Leader Report
North Ayrshire Council · 18 December 2024
Back to North Ayrshire Council — 18 December 2024 and its agenda
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Official Information Official Information LEADER’S REPORT For the period covering: 28 October – 8 December 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.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 1 Official Information Official Information LEADER’S REPORT For the period covering: 28 October – 8 December 2024 NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN HEALTHCARE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, 28 October On 28 October, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Healthcare Governance Committee where attendees received reports on patient safety and patient experiences. Several assurance reports were also discussed covering the following subjects: • Breast screening annual report • Pregnancy and Newborn screening annual report • Winter vaccination programme annual report • Scottish national blood transfusion annual report The Committee also were also asked to consider and note progress on various Governance reports covering Acute Services, the Area Drug and Therapeutic Committee, the Paediatric Clinical Governance Group, the Prevention and Control of Infection Committee, the Primary and Urgent Care Clinical Governance Group and the Research, Development and Innovation Committee. The Board will meet again on 11 December. IRVINE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE & PARADE, 10 November On 10 November, I took part in Remembrance Sunday held in Irvine and attended a poignant Service held at the War Memorial in Irvine High Street, followed by a parade attended by various other dignitaries. IRVINE LOCALITY VISIT, 12 November On 12 November, together with North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive, Craig Hatton, I took part in another one of our locality visits, this time to Irvine. The first visit of the day was to look around the eco-friendly Montgomerie Park Primary School and to meet with Council staff involved in the project along with Headteacher Fiona Smyth, school staff and pupils.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 2 Official Information Official Information The new school will use significantly less energy than a typical school building, resulting in lower carbon emissions, and lower energy bills. There are 12 classrooms, early learning facilities, a gymnasium incorporating flexible performance areas and dining facilities along with outdoor learning spaces including a seven-a-side all-weather pitch. It can accomodate up to 342 pupils, plus an early learning and childcare facility with 32 places for three to five-year- olds, and 15 places for two-year-olds. The next two stops were to Council Housing developments including the site of the former Stanecastle School. This will be a £8 million development of 31 units, general needs houses, amenity bungalows and homes suitable for wheelchair users. This was followed by a visit to the site of the former King Arms which will be developed into six flats for social housing at a cost of around £2.9m, supported by a Scottish Government grant. Following this, it was a visit to the i3 site at Riverside way, to meet colleagues and representatives from Muir Construction Ltd who are involved in the development of one of the Ayrshire Growth Deal Projects; the Advanced Manufacturing Flexible Space Programme. Construction on the first phase started in November 2023 and is supported by £15million of funding through the Ayrshire Growth Deal with £11million from the Scottish Government and £4million from North Ayrshire Council. The project will provide flexible modern business space for local companies looking to expand and grow or for inward investment opportunities. Finally, it was a quick visit next door to the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) to have a tour of the facility and see some of the early digital demonstrators, which show how digital technology can help industries including engineering and design. This is another Ayrshire Growth Deal project at i3 working in partnership with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). Located at the Booth Welsh manufacturing space at i3, the DPMC aims to accelerate the adoption of digital technology for process industry manufacturers to help cut energy costs and achieve net zero by becoming more aware, predictive and productive. My thanks again to everyone involved in these visits and for setting time aside to meet with us. LANFINE, LAWTHORN AND GIRDLE TOLL AGE CONCERN ANNUAL FUNDRAISE, 13 November On 27 September, I visited Lanfine Community Centre and met with members from Lanfine, Lawthorn and Girdle Toll Age Concern as they held their annual fundraiser. It was lovely to chat with individuals and enjoy their hospitality while raising money. My thanks to Sally Powell, Secretary of the Group for inviting me along.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 3 Official Information Official Information COMMUNITIES’ WORKSTREAM MEETING, 14 November On 14 November, I attended a “Communities Workstream” meeting, as part of the work being done by the Scottish Government Health 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 updates on various workstreams including the Communities workstream. The overall aim of the Communities workstream is to ‘empower the community and voluntary sector to act locally to complement the actions of the public sector in reducing health inequalities.’ While it is important to have a sustainable funding environment for the community sector, the workstream also aims to look at what actions beyond funding could be taken to support the sector which is particularly important given the current financial climate. EMPLOYABILITY AWARDS, 15 November On 15 November, together with North Ayrshire Council’s Provost, Anthea Dickson, I attended North Ayrshire Council’s Employability Awards held at Saltcoats Town Hall. This is the second year that these Awards have been held to celebrate the success of the participants of the Council’s employability programmes such as “We Work for Families.” North Ayrshire Council’s “Your Next Move Working North Ayrshire” Employability service work with various delivery partners, to help boost confidence and support people looking to get their first job or returning to work after a period of absence. The work carried out by partners and the Employability service is first-class and as Chair of the North Ayrshire Tackling Child Poverty Board, I have seen first-hand the positive impact this work is having on the lives of so many individuals. Congratulations to all the finalists, winners and to the team and partners for their continued great work. NHS AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE MEETING, 18 November On 18 November, I attended a meeting of the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Audit and Risk Committee meeting. Attendees received and discussed Integration Joint Board Internal Audit Reports and Plans from North, South and East Ayrshire Councils. The Committee also received a progress update on the vaccination programme and an update report on Infection Prevention and Control. There were also update reports on Counter Fraud and a Fraud Standard Self-Assessment and Action Plan.