Agenda Document Pack - Corporate Committee - 08/11/2022

Moray Council · 8 November 2022
Back to Corporate Committee — 8 November 2022 and its agenda

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Corporate Committee 
Tuesday, 08 November 2022 
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Corporate Committee is to be
held at Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX on
Tuesday, 08 November 2022 at 09:30. 
BUSINESS 
1. Sederunt 
2. Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * 
3. Resolution
Consider, and if so decide, adopt the following resolution:
"That under Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government
(Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and media
representatives be excluded from the meeting for Item 19 of business
on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt
information of the class described in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1
of Schedule 7A of the Act.”   
4. Minute of Meeting of the Corporate Committee of 30
August 2022
7 - 12
5. Notice of Motion - Councillors Fernandes and Coull -
Council Phone Charges
13 - 14
6. Written Questions ** 
7. Community Identified Benefits
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and
Finance)
15 - 22
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8. Procurement Annual Report 21-22 and Procurement
Strategic Action Plan 22-23
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and
Finance)
23 - 54
9. Moray Council Gaelic Language Plan 2022-2027
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
55 - 88
10. Lease of Pinefield Allotment Site
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
89 - 92
11. Mental Health and Wellbeing Pulse Survey 2022
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
93 -
104
12 Elected Members Family Leave
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
105 -
116
13 Complaints Annual Report 2021-22
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
117 -
136
14. Council Poverty Plan Progress Update
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
organisational Development)
137 -
170
15. Performance Report (Financial Services) Period to
September 2022
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and
Finance)
171 -
176
16. Performance Report (Governance, Strategy and
Performance) Period to September 2022
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
177 -
182
17. Performance Report (Human Resources, Information
Communication Technology and Organisational
Development) Period to September 2022
Report by Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development)
183 -
188
18. Question Time ***
Consider any oral question on matters delegated to the Committee in
terms of the Council's Scheme of Administration. 
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Item(s) which the Committee may wish to consider with
the Press and Public excluded   
19. GMB Mileage Claim [Para 11]
• Information relating to any consultations or negotiations in
connection with any labour relations; 
Summary of Corporate Services Committee functions:
To regulate, manage and monitor the finances of the Council both
capital and revenue; to deal with staffing policies and practices other
than for teaching staff; to deal with equal opportunities policies and
practices; to deal with procurement policies and priorities; to deal with
all matters relating to the Council’s duty to initiate, maintain and
facilitate Community Planning; to ensure that the organisation,
administrative and management processes of the Council are designed
to make the most effective contribution to achieving the Council’s
objectives; to provide all central support services; to exercise the
functions of the Council in connection with the Registration of Births,
Deaths and Marriages; to deal with valuation and electoral registration
matters.     
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GUIDANCE NOTES 
* Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests - The Chair of the
meeting shall seek declarations from any individual or political group at the
beginning of a meeting whether any prior decision has been reached on how
the individual or members of the group will vote on any item(s) of business on
the Agenda, and if so on which item(s).  A prior decision shall be one that the
individual or the group deems to be mandatory on the individual or the group
members such that the individual or the group members will be subject to
sanctions should they not vote in accordance with the prior decision.  Any such
prior decisions will be recorded in the Minute of the meeting. 
** Written Questions - Any Member can put one written question about any
relevant and competent business within the specified remits not already on the
agenda, to the Chair provided it is received by the Proper Officer or Committee
Services by 12 noon two working days prior to the day of the meeting.  A copy
of any written answer provided by the Chair will be tabled at the start of the
relevant section of the meeting.  The Member who has put the question may,
after the answer has been given, ask one supplementary question directly
related to the subject matter, but no discussion will be allowed. 
No supplementary question can be put or answered more than 10 minutes after
the Council has started on the relevant item of business, except with the
consent of the Chair. If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a
supplementary question because no time remains, then he or she can submit it
in writing to the Proper Officer who will arrange for a written answer to be
provided within 7 working days. 
*** Question Time - At each ordinary meeting of the Committee ten minutes will be
allowed for Members questions when any Member of the Committee can put a
question to the Chair on any business within the remit of that Section of the
Committee.  The Member who has put the question may, after the answer has
been given, ask one supplementary question directly related to the subject
matter, but no discussion will be allowed. 
No supplementary question can be put or answered more than ten minutes
after the Committee has started on the relevant item of business, except with
the consent of the Chair.  If a Member does not have the opportunity to put a
supplementary question because no time remains, then he/she can submit it in
writing to the proper officer who will arrange for a written answer to be provided
within seven working days. 
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THE MORAY COUNCIL 
Corporate Committee 
SEDERUNT 
Councillor Bridget Mustard  (Chair)
Councillor Kathleen Robertson  (Depute Chair)  
Councillor Theresa Coull  (Member)
Councillor John Cowe  (Member)
Councillor John Divers  (Member)
Councillor Amber Dunbar  (Member)
Councillor Jérémie Fernandes  (Member)
Councillor Sandy Keith  (Member)
Councillor Graham Leadbitter  (Member)
Councillor Marc Macrae  (Member)
Councillor Paul McBain  (Member)
Councillor Shona Morrison  (Member)
Councillor Derek Ross  (Member)  
Clerk Name: Lindsey Robinson
Clerk Telephone: 07966 120593
Clerk Email: committee.services@moray.gov.uk 
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MORAY COUNCIL 
Minute of Meeting of the Corporate Committee 
Tuesday, 30 August 2022 
Council Chambers, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX 
PRESENT 
Councillor Theresa Coull, Councillor John Cowe, Councillor John Divers, Councillor
Amber Dunbar, Councillor Jérémie Fernandes, Councillor Sandy Keith, Councillor
Graham Leadbitter, Councillor Marc Macrae, Councillor Paul McBain, Councillor
Shona Morrison, Councillor Bridget Mustard, Councillor Kathleen Robertson 
IN ATTENDANCE 
Also in attendance at the above meeting were the Chief Executive, Depute Chief
Executive (Economy Environment and Finance), Depute Chief Executive
(Education, Communities and Organisational Development), Chief Financial Officer,
Head of Governance, Strategy and Performance, Head of Housing and Property
Services, Head of Education Resources and Communities, Property Asset
Manager, Audit and Risk Manager,  Asset Management Co-ordinator, Community
Learning and Development Support Officer, and Lindsey Robinson, Committee
Services Officer as Clerk to the Committee. 
1.         Chair 
Councillor Bridget Mustard, being Chair of the Corporate Committee, chaired the
meeting. 
2.         Declaration of Group Decisions and Members Interests * 
In terms of Standing Order 20 and the Councillors’ Code of Conduct Councillor
Mustard, on behalf of the Conservative Group, declared that the Group had
discussed all of the items on the agenda but no party whip was applied. There were
no other declarations from Group Leaders or Spokespersons in regard to any prior
decisions taken on how Members will vote on any item on the agenda or any
declarations of Member’s interests in respect of any item on the agenda. 
3.         Resolution 
The meeting resolved that under Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government
(Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and media representatives be
excluded from the meeting for Item 14 of business on the grounds that it involves
the likely disclosure of exempt information of the class described in relevant
Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. 
4.         Minute of Meeting of the Corporate Committee of 14 June 2022 
The Minute of the Meeting of the Corporate Committee dated 14 June 2022 was
submitted and approved. 
Item 4.
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5.         Written Questions ** 
The Committee noted that no written questions had been submitted. 
6.         Improvement and Modernisation Programme 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development) informed the Committee of the progress made in
developing the projects set out in the Council's Improvement and Modernisation
Programme (IMP) and asked the Committee to consider and note the outcome of
the reviews of IMP work, governance and resulting actions and to consider
extending the post of Project Leader (Transformation). 
During consideration, and in response to concerns raised by Members, the Chief
Executive clarified that the report covered an ongoing 5 year programme of projects
that had been reported at various points and summarised both past and future
actions. It was acknowledged that newly elected Members were being introduced to
the IMP programme part way through the process. He further noted that there was 
potential for member briefings prior to the next update.   
Thereafter, and following lengthy discussion, the Committee agreed to: 
i. note the progress on the projects set out in the Council's Improvement and
Modernisation Programme (IMP); 
ii. note the outcomes of the review of IMP work and governance and resulting
actions; 
iii. note the review of project governance arrangements including Transforming
Boards set out in paragraphs 3.20-3.23 of the report; and 
iv. to extend the post of Project Leader (Transformation) for an additional 12
months noting that funding for that would be included in a later report to Council
regarding the use of capital receipts to fund transformation projects.  
7.         Property Asset Management Appraisal 
A report by the depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and Finance)
provided the Committee with a progress update on outstanding key
recommendations set out within the Property Asset Management Appraisal. 
Following consideration, the Committee agreed to: 
i. note the updates and progress achieved to date in relation to the remaining
recommendations as set out within the Property Asset Management Appraisal
(PAMA); 
ii. note the merging of the Depot and Store reviews to ensure maximum benefits
can be derived from the reviews; and 
iii. note the new timescales for the remaining outstanding recommendations within
the PAMA, with future reporting for recommendations 5 - 7 being provided
through updates on the Improvement and Modernisation Programme.   
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8.         Revenue Budget Monitoring to 30 June 2022 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and Finance)
advised the Committee of the revenue budget monitoring position to 30 June 2022. 
Prior to dicussion, the Chief Financial Officer advised of the following corrections to
the report: 
• Recommendation 2.1 iv should reference paragraph 6.2 and
• Recommendation 2.2 should reference paragraph 8.3. 
Councillor Morrison left during the discussion of this item. 
Following consideration  the Committee agreed: 
i. to note the budget monitoring position of £657,000 under budget for 2022/23 as
at 30 June 2022; 
ii. that this budget position consists of an underspend of £263,000 on Children’s
services, an overspend on Social Care services delivered on behalf of the
Moray Integration Joint Board of £279,000 and an underspend on other services
of £349,000; 
iii. to note movement of £11,235,000 in the General Revenue Grant, as detailed in
paragraph 3.4 of the report; 
iv. to note the increasing budget pressure noted in paragraph 6.2 of the report; and 
v. to approve the use of ear-marked reserves for Covid of £960,000 as detailed in
paragraph 8.3 of the report.  
9.         Capital Plan 2022-23 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy Environment and Finance)
advised the Committee of expenditure to 30 June 2022 under the capital plan for
financial year 2022/23 and of estimates of projected expenditure profiled into
quarters. 
Following consideration, the Committee agreed to: 
i. note expenditure to 30 June 2022 of £4,394,000; 
ii. note the current projected expenditure of £55,929,000 for 2022/23 profiled into
quarters, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report; 
iii. note the projected overall expenditure for projects spanning more than one
financial year, as set out Appendix 2 of the report; and 
iv. approve amendments to the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Capital Plan detailed in
section 6.1 of the report. 
10.         Rental Support Reviews 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and Finance)
invited the Committee to consider policy changes concerning the provision of rental
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support to voluntary and community organisations and actions in relation to the
review of the rental support provided to Keith Golf Club. 
Councillor Morrison rejoined the meeting at this juncture. 
