Leader's Report
North Ayrshire Council · 15 May 2024
Back to North Ayrshire Council — 15 May 2024 and its agenda
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Official Information Official Information LEADER’S REPORT For the period covering: 18 March – 5 May 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: 18 March – 5 May 2024 JOINT YOUTH CABINET, 19 March On 19 March, I was delighted to take part in the Joint Youth Cabinet held at Saltcoats Town Hall. Together with Cabinet members and senior officers from North Ayrshire Council, we were able to engage with young people from various localities in North Ayrshire, including the Youth Council Executive and recently elected Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Joint Cabinet is a vital part of the Council’s Youth Participation strategy, it allows young people to learn more about how their local authority operates while at the same time, share their views on a range of subjects. Discussions focused on: • Budget Engagement – Closing the Engagement Loop • Employability and Next Steps • Space and Places for Young People • Bullying • The Cost of Living Thank you to all the young people who took part especially our new MSYPs, Adam Johnson, Rhyan Gorrie, Freya Fitzsimmons and Emma Burns for attending their first Joint Cabinet meeting as Members of Scottish Youth Parliament. NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE, 20 March On 20 March, I attended an NHS Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) meeting where attendees discussed various Audit and governance papers. The Committee also received reporting on Fraud with an update on the Counter Fraud Services Strategy. The Committee also approved the ARC Annual report before submitting to the NHS Board for final approval. MONTGOMERIE PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL TOPPING OUT CEREMONY, 20 March Later on 20 March, I attended a “topping out” ceremony to mark the latest developments in the construction of Montgomerie Park Primary school in Irvine. Montgomerie Park Primary school will be the first “Passivhaus” school in the area, meaning it will provide a high level of comfort
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 2 Official Information Official Information while using very little energy for heating and cooling. The school will use significantly less energy than a typical school building resulting in lower carbon emissions and lower energy bills. Initial work began on the new school in March 2023 and will accommodate up to 342 pupils plus an early learning and childcare facility with 32 places. Work should be completed by the end of the year and I look forward to returning to see the project upon completion. COSLA CONVENTION, 22 March On 22 March, I attended the COSLA Convention where attendees discussed the following items: • COSLA Budget for 2024/25 • COSLA Mid-term report • Verity House Agreement • Population Strategy The COSLA Plan 2022-27 was approved by the Convention in June 2022. The Mid-Term report shows progress to date and next steps to be completed by the end of the current local government term in 2027. NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN BOARD MEETING, 26 March On 26 March, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Board meeting where attendees approved the Blueprint for Good Governance Improvement Plan and also approved the Governance structure and changes to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) membership. The Board also received updates on some of the key items from the most recent meetings of the Audit and Risk Committee, HealthCare Governance Committee and Staff Governance Committee. The Board also approved the Capital Investment Plan for 2024 – 29 and the Internal Audit Plan for 2024 – 25. Minutes from Integration Joint Board meetings held for East, South and North Ayrshire Councils in October and November 2023, were also agreed.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 3 Official Information Official Information NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN ENDOWMENT TRUSTEES MEETING, 28 March On 28 March, I attended a meeting of the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Endowment Trustees. The Committee considered the draft Endowment Budget for 2024 – 25 and also received an overview of the Restricted Funds budget. TACKLING CHILD POVERTY AND COST OF LIVING BOARD MEETING, 17 April I chaired a meeting of the Tackling Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board on 17 April, where attendees were provided with an update on the progress of the Child Poverty Action Plan 2023-24 and also an update on the work taking place with the newly developed online participation strategy. The Board also received a presentation on the work currently being undertaken on the Single Shared Assessment. North Ayrshire’s Single Shared Assessment will inform decision making and provide residents with assistance more quickly through a whole-system approach offering immediate and longer-term support to lift people out of the cycle of poverty. This project seeks to ensure that the significant demand for financial support is delivered more effectively through streamlined referral pathways and a holistic approach to the provision of support across all three key drivers of child poverty. SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PLACE AND WELLBEING-COMMUNITIES CORE GROUP MEETING, 18 April On 18 April, I attended a Scottish Government Place and Wellbeing-communities core group meeting. The meeting discussed the role of the third sector in supporting community health and wellbeing and was primarily focused on evidence. Rachel Baker from the Common Health Assets project lead a discussion on how their research project will support this work. MEETING WITH THE FARM ENERGY COMPANY, 19 April On 19 April, together with Russell McCutcheon, North Ayrshire Council’s Director for Place, I met with representatives of the Farm Energy Company to discuss their renewable energy plans and projects following a presentation on their joint work with local company, GlaxoSmithKline.