
• reduction of deliberate fire setting 
• reduction of fires in non-domestic property 
• reduction in casualties from non-fire emergencies 
• reduction of unwanted fire alarm signals.
  

The report also recognised the importance of

delivering risk reduction activities in partnership through the Highland Community Planning Partnership structure, aligned with strategic outcomes identified in the Highland Single Outcome Agreement 2013-2019.  Following adoption of the Local Fire and Rescue Plan for Highland 2014-2017, the Annual Action Plan for Highland 2014-2015 would be finalised and would provide greater scrutiny opportunities for elected members, partner organisations within the Community Planning Partnership, and the wider communities of Highland.

There had also been circulated Report No. cpe-09-14 (193kb pdf) dated 18 March 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform referencing the requirement placed on the SFRS by the 2012 Act to prepare and submit a local fire and rescue plan to the relevant local authority for approval and advising Members of the amendments and process required for approving the first Local Fire and Rescue Plan for Highland 2014-2017.  The draft plan had been considered by Members locally, and at the meeting of the Adult and Children Services Committee held in February 2014, given that Committee’s community safety interest.  Final approval would be sought at the meeting of the Council to be held in May 2014.

The report recommended a number of improvements to the Plan, including:

• the need for further information on resourcing and a commitment to joint resourcing locally, including in relation to vulnerable young people and flatted accommodation in key priorities 2 and 3, as set out
• the need for the performance content to be strengthened, at least to include the high level performance information included in the SOA.
  

The report also:

• suggested that the inclusion of carbon reduction activities would be helpful to partnership working
• encouraged greater promotion of the success of the Service, together with raising awareness of the harm caused by malicious false alarms.
  

During discussion, Members:

• supported the inclusion of flatted developments in the Plan
• requested that businesses which had closed down and were potentially unsafe also be included in the Plan 
• requested information on the current position with regard to the installation of sprinklers in new builds and existing high-risk buildings.
  

The Local Senior Officer welcomed the feedback from Members.  This, along with input from other partners, would inform the Plan.  What could be achieved, however, would depend on resources, and in this regard he advised that the SFRS was carrying out an assessment of assets across Scotland.  Whilst the current intention was to retain the existing complement of stations, should the assessment indicate that changes should be made, there would be full consultation with Members and communities.

In responding to the Council’s suggestion that the SFRS take action to reduce its carbon emissions, Dr M Foxley, SFRS Board member, requested assistance from the Council in relation to accessing European Funding understood to be available for remoter communities.  He also informed Members that it would take around three years to build the new command and control centre in Dundee, and gave an assurance that the new arrangements would be very thoroughly tested before that centre went live.  The Inverness control room would continue to operate for the next three years at least, and staff members were being encouraged to remain in post and assist with knowledge transfer.  With reference to possible future changes, should Members have any particular concerns about fire stations in their locality, these could be brought either to his attention, or to that of the Local Senior Officer.  All stations were being visited, as time allowed.

The Chairman, with reference to his recent letter to the Chief Fire Officer regarding the closure of the Inverness control room, previously circulated to Members, undertook also to circulate to Committee Members any response received.  

* The Chairman having thanked Dr Foxley, the Committee AGREED the improvements required for approval to be given to the local fire and rescue plan, as set out in section 3 of the report; and NOTED the information given and that:

i. the current draft local fire and rescue plan had been amended in light of earlier feedback from the Council and from the Adult and Children’s Services Committee;
ii. the current draft aligned strongly to the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) and partnership working and included action that Members had raised previously;
iii. NHS Highland was also being consulted;
iv. an annual action plan was to be produced providing more detail on targets;
v. the conditions for approving the local fire and rescue plan would be raised at the Council meeting in May 2014, as a starred item from the minutes of this Committee; and
vi. information on the Planning rules/requirements with regard to the installation of sprinklers would be forwarded to Committee Members.

The Committee also NOTED that the Scottish Ambulance Service’s representative had been unable to attend this meeting, but hoped to be present at the June Committee meeting.

Equalities
Co-ionannachdan

8. Equality and Diversity Training
Cunntas as Ùr air Trèanadh is Leasachadh air Ceistean Co-ionannachd

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-10-14 (122kb pdf) dated 17 March 2014 by the Head of Policy and Reform outlining the training and development provided for staff in Equality and Diversity through Highland Council’s Learning and Development team and by external partners; and explaining work under development to increase training and equalities awareness.

The report listed:

• all the courses delivered face-to-face on equalities topics, together with the numbers of attendees since April 2011
• all the courses on equalities topics available on the Council’s e-Learning platform, My Online Learning, together with the numbers of times these courses had been accessed since April 2011 
• other courses providing a significant emphasis on the implications of equalities issues 
• the numbers of staff attending training between 2011 and 2013 raising awareness of Violence against Women issues.
  