Following consideration, the Committee agreed: 
i. that existing beneficiaries under the former Community Rental Grant Scheme
who have their requests for a continuation of rental support refused following a
review may re-apply at subsequent rent reviews; 
ii. that voluntary and community organisations who have an existing lease from the
Council but who do not currently enjoy any form of rental support may, at the
Council’s discretion, apply for rental support whenever their rent falls to be
reviewed; and 
iii. to authorise the Property Asset Manager to proceed with the next stage of the
review process for Keith Golf Club as set out in paragraph 3.4 of the report.  
11.         Moray Council Gaelic Language Plan 2022-2027 - Draft for
Consultation 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development) asked the Committee to consider and comment on the
draft Moray Council Gaelic Language Plan 2022-2027, Appendix 1 of the report. 
Following consideration, the Committee agreed to: 
i. note the draft Gaelic Language Plan 2022-2027; and 
ii. consult with the public and relevant national and local bodies on the draft Gaelic
Language Plan, before agreeing a final version of the plan at Corporate
Committee on 8 November 2022 prior to formal submission to Bord na Gaidhlig. 
12.         Corporate Risk Register 
A report by the Depute Chief Executive (Education, Communities and
Organisational Development) provided the Committee with a copy of the Council's
recently updated Corporate Risk Register. 
Following consideration, the Committee approved the updated Corporate Risk
Register dated August 2022.  
13.         Question Time *** 
Under reference to paragraph 15 of the Minute of the meeting of this Committee
dated 14 June 2022, Councillor McBain sought clarification on the question raised
by Councillor McLennan with regard to Elected Members having sight of the action
log from the Committee meetings so that they could monitor the progress on any
actions and the response given by the Chief Executive. 
In response, the Chief Executive advised that an action log is prepared and shared
with the Chair for each committee.   
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Under reference to paragraph 7 of the Minute of the meeting of this Committee
dated 14 June 2022, Councillor Keith provided an update on the Regeneration
Capital Grant Fund applications.  He advised that the Head of Economic Growth
and Development confirmed that the next stage of the process will be in September
and that the 3 applications were currently being assessed. 
Councillor Robertson sought clarification on school meal debt in the light of the cost
of living crisis and due to the sense of urgency asked if a report could be put to full
Council on 28 September 2022 detailing what Moray’s school meal debt is with a
view to potentially writing this off.   
In response, the Chief Executive advise that he would take direction from the Head
of Governance, Strategy and Performance in terms of governance and the Chief
Financial Officer in terms of what would be involved. 
The Chief Financial Officer advised that the current figures on school meal debt are
a week old but are showing approximately £25,000.  This could be updated and a
report produced for full Council setting out the practicalities involved in writing the
debt off.  One issue in agreeing to this would be that it could be seen as a signal to
people to effectively stop paying for their school meals. 
The Head of Governance, Strategy and Performance advised that full Council would
be the correct place to hear the report. 
Councillor Divers raised the issue of Member’s waiting until the Committee to ask
questions, as he was of the opinion that a number of questions could not be
answered as the information was not to hand.  He stated that Member’s get papers
7 days before the Committees and have ample opportunity to ask questions of
officers before the Committee.  The question could then be asked again in the
Committee and an answer given so that the public are able to access the
information. 
Councillor Cowe payed tribute to Member’s today for the collaborative working,
highlighting that it was looking good for the future. 
The Committee joined the Chair in expressing their condolences to the family of the
late Bob Hellyer, former Community Councillor and retired Nimrod captain who
sadly died on 29 August 2022. 
14.         Community Asset Transfer Request - Forres Common Good [Para 4
and 9] 
A confidential report by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and
Finance) invited the Committee to consider an asset transfer request made in
respect of a potentially inalienable Common Good site at Bogton Road, Forres. 
Following consideration, the Committee agreed to: 
i. refuse the asset transfer request for the reasons set out in paragraph 8.2 of the
report; and 
ii. consider a future application to amend the existing lease terms as set out in
paragraphs 8.3 and 8.4 of the report.   
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Notice of Motion to Corporate Committee on
Tuesday 8 November 2022 
Council Phone Charges 
Committee understands that phone calls to Moray Council services are currently charged at
normal rates.
Committee understands that these charges can vary from 16p to 65p per minute from a
landline and outside inclusive mobile minutes allowance, according to Ofcom.
Committee recognises that the phone charges can be a barrier to accessing services,
particularly for people on low income.
Committee instructs officers to bring forward a report on the implementation of free phone
numbers for Council services users.
Committee further instructs officers to bring forward a report on the implementation of free
web-based methods of contacting Council services such as web chats and instant
messaging 
Proposer: Jérémie Fernandes
Seconder: Theresa Coull
Item 5.
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED BENEFITS 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND
FINANCE) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To request amendments to the Council procurement process to create a list of
Community Identified Benefits, to be used as a platform for direct engagement
with community groups in the delivery of community benefits clauses
associated with Council contracts. This activity is linked to the development of
a Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach within the Council. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (B) (21) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration to formulate, supervise the
implementation of and review as necessary the policies and practices of the
Council in relation to its procurement arrangements 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee:- 
(i) approve the creation of a list of Community Identified Benefits to
coordinate delivery of community benefits within Council
procurements; and 
(ii) agree to the proposed changes to the Procurement Strategy to
reflect the adoption of a list of Community Identified Benefits and
increased focus upon delivery of community benefits in contracts
of all values. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 CWB aims to retain and recirculate existing wealth within the local economy,
through supporting local businesses and business models which are more
likely to spend, employ and invest locally, while also providing increased
control and benefits for local people. This includes providing increased
opportunity for community decision making. The CWB approach is
constructed around five core pillars: 
Item 7.
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• Progressive Procurement
• Fair Employment and Just Labour Markets
• Shared Ownership of the Local Economy
• Socially Just Use of Land and Property
• Making Financial Power Work for Local Places 
3.2 At its meeting on 28 October 2020, Moray Council approved the recruitment
of a CWB Officer to develop and implement a CWB strategy for Moray.
(paragraph 16 of minute refers) With a CWB Officer initially recruited in June
2021. However, the officer was subsequently recruited to the post of Senior
Officer for Economic Strategy and Development. With a replacement officer
only successfully recruited to the post in July 2022, this has resulted in
unexpected delays to progressing the strategy due to a lack of existing
resource. 
3.3 It was agreed that the initial focus of CWB would be to reduce the leakage
from the local economy through public procurement spend. Given that
community benefits are intrinsically linked to procurement, and the proposed
model below had already been successfully implemented in numerous other
local authorities who were not already adopting a CWB approach, it was
decided to progress with developing the project as a forerunner to the CWB
Strategy. 
3.4 A Routemap to CWB Strategy and Delivery was approved by the Economic
Development and Infrastructure Services Committee on 19 October 2021
(paragraph 12 of the minute refers). In support of this, a supplier development
forum was reinvigorated, consisting of procurement officers from the Council,
NHS Grampian, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and UHI Moray, alongside
internal and external business and community support representatives. The
remit of this group is to support local businesses and social enterprises to
tender for public contracts and participate in supply chains. The CWB
Strategy is currently under preparation ahead of a draft being reported to
committee in early 2023.The proposals in this report align with the CWB
pillars above enabling considering ahead of the strategy itself.   
4. COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROCESS 
4.1 Community benefit requirements are defined in the Procurement Reform
(Scotland) Act 2014 as a contractual requirement relating to one or more of
the following: 
• training and recruitment
• availability of sub-contracting opportunities
• activities otherwise intended to improve the economic, social or 
environmental wellbeing of the authority’s area 
4.2 All public sector contracting authorities are required to consider including
community benefit requirements for all regulated procurements where the
estimated value of the contract is equal to or greater than £4m.  However,
research has shown that community benefits can also be widely achieved in
procurements under the £4m threshold. 
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4.3 There is a commitment within the Moray Council Procurement Strategy to
ensure that all relevant contracts have considered the inclusion of community
benefits that will, in particular, benefit the local Moray community.  Embedding
community benefits into the procurement process works well for high value,
longer term projects where high level community benefits can be requested.
However, this does not define the process for managing delivery of
community benefits, nor maximise delivery of community benefits from lower
value projects. 
4.4 At present, delivery and monitoring of community benefits (within a contract of
any value) is the responsibility of the Contract Manager. There is no
coordinated procurement resource for collecting this information at present.
The procurement team only collect the number of community benefits within
tenders, which is then reflected in the procurement Annual Report. 
4.5 Creation of a coordinated system to manage the delivery of community
benefits would ensure uniformity across all contracts and provide opportunity
to grow the number of community benefits delivered. This system could
encourage increased provision of community benefits in contracts below the
£4m threshold. The Procurement Strategy, which is the subject of separate
report to the same meeting of this committee, would need to be updated to
reflect any changes to community benefit policy as per the Procurement
Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. 
5. COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED BENEFITS 
5.1 Requesting that suppliers identify the benefits to be delivered does not always
meet the needs of the community or the priorities of the Council. To remedy
this, it is proposed that a list of Community Identified Benefits be developed to
better align the needs of local communities with the delivery of community
benefits. Through this platform, community organisations will be able to
request support via provision of a service of material good. Council suppliers
will then select the community requests to deliver in meeting their community
benefit obligations. 
5.2 This approach has already been successfully implemented in a number of
other Local Authorities. Perth and Kinross Council pioneered this innovative
way for local organisations to place requests for what they needed through
creating the first Community Benefits Wish List, and which is now being used
as an exemplar of best practice by Scottish Government. To date, in excess
of 70 individual wishes have been delivered by suppliers, including
placements for prison leavers, financial support for local charities,
employment opportunities and careers workshops for young people. The
website also includes a Map of Community Benefits Delivered, highlighting
the suppliers which have provided the benefits, the recipient organisation, and
the communities who have benefitted. These include the donation of a
number of recycled laptops to Alyth Youth Partnership from a national
decorating firm, contracted to the Council via a Housing Planned Maintenance
Framework.
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5.3 North Ayrshire Council have also developed a Community Benefits Wish List,
linked to its commitment to the CWB approach. The platform has been well
received by both communities and suppliers, with a range of online case
studies detailing the wishes that have been delivered since its launch last year
demonstrating the success of the approach. North Ayrshire Council have also
published a selection of Case Studies of the community benefits delivered
through the Wish List. These include a local bakery who have supported the
Ayrshire Fairer Food Network with 720 freshly baked rolls each week at no
cost to support its network of community larders. 
5.4 Creation of a list of Community Identified Benefits, would result in a number of
positive impacts:
• Effective community engagement
• Fostering relationships between communities and private sector
• Meaningful delivery of community benefits
• Empowering and meeting the needs of local communities
• Enhancing the social responsibility of Council suppliers 
6. PROPOSALS 
6.1 To explore the creation of a list of Community Identified Benefits for the
Council, a cross section working group was formed consisting of the
Payments Manager, Principal Accountant, and Senior Officer Economic
Strategy and Development. With further support and input provided by the
Community Learning and Engagement Team Manager. This group have
outlined high level actions for designing and implementing the Community
Identified Benefits platform. These were presented initially via a Three Minute
Brief to Corporate Management Team (CMT) on 4 August 2022. 
