Leader's Report
North Ayrshire Council · 6 November 2024
Back to North Ayrshire Council — 6 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Official Information Official Information LEADER’S REPORT For the period covering: 9 September – 27 October 2024 The attached report gives a summary and brief details to Council, of meetings and events attended by the Leader of North Ayrshire Council, Councillor Marie Burns.
Page 2
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 1 Official Information Official Information LEADER’S REPORT For the period covering: 9 September – 27 October 2024 NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN HEALTHCARE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, 9 September On 9 September, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Healthcare Governance Committee where attendees received reports on patient safety and patient experiences. One of the assurance reports discussed was the “Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy –The Ayrshire Mental Health Conversation (AMHC)”. In June 2023, the Scottish Government published the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and in September 2023, the Core Mental Health Quality Standards was published. The Healthcare Governance Committee have been provided with annual updates on the activity undertaken in Ayrshire and Arran in order to progress and support the outcomes and priorities of “The Ayrshire Mental Health Conversation; Priorities and Outcomes 2019 – 2027”. These local outcomes and priorities were in response to the national Mental Health Strategy (2017 – 2027). The Committee also received annual Governance reports from each of the Health and Social Care Partnerships in North, East and South Ayrshire Councils. COSLA LEADERS MEETING, 27 September On 27 September, I attended a meeting of COSLA Leaders’ to discuss a packed Agenda. The main discussions focused on Pay Negotiations for Local Government for 2024/2025 and the National Care Service. COSLA Leaders agreed to implement a pay offer to Local Government workers. MacMILLAN COFFEE MORNING, 2 October On 2 October, I visited Vennel Gardens and spent time with the residents who were hosting a MacMillan coffee morning. It was lovely to chat with residents and other community groups in attendance while at the same time raise money for a great cause.
Page 3
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 2 Official Information Official Information SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PLACE AND WELLBEING BOARD MEETING, 3 October On 3 October, I attended a meeting of the Scottish Government Place and Wellbeing Board. The Programme Board provides direction, oversight and a decision-making authority for the delivery of the Place and Wellbeing Programme as well as reporting to the Care and Wellbeing Portfolio Board. Attendees received various updates including one on the Population Health Framework which relates to the vision outlined by the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care back in June of this year: “A Scotland where people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.” This vision is supported by four key areas of work: improving population health, a focus on prevention and early intervention, providing quality services, and maximising access. Making progress towards this vision requires focusing on the Scottish Government’s core priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and improving Scotland’s public services. These align to the shared priorities of Scottish and Local Government set out in the Verity House Agreement. To help realise this vision, a Population Health Framework (PHF) is being developed. It deliberately takes a cross-government and cross-sector approach to improve the key building blocks of health and wellbeing. It will be a joint Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) publication and is being developed in collaboration with key system-wide partners, including Public Health Scotland and Scotland’s Directors of Public Health. The Framework will set out how the Scottish Government, COSLA, Local Government, the NHS and partners across business, the third sector and communities themselves, can increase the positive effects that social and economic drivers have on population health, mitigate those areas that contribute to negative outcomes and build a Scotland that positively supports health and wellbeing. 35th Anniversary of the Three Towns Opportunities in Retirement, 3 October Later on 3 October, I dropped into the Ardrossan Civic Centre in my role as Older People’s Champion, to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Three Towns Opportunities in Retirement community group. The Group hosted a tea party for its members and guests and it was interesting to find out more about the history of the group as well as hearing some of the activities the group have been involved in.
Page 4
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 3 Official Information Official Information COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING, 4 October On 4 October, I chaired a meeting of the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board held in Cunninghame House. Members were split into two groups for workshop sessions which enabled closer discussion to increase understanding of partners areas of work and provide opportunities for partnership working and support. Discussions focused on the following: • Work of the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board which links in with all Local Outcome Improvement Plans (LOIP) priorities. • Corporate Parenting, an overview and update on work taking place, linking especially with LOIP priorities Wellbeing and Work. Board members also received an overview of The North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership Annual Report 2023/24 which was approved. NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN BOARD ACCOUNTS MEETING, 7 October On 7 October, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Board Private session. VISIT TO ARDROSSAN PARENTAL EMPLOYABILITY HUB, 7 October Later on 7 October, together with North Ayrshire Council Cabinet Member for the Green Environment and Economy, Councillor Tony Gurney and as part of Challenge Poverty Week, I visited Ardrossan Parental Employability Hub to welcome the Scottish Government Minister for Employment and Investment, Tom Arthur MSP. The Parental Employment Hub was launched in May 2023 and provides a wide range of keyworker support, training and access to employment for parents from the key priority family groups. The service aims to prepare and progress parents to sustainable and positive destinations to reduce child poverty across North Ayrshire by increasing income from employment. The Parental Hub is occupied by the Lennox Partnership, a third sector organisation that is contracted by North Ayrshire Council to deliver specialist parental employment support and deliver the We Work for Families initiative. This was a fantastic opportunity for the Minister to meet with and hear first hand from some of the parents supported by the “We Work for Families” initiative and how they have secured employment as a result.