The report also drew attention to training provision available in relation to Deaf Awareness, support for women in and into management, and support for older workers; and outlined further options under development or being explored to increase equalities awareness, for example in relation to ethnicity and cultural issues.

Prior to discussion, the Chair expressed his disappointment at the low number of Members taking part in the recent Violence Against Women training, and emphasised the usefulness of such training in enabling Members to fulfil the Committee’s remit more effectively.

In the course of discussion, Members:

• welcomed the high numbers of staff accessing the e-learning courses on dementia
• sought information on: the ease of access to the On-Line courses; whether the courses were being taken by staff whose jobs involved care provision, or by other staff; how staff were directed to the training; and the take-up level of courses 
• were advised that: On-Line courses were open to all staff - anyone experiencing difficulty should contact Learning and Development; new courses could be developed on demand; and data was not available as to the job-types of those accessing the training, although other breakdowns, such as for gender and grade, could be provided.
  

The Committee NOTED:

i. the training and development delivered to increase awareness of Equality and Diversity within Highland Council staff; and
ii. the plans for future development.

Public Engagement
Com-pàirt Phoblach

9. Strengthening Communities Project
Pròiseact Neartachadh Choimhearsnachdan

In accordance with Standing Order 18, with the consent of the meeting, Item 12 on the agenda was taken at this point.

Declaration of Interest: Ms J Douglas had declared a non-financial interest in this item as a member of the Strengthening Communities Project Steering Group but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, had concluded that her interest would not have precluded her involvement in the discussion.

Ms Karen Derrick, Strengthening Communities Project Manager, gave a presentation to the Committee on the Strengthening Communities project running in Badenoch and Strathspey, as reported to the Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee on 3 December 2013.  Ms Derrick provided information on how the project had started, the initial steps taken and the progress made.

The need for the Project had become apparent through work undertaken in relation to the development of local plans, which had highlighted a number of projects that communities would like to see taken forward, but for which they did not have the skills or capacity (e.g. community ownership, broadband installation, economic regeneration, enhancement of cultural heritage).  The Strengthening Communities Project had been set up under Voluntary Action Badenoch & Strathspey, using funding from the European Social Fund (ESF), the Council, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Robertson Trust, to provide training to communities in the business skills required, and to promote partnership working.

The programme had been taken forward in stages, moving from governance and personal skills to leadership, and then on to income generation, employment law, and financial and project management.  The concept of “Team Towns” had been developed, this having arisen from grass roots rather than being imposed by the project, and eight of the 12 towns in Badenoch and Strathspey were now Team Towns.  There were also 6 Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs) and 11 Enterprise Initiatives.  A number of formal qualifications had been achieved by participants, and younger people were becoming increasingly involved in their communities.  The Strengthening Communities project was also helpful in enabling communities to access LEADER funding, as it helped meet the requirement to demonstrate partnership working.

During discussion, Members raised the following points:

• the information provided was interesting and stimulating
• some communities had taken initial steps, such as ownership of their village hall; however, it was often the same handful of individuals who became actively involved, and it could be difficult to get different groups to work together 
• there could be a lack of knowledge as to what training was required and available; access to facilities for training could also be difficult.
  

In response, Ms Derrick acknowledged that getting communities to work together could be a challenge.  She could identify no single reason for the success of the project, but factors included:

• having a well-established contact point – people knew where to go
• advertising and use of social media – making people aware of what was happening; ongoing communication was important 
• sowing seeds and being able to link to successes in other communities 
• communities taking a business approach to how they used their assets 
• using multi-media channels to find out what people wanted in the way of training 
• support from others, including third sector, SCIOs, etc. 
• being inclusive – young, old, disabled, etc.
  

The Committee NOTED the presentation and information given.

10. Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2014
Ath-bhreithneachadh de Sgìrean Bhòtaidh is Àiteachan Bhòtaidh 2014

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-11-14 (457kb pdf) dated 4 March 2014 by the Elections Manager advising the Committee of the Review of the current Scheme of Polling Districts and Polling Places, as required by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013.

Under the 2013 Act, the periods for compulsory Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places were now the period of 16 months beginning with 1 October 2013 and the period of 16 months beginning with 1 October of every fifth year thereafter.  The Highland Review had commenced on 15 November 2013, the intention being to submit a final report to the meeting of the Council scheduled for 30 October 2014.  The report outlined the statutory requirements as to the various factors to be taken into account in carrying out the Review; the bodies consulted; and the process laid down for making representations concerning the Review’s conclusions.  The report also summarised the responses received during the consultative process and suggested a number of amendments to the existing Scheme, in relation both to Polling Districts and to Polling Places.