6.2 The list will be published on the procurement pages of the Council website.
The platform will be promoted to local communities through the officers within
the Community Support Unit and local partners such as tsiMORAY, with
further communications via press releases and social media channels. Local
community groups and third sector organisations will be invited to submit
benefit ideas, which could take the form of anything from material goods,
sponsorship, to volunteer expertise or labour. Officers propose not to accept
requests for monetary benefits. 
6.3 Contract managers will retain responsibility for ensuring the delivery of
community benefits, with a process devised for capturing and collating this
information. 
6.4 A project group will be formed to refine the process for implementing,
managing and monitoring the platform.  This will include the CWB Officer
alongside officers from the Payments and Community Support Unit sections.
It will be the responsibility of this cross-section team to:
• Review new wish submissions
• Monitor supplier delivery of wishes
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders
• Awareness raising campaign across Council services 
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6.5 The next steps and estimated timescales for implementation are outlined
below should the proposals be approved. 
Project stage Responsibility Timescales
Stakeholder Engagement
• Liaison with key partners and stakeholders,
including Community Learning and
Development, IT, tsiMORAY, and CPP
Community Engagement Group.
• Engagement with key third sector
stakeholders in the design of the process
• Liaison with Community Engagement Group
Project Team November 
2022 –
February
2023
IT / Technical Development
• Design of efficient and effective process
• Creation of new page on Council website to
host the Community Identified Benefits, as
well as a portal for communities to upload
their requests
ICT, Project
Team
November 
2022 –
February
2023
Procurement Process
• Incorporate the list of Community Identified
Benefits into CB tender development
process and non-cash benefit reporting
• Devise process for contract managers to
coordinate contractor selection of wishes
and to record delivery
Procurement,
Project Team
November 
2022 –
February
2023
Marketing and Communications
• Design of communications action plan to
ensure promotion of new feature 
• Widespread promotion via partners
including tsiMORAY, Joint Community
Councils, and CPP
Corporate
Comms,
Project Team,
External
Partners
January
2023
onwards
Delivery and Monitoring
• This would be the responsibility of the
existing cross-section staff who are
appointed with responsibility for overseeing
the list of Community Identified Benefits
• Identification of appropriate community
partners to support delivery of community
wishes
Project Team,
External
Partners
March 2023
onwards 
7. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP))
The proposals will contribute to achieve the corporate plan priority to
promote economic development and growth, also the LOIP priority of a
growing and sustainable economy.  
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(b) Policy and Legal
Any changes to the community benefits process will need to be reflected
in the Procurement Strategy as per the Procurement Reform (Scotland)
Act 2014. 
(c) Financial implications
There are no financial implications arising directly from this report. 
(d) Risk Implications
There are no risk implications arising directly from this report. 
(e) Staffing Implications
The design, implementation, and ongoing operation of the Community
Identified Benefits will be supported with existing staff resource. This will
include the CWB Officer alongside officers from Procurement and
Community Support Unit. All of the relevant sections have been
consulted throughout the development of the proposals and have agreed
to provide resource for ongoing support of the Community Identified
Benefits platform. Contract managers will retain responsibility for
managing community benefits within contracts, this will require no
additional resource. 
The ICT service will be required to provide assistance with the design of
the online interface for submitting and hosting community wishes.  The
Information Systems Manager has been consulted on this and has
agreed to provide ICT support in developing a system for data collection
which will be hosted on the Council website, advising that this should be
feasible within the proposed timescales. Officers have been assigned to
assist with the current scope of work. 
Communications activity will require the support of the corporate
communications team to create a campaign of press releases social
media posts to ensure awareness of the new list of Community Identified
Benefits. Further external support will be requested from stakeholders
including HIE, tsiMORAY, and Chamber of Commerce to assist with this. 
(f) Property
There are no property issues arising directly from this report. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact
The proposals aim to promote equality through the development and
implementation of a CWB approach. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts
There are no biodiversity issues arising directly from this report.
However, community identified benefits may include opportunities to
enhance the environment or contribute to tackling climate change, for
example through providing opportunity for recycling materials from
building projects, or through contributing to access projects or
community green space management. 
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(i) Consultations
Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and Finance), the Head
of Economic Growth and Development, the Legal Services Manager,
Payments Manager, the Chief Financial Officer, Principal Climate
Change Officer, the Community Learning and Engagement Team
Manager, the Information Systems Manager, the Senior
Communications Officer, the Equal Opportunities Officer and Committee
Services Officer have been consulted and their comments incorporated. 
7. CONCLUSION 
7.1 The proposals will encourage suppliers to work in partnership with the
Council and to support local communities in a real and sustainable way.
This provides opportunity for positive engagement and public relations
both for the Council and the suppliers in receipt of public contracts.
Communities will benefit from receiving essential support in the delivery
of projects and activities. 
7.2 Creation of a Community Identified Benefits platform would reaffirm the
Council’s commitment to the Community Wealth Building approach,
through maximising local impacts through Council spend. 
Author of Report: Chris Muir, Senior Officer Economic Strategy and
Development
Background Papers: 
Ref: SPMAN-813460984-301 
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: PROCUREMENT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2021/22 AND
PROCUREMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR 2022/2023 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND
FINANCE) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To provide the Committee with an update report on Procurement activity in
Moray and in particular report on procurement performance for 2021/2022 and
to seek Committee approval of the Strategic Action Plan for 2022/23. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III B (21) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration relating to procurement arrangements. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1      It is recommended that the Committee: 
i. considers and notes the overall procurement performance for
2021/22 set out in the Annual Report in APPENDIX 1 and
summarised in Section 4 below; and 
ii. approves the Strategic Action Plan set out in APPENDIX 2 and
summarised in Section 5 below. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Reform Act) introduced a
number of significant duties for all public bodies, including the publication of a
Procurement Strategy and subsequent Annual Procurement Report, which
outlines performance against that Strategy. 
3.2 The Procurement Strategy for 2021/22 was approved by the Economic
Growth, Housing and Environmental Sustainability Committee on 8 June 2021
(paragraph 12 of the minute refers). No changes to this strategy are
recommended for 2022/23.
Item 8.
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4. 2021/2022 PROCUREMENT PERFORMANCE 
4.1 The report assesses performance against a number of categories including: 
i) Summary of Regulated procurements;
ii) Review of procurement compliance;
iii) Assessment of progress against the strategic action plan; and
iv) Non Cash benefits. 
4.2 The main learning points from the 2021/22 report are: 
i) There has been a significant increase in workload for the team with the
post pandemic catch up, additional ring fenced monies received and a
continued increase in unplanned activity across most Council services. 
ii) The market conditions around increased prices, supplier / contractor
capacity and uncertain supply chains has impacted on some tender
results with a number receiving either no interest or unrealistic pricing. 
iii) As a result of this procurement activity the savings for categories 1 and
2 (non-budget adjusted and budget adjusted) shows a slight increase
from £1.794 million in 2020/21 to £2.04 million (see paragraph 4.3). 
iv) Work continues with the wide ranging non cash benefits derived from
procurement activity including, environmental impacts and community
wealth building considerations.   
4.3   The Section 4 (table 4) of the annual report – Moray Update - includes the
following summary of procurement savings recorded during 2021/22: 
Cash Savings 2021/22 (2020/21)
Category of Saving Recurring annual
savings from the
lifespan of live
contracts
£ million
Savings for year
(adjusted for start and
end date) 
£ million
1 Budget not adjusted 1.022 (0.784) 0.792 (0.763)
2 Budget adjusted 1.016 (1.010) 0.973 (0.977)
Total 2.038 (1.794)  1.766 (1.740)
6 Capital N/A 0.516 (0.213)
7 Rebate N/A 0.034 (0.024) 
4.4  We have maintained a savings target of £1M for a number of years in the
expectation that it would become harder to achieve savings from recurring
contractual awards, it is therefore encouraging to note the results despite the
challenging conditions in 2021/22.   
5. STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN 2022/23
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5.1 A new Strategic Action Plan has been developed for 2022/23 to reflect the
work done to date and the changing workload and priorities of the team and is
included as APPENDIX 2 to this report.   
5.2 Key points in the Strategic Action Plan are summarised below: 
• Development of contract register;
• Additional Departmental Procurement Action Plans for Moray Growth
Deal and Capital Projects;
• Continuation of work to support Supplier Development Programme and
Community Wealth Building actions including the development of the
community identified benefits process which is the subject of a
separate report to this committee; and
• Continuing to work to embed climate change considerations into the
procurement process. 
6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)) 
The work undertaken by the procurement team assists the Council
achieve its local outcomes detailed for the Council’s priorities in the
Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) 
(b) Policy and Legal 
The Council policy, which sets the overall aims for procurement was
agreed by Policy Committee on 29 August 2007 (paragraph 11 of minute
refers). This policy will be reviewed during 2022/23 and reported to
Corporate Committee.   
(c) Financial implications 
Details of savings are shown in paragraph 4.4 of this report. The
procurement savings make a significant contribution to the Council’s
ability to balance its budget. 
(d) Risk Implications 
If the Council fail to implement the annual Procurement Strategy this
may impact on its ability to achieve additional savings and procurement
benefits in the future. 
(e) Staffing Implications 
Increased workloads are impacting on the ability of the procurement
team to respond to unplanned requests from departments and in future
the service will require to prioritise requests. 
(f) Property 
There are no property issues arising directly from this report.
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
Equality impact assessments were carried out on the procurement
process August 2016 with no significant changes since then. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts
The following positive climate change implications have been identified
from the work being carried out by the procurement team: 
• Consideration of climate change issues has now been embedded
within the procurement process 
• Weighted questions have been developed to challenge potential
suppliers on their climate change impact 
(i) Consultations 
Information contained in Departmental Procurement Action Plans
(DPAP), agreed with Heads of Service has been used to create the
future regulation procurement summary.  Efficiency savings are
calculated in consultation with the Accountancy section and agreed by
the Chief Financial Officer.   
7. CONCLUSION 
7.1 The Annual Procurement Report summarises procurement progress
during 2021/2022.  This shows areas of progress and good performance
and also identifies areas for further improvement with actions for
continuing improvements in the Council’s procurement arrangements
contained in the Strategic Action Plan. 
Author of Report: Diane Beattie, Payments Manager – Ext 3136 
Background Papers: 
Ref: SPMAN-1293228629-764 
SPMAN-1293228629-765 
SPMAN-1293228629-766
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APPENDIX 1 
Right Rationale
Right Route
Right Result
Right Reward
Right Research
MORAY COUNCIL 
ANNUAL PROCUREMENT REPORT
2021/2022
Item 8.
