Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the People Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 6 December 2017 at 10.05 am.

Present:

Mr A Baxter (Substitute), Mr B Boyd, Mrs I Campbell, Mr A Christie (Chair), Mrs M Cockburn, Ms K Currie, Mr A Graham, Mr T Heggie, Mr A Jarvie, Ms E Knox, Mr R MacDonald, Mr W MacKay (video conferencing), Mr G MacKenzie, Mrs I MacKenzie, Mr D Macpherson, Mrs B McAllister, Mr R MacWilliam, Mrs P Munro, Mrs M Paterson, Mrs F Robertson, Mr G Ross, Mr A Sinclair (videoconferencing), Ms N Sinclair, Mr C Smith, Ms K Stephen (Vice Chair)

NHS Highland:

Ms J Macdonald, Prof H van Woerden

Religious Representatives:

Ms S Lamont, Mr A MacLean, Mr K Weidner

Youth Convener:

Ms M Roberts

Non-Members also present:

Mrs J Barclay, Mr R Bremner (video conferencing), Mr K Gowans, Mr B Lobban, Mr D Mackay, Ms L Munro

In attendance:

Mr B Alexander, Director of Care and Learning
Mr W Gilfillan, Director of Community Services
Mrs B Cairns, Head of Additional Support Services, Care and Learning Service
Ms S Campbell, Head of Children’s Services, Care and Learning Service
Mr B Porter, Head of Resources, Care and Learning Service
Mr J Steven, Head of Education, Care and Learning Service
Ms N Young, Area Care and Learning Manager – West, Care and Learning Service (video conferencing)
Mr D Goldie, Head of Housing and Building Maintenance, Community Services
Mr M Mitchell, Finance Manager, Finance Service
Ms J Douglas, Care and Learning Alliance (Third Sector)
Ms S Blyth, Highland Parent Council Partnership
Miss J Maclennan, Principal Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office
Miss M Murray, Committee Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office

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 A Christie in the Chair

Business

1. Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr J Finlayson and Ms M Newdick.

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

The Committee NOTED the following declarations of interest:-

Item 5 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Item 6 – Mr A Christie and Mr R MacWilliam (both non-financial)
Item 7 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Item 8 – Mr A Christie, Mr T Heggie, Mr A Jarvie and Ms L Munro (all non-financial) and Mr K Gowans (financial)
Item 9 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Item 10 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Item 12 – Mr A Graham (financial)
Item 13 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Item 15 – Mr A Christie (non-financial)
Items 16 i and iv – Mr A Christie (non-financial)

3. Outstanding Achievements
Coileanaidhean Air Leth

There had been tabled a list of outstanding achievements by people and groups.

Having been shown a video clip produced by the pupils of Applecross Primary School highlighting recycling, the Committee:-

i. NOTED the outstanding achievements; and
ii. AGREED that the relevant Service Director write to all those involved in recognition of their success.

4. Housing Revenue Budget Monitoring Report – 1 April to 30 September 2017
Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Buidseat Teachd-a-steach Taigheadais – 1 giblean gu 30 Sultain 2017

There had been circulated Report No PEO/40/17 dated 24 November 2017 by the Director of Community Services.

In response to a question, the Chair explained that the slippage reported on the HRA Capital Programme in respect of the Council house building element was partly due to the fact that some of the tenders returned had been higher than expected and this had resulted in works being retendered. 

The Committee:-

i. APPROVED the revenue budget position for 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017; and
ii. NOTED the work being done to consult with tenants on rent levels for 2018/19.

5. Housing Performance Report – 1 April to 30 September 2017
Aithisg Coileanaidh Taigheadais – 1 giblean gu 30 Sultain 2017

Declaration of Interest: Mr A Christie declared a non-financial interest in this item as General Manager of Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/41/17 dated 28 November 2017 by the Director of Community Services.