During discussion, Members raised a number of concerns around the process for the closure of polling stations and were advised that:

• communities would be made aware that a polling station was being considered for closure once the Committee had made its decision; consultation with the communities would then take place
• a report would be brought to the full Council on 30 October 2014 making recommendations to amend Polling Districts and Polling Places; this report would include responses to the consultation 
• should there be a strong reaction to a proposed closure, a report could be brought to this Committee before going to Council 
• the new polling arrangements would take effect from early 2015, and would be in place for the UK general election scheduled for 7 May 2015 
• if a closure affected a large number of people, it would be possible to write to them and highlight the option of postal voting 
• delegated powers to make changes to the Scheme of Polling Districts were already in existence and some changes had recently been made, the proposals having previously been discussed at Ward meetings.
  

An inconsistency in the wording of the report regarding Portgower polling station having been highlighted, clarification and assurance was given that this polling station was not being recommended for closure.

The Committee NOTED the representations received and APPROVED:

i. the suggestions to amend Polling Districts and Polling Places as detailed in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the report; and
ii. the Scheme of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Appendix 2 to the report) for further consultation, with the final report being submitted to the meeting of the Highland Council on 30 October 2014.

The Committee also AGREED to continue to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Convener, Leader and Depute Leader and appropriate local Members, to make any necessary changes to the Scheme should circumstances arise prior to Council consideration of the next report on 30 October 2014.

11. Action Plan to Improve Voter Turnout – Update
Plana Gnìomh airson Leasachadh na tha a’ Nochdadh de Luchd-bhòtaidh – Cunntas as Ùr

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-12-14 (17kb pdf) dated 18 March 2014 by the Elections Manager providing Members with an update of the actions being undertaken to encourage participation in elections, particularly for young people.

The report outlined recent developments in relation to the holding of mock referenda in schools; Council backing for Highland Youth Voice’s “Votes@16” campaign; and Observer status accorded to local Secondary School pupils at recent Council by-elections.

Having been informed that a mock referendum was also to be held at Millburn Academy, Inverness, Members raised the following points in discussion:

• the elections office had been very helpful with regard to checking whether school students were registered to vote
• voting patterns were set early – if individuals did not vote the first time that they were entitled to do so, they were unlikely to vote thereafter 
• holding mock elections in schools was useful, and could be particularly beneficial if held in areas of traditionally low turn-out 
• the presence of school pupil Observers at by-elections was welcomed; feedback would be of interest to the Committee.
  

In response to questions, Members were advised that capacity issues limited the number of mock referenda that could be supported by the Council’s elections team, but that a number of schools had arranged these independently; it was open to Members to encourage schools, in a non-political way, to hold mock referenda and elections.

The Committee NOTED the ongoing work to encourage participation in elections in Highland, and that feedback on the mock referenda held in schools and on attendance by school pupil Observers at the recent by-elections would be reported to the Committee.

12. Scottish Government Consultation: Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments
Co-chomhairle Riaghaltas na h-Alba: Prionnsapalan Deagh Chleachdaidh  airson Buannachdan Coimhearsnachd bho Leasachaidhean Lùth Ath-nuadhachail  Air Tìr

There had been circulated Report No. cpe-13-14 (235kb pdf) dated 14 March 2014 by the Acting Head of Community and Democratic Engagement advising that the Scottish Government had sought responses by 17 January 2014 to its consultation on “Scottish Government Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments”.  The report asked the Committee to homologate the Highland Council response submitted, as set out in Annex 1 to the report.

The consultation had sought views on principles designed to guide developers and communities though the process of negotiating community benefit.  The Council’s response had been drawn up by the Community Benefit Officers Working Group in consultation with the Chair of the Committee.

Points raised in discussion included:

• concern that timescales had not allowed for the consultation to be considered at the Committee prior to submission of the Council’s response
• support for the response submitted, in particular with regard to maintaining the 15km concentric ring methodology for apportioning community benefit, allowing benefit to be used to fund services normally provided by the Council, and with regard to payment in kind 
• that unless the Good Practice Principles were backed up by legislation, they were unlikely to make any difference 
• that a number of communities were already experienced in community benefit negotiations, and would proceed as they wished 
• that whilst no monies had as yet fed into the Council’s general Community Benefit fund, the policy put in place a standard which provided checks and balances, ensuring that developers and communities were aware of what the Council expected.
  

In answer to questions, Members were advised that many Community Councils had set up a sub-group to deal with community benefit negotiations, separate from their response to planning applications – the requirement to perform these roles separately was emphasised at Community Council training events.  Members were also advised that officers were currently revisiting the Council’s policy with a view to making it easier for communities to use; an update would be brought to a future meeting.

Having NOTED the information given, the Committee AGREED to HOMOLOGATE the Council response submitted.

The meeting ended at 2.20 p.m., having adjourned for lunch between 1.20 p.m. and 1.55 p.m.