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2 
INDEX 
PAGE
1 Summary of Regulated Procurements     4
2 Review of Regulated Procurement compliance     5
3 Future Regulated Procurement Summary 2019 to 2021   8
4 Moray Update         9
5 Summary                   10 
TABLE 1 Summary of live contracts by category     4
TABLE 2 Approach to single supplier       4
TABLE 3 Non cash benefits         6
TABLE 4 Summary of non cash benefits      7
TABLE 5  Supported business summary       8
TABLE 6 Procurement Savings         10
TABLE 7  Breakdown of Procurement Activity      11 
APPENDIX A 
SECTION A Action Plan results PCIP Measures                12
SECTION B Action Plan result  Procurement Strategy Measure    15
Scottish Government Annual Report Statistics               19
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3
INTRODUCTION
The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act) requires the Council to publish its
Procurement Strategy each year and, in order to report compliance with this Strategy and the
Act itself, the Council must publish an Annual report.
In addition to the required information set out in the Act, this report also includes
performance against a number of strategic indicators which were introduced by the Council
in order to measure progress on the duties introduced by the legislation.
In order to evidence our progress against our strategic targets, the published Annual Report
requires some form of measurement. The statistics presented in this report provide the
evidence which should, over time, show how the Council is progressing against both the
national and local objectives. The following sections provide both the statistical information
and a commentary on performance (in italics).
The data provided in this report does still reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For
much of the financial year 2020/2021 the procurement service was effectively stood down
from operational service with only emergency and supplier relief work being carried out until
late summer. The team were also without an Assistant Manager until October 2020 which
had an impact on many of the strategic development actions identified for 2020/21 and
2021/22. This impact continues to be felt with many Departments now catching up on work
set aside during the pandemic. The procurement team has seen an unprecedented increase
in workload and with the added complications of an ever changing market this is affecting
outputs.
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4 
1 – SUMMARY OF REGULATED PROCUREMENTS 1 
TABLE 1 highlights the summary of live contracts 2021/2022 (2020/2021) by contract 
category.   
TABLE 1
Contract Type Number Estimated Contract
Annual Value 
£000
Category A (national) 25  (26) 4,715  (6,365)
Category B  (sectoral)   129 (123) 31,030 (19,931)
Category C (local single supplier) 195 (146) 47,271 (46,576)
Category C (framework) 14(15) 10,957 (10,902)
Category C1 (local collaboration) 15 (16) 1,771  (1,838)
Category O (other) 115 (83)  12,464 (21,134)
Non advertised  91(107) 14,045 (23,752)
2021/2022 Total 584  122,252 
2020/2021 516 130,499
2019/20 Total  599 133,651
2018/19 Total 522  168,614  
2017/18 Total  476 142,891   
Quick Quotes and Mini competitions 62 (52) 1,000 (821) 
In total there are 584 live contracts listed in the Council’s contract register; of these 179
were awarded or added to the register in the year 2021/22 
Commentary on performance: 
Whilst we have seen a year on year increase in contractual volume since 2017/18 mainly down
to the increasing use of mini competitions and call offs from frameworks,  this stalled during
2020/2021 due to the pandemic with little work being done at a local level.  However we can
now see this trend reversing with the number of new Category “C” contracts (local council
developed contracts) increasing from 45 2020/2021 to 104 in 2021/2022. 
In addition to the formal procurement process Departments can make approaches to single
suppliers to meet urgent or specialist need.  This process is subject to review by the
procurement team and approval by the Chief Financial Officer.  The procurement team saw
an increase in this work during 2021/22 due to the impact of the pandemic.
TABLE 2
2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
22 24 55 
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5
It should be noted however that in addition to the increase in awarded contracts the team
have seen an increase in projects started but not completed due to market conditions and
supplier capacity.
2 – REVIEW OF REGULATED PROCUREMENT COMPLIANCE
Compliance
The Council’s procurement procedures require corporate support for all regulated
procurements (tenders over £50,000) and the corporate team also review any Quick Quotes
(projects under £50,000) before publication. This scrutiny delivers a high level of compliance
to all regulation both national and Council. All procurements have an individual strategy
development stage which considers the requirements, the options, the potential for added
value and the inclusion of the wider opportunities. This includes a focus on mandatory
exclusions, serious and organised crime links, supplier development opportunities, Fair work
first, climate change impact and innovation.
Performance
APPENDIX A provides the performance results against the Council’s Procurement Strategic
Action Plan for 2021/2022, which is split between the Procurement Commercial Improvement
Programme (PCIP) objectives and the Procurement Strategy measures. An update and
comment on performance is given and where improvements are still required, the relevant
actions have been identified.
Commentary on performance:
Progress has been made on all bar one of the twelve actions in Section A of the Strategic
Procurement Action plan, albeit work is still needed to complete and embed some of the
resultant improvements into day to day operations. For many actions this is to be expected
with progress on climate change, Fair Work and Community Wealth building being long term
ambitions.
Section B of the action plan concentrates on measurements that will support the delivery of
the Procurement Strategy. These measures were created when the first Annual Report was
created for the year 2016/2017 and in the subsequent years procurement has evolved and
matured. Not all of the measures continue to provide meaningful data that supports the
strategy delivery. Comments have been added to the individual measures highlighting the
issues that are impacting on the data and results.
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6 
Non cash benefits 
The Council considers a wide range of non-cash benefits when developing a tender
specification: the range is wider than just the social, environmental or economic factors (also
referred to as community benefits) that is required by the Act and incorporates added value
benefits such as process efficiencies and price stability.    The Act only requires community
benefits inclusion in tenders with a value of over £4 million, however Moray considers
inclusion wherever possible in all tenders.   
Table 3 provides a high level view of the non-cash benefits that have been included in the
contracts awarded in the year (comparison to previous year). 
TABLE 3
Benefit Category No of
contracts
Sub category
Collaboration/tender process 135
(203)
120 savings in procurement development
time 
15 digital process
Cost Avoidance 19 (7) 6 added value
3 price increase rejection
7 price versus market savings
3 process redesign
Purchase to Pay Process 9 (6) 6 e- invoicing
2 consolidated invoices
1 automated link to online site (punch out)
Demand/Rationalisation 8 (9) 5 specific contract issues
2 rationalised list
1 rebates
Community 20 (26) 4 apprentices
6 Community Benefit Clause (wide ranging)
3 school visits
7 training
Environmental 22 (13) 5 energy
7 greenhouse gases
6 sustainable construction
4 waste
Social  15 (16) 5 fair work issues
8 other – wide ranging
1 Participatory budget
8 Other
Living Wage 77 (26) 26 Accredited
6 Working to accreditation
42 Paying living wage
3 commitment to pay 
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7 
Commentary on performance: 
The Council’s method of recording non-cash benefits was introduced in 2015/2016 and we
have seen a year on year improvement (discounting the impact of the pandemic):
TABLE 4
2017/18 182
2018/19 220
2019/20 330
2020/21 203
2021/22 315 
Non-cash benefits are recorded for all contracts, this may result in some duplication where a
framework allows for mini competitions as both will have non-cash benefits recorded on the
contract register. 
As the maturity of our procurement portfolio grows it has become more difficult to achieve
financial savings and so we are starting to see a switch in focus to the non-cash added value
benefits although on a small scale due to the lower value range of contracts we have. The
emerging focus on climate issues and community wealth building should also provide the
impetus for future delivery of non-cash benefits.  Work is required on the contract register to
allow for more detailed recording of these contract impacts.  At present the data is held at
contract level but we really need to drill down to supplier level for some of these categories –
for example Living wage.  This links to action 1.2 on the Strategic Action Plan. 
Supported Businesses 
Table 5 considers the potential use of supported businesses.  Supported businesses are
organisations the main aim of which is the social and integration of disabled or disadvantaged
persons and where at least 30% of those employed and engaged with the programme are
disabled or disadvantaged. Public organisations can reserve the right to participate in
procurement for the award of a public contract/framework to a supported business
(explanation below). 
TABLE 5
Reserved Supplier *2020/21
Turnover
£
2021/22
Turnover
£
Scotland Bravest Manufacturing Company 547 431   
Moray Reach Out 117,875 347,015
Out of Darkness Theatre 42,987 110,129
Living Ambitions 176,466 885,153
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8 
*Reduced values due to lockdown 
Commentary on performance: 
The second group of suppliers in the above table are not formally contracted as supported
businesses but we believe that our use of these companies goes some way to meet the Reform
Act requirement to support such enterprises.  These companies however cannot meet the
“employment” criteria but certainly do meet the “engagement” element. 
3 - FUTURE REGULATED PROCUREMENT SUMMARY 
The Procurement team work with Heads of Service to develop a Departmental Procurement
Action Plan (DPAP) for their service that identifies the Council’s procurement activity for the
coming year.  In addition to this internal forward planning the Act requires the publication of
a summary of future regulated procurements in the next two years.   
The plan for Moray Council from April 2022 to March 2024 totals: 
Number of contracts expiring 353
Estimated value of expiring contracts £209,429,255
Estimated annual value £57,085,100 
The detail of this forward plan can be found in our published contract register which
includes all contracts information - Contract Register - Moray Council 
Commentary on forward plan: 
The above statistics are taken from the contract register.  This list contains all contracts with
an end date between April 2022 and March 2024; however it should be noted that some may
be subject to possible extensions and some may not be re-let.  Decisions around the direction
for each requirement are taken during the annual DPAP planning process with Service Heads. 
To expand on this forward plan (which only takes account of expiring contracts from the
Council’s contract register), an annual planning exercise is undertaken with Service Heads to
take account of other projects which will involve procurement.  This results in our Procurement
Activity Forward plan - Procurement Activity Forward Plan - Moray Council    This informs the
market of our intentions including capital but cannot guarantee that all projects listed will
result in a competitive tender.  It also directs attention to those projects that may benefit from
climate change and community wealth building focus. 
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9 
4 - MORAY UPDATE 
The pandemic, Brexit and the Ukraine conflict have resulted in uncertain supplies and
increased demand on certain markets, which continues to produce a degree of market
uncertainty and supplier availability.  Although we have concerns about recent market
engagement with some tenders receiving little if any response to our published tenders and
quick quotes, we are continuing to support departments to maximise their procurement
potential.  The increasing workload is also adding to the difficulties in meeting our ambitions
for contract delivery.  Work is underway to review process and engagement in order to
identify priorities and efficiencies. 
Moray Council Procurement Savings – The Council has a process for recording the impact of
contracts on the council – this includes cash and non-cash benefits. The cash savings have
been categorised as follows: 
1 Cash saving anticipated – but budget not adjusted
2 Cash saving anticipated – budget adjusted
3 No baseline – savings cannot be established, review of contract on anniversary of
award to reassess
4 No savings anticipated 
With Local authority finances becoming increasingly complex, the expanded list   of savings
categories allows for the measurement of the outcomes from any procurement exercise. 
5 Non cash benefits
6 Capital – projects delivering savings against estimate/budget, total saving taken
in the year the project was awarded 
7 Rebate – centralised collection of contract rebates
8 Spend to Save – phased return on investment 
Table 6 provides the results for 2021/22 and the previous year (comparison).   