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 4 Official Information Official Information GARNOCK VALLEY LOCALITY VISIT, 18 November On 18 November, together with North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive, Craig Hatton, I visited the Garnock Valley as part of our locality visits. The first stop was to Moorpark Primary School to meet with staff and pupils. The school is part of our Capital Investment Programme, which will see improvements for the school estate worth £140 million, delivered over the next ten years. In keeping with our sustainability priorities, the environmental performance of the building was a significant factor in the development of its design and selection of materials. The new school opened earlier this year and offers 12 primary classes and a 24-place Early Years facility. Our next visit was to Anam Cara respite Centre. The Centre is for people over the age of 60 living with dementia and has recently been refurbished. The Centre accommodates nine people and is run by North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. The service received a ‘very good’ rating from the Care Inspectorate after an unannounced visit in February 2023. The next stop was to the site of the former Garnock Academy to meet contractors and council staff for a tour of this £12.1million housing development which will see the construction of 50 properties, which include a mix of general needs houses, amenity bungalows and homes suitable for wheelchair user. The contractor is Asheigh (Scotland) Limited and the development is expected to be completed in 2026. From there, we then travelled to Newhouse Drive in Kilbirnie to meet contractors and council staff involved in the £3million recent housing development which provides 14 new affordable modular homes being built across four sites in partnership with Connect Modular. Work started in February 2024 and is scheduled for completion in winter 2024. My thanks again to everyone involved in these visits and for setting time aside to meet with us. NORTH COAST LOCALITY VISIT, 19 November On 19 November, together with North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive, Craig Hatton, I visited various venues in the North Coast on another locality visit. The first venue was to Largs Campus school kitchen to meet with some of the catering and Facilities Management team to see the significant work that has been carried out to accommodate the rollout of Universal Free School Meals. The next stop was to see the newly completed Largs Seawall and meet with those involved in the works including representatives from the contractor RJ McLeod. The new £4.6million Largs seawall, which measures 325m, has seen the creation of a new precast concrete seawall in
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 5 Official Information Official Information front of the existing seawall structure along the promenade between Aubery Crescent and the existing RNLI slipway. It has also allowed for the promenade to be extended to the line of the new wall, while the steps to the beach have also been replaced, improving accessibility for visitors. The new seawall should provide optimum protection and support against wave activity and coastal erosion. From there, we then travelled to Largs Food Hub (Larder) which is inside Largs Library. There we met with chairperson, Jean Galloway, volunteers and residents who use the larder. The Hub offers low-cost produce including tinned foods, dried goods and personal hygiene products as part of the Council’s Fairer Food network which runs 15 larders. The aim is to give people who are struggling financially dignity when accessing food. The last visit of the day was to Kirktonhall Glen football pitches at West Kilbride to meet members of the West Kilbride Community Sports Club (WKCSC), some of the trustees, volunteers, coaches and players. In March of this year, WKCSC marked three months of its lease of the derelict area in Kirktonhall Glen. In September 2023, Cabinet approved a 25-year lease of the sports facility following a £6,750 financial boost from North Ayrshire Council’s Community Investment Fund. This funding has enabled the Club to bring on the expertise of a development consultant, who is now coordinating the next stage of the complex redevelopment. My thanks again to everyone involved for meeting and briefing us on their respective areas of work. COSLA LEADERS FISCAL BRIEFING MEETING, 21 November On 21 November, I attended a Fiscal briefing for COSLA Leaders in advance of the COSLA Leaders meeting scheduled for December. The briefing provided Leaders with an opportunity to understand and ask questions about development of the Fiscal Framework to date. GREENWOOD ACADEMY SCHOOL SHOW, 21 November I was delighted to go along to Greenwood Academy on 21 November to see a wonderful school performance of “Legally Blonde JR”. The performances were outstanding as was the music and singing. Well done to everyone involved, including those who work behind the scenes ensuring everything goes smoothly. AYRSHIRE ECONOMIC JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING, 25 November
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 6 Official Information Official Information On 25 November, I attended a meeting of the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee (AEJC). Committee members received a report on the progress of the Ayrshire Growth Deal (AGD) up until the end of September 2024. This included and AGD Programme General Update, an AGD Programme Review summary draft for 2023-34 and the AGD Implementation Plan 2024- 25, including the Benefits Realisation and Financial Plan 2023-24. Attendees were also provided with an update on the changes proposed for the AGD Digital Programme with the phased delivery of the Building Digital Capital Programme. 1ST TIER JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE & CORPORATE HEALTH AND SAFETY GROUP MEETING, 28 November On 28 November, I chaired a meeting of the 1st Tier Joint Consultative Committee and the Corporate Health and Safety Group. Attendees received various Workforce Wellbeing updates, including absence and occupational Health and Safety reports from various Directorates. There was also a presentation on the Digital Skills survey and an update on menopause in the workplace. COSLA LEADERS’, 29 November COSLA Leaders’ met again on 29 November to discuss a packed agenda including the following items: • 16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign • Scottish Water • A Nationally Enabled Approach to Improvement in Social Care • Budget Negotiations • Digital Partnership • Educational Psychology Training Programme • Expansion of Free School Meals Item • Historic Child Abuse Redress Scheme – Financial Report • Report from SJC Working Group – Reduction in the Working Week • Pay negotiations update • Fiscal Framework • Local Government Finance update • Proposed COSLA Governance Calendar of meetings 2025