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 4 Official Information Official Information NHS AYRSHIRE AND ARRAN HEALTHCARE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, 22 April On 22 April, I attended an NHS Ayrshire and Arran Healthcare Governance Committee where attendees received reports on patient safety and patient experiences. Attendees were also provided with an assurance report on systems and processes in place for Neonatal services. The Committee were also asked to note and approve minutes from various corporate governance committees and groups including the Acute Services Clinical Governance Group, the Paediatric Clinical Governance Group, the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee and the Primary and Urgent Care Clinical Governance Group. COSLA LEADERS’ MEETING, 26 April On 26 April, I attended a meeting of COSLA Leaders’. It was another packed agenda which included the following items for discussion: • Teacher Numbers, class contact time and SNCT issues • Education Assurance Arrangements • Children’s Services Social Care - £12 per Hour uplift in 2024-25 • Scottish Government/Local Government Joint Digital Strategy – Progress • Publication of Local Government Workforce report • Persistent Organic Pollutants • Joint Address by Chief Constable and SPA Chair • Pay Negotiations Review • Pay – SJC Pay Negotiations Update and Options • Verity House Agreement Dispute Resolution Procedure • Local Government Finance update • National Care Service The report with the Joint Address by the Chief Constable and SPA Chair provides an overview of strategic policing priorities, current engagement and key areas of work between COSLA, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Throughout 2023, COSLA officers worked with Police Scotland and SPA officials to develop the Partnership Delivery Plan. The
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 5 Official Information Official Information Plan describes both existing and new areas of partnership working between COSLA, PSoS and the SPA. Some of the new commitments from the Plan include: • COSLA and the SPA will deliver a series of joint webinars on local scrutiny approaches and best practice in 2024. • Police Scotland will engage with the SPA and COSLA on the development of local performance reporting to support future development to meet the needs of local scrutiny and policing. • SPA will work with local authorities (through COSLA) to shape a future wave of independent public polling on policing to obtain insights of relevance to the work of local authorities. • COSLA and Police Scotland will work on the development of a joint Framework for Collaboration in partnership with SOLACE, which will set out high-level principles and guidance for local collaboration, such as colocation initiatives, between Police Scotland and local authorities, as well as highlighting good practice. VISIT TO CHILDREN 1st, 30 April On 30 April, together with the Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and the Islands, Councillor Alan Hill, the Young People’s Champion, Councillor Chloé Robertson and North Ayrshire Council’s Director for Communities and Housing, David Hammond, I visited Kirsty Aitken and the team at the Irvine premises of the Children 1st charity organisation. Children 1st works to keep children safe, loved and together with their families. The charity offers practical, emotional and financial support to prevent and protect children and their families from harm and to support them to recover from trauma and abuse. The charity has been successful in receiving some money from our Community Investment Fund which is being used to fund a new post to strengthen the team and to continue the great work with children and families throughout North Ayrshire. This particular visit was to hear more about the charity’s approach and impact of the support they offer. IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP MEETING, 30 April Later on 30 April, I attended an additional meeting of the Irvine Locality Partnership at the Fullarton Hub. The Partnership were asked to consider a Community Investment Fund application from the Irvine Cricket Club.
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LEADER’S REPORT • • • 6 Official Information Official Information VISIT BY COSLA PRESIDENTIAL TEAM, 1 May On 1 May, together with North Ayrshire Council Depute Leader, Councillor Shaun Macaulay and North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive, Craig Hatton, we welcomed the COSLA Presidential Team to Cunninghame House. This was the first visit to Cunninghame House by the current COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison and provided the opportunity to discuss NAC work priorities and areas of joint work and co-operation. Councillor Marie Burns Leader of North Ayrshire Council