TABLE 6
Cash Savings 2021/22 (2020/21)
Category of Saving 1Recurring savings 
£ million
Savings for year (adjusted for start
and end date)
£ million
1 Budget not adjusted 1.022 (0.784) 0.792 (0.763)
2 Budget adjusted 1.016 (1.010) 0.973 (0.977)
Total 2.038 (1.794)  1.766 (1.740) 
1 Recurring annual savings from the lifespan of live contracts
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10
6 Capital N/A 0.516 (0.213)
7 Rebate N/A 0.034 (0.024)
Commentary on savings achieved:
We had anticipated a slow reduction in savings achieved over time as contracts are let and
re-let, however the procurement process continues to deliver increases in all categories.
It should be noted that these savings are calculated using the estimated values at point of
contract award. The values are only amended for any annual increases applied to long term
service contracts, if the team are made aware of such changes.
Maintaining the value for category 2 budget adjusted makes the most difference to the
council’s budget. However it should be noted that any category of saving achieved from the
procurement process means that the contract starts from a much healthier position and even
if increases are imposed they start at a lower level. Given the challenges outlined above it is
encouraging that savings continue to be made at a significant level.
Procurement Commercial Improvement Programme (PCIP) – a national evidence based audit
for all public organisations, which considers a wide-ranging set of competencies. Normally
carried out every two years the programme has been suspended due to COVID-19. Moray
Council’s last assessment was in March 2018, this resulted in a score of 64%, which took us
from Level 2 to Level 3 (silver) but left us short of the national Local Authority average of 70%.
Supplier engagement – The Council continued to work with Supplier Development
Programme (SDP) throughout the pandemic. The team supported all of the national and local
meet the virtual buyer events with the Payments Manager opening the Meet the Buyer North
event (7thSeptember 2021) in her capacity of Board Member. The Council’s supplier
development forum was reformed and met with NHS, HIE and Business Gateway to consider
a new supplier development strategy which will be picked up by the Community Wealth
Building Officer who has been recruited in 2022/2023.
5 - SUMMARY
The significant, year on year, improvements evidenced by the PCA (predecessor to PCIP) 19%
2009 to 64% 2014 and PCIP 60.4 2016 to 64% 2018 have now stalled, mainly due to lack of
staffing resources and with the audit programme now suspended due to the pandemic we
are unlikely to see any recorded improvement in the short term. However, additional staffing
resources were approved during 2019/20 to meet the workload associated with Moray
Growth Deal and the new focus on community wealth building and climate change. Although
workload has increased beyond the capacity of this additional resource we have seen
progress on the strategic developments outlined in the 2021/22 Strategy Action Plan.
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11 
The Procurement team have seen a change in the quantity and level of support being
requested by Departments with a significant increase in activity.  At the end of 2021/2022 our
team activity programme recorded a total of 471 projects, 167 still work in progress and 304
completed, breakdown provided in Table 7. 
Table 7
Letters of Variation 10
Direct Award from Framework  26
Mini Competition from Framework  59
Quick Quotes 30
Tender 179
Total  304 
An analysis of the completed work does highlight however a significant number of projects
that were no longer needed, pulled or deferred for various reasons, including submissions
that were over budget.   It was a difficult year for the team and that continues into 2022/2023
with uncertain market conditions and increasing focus on procurement as an enabler to
deliver on the climate change and community wealth building strategies. 
Scottish Government Template Page 19 - is the Annual report template for the statistics
requested by the Scottish Government.  A number of the measurements are not currently
recorded as they would involve a significant change to our process which is already
burdensome and heavily reliant on human intervention.   
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12 
APPENDIX A 
MORAY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT ACTION PLAN (SPAP) 2021/2022
SECTION A -  PCIP Measurements
Data Warehouse
Action Timetable Aim Result
1.1 Development of supplier spend data
for Category A & B contracts.  To match
contract register information with supplier
spend to identify variances
April 2022 To ensure that we are maximising the
use of the contracts available
To sense check the estimated annual
value used on the contract register
To increase accuracy of date reporting
To develop quarterly HOS reports
Progress has been made to record and
compare the spend data provided by
Procurement Scotland and Scotland Excel.  This
is being used to identify differences and
establish the reason for the variance
WORK IN PROGRESS
1.2 To develop existing contract register to
maximise required functionality 
ICT dependent
April 2022
April 2022
Functionality requests submitted to ICT
to improve access to data and ease of
use 
The previously produced register specification
has been updated to reflect the new data
required for community wealth building and
Living Wage requirements.  We await ICT
resource to be allocated.
TO BE CARRIED FORWARD
Leadership & Governance 
1.3 Operational improvement programme:
• To carry out qualitative checks on
team outputs
• Report to Service head on
outcomes as part of the quarterly
combined procurement DPAP
update 
Throughout
the year 
To focus on the procurement outputs
produced by both the team and
departments to deliver consistent
approach
To ensure that actions identified by the
review are actioned
Procurement Peer Reviews are carried out on
all tenders, the process has been enhanced to
consider content, and system set up.
However resources have not allowed for the
quarterly Service Head reporting that would
allow for joint improvements.
Work is ongoing to review what data Service
heads would find useful – given the wide
ranging outputs from procurement and the
resultant purchasing activity.
WORK IN PROGRESS
1.4 Health &Social Care (MIJB) Support Ongoing Targeted support to develop
infrastructure for MIJB
The team continue to support the IJB 
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13 
Action the outcomes from SXL exercise 
Maintain contract timeline for
monitoring purposes
The SXL exercise was never finalised and has
been superseded by an independent
consultant’s review of MIJB procedures.
We await the findings of this audit before we
can determine the level of support that will be
required in the future
Timeline is maintained
ACTIONS IDENTIFIED COMPLETE
1.5 Supplier Development Programme
(SDP)
April 2022 
Throughout
the year
To continue to support Economic
Development with the membership of
SDP through the Moray Supplier
Development Forum
To support local event/s
To maximise procurement training for
Moray suppliers
To support the development of
Community Wealth Building (CWB)
project
The team engage with the SDP regional group
and has attended all the national meet the
buyer events.
Face to face events have only just
recommenced in 2022/2023 
We have two CWB “champions” within the
team who are engaging with the CWB officer
(recently appointed)
ACTIONS INDENTIFIED COMPLETE
1.6 Reshape the Procurement Training
Programme
May 2021 To allow for digital and regular delivery  A new two stage-training programme has been
developed
Quarterly training sessions for level 3/4 officers
is now being delivered
COMPLETE 
Development & Tender 
1.7 Review workload allocation process
and Procurement Officer time
management 
July 2022 Develop project weightings to assist in an
ensuring Procurements Officers are
allocated an equitable workload
Review Procurement Officer time
recording 
Review the request for support process
The rising workload gave cause for concern and
a review of time recording and allocations was
undertaken.  
Project weightings have been developed to
take account of the varied input required from
procurement.  Active project management
identifies stalled projects which are removed
from active workloads pending reassessment
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14 
The request for support form has been updated
to gather more detail about the project to
allow for a more informed allocation
ACTIONS IDENTIFIED COMPLETE
1.8 Review sustainability questions to
include new focus on Climate Change
April 2021
Throughout
the year
Introduce new standard question
Review team use of question and
potential weighting issues
Revisit prioritisation tool and SG
“template”
Standard question in place
We have two climate “champions” within the
team who have reviewed the actions assigned
to procurement and are working to embed
changes to our process.  We do recognise that
this will take time to fully integrate and for
climate issues to become truly part of the
process for services and procurement.
ACTIONS IDENTIFIED COMPLETE
1.9 Review Fair work questions  August 2021 Compare current question with Scot Gov
guidance 
Link to Fair work first
Review team use of question and
potential weighting issues
Review carried out and weekly assessment of
current projects undertaken to see if we
can/should apply weightings
COMPLETE
1.10 Introduce Community Wealth Building
considerations into tender process
April 2022 Consult with CWB officer
Link to CWB strategy
See 1.5
The weekly review in 1.9 also applies to CWB
ACTIONS IDENTIFIED COMPLETE
Contract 
1.11 Post award implementation
improvements:
Checklist/structure/pack for meeting
Throughout
the year 
To ensure that contract awards are
subject to a full implementation plan
with all stakeholders involvement as part
of the operational improvement
programme
A vacancy in procurement admin has not
allowed this action point to progress.  The post
has now been filled and this item will be carried
forward
TO BE CARRIED FORWARD
1.12 Supplier Feedback December
2021
Review the post tender supplier survey
Develop versions for successful and
unsuccessful
Review of survey was completed and is
nowused in all tenders.  Getting supplier
engagement post tender has proved difficult 
COMPLETE
Key Purchasing Processes 
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15 
SECTION B Procurement Strategy Measurements
2021/2022
a. Savings    
The measure
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments 
A1 Percentage of all council expenditure covered by
contracted suppliers
Total commercial spend – contract register annual estimated
values for live contracts in year 
95% 
95.26%
(94.88%) 
The measurement takes account of spend with contracted suppliers
Greater contractual exposure 
A2 Value of procurement savings achieved through contracts
live during the year £1M  2.038M
(1.794M)  The financial results from contracts   
A3 Number of collaborative contracts awarded as a
percentage of all commenced in year  40% 
34.08%
(53.03%)  Successful collaboration – the increase in cat C contracts has
impacted on this KPI 
A5 Percentage of contracts commenced in year that contain a
contract benefit (all categories)  15% 
84.92%
(81.82%)  Increasing focus on non-financial benefit 
b. Contracts 
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16 
The measure
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments 
B2 Percentage of unplanned/ activity during the year  25% 
67.01%
(55.58%)  Measure to try and keep unplanned to a minimum 
Percentage affected by overall increase in workload
200 2018/19, 342 2019/20 to 412 2020/21,476 2021/2.   
c. Compliance 
The measure 
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will  
Demonstrate
Comments 
C3 Percentage of Account Payable transactions with a Purchase
Order (where relevant ie non-recurring) number during year
75%% 
73.71%
(74.49%) 
Compliance management 
The team continue to review compliance with council
process it is however unclear as to why we have seen this
small change.  It may relate to increase spend through
stores systems which do not link to purchase order. 
d. Accessibility 
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17 
The measure 
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments
D1 Percentage of  contracts commenced during year to SMEs 30%  24.02%
(48.48%) 
SME access to our business – volume 
This measure excludes call offs from frameworks which
has significantly increased in recent years.
If call offs are included the measurement shows 83.33%
in 2020/21 and 84.92% in 2021/22 which suggests that
this secondary measurement is more relevant as it takes
into account  the change in workload.