Page 5
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 4 Official Information Official Information I would like to thank everyone involved in the visit and for their continued great work which is helping so many individuals in our community. EXECUTIVE OLDER PEOPLES COUNCIL MEETING, 7 October Also on 7 October, in my role as Older People’s Champion, I chaired a meeting of the Executive Older Peoples Council meeting and met with representatives from some of our elderly community groups throughout North Ayrshire. This was an interesting discussion covering topics such as fuel poverty, access to GPs and housing issues. I look forward to working with the groups and helping them to address any issues or concerns they have. VISITS TO SHELTERED HOUSING UNITS, 8, 9 and 10 October As part of Challenge Poverty Week and in my capacity as North Ayrshire Council’s Older People’s Champion, I visited several of our Sheltered Housing Units throughout North Ayrshire. These included Glencairn House in Stevenston, Barnett Court in Saltcoats, Watt Court in Dalry, St Colm’s Place in Largs, Alfred Noble House in Irvine and Friars Lawn in Kilwinning. Caring for our communities, elderly and young alike, is one of our key priorities. These visits have shown me the great work and attention to detail that has gone into each of these Sheltered Housing Units, with every consideration been given to make life for residents as comfortable and energy and cost efficient as possible. This includes renewable and sustainable energy from biomass heating systems, solar panels, low-energy lighting and high levels of insulation. In addition, providing access to services such as podiatry, hairdressing and optometry. The visits also provided another great opportunity to meet and chat with residents to hear about their experiences. I would like to thank North Ayrshire Council Housing team for organising the visits and to congratulate them on the great work being done with our elderly communities in our Sheltered Housing Units. KILWINNING LOCALITY VISIT, 22 October On 22 October, together with North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive, Craig Hatton, I took part in another one of our locality visits, this time to Kilwinning. The first visit of the day was to Abbey Croft Children’s House to meet with the Senior manager from North Ayrshire Council’s Health and Social Care Partnership, Mae Henderson and her team and to meet with some of
Page 6
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 5 Official Information Official Information the young people there. Abbey Croft recently received a positive inspection report highlighting the interaction between staff and the young people, who are supported and encouraged to attend college and university. The second stop was a visit to NAC transport and workshop located at West Byrehill Industrial Estate. It was good to speak to the Senior Manager, Gordon Mitchell, chat with some of the team and hear more about some of the work they are involved in. To finish, I met with some members from the New Scots Community who have enjoyed taking part in some of the activities organised by our Community Development team, particularly Calum Paul. Calum spoke about the work he has been doing including the Big Class sessions and Language Buddies. It was also great to meet some New Scots from Syria, Ukraine and Hong Kong and hear about their experiences of living in North Ayrshire and how much they value the classes/support. STATE OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMY EVENT, 24 October On the 24 October, together with the other Ayrshire Council Leaders, Councillor Douglas Reid from East Ayrshire Council and Councillor Martin Dowey from South Ayrshire Council, I attended a “State of the Regional Economy Event” at Ayrshire College’s Kilwinning Campus. The event provided the opportunity for attendees to hear about the progress being made with our Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy which was launched in June 2023. The strategy is a 10-year plan which seeks to deliver significant and long-lasting economic renewal across the region and it is the first plan in Scotland to feature Community Wealth Building. I would like to thank the Scottish Government Minister for Employment and Investment, Tom Arthur MSP and The Principal and Chief Executive of Ayrshire College, Angela Cox for delivering the keynote speeches. My thanks also to attendees and to North Ayrshire Council’s Economic team for putting the event together and for their continued work in delivering this bold strategic plan. COSLA LEADERS MEETING, 25 October On 25 October, I attended a meeting of COSLA Leaders’. It was another packed agenda which included the following items for discussion: • Housing Emergency Update • Community Planning Improvement Board – Guidance for Fair Funding of the Voluntary Sector • Local Government Finance Update
Page 7
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 6 Official Information Official Information • National Care Service • Housing Emergency • Digital Office and Digital Partnership Update • National Care Home Contract • Verity House Agreement – Annual Review and Dispute Resolution In progressing their workplan the Community Planning Improvement Board (CPIB) has identified sustainable funding for the voluntary (third) sector as a recurrent theme across its work streams and undertaken an exercise to develop a set of principles for fair funding for the voluntary sector. The guidance they have produced is an attempt, by the Board, to respond to the identified challenges in this area. The guidance has in recent weeks been circulated by the Chair to all Community Planning Partnerships with a request to consider how it might be adopted. The Board has sought views in relation to how they might implement the principles and wanted to look at what model should be used for inviting and encouraging partners to sign up to and implement these principles and how the CPIB could best frame this with Community Planning Partnerships. AYRSHIRE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING, 25 October Later on 25 October, I attended a meeting of the Ayrshire Economic Partnership Board. Board members received updates and progress reports on various projects of the Ayrshire Growth Deal (AGD). Attendees were also briefed on the business case for Phase 1 of the Great Harbour project here in Irvine, ahead of its submission to the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee for approval. The Great Harbour is a transformational project at Irvine Harbourside as part of the AGD Tourism Programme, which seeks to invest £23.5million in the development of tourism infrastructure in North Ayrshire. The Programme includes a £9million allocation towards the Great Harbour from the Scottish Government and a further £5million from North Ayrshire Council. The Outline Business case for the project was approved by the Scottish Government in June 2021. Following significant stakeholder consultation in Spring 2023, the Great Harbour Masterplan was approved by Cabinet on 5 December 2023 and Planning Committee on 24 April 2024.
Page 8
LEADER’S REPORT • • • 7 Official Information Official Information Councillor Marie Burns Leader of North Ayrshire Council