During discussion, Members raised the following issues:-

• Intensive Support Officers should be commended on the level of intensive budgeting and income maximisation support they had provided to Council tenants;
• the Council was performing well in respect of the average time taken to complete non-emergency repairs in comparison to the national benchmark figures, taking into account the logistical and geographic challenges of the Highlands; and  
• concern was expressed at the increase of 26% in the overall rent arrears for known Universal Credit cases between June 2017 and September 2017.

The Committee NOTED the information provided on housing performance in the period 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017.

6. Local Housing Strategy
Ro-innleachd Taigheadais Ionadail

Declarations of Interest:

Mr A Christie declared a non-financial interest in this item as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland, General Manager of Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and a Director of the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interests did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

Mr R MacWilliam also declared a non-financial interest in this item as a Director of the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/42/17 dated 28 November 2017 by the Director of Community Services.

In discussion, reference was made to the potential to realign the distinct local Housing Market Areas identified by the Highland Housing Strategy Group. This was on the basis that Inverness City had different and unique housing needs compared to the other more rural settlements included in the identified area.  In response, the Chair acknowledged the need to consider how the Housing Market Areas could be more aligned with the settlement areas used to inform new Council house building and confirmed that work to address this matter would be taken forward when the strategy was reviewed. 

Thereafter, the joint work undertaken with NHS Highland in the development of the strategy was welcomed.

The Committee APPROVED the Council’s Local Housing Strategy 2017-2022.

7. Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation
Dìth Dachaigh agus Àite-fuirich Sealach

Declarations of Interest: Mr A Christie declared non-financial interests in this item as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland and General Manager of Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey CAB respectively but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interests did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/43/17 dated 28 November 2017 by the Director of Community Services.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• the Universal Credit rent allowance that applied to under 35s meant that young people could not afford private rented accommodation.  The Council did not have enough housing stock to accommodate them and the need to build affordable one-bedroomed flats was emphasised.  In response, the Chair drew attention to section 5.3 of the report which explained that the Council’s strategy was to increase the use of Council or Housing Association properties and reduce reliance on private sector properties.  He added that Universal Credit had increased poverty and led to Councils and other registered social landlords experiencing severe rent arrears.  Whilst the November budget announcement by the Chancellor in relation to changes to Universal Credit arrangements was welcomed, disappointment was expressed that it had not happened sooner;
• concern was expressed regarding the housing crisis and that the full extent of demand was not known as many people were still living with their parents until they had enough money to move out.  The Chair explained that there were currently 7458 people on the Council waiting list.  However, that figure understated the situation as some people chose not to register; and
• in relation to housing development, it was suggested that the Council should lobby the Scottish Government to bring Scotland’s planning laws into line with England, where there was prior approval for the conversion of offices, former banks, warehouses etc to housing.  The Chair noted the comments made but emphasised that there were still significant issues in England in terms of poverty and homelessness.

The Committee otherwise NOTED:-

i. the national policy commitments on Homelessness contained in the Scottish Government Programme;
ii. the commitment from all agencies in Highland to work together and that multi-agency working in Highland should be focussed on addressing the underlying factors that contributed to homelessness;
iii. the progress being made and constraints involved in increasing the number of Housing Revenue Account properties being used as temporary accommodation, particularly in Inverness; and
iv. the impact of Universal Credit on affordability of temporary accommodation and the recent announcement on changes to UK Government Legislation that would allow temporary accommodation costs to be dealt with under the Housing Benefit system.

8. Care and Learning Revenue Budget 2017/18
Buidseat Teachd-a-steach a’ Chùraim agus an Ionnsachaidh 2017/18 

Declarations of Interest:

The following Members declared non-financial interests in this item but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that their interests did not preclude their involvement in the discussion:-

Mr A Christie – Non Executive Director of NHS Highland
Mr T Heggie, Mr A Jarvie, Mr D Macpherson and Ms L Munro – Directors of High Life Highland

Mr K Gowans declared a financial interest on the basis that his wife was an employee of High Life Highland but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion

There had been circulated Report No PEO/44/17 dated 27 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• concern was expressed that the Council continued to use the same method of budget allocation when the same pressures emerged every year – eg school transport, Additional Support Needs (ASN), and out of authority placements.  Attempting to mitigate overspends through vacancy management meant that the most vulnerable, such as pupils with ASN, were adversely affected.  The Chair concurred with the points made and suggested that a zero-based budgeting approach could properly reflect demand on services.  Given the complexity of such an exercise, it would not be possible to carry out for the February 2018 budget but he undertook to ask the budget team to look into it;
• information having been sought in relation to the savings marked Red and Amber on page 82 of the papers, it was explained that they were Transformation and Corporate Savings that had not been met rather than Care and Learning activities.  However, it was confirmed that an explanation would be sought and provided to all Members; and
• in relation to the Strontian Primary School project, information was sought and provided on the reason for the provision of advance funding when the school was some 18 months from being fitted out.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i. NOTED the forecast budget outturn for 2017/18;
ii. AGREED the RAG (Red-Amber-Green) status of the 2017/18 budget savings;
iii. AGREED to transfer the budget of £45,911 for Poolewe Swimming Pool from the Council’s voluntary sector grants budget to the budget for services commissioned from High Life Highland (HLH), and that the Service Delivery Contract with HLH be amended accordingly; and
iv. AGREED that an explanation be sought and provided to all Members in relation to the Transformation and Corporate Savings that were not being met.

9. Children’s Services – Performance Report
Seirbheisean Chloinne – Aithisg Choileanaidh

Declaration of Interest: Mr A Christie declared a non-financial interest in this item as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/45/17 dated 27 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• concern was expressed regarding the significant reduction in performance in relation to Indicator 22 – the percentage gap between the most and least deprived parts of Highland for low birth weight babies – and Indicator 32 – the number of two year olds who had seen a dentist in the preceding 12 months;
• concern was expressed regarding the ongoing lack of data relating to child health assessments.  The Chair confirmed that a position statement would be sought from NHS Highland in that regard;
• Committee reports tended to be generic in nature and it was suggested that Members did not get enough opportunities to scrutinise and analyse specific areas.  In response, the Chair explained that much of the detailed discussion took place at For Highland’s Children 4 (FHC4) Improvement Groups.  He had previously raised the need for Member involvement in the various Improvement Groups and confirmed that a list would be provided to Members of the Committee;
• it was necessary to find of way of communicating the work of the FHC4 Improvement Groups  to the Committee;
• information was sought on how it was intended to achieve and report on the proposed additional measures in sections 5.4 and 5.7 of the report.  The Chair explained that they were Scottish Government measures and work was required in terms of how to capture the data;
• the Council had a procedure regarding school exclusions, based on the legislation, and all schools and other staff should be following that;
• the percentage of pupils who reported that staff talked to them regularly about their learning seemed particularly low and it was suggested that it should be over 90 percent;
• there appeared to be a disconnect between Indicator 79 – the percentage of parents and carers who responded positively to the question “the school takes my views into account” – and Indicator 82 – the percentage of parent and carer responses to the question “my child is treated fairly at school”;
• the importance of supporting young carers to attend school and social activities was emphasised; and
• the Chair commented that, in conjunction with colleagues in NHS Highland, further consideration should be given to the format of performance and assurance reports for both children’s and adult services to ensure that Members had the information they needed to carry out robust scrutiny.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i. scrutinised and NOTED the performance information;
ii. AGREED the proposed new performance measures;
iii. NOTED the information provided on quality improvement;
iv. AGREED that a position statement on the provision of data relating to child health assessments be sought from NHS Highland; and
v. AGREED that a list of For Highland’s Children 4 Improvement Groups be provided to Members of the Committee.