(change measure for 2022/23)
D2 Percentage value of annual spend with SMEs for year 55% 
50.90%
(49.34%) 
SME access to our business – by value 
Confirms the required change for D1 above as spend is
being maintained
D3 Percentage value of spend with Moray, Highland and
Aberdeen council areas 50% 
47.97%
(38.09%)  “local” access to our business – value 
Increased spend staying in the North of Scotland 
D4 Number of “events” held or participated in during year  10 
6
(5) 
Supplier engagement and internal training sessions
Face to face activity was slow to take off last year but we
have seen a significant increase in 2022/23 
e. Community Benefits -
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18 
The Measure 
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will  
Demonstrate
Comments
E1 Percentage of commenced contracts within the year that have a
community benefit (category 7) 20%  7.82%
(11.36%) 
Sustainable duty performance
Hard to include community benefits in the contracts 
we award (low value)
E2 Percentage of collaborative contracts commenced in the year
that have a community benefit (category 7) 20%  5.03%
(6.06%) 
Sustainable duty performance 
As for E1 
f. Sustainability 
The measure 
Target
2021/22
(2020/21)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments
F1 Percentage of contracts commenced in the year that have
incorporated a sustainable target (category 5) 20% 
8.94%
(7.58%) 
Sustainable duty performance 
Very few of our locally developed contracts are suitable for
a sustainable target (cat 5 environmental).  However with
the new focus on climate change issues and the potential
for a wider range of potential areas to target we expect this
to improve. 
F2 Score on Flexible Framework Level 3  (Level 3) Sustainable duty performance   
Scottish Government Annual Procurement Report template 
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19 
[NOTE: reference to contract is also to be construed as meaning a framework agreement] 
1. Organisation and report details            
a) Contracting Authority Name         Moray Council  
b) Period of the annual procurement report         2021/2022  
c) Required by s18 Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to prepare an annual procurement report? (Yes / No) Yes                
2. Summary of Regulated Procurements Completed            
a) Total number of regulated contracts awarded within the report period  179  
b) Total value of regulated contracts awarded within the report period   51,246,233   
c) Total number of unique suppliers awarded a place on a regulated contract awarded during the period 239      
i)  how many of these unique suppliers are SMEs         204      
ii) how many of these unique suppliers are Third sector bodies   Not recorded                
3. Review of Regulated Procurements Compliance            
a) Number of regulated contracts awarded within the period that complied with your Procurement Strategy 179   
b) Number of regulated contracts awarded within the period that did not comply with your Procurement Strategy 0   
4. Community Benefit Requirements Summary            
Use of Community Benefit Requirements in Procurement:            
a) Total Number of regulated contracts awarded with a value of £4 million or greater. 2  
b) Total Number of regulated contracts awarded with a value of £4 million or greater that contain Community  2      
Benefit Requirements.  
c) Total Number of regulated contracts awarded with a value of less than £4 million that contain a Community  12      
Benefit Requirements     
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20 
Key Contract Information on community benefit requirements imposed as part of a regulated procurement that were
fulfilled during the period:    
d) Number of Jobs Filled by Priority Groups (Each contracting authority sets its own priority groups) Not recorded  
e) Number of Apprenticeships Filled by Priority Groups         Not recorded  
f) Number of Work Placements for Priority Groups         Not recorded  
g) Number of Qualifications Achieved Through Training by Priority Groups Not recorded  
h) Total Value of contracts sub-contracted to SMEs         Not recorded  
i) Total Value of contracts sub-contracted to Social Enterprises         Not recorded  
j) Total Value of contracts sub-contracted to Supported Businesses         Not recorded  
k) Other community benefit(s) fulfilled         Not recorded                
5. Climate change      
a) Number of regulated contracts awarded within the report period     22 
that included a climate–related requirement.      
6. Fair Work and the real Living Wage            
a) Number of regulated contracts awarded during the period that included a Fair Work First criterion.          104  
b) Number of regulated contracts awarded during the period where the supplier committed to pay the Real Living 
Wage in delivery of the contract. 
Not recorded                
7. Payment performance            
a) Number of valid invoices received during the reporting period.         69301  
b) Percentage of invoices paid on time during the period (“On time” means within the time period set out in  89.04%      
the contract terms.)  
c) Number of regulated contracts awarded during the period containing a contract term requiring the prompt  NIL   
payment of invoices in public contract supply chains.  
d) Number of concerns raised by sub-contractors about the timely payment of invoices within the supply chain  NIL      
of public contracts.         
8. Supported Businesses Summary            
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21 
a) Total number of regulated contracts awarded to supported businesses during the period   1  
b) Total spend with supported businesses during the period covered by the report, including: 431      
i)  spend within the reporting year on regulated contracts          Not recorded      
ii) spend within the reporting year on non-regulated contracts    Not recorded   
9. Spend and Savings Summary            
a) Total procurement spend for the period covered by the annual procurement report. 122,251,849  
b) Total procurement spend with SMEs during the period covered by the annual procurement report. 66,829,484  
c) Total procurement spend with Third sector bodies during the period covered by the report. Not recorded  
d) Percentage of total procurement spend through collaborative contracts.   Not recorded                
e) Total targeted cash savings for the period covered by the annual procurement report   1,765,704      
i)    targeted cash savings for Cat A contracts         174,236      
ii)   targeted cash savings for Cat B contracts         50,159      
iii)  targeted cash savings for Cat C contracts         1,526,134   
f) Total delivered cash savings for the period covered by the annual procurement report Not recorded      
i)   delivered cash savings for Cat A contracts         Not recorded      
ii)  delivered cash savings for Cat B contracts         Not recorded      
iii) delivered cash savings for Cat C contracts         Not recorded                
g) Total non-cash savings value for the period covered by the annual procurement report Not recorded                
10. Future regulated procurements            
a) Total number of regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two financial years  353  
b) Total estimated value of regulated procurements expected to commence in the next two financial years 209.429,255     
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22 
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APPENDIX 2
MORAY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT ACTION PLAN (SPAP) 2022/2023
SECTION A -  PCIP Measurements
Data Warehouse
Action Timetable Aim 
1.1 
To develop existing contract register to  
maximise on required functionality         
ICT dependent 
March 2023
Carried forward from 2021/22 
Functionality requests submitted to ICT to improve access to data and ease of use
To meet Statutory and Council requirements 
1.2 
Living Wage – Capture of Living wage
information and understanding of Supplier
position. 
Sept 2022  To gain Living Wage accreditation
1.3 
Preparation for the next Scottish
Government’s Procurement and
Commercial Improvement Programme
(PCIP) 
Date to be
determined
by SXL 
Identify key areas and service / staff to prepare and undertake the next PCIP assessment 
1.4 
Review Departmental Procurement Action
Plan (DPAP) structure – additional DPAP for
Moray Growth Deal and Capital Projects 
December
2022 
Improved engagement with Services and more information obtained for planned work to
populate the Procurement Activity Plan (PAP) 
Item 8.
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Leadership & Governance
1.5 
Health &Social Care (MIJB) Support  Ongoing 
Targeted support to develop infrastructure for MIJB
Maintain contract timeline for monitoring purposes. 
Establish DPAP process or similar to manage Planned Work. 
1.6 
Supplier Development Programme (SDP)
and Community Wealth Building 
March 2023 
Throughout
the year 
To continue to support Economic Development with the membership of SDP through the
Moray Supplier Development Forum
To support the development of a local Community identified benefits system and embed
into relevant procurement projects
To meet community wealth building expectations 
Development & Tender
1.7 
Review workload allocation process and PO
time management 
March 2023 
Throughout
the year 
To manage the team workload to ensure council priorities are met
1.8 
Review sustainability questions to include
new focus on Climate Change 
March 2023 
Throughout
the year 
To embed climate change issues into the procurement process 
1.9 
To support and deliver requirements
identified in the Climate Change Action
Plan 
March 2023 
Throughout
the year 
To meet climate change action plan expectations 
1.10 
Collection of Living Wage status   
March 2023 
Throughout
the year 
Linked to 1.1 and 1.2 - Capture of Living Wage status and understanding supplier position
to maintain Living Wage accreditation at tender award stage 
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Contract
1.11 
Post award implementation
improvements: 
Checklist/structure/pack for meeting 
Throughout
the year 
Carried forward from 2021/22 
To ensure that contract awards are subject to a full implementation plan with all
stakeholders involvement as part of the operational improvement programme
Key Purchasing Processes   
SECTION B – Procurement Strategy Measurements.   
a. Savings    
The measure
Target
2022/23
(2021/22)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments 
A1 Percentage of all council expenditure covered by contracted
suppliers
Total commercial spend – contract register annual estimated
values for live contracts in year 
95%  (95.26%)  Greater contractual exposure 
A2 Value of procurement savings achieved through contracts live
during the year £1M  (2.038M)  The financial results from contracts   
A3 Number of collaborative contracts awarded as a percentage of
all commenced in year  40%  (34.08%)  Successful collaboration 
A5 Percentage of contracts (including call off from framework) 
commenced in year that contain a contract benefit (all categories)  85%%  (84.92%)  Increasing focus on non-financial benefit 
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b. Contracts 
The measure
Target
2022/23
(2021/22)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments 
B2 Percentage of unplanned/ activity during the year  25% 
(67.01%)  Measure to try and keep unplanned to a minimum 
c. Compliance 
The measure
Target
2022/23
(2021/22)
Results
Will  
Demonstrate
Comments 
C3 Percentage of Account Payable transactions with a Purchase
Order (where relevant ie non-recurring) number during year
75%%  (73.71%)  Compliance management 
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d. Accessibility 
The measure
Target
2022/23
(2020/21)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments
D1 Percentage of  contracts (including call offs)  commenced
during year to SMEs 82% 
(24.02%) 
SME access to our business – volume  
D2 Percentage value of annual spend with SMEs for year 55% 
(50.90%)  SME access to our business – by value 
D3 Percentage value of spend with Moray, Highland and
Aberdeen council areas 50% 
(47.97%)  “local” access to our business – value 
D4 Number of “events” held or participated in during year  10  (6)  Supplier engagement and internal training sessions 
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e. Community Benefits - 
The Measure
Target
2022/23
(2021/22)
Results
Will  
Demonstrate
Comments
E1 Percentage of commenced contracts within the year that have a
community benefit (category 7) 20%  (7.82%)  Sustainable duty performance
E2 Percentage of collaborative contracts commenced in the year
that have a community benefit (category 7) 20%  (5.03%)  Sustainable duty performance 
f. Sustainability 
The measure 2018/19
Target
2022/23
(2021/22)
Results
Will 
Demonstrate
Comments
F1 Percentage of contracts commenced in the year that have
incorporated a sustainable target (category 5) 20% 
(8.94%)  
Sustainable duty performance  
F2 Score on Flexible Framework Level 3  (Level 3) Sustainable duty performance   
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: MORAY COUNCIL GAELIC LANGUAGE PLAN 2022-2027 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES &
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To ask Committee to approve the Moray Council Gaelic Language Plan 2022-
2027 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (B) (41) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the formulation and review of
Council wide policy, strategies, priorities and objectives. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee approves the Moray Council
Gaelic Plan 2022-27 prior to formal submission to Bord na Gaidhlig,
included as Appendix 1. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 On 30 August 2022 Committee agreed the draft Moray Council Gaelic
Language Plan 2022-27 (para 11 of the minute refers), and agreed to consult
on the draft plan for the statutory minimum period of 6 weeks. 
