Minute
North Lanarkshire Council · 31 October 2022
Back to Communities Committee — 31 October 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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COMMUNITIES - 31 OCTOBER 2022 35 31 October 2022 at 10 am. A Meeting of the COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE PRESENT Councillor Stevenson, Convener; Councillor McBride, Vice-Convener; Councillors Ashraf, Baudo, Beveridge, Burgess, Fisher, Fotheringham, Hughes, Keltie, Khan, McCluskey, B. McCulloch, McLaren, McManus, McNally, Mitchell, Nolan, Patton, Robb, Smith, Toner and Williams. ALSO PRESENT In accordance with Standing Order 64(A) Councillors Kelly and Shevlin attended as substitutes for Councillors Campbell and Jones respectively. CHAIR Councillor Stevenson (Convener) presided. IN ATTENDANCE The Head of Strategic Communications; Active and Creative Communities Manager; Area Community Partnership Managers, and Democratic Services Manager. APOLOGIES Councillors Campbell and Jones. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE ETHICAL STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE ETC. (SCOTLAND) ACT 2000 1. There were no declarations of interest. COMMUNITY BOARD LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2. There was submitted a report by the Head of Strategic Communication (1) providing an update on progress with the Community Board Local Development Programme (LDP) projects which had been previously approved by Committee; (2) seeking in principle approval for new potential projects as proposed by local community groups; (3) explaining that to be eligible for inclusion in the LDP, projects must meet the priorities of the Local Outcome and Improvement Plan (LOIP) and substantially subscribe to previously agreed criteria, and (4) attaching, as Appendices to the report, (a) Community Board Local Development Programme 2022/23 onwards; (b) budget information, and (c) the play area development list 2022/23. Decided: (1) that the progress with the remaining 2022/23 programme, and onwards, be recognised; (2) that projects which have the potential for delivery in future financial years depending on availability of budget and community support, as detailed in the Appendix to the report, be approved;
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COMMUNITIES - 31 OCTOBER 2022 36 (3) that the capital budget allocated to the LDP for each Community Board area for the next five financial years, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, be recognised; (4) that the amendments to existing projects, and further project proposals and project criteria, be approved, and (5) that the current challenges faced in achieving delivery of the Local Development Programme be acknowledge. ACCESS TO FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS (PERIOD DIGNITY INITIATIVE) UPDATE 3. There was submitted a report by the Head of Strategic Communication providing an update on the activity relating to the delivery and further development of the Access to Free Period Products/Period Dignity initiative (1) recalling that since August 2018 all local authorities in Scotland had been provided with funding to introduce access to free period products in schools and that, from January 2019, the Scottish Government had provided funding to all local authorities to increase the number and range of places where products would be available free of charge to those who need them with a focus on publicly accessible buildings; (3) indicating that the main intent of the wider roll-out for community provision remains tackling poverty but also a wider need to address the overarching gender equality and dignity issues that affect all those who menstruate regardless of income; (4) reporting that, currently, spending is split between school and community provision with this approach having been designed to reflect the needs of communities across the Council area; (5) advising that the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 received Royal Assent in January 2021 and became legislation on 15 August 2022 to be fully implemented by January 2023, and (6) outlining the Council's intentions around period dignity for local people through increased access to free sanitary products and other support which will be outlined on the Council website. Decided: (1) that the significant work carried out to date across key Council services and partner agencies be acknowledged; (2) that the outline of the planned developments for the next three-year period be approved, and (3) that the publication of a Statement of Intent, which will reinforce the Council's commitment to period dignity in line with the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 be approved. DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY CONCORDAT 4. There was submitted a report by the Head of Strategic Communication (1) reminding the Committee that in 2020 it had been agreed by the previous Community Empowerment Committee that it would be useful to develop a Community Concordat with communities, primarily facilitated through the community and voluntary sector to agree shared values and approaches to working together to improve lives through, for example, the effectiveness of North Lanarkshire's Local Outcome Improvements Plans (LOIPs); (2) explaining that, in January 2022, Committee approval had been received for a one-off allocation of £60k to fund this work and that Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL) had been leading in engagement and development work to progress this on behalf of the North Lanarkshire Partnership Strategic Leadership Board, and (3) providing an update on progress to date and providing an overview of delivery priorities and timescales. Decided: that the progress with the development of the Community Concordat and revisions to the original approach be acknowledged.
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COMMUNITIES - 31 OCTOBER 2022 37 P056.2(3) COMMUNITY BOARD AND PARTNERSHIP COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 5. There was submitted a report by the Head of Strategic Communication providing an update on key progress linked to supporting development of the Community Boards model including updates on the eighth cycle of Community Board meetings which took place throughout September and October 2022 (1) indicating that, as previously agreed, reports on the work of the nine Community Boards are provided to the Committee in each Committee cycle with progress also being reported to the North Lanarkshire Community Planning Partnership Strategic Leadership Board to reflect the statutory nature of the Board's community planning role to provide local governance for the Local Outcome Improvement Plans, and (2) intimating that the process and focus of reporting on the work of the Community Boards will continue to be reviewed and elements will be included within the Local Outcome Improvement Plan monitoring and management framework for 2022/23 onwards. Decided: that the work to continue to develop and improve the integrated approach to supporting the local Community Board model be recognised. PROGRAMME OF WORK (P084 (6)) PROGRESS REPORT 6. There was submitted a report by the Head of Strategic Communication providing an update on activity aimed at strengthening the role of the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) in the delivery of priorities associated with the Plan for North Lanarkshire and the nine Local Outcome Improvement Plans (1) outlining a proposal to test and redesign, through engagement with the sector and Elected Members, the Grant Award Programme (GAP) to better align it to the model for working with communities and the delivery of local priorities which provides an opportunity to support a long-term shift from traditional “grant making model” to one that is built on co-production, community capacity building and local community assets and, reflects the needs, aspirations and circumstances of local communities, and (2) detailing that work is underway to develop a Concordat between community planning partners, local communities and the community and voluntary sector and the development of the Social Enterprise Strategy reflecting the need for better approaches to Community Wealth Building. Decided: that the plans to further scope out opportunities to realign the Grant Award Programme (GAP) to locally agreed and strategic priorities, as outlined in the report, be approved. CONTRACTS AWARDED BELOW COMMITTEE APPROVAL THRESHOLD 7. There was submitted a report by the Head of Asset and Procurement Solutions notifying the Committee of contracts awarded between 1 July to 30 September 2022 with a value below the financial threshold requiring Committee approval. Decided: that the contracts awarded below Committee approval threshold between 1 July to 30 September 2022, as per the process within the Council’s General Contract Standing Orders, be noted.