10. Children’s Services – Assurance Report
Seirbheisean Chloinne – Aithisg Bharantais

Declaration of Interest: Mr A Christie declared a non-financial interest in this item as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/46/17 dated 15 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

The Head of Additional Support Services apologised for the formatting errors in the graphs relating to Allied Health Professional waiting times and it was confirmed that these would be corrected and the relevant pages re-circulated.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• in relation to the Health Visitor funded establishment, the importance of succession planning was emphasised, as well as the need to provide mentorship and support to trainees to ensure they had the skills and confidence to continue in post and deal with the increasing number and complexity of referrals;
• information was sought on how it was intended to fund Health Visitor training when Government funding ceased with the 2018 cohort.  It was important to be pro-active in that regard and to know what the financial impact would be; and
• the Scottish Government announcement regarding the establishment of a Youth Commission on Mental Health Services was welcomed and it was hoped that the Council would embrace it and work with young people on the collaborative report.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i. scrutinised and NOTED the data and issues raised in the report; and
ii. NOTED that comments would be incorporated into a report to NHS Highland as part of the revised governance arrangements.

11. Educational Attainment
Buileachadh Foghlaim 

There had been circulated Report No PEO/47/17 dated 22 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• given the complexity of the subject the Chair proposed that a Members’ Seminar be held in early January and that information then be provided, at Associated School Group level, to Ward Business Meetings;
• the previous measurement tool, STACs (Standard Tables and Charts) appeared to be more accessible to members.  If Members were to support and scrutinise their schools it was essential that they were provided with timeous and relevant information.  The Chair emphasised that STACs was now obsolete and Insight, which had been developed by the Scottish Government, was the new national benchmarking tool.  However, it was necessary for Members to get a better understanding of the graphs, information and terminology in the report and this was the aim of the proposed seminar.  It was also necessary to examine the barriers and challenges in terms of the provision of attainment data to Members.  In terms of scrutinising data at a lower level, this would take place at Ward Business Meetings;
• the language used in the report was confusing and officers were reminded of a previous request for an explanation of the associated acronyms to be provided;
• clarification was sought as to the source of funding for the PEF curriculum development officers in literacy and Health and Wellbeing and the dedicated PEF officer to monitor and track equity funding, interventions and measures;
• the scrutiny and focus in relation to the educational attainment of Looked After Children was welcomed.  Similarly, the change of culture from “judging” pupils to one where their learning was measured was emphasised;
• the literacy development officer would allow pupils struggling with reading to be identified at an earlier stage.  They would also provide training and work with schools to deliver parent workshops, and it was important that Pupil Support Assistants were included to ensure there was help in place for every child which required it;
• a position statement was requested as to Highland’s performance in regard to authority sampling, an example being how boys were performing in literacy;
• concern was expressed that pupils were having to make decisions on which six subjects to study at 14 years old while their career choice was likely to change by the time they left school;
• Insight was a useful tool but it was limited by the amount, accuracy and frequency of data input as well as how the data was analysed and interpreted.  It was also important to consider the resource implications in terms of the time it took teaching staff to input the necessary data;
• the report set out a robust long-term approach and it was essential that Members supported education staff in that regard;
• the need for reports to be accessible, not only to those involved in education, was emphasised;
• in relation to the small proportion of young people that left school without any qualifications, it was important to remember that each pupil was an individual and the resources required to support them should be not be underestimated;
• to close the attainment gap it was necessary to focus on literacy and numeracy in primary schools; and
• parents were concerned about the reduction in numeracy and the proposed actions in that regard were welcomed.  Working in partnership with parents was key to improving outcomes and it was important to remind them of teacher/pupil ratios and provide guidance in terms of supporting their child with their learning at home.

Thereafter, the Committee:-

i. scrutinised  and NOTED the performance information;
ii. NOTED the information provided on quality improvement linked to closing the poverty-related attainment gap; and
iii. AGREED that a Members’ Seminar on Educational Attainment take place in January 2018, followed by Ward Business Meetings to discuss individual Associated School Groups in more detail.