3.2 The consultation on the draft plan started on 1 September, and included the
following consultation and engagement activities: 
• Head Teachers input on 1 September 2022;
• Survey monkey consultation, shared on social media and on the
Councils’ webpage;
• Circulation via tsiMoray’s newsletter;
• Inputs to Moray Gaelic Group;
• Participation in the Gaelic inputs at the Scottish Learning Festival;
• Correspondence with Feis Moray and Moray College.
Item 9.
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3.3 There has been a low response to the survey, with anticipated comments on
Doric provision. Some respondents have confused this consultation with the
Scots and Gaelic Language Bill consultation, which has been ongoing at the
same time. However, new learners have come forward and Dallas Primary
School has indicated an interest in progressing provision. Moray UHI have
welcomed the plan stating: “the measures will increase awareness and
encourage engagement.  Small steps are important and the steps proposed
will provide the building blocks needed to meet statutory obligations and
beyond.” Feis Moray have had interest in relaunching “Come and try” music
and song provision, which would be free for participants. If the pilot sessions
are popular their intention would be to offer lessons at a reasonable cost. This
would be instead of delivering a large Feis. Moray Gaelic Group have
welcomed the plan and in particular, the proposal to develop a Gaelic forum.
57 Council employees have indicated an interest in Gaelic linked to the skills
audit. However, one respondent noted that the plan did not demonstrate how
Moray Council would increase the visibility of Gaelic, e.g. through the addition
of Fàilte gu Moraibh on Council building signage and the Moray Council
Website. 
3.4 The draft Moray Council Gaelic Plan 2022-27 has been updated to take
account of responses to the consultation and a final version is included as
Appendix 1. If approved the Plan will be submitted to Bord Na Gaidhlig for
approval. The Bord may request amendments following assessment of our
Plan. Any requested amendments will be brought back to Committee for
approval prior to publication of the final agreed Moray Gaelic Plan. 
4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)) 
The development and promotion of the Gaelic Language is not a specific
priority within the Corporate Plan and Local Outcome Improvement Plan,
however it aligns with the corporate and partner vision of: 
• Ensuring a life of opportunity for all, where we can thrive in
vibrant communities and work together to enrich our future.
• Raising Aspirations through expanded choices, improved
livelihoods and wellbeing. 
(b) Policy and Legal 
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 requires relevant public
authorities to prepare a Gaelic Language Plan on receipt of a formal
notice from Bord Na Gaidhlig. 
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(c) Financial implications 
There are no specific financial implications highlighted in this report,
however there will be an impact on service budgets in taking forward the
targets set out in the Plan. There are currently no Moray Council budgets
allocated to the development of the Gaelic language. 
(d) Risk Implications 
There are no specific risks relating to this paper, other than the financial
and staffing risks highlighted in sections (c) and (e). 
(e) Staffing Implications 
There are no specific staffing implications arising directly from this report,
however Service Managers will be required to allocate staff time to
progress actions to achieve the targets set out in the Plan. This will
impact on other priority areas of work. 
(f) Property 
The Property implications relate to bi-lingual signage only. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
There are no equalities issues arising directly from this report. The
implementation of the Gaelic Language Plan will ensure we meet the
national requirement to demonstrate equal respect for Gaelic and
English, while still recognising and acknowledging the importance of the
Scots language across Moray and the North-East of Scotland. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts 
There are no climate change or biodiversity issues arising directly from
this report. 
(i) Consultations 
All Heads of Service and the Corporate Management Team have been
consulted and any comments incorporated into the report. 
5. CONCLUSION 
5.1 Members are asked to acknowledge the statutory requirement to
develop and implement a Gaelic Language Plan for Moray to include
strategies to increase the number of Gaelic speakers, to encourage its
use and to facilitate access to Gaelic language and culture in line with
the National Gaelic Language Plan, and to approve the Moray Gaelic
Plan 2022-27 prior to submission to Bord na Gaidhlig. 
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Author of Report: Jo Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources & Communities
Background Papers: 
Ref: SPMAN-9425411-83 
SPMAN-9425411-86 
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1
APPENDIX 1
Moray Council Draft Gaelic Plan 2022-2027
Front cover: Burghead Stone…permission granted
Add Moray Council Logo and Bòrd na Gaidhlig logo once approved.
Moray Council
Gaelic Language Plan
2022-2027
Following consultation:
This plan has been prepared under Section 3 of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 and was
approved by Bòrd na Gaidhlig on approved date.
1. Foreword: Chief Executive Roddy Burns
As Chief Executive of Moray Council I am privileged to support Moray Council’s Gaelic Language Plan 2022-
2027. It describes the ambitions of the Council and how we will meet the statutory requirement for Gaelic
enshrined in the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 and National Gaelic Plan, as well as the statutory
duties around Gaelic Medium Education arising from the Education (Scotland) Act 2016.
We recognise the benefits of multilingualism to our residents and the value of raising cultural and historical
identity and awareness. Whilst the number of native speakers in Moray is low, over Covid we saw staff and
residents access on-line platforms to learn Gaelic and the new resource Speak Gaelic will add impetus to
this. As a small authority we are grateful to funding streams accessed via Bòrd na Gaidhlig and Scottish
Government to enable the successful provision this year. We are acutely aware that provision is
determined on access to active speakers and learners, quality tutors and external groups to support our
ambitions. The success of this plan will be driven by the Gaelic speakers who come forward to play their
part in the plan and senior management and elected members driving forward opportunities to make
connections with Gaelic.
I look forward to seeing the progress made.
Signed:
2. Contents
Page 1
Item 9.
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2
3. Background
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was passed by the Scottish Parliament with a view to securing the
status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English
language. https://www.gov.scot/publications/gaelic-language-plan/pages/3/
One of the key features of the 2005 Act is the provision enabling Bòrd na Gaidhlig to require public bodies
to prepare Gaelic Language Plans. The requirement for a public body to prepare a Gaelic Language Plan is
initiated by Bòrd Na Gaidhlig issuing a formal notice to that effect under section 3 of the 2005 Act. It is
intended that all public bodies prepare their Gaelic Language Plan with a view to developing Gaelic in a
reasonable and proportionate manner taking account of the existing number of speakers within their area
of operation, and their potential to develop the use of the language. In addition to the above statutory
requirement, the Education (Scotland) Act 2016 places a number of statutory duties on local authorities in
relation to the promotion of the Gaelic language, and in particular in the initial and full assessment of need
for Gaelic Medium Primary Education in response to parents who make a request for Gaelic Medium
Education.
Moray Council’s first Gaelic Language Plan was produced in response to a statutory notice issued to Moray
Council by the Bòrd and went to Policy and Resources Committee for approval on 21 March 2017. At the
time of this initial statutory notice, the Bòrd identified 4 core areas of service delivery that it expected local
authorities to address when preparing Gaelic Language Plans: Identity, Communications, Publications and
Staffing. Officers produced a plan on this basis:
http://www.moray.gov.uk/minutes/data/PR20170321/10%20GAELIC%20LANGUAGE%20PLAN%20App%20
1.pdf
The most recent National Gaelic Language plan identifies three key priorities: a) Increasing the use of
Gaelic; b) Increasing the learning of Gaelic; and c) Promoting a positive image of the language. Our new
Moray plan reflects these priorities. As this is a five year Corporate Gaelic Plan we have addressed targets
as the plan unfolds. An action plan will be created behind this plan for monitoring purposes.
4. Moray’s Corporate Plan 2024
“A life of opportunity for all where people can thrive in vibrant communities and we work together to
enrich our future.”
This is our vision based on the following priorities:
• Our People: Provide opportunities for people to be the best they can be throughout their lives with
a strong and sustained focus on those individuals and groups in our society who experience the
most disadvantage and discrimination.
• Our Place: Empower and support communities to build capacity.
• Our Future: Drive economic development to create a vibrant economy for the future. While
delivering these priorities we will also work towards creating a sustainable council that provides
valued services to our communities.
Intrinsic to this is a set of values:
FAIR Ambitious Improving Responsive
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3
• tackle inequalities
• treat people fairly
• promote equalities
and awareness
• consider our impact
on others
• promote and
celebrate Moray
• be a great place to
work
• ensure sustainable
and efficient council
services
• improve life for the
most vulnerable
• drive improvement
• encourage
innovation
• take commercial
opportunities
• invest in
transforming to meet
future needs
• be open and
transparent
• promote community
participation and
involvement
• listen to and involve
our communities
We are informed by an approach and way of working guided by principles of equalities (providing
opportunities for everyone to be their best), empowering people through active engagement and
collaboration, with due consideration for the environment and an enterprising culture to grow the
economy.
Moray is a largely rural area covering a land mass of 2,238km2. It has a long coastline on the Moray Firth
with harbours, fishing villages and some world-class beaches. The area’s population is 95,520, rising from
91,000 in 2011. The main centre of population is Elgin, which is home to more than one quarter of the
people living here. Other main towns are Forres, Buckie, Lossiemouth and Keith, which each have
populations of between 5,000 and 10,000. The Council workforce is around 4,700 equivalent to 3,500 full
time staff. (Source: Public Performance Report)
This information is the backdrop to the creation of our new Moray Gaelic Language Plan.
5. Elected Members and political make-up
Moray Council has a minority administration formed of 9 Conservative councillors from 26 elected
members within 8 wards. The Leader and Depute Leader of the Council are from the Scottish Conservative
and Unionist party and the Civic Leader is an Independent. The political make-up is as follows:
Scottish Conservative & Unionist 9
Scottish National Party 8
Labour 3
Independent 3
Scottish Liberal Democrat 1
Green Party 1
Non-aligned Conservative 1
There is currently one vacancy, which will be filled following a by-election in Buckie on 3 November 2022.
(Information correct at 21/10/22)
6. Review of previous plan
In November 2021 a Corporate Gaelic Group was created and is chaired by the Head of Education
Resources & Communities, with representation from HR, Internal audit, Finance, Housing, Environmental
Services, Education and our Communities team. The group met 5 times in 2021-2022 and terms of
reference were created and agreed.
The Communication Process:
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4
The Corporate Gaelic Group will engage with all Moray Council Gaelic related issues, responding to
national developments and local needs whilst monitoring, reviewing and reporting annually on the new
Gaelic Language Plan. Council staff and communities will be informed through bi-lingual updates on
social media and the Councils website.
Achievements:
• Creation of the Corporate Gaelic Group
• Completion of the staff skills audit with 259 respondents.
• Successful funding bid to Gaelic Covid monies for “Gaelic First Steps,” however this funding had
to be returned when a tutor could not be secured.
• The translation of the new CLD plan easy read…a first in Scotland
http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file139119.pdf
• Successful funding bid to the Gaelic Specific Grant for “Carson Gaidhlig?” through partnership
work with Moray College UHI and Moray Gaelic Group. The bid was to bolster conversation
activity and support to develop the new plan. Through this seed corn money a public meeting
was held to assess the needs and interest in Gaelic and to relaunch Moray Gaelic Group classes.
• Moray held week long activities via Seachdain na Gaidhlig, World Gaelic Week, with a
subsequent report and interview on Keith Community Radio involving participants. This was
funded via the Gaelic Specific Grant. A Gaelic stall was set up at Moray College to promote
opportunities.
https://www.mixcloud.com/upload/KCR1077/world-gaelic-week-3-may-2022/complete/
• Developed contact with the Gaelic Books Council and through external Scottish Government
funding a range of Gaelic books were purchased to be rotated round the public libraries.