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 7 Official Information Official Information Previously the expectation had been of a progress report of the current Digital Strategy. However, COSLA and the Digital Office are now working with the Scottish Government on the development of a refreshed Digital Strategy for publication in 2025. Discussions around that have begun and feedback is sought from relevant stakeholders across local government as that work develops. The Digital Office is looking at how to support elected members around how to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) collaboratively, safely and ethically in their councils. This will also consider how best to measure benefits’ realisation, as well as implementing a common platform and identifying an approach to help with efficiencies across the sector. The Digital Office, SOLACE and the Improvement Service continue to progress several workstreams. NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN BOARD MEETING, 2 December On 2 December, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Board meeting where attendees received updates on various corporate Governance annual reports covering the following Committees: • Audit and Risk Committee • Healthcare Governance Committee • Information Governance Committee • Integrated Governance Committee • Performance Governance Committee • Staff Governance Committee The Board also received assurance reports on the following: • Quality and Safety in Mental Health Services • Health and Care (Staffing)(Scotland) Act 2019 • Whistleblowing report • South Ayrshire Children and Young People’s Services Plan Annual Report for 2023/2 • Investing in the future: tackling child poverty annual report The Board were also provided with updates on Minutes from Integration Joint Board meetings held for East, South and North Ayrshire Councils in August and September 2024. IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP MEETING, 2 December
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 8 Official Information Official Information Later on 2 December, I attended an Irvine Locality Partnership at the Fullarton Hub. The Partnership received an update from Bourtreehill and Broomlands Community Association (BABCA) on their Community Garden following their successful Community Investment Fund (CIF) bid. The Partnership also considered a couple of other CIF applications including one from the Irvine Running Club and another one from the Irvine Legacy Youth Centre. There were also verbal updates from partners on work being done to tackle inequalities including an overview of Youth, Education and Active Schools, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue update, KA Leisure, Irvine Community Council Chair update and a further update on the annual Locality Action Plan for Irvine. The Partnership were also updated on the plans for the launch of the new Community Learning Development Strategic Plan. COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING COMMISSION, 3 December On 3 December, I chaired a meeting of the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Commission in Cunninghame House. Attendees received updates on the following: • Scottish Government CWB Legislation • CWB Practitioners Network for Scottish Local Authorities • Fair Employment Workstream The Commission also took part in a facilitated session led by Neil McInroy from The Democracy Collaborative on the future role and purpose of the CWB Commission. The Commission were then asked to review and agree a Draft Future Work plan for the CWB Commission. My thanks to all attendees for their input and a special word of thanks to Neil McInroy for his continued work in supporting Ayrshire’s Community Wealth Building work. RECLAIM THE NIGHT WALK, 3 December On 3 December, I was pleased to take part in the “Reclaim the Night Walk” which is an annual event held as part of the end Violence Against Women Campaign. The campaign is supported by the North Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership (VAWP) who work to prevent violence against women and girls in North Ayrshire through strategic, multi-agency working. This collaborative approach tackles gender inequality and Gender-Based violence across all its forms.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 9 Official Information Official Information SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PLACE AND WELLBEING BOARD MEETING, 4 December On 4 December, I attended another 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 updates on various workstreams relating to the Care and Wellbeing Portfolio Board, including a report on the Specialist Public Health System offer to Community Planning Partners and an Evidence Review which discussed the role of the community and voluntary sector in improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING, 5 December On 5 December, I chaired a virtual meeting of the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board. The Partnerships received various updates on the following: • Overview of work of the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and process • Child Poverty and Cost of Living • Work on CPP and future partnership working opportunities. There was also discussion between partners and sharing of key developments. I would like to thank all our Community Planning Partners for their great work over the past year and I look forward to working with them again in 2025. AYRSHIRE SHARED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING, 6 December On 6 December, I attended a meeting of the Ayrshire Shared Services Committee where all three Ayrshire Councils received an update on the Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Plan for 2025/26. Attendees were asked to note the plan and agree the proposals put forward. COSLA SPECIAL LEADERS’ MEETING, 6 December On 6 December, I attended a special meeting of COSLA Leaders’ following the Scottish Government’s Budget announcement on 4 December detailing funding for Local Government 2024/25.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 10 Official Information Official Information FINALLY On behalf of all the Elected Members, I would like to thank all the staff in North Ayrshire Council for their invaluable work during the year and for their continued support in helping to deliver on a range of Council priorities. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that everyone can enjoy time with family, loved ones and friends. Councillor Marie Burns Leader of North Ayrshire Council