12. Gaelic Medium Education
Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig

Declaration of Interest: Mr A Graham declared a financial interest in this item on the grounds of being an employee of Bord Na Gaidhlig and left the Chamber during discussion of the item.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/48/17 dated 27 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

During discussion, Members raised the following issues:-

• Highland Council’s support to Bord na Gaidhlig and the development of Gaelic Medium Nursery and Primary Education were to be commended.  However, unless the trend could be reversed, there was a danger that eventually Gaelic in Scotland would die out;
• information was sought on whether Gaelic Medium Education (GME) was targeted/promoted or simply provided in response to demand in a particular area;
• for each school providing GME, information was sought on the short, medium and long term strategy to ensure that resources were in place for the future. The continuity into secondary education was important so the investment and commitment were not lost and parents were not deterred from opting for Gaelic Medium Education;
• it was important that parents were supported and encouraged and a flexible approach offered to them.  In this regard, further information was sought, and received, as to how support was provided when babies were born;
• the number of teachers currently available to deliver Gaelic was acknowledged but it was vital that there were enough teachers in coming years to meet demand and reference was made to development courses for teachers and classroom assistants with a Gaelic learning background to develop their language skills and use Gaelic in the school environment; and
• it was important that there was a range of subjects available in GME, including Gaelic itself as a standalone subject.  In this regard, the delivery of subjects through the e-learning model developed by the Western Isles Islands Council was welcomed, especially for pupils in S3-S6.

The Committee scrutinised and NOTED the report.

13. Corporate Parenting
Pàrantachd Chorporra

Declaration of Interest: Mr A Christie declared a non-financial interest in this item as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/49/17 dated 23 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

The Chair having highlighted the Corporate Parenting Seminar on 26 January 2018 and the request for greater Member involvement on the CHAMPS (Children have Amazing Minds, Personalities, Potential and Stories) Board, the Committee:-

* i. AGREED to support the proposal to the Community Planning Partnership to establish a Corporate Parenting Board;
ii. AGREED TO RECOMMEND to Council an exemption from Contract Standing Orders to enable the continued use of spot-purchased placements for Looked After children; and
iii. NOTED the ongoing work to improve outcomes and reduce costs for Looked After Children.

14. Education of Looked After Children
Foghlam do Chloinn a Tha air an Coimhead às an Dèidh

There had been circulated Report No PEO/50/17 dated 22 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

During discussion, Members raised the following issues:-

• to ensure that the Improvement Plan was working, milestones were reached and to give support to those involved, regular updates to the Committee would be essential.  As part of this, indicator tracking should be adopted;
• it was clear that the Council could no longer continue with the current model of delivery of education for Looked After Children and that a new approach was required.  In this regard, the proposal to explore the enhanced use of the third sector to support access to education in Highland was welcomed, recognising that this might not necessarily be in a school setting;  
• it was hoped that the new approach would also take future proofing into account and that new models, particularly in regards to autism and behavioural needs, could act as exemplars for other authorities;
• bringing Looked After Children back to Highland not only generated savings to the Council but also meant that many of these young people could be returned into community settings; 
• many Looked After Children had health complexities and close co-operation with NHS Highland was essential; and
• consideration should be given to other aspects of the education system, apprenticeships being cited as an example.

The Committee APPROVED:-

i. the Improvement Plan as set out in Appendix 1 of the report; and
ii. the creation of a time-limited post of Programme Manager for the Education of Looked After Children, which would be essential to the delivery of the Plan.

15. Chief Social Work Officer Report – 2016/17
Aithisg Prìomh Oifigear na h-Obrach Sòisealta – 2016/17

Declarations of Interest: Mr A Christie declared non-financial interests in items 16 i and iv as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interests did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No PEO/51/17 dated 24 November 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning.

The Committee NOTED the issues raised in the annual report.

16. Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas

Declarations of Interest: Mr A Christie declared non-financial interests in items 16 i and iv as a Non Executive Director of NHS Highland and General Manager of Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey CAB respectively but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interests did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

The Committee:-

i. NOTED the draft Minutes of the Highland Council/NHS Highland Joint Monitoring Committee – 6 November 2017;
ii. NOTED the draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers – 9 November 2017;
iii. NOTED  the draft Minutes of the Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers – 9 November 2017; and
iv. APPROVED the Minutes of the Poverty and Inequalities Working Group – 21 November 2017.

The meeting concluded at 12.05 pm.