• The Northern Alliance CLD network held a Gaelic themed focus meeting led by Education
Scotland Gaelic Officers.
• A newsletter was produced on the work of the Communities CLD Team included Gaelic provision
https://sway.office.com/e3Hd971WxOikLb9K?ref=email
Target 1: As a strategic group, we will monitor outcomes and grasp opportunities to
promote Gaelic within budget constraints. There will be 4 meetings per annum.
Year 1-5 inclusive Lead Officer: Head of ECOD
Target 2: We will develop a Gaelic information and opportunities page on the Councils
website
Year1 with annual updates; Lead: PR
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Target 3: We will share social media posts from Moray Gaelic Partners Groups via the
Council’s official accounts. We will ensure social media messaging regarding Gaelic
initiatives is issued bilingually.
Years 1-5 inclusive; Lead Officer: PR
Target 4: We will communicate the opportunity to request a translation of corporate
documents in Gaelic.
Years 1-5 inclusive; Lead officer: PR
7. Gaelic in Moray
• Moray Map, Bòrd na Gàidhlig
https://www.ainmean-aite.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Moireibh-300-dpi-scaled.jpeg
(to be used as a slide/picture)
• Moray is an area where Scots is spoken and in particular Doric. Unfortunately, the timing of this
plan precludes us from using the new 2022 census information and we look forward to seeing this
data. The Moray picture in 2011 was as follows:
Moray Gaelic Language Skills 2011
All people aged 3 and over 90,178
Understands but does not speak, read or write Gaelic 354
Speaks, reads and writes Gaelic 311
Speaks but does not read or write Gaelic 246
Speaks and reads but does not write Gaelic 66
Reads but does not speak or write Gaelic 84
Other combination of skills in Gaelic 20
No skills in Gaelic 89,097
57,000 people said they could speak Gaelic nationally in the 2011 census.
The number of people able to speak Gaelic decreased between 2001 and 2011 for all age groups
except in people under 20, which saw an increase of 0.1 of a percentage point.
https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/
• Moray Gaelic Group: Moray Gaelic Group continues to meet regularly online each week to
encourage and promote the use of the Gaelic language. Each of our sessions are guided
and delivered by our experienced tutor Des Scholes using the Speak Gaelic learning
platform.
We hope to return to Moray College in Elgin this winter to deliver some class based learning
for beginners .Please see our Facebook page for more details coming soon.
If you are interested in the Gaelic language, you will receive a warm welcome from us. Michael
McClafferty Chair.
• Moray College UHI partnership: UHI Moray and the wider UHI partnership are committed to
supporting the Scottish Government’s Gaelic Language Plan. The current UHI Gaelic Plan continues
to promote and develop the use of Gaelic through its practices, curriculum, and
communications. UHI Moray has recently supported Moray Council and the Moray Gaelic Group in
the promotion of Gaelic language during Global Gaelic week. UHI Moray will also support the
ongoing awareness raising of the Gaelic language and continue to work with partners to achieve this
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aim. A recent identity change demonstrates this commitment with the introduction of Gaelic
language into our signage. UHI Moray: UHI Moireibh.
• Feis Moray is a weekend teaching festival of traditional Gaelic music, song and dance for young
people in Moray. Contact has been made with the organisers to stimulate interest.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/581561801863159/
8. New Research:
ScotCen Social research dated 29/06/2022 reports:
“There has been a shift towards more positive attitudes regarding the language in a range of areas,
including views on Gaelic education, the importance of Gaelic to one’s own cultural heritage, public
spending on Gaelic, and the future of Gaelic.”
www.gaidhlig.scot/en/our-work/research/reports-and-papers/
(The 2021 research sample was based on 1,365 randomly selected people interviewed aged 18+. The data
was weighted to be representative of Scotland in terms of age, sex, region and other socio-economic
characteristics.)
9. Moray Council Staff Skills Audit
In preparation of the new Moray Gaelic Plan an audit was carried out with 259 returns of which 53
respondents were interested in further Gaelic discussion. This will be progressed after the Gaelic
Awareness sessions are delivered in the autumn.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-i_2Fy70y6ehkps5ZkZyKascQ_3D_3D/
From anecdotal Moray feedback, there was an increased take up of on-line learning opportunities during
Covid using e.g. Duolingo. We wish to encourage the learning and use of Gaelic within the Councils staff.
For Council Staff
Target 5: We will pilot a lunch and learn online session with a partner local authority and
evaluate and share findings.
Year 1 Autumn. Lead officer: CLD Officer and partner authority
Target 6: We will pilot a lunch and learn face to face sessions at Moray College UHI and
evaluate, share findings and progress
Year 1 Spring. Lead officer: CLD Officer & Moray UHI
Target 7: We will encourage Council staff who are Gaelic learners or speakers to use the
following on their email signature:
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The number of staff using the logo will be reported annually by departments.
Years 1-5 inclusive. Lead officers: CMT/SMT
Target 8: We will bring together native, new and fluent speakers annually to encourage
opportunities to stimulate Gaelic use and ascertain interest in a Gaelic forum.
Years 2-5 inclusive: Lead officer: Organisational Development
Target 9: We will monitor any Gaelic requests via the updated equalities form, reporting
annually to Bòrd na Gaidhlig 
Years 1-5 inclusive: Lead Officer: Equalities Officer 
For our Councillors:
Target 10: We will deliver an exploring Gaelic session to all councillors and senior
management to inform them of the statutory duty and the National Gaelic Plan.
Year 1, autumn; Lead Officer: Head of Education Resources & Communities, CLD Officer,
Gaelic specialist. 
Target 11: We will report annually on the progress of the Moray Gaelic Plan after
submission to Bòrd na Gaidhlig
Years 1-5 inclusive; Lead Officer: Head of Education Resources & Communities 
Target 12: We will create a Gaelic Champion Councillor role for the duration of the new
plan who will liaise with the public, Education Officers and CLD Officer.
Years 1-5 inclusive: Lead officer: Head of Education Resources & Communities 
10.   Planning Context: 
There are some 57 approved Gaelic Language plans in Scotland within existing public authorities.  The
content is honed to the functions and context of the organisation. The content does impact on Moray and
the future should see a building of increased partnership work and opportunities to enhance provision as
new plans are generated. These include: 
Creative
Scotland
https://www.creativescotland.com/resources/our-publications/plans-and-strategy-
documents/gaelic-language-plan
Historic
Environment
Scotland
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-
research/publications/publication/?publicationId=6100001d-485b-4d0e-90ea-
a94900a2db24
Crofting
Commission
https://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk/userfiles/file/openness/consultations/glp-2020-
2025-draft-english-for-consultation.pdf?d=05/02/2020%2010:02:19
Scottish
Forestry
https://forestry.gov.scot/publications/about-scottish-forestry/reports-and-plans/gaelic-
language-plan
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Scottish
Funding
Council
https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications-statistics/corporate-
publications/2022/SFCCP012022.aspx
Skills
Development
Scotland
https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/47049/glp-2020-
23_draftseptember2020.pdf
Education
Scotland
https://education.gov.scot/media/uetmq4hh/draftrevisedgaeliclanguageplan202025.pdf
National
Galleries of
Scotland
https://www.nms.ac.uk/about-us/our-organisation/strategy/gaelic-language-plan-plana-
gaidhlig/
Highland and
Islands
Enterprise
https://www.hie.co.uk/media/11377/draft-hie-gaelic-plan-an-ath-phlana-
g%C3%A0idhlig-hie-english-version.pdf
Nature Scot https://www.nature.scot/naturescot-launches-consultation-third-gaelic-language-plan
University of
the Highlands
and Islands
https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/t4-media/one-web/university/about-uhi/facts-and-
figures/publications/pdfs/gaelic-language-plan.pdf
Police
Scotland
https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2021/july/police-scotland-s-
gaelic-language-plan/
Sport
Scotland
https://sportscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-publications/archive/draft-gaelic-language-
plan-2022-2026/
Cairngorm
National Park
Authority
https://cairngorms.co.uk/cairngorms-national-park-authority-gaelic-language-plan-
2018-2022-approved/
Scottish
Qualifications
Authority
https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45353.html
Scottish
Parliament
https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/gaelic/20182023-gaelic-language-plan.pdf
Visit Scotland https://www.visitscotland.org/about-us/what-we-do/our-plans/gaelic-language-plan 
Target 13: We will bring together plan owners annually for a Moray focussed sharing
session to seek opportunities, learn from each other and jointly plan
Years 1-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Corporate Gaelic Group 
11.  Education
Since 2017 there have been no requests for Gaelic Medium Education in Early Years; Primary and
Secondary. Retention of data rules prevent us from looking further back. In 2022 there was 1 request for
Gaelic Medium Education in Speyside, the pupil accessed Gaelic medium in Highland previously. Curricular
support has been arranged via e Sgoil access. (Source: DF) 
At present no Gaelic is taught in Moray schools.  We are in Covid Recovery at present which means that any
curriculum development is challenging due to staff absence. The 1+2 Programme has focussed on French,
German and Spanish primarily with some schools offering Scots as L3. 
Within English as an Additional Language there are currently 915 pupils receiving support.  This represents
53 first languages being spoken of which Welsh is the only Celtic language. 
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There is a curriculum offer to pupils through e Sgoil which has been sent to our eight secondary schools as
well as a video clip of an ex-pupil from Forres Academy who learned and sat National 5 and Higher Gaelic.
There is a teacher Continuing Professional Learning offer through the Northern Alliance and other Gaelic
agencies which has been made available to schools. This is enhanced by advertising attendance at the
Moray Gaelic Group for interested teachers and members of the public. One teacher has come forward
from the eight identified by the GTCS as Moray teachers who wished to learn Gaelic.
Contact has been made with Skills Development Scotland with regard to employment opportunities in
Gaelic and also with the Quality Improvement Officer overseeing Gaelic Education in Aberdeenshire.
Target 14: A Gaelic web landing page is being developed on professional learning and
resources in collaboration with the Moray Education Learning Technologist which will be
updated on an annual basis. The web page will be shared and promoted to all schools.
Years 1-5 inclusive. Lead officer: Education Officer
Target 15: We will invite all schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) establishments to
take part in Gaelic taster sessions which will be made available to them.
Years 2-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Education Officer
Target 16: We will invite a targeted group of primary schools to pilot Gaelic activities and
develop progression projects using wider accreditation opportunities. This will be reviewed
annually.
Years 1-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Education Officer
Target 17: We will capture and upload case studies of learning events onto the Gaelic
webpage to share experiences with all schools and ELC’s.
Years 1-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Education Officer
Target 18: Pupils will be actively encouraged to attend Gaelic Skills Fairs by Skills
Development Scotland
Years 1-5 inclusive; Lead Officer: Education Officer Curriculum lead.
Target 19: We will issue a Moray survey to teachers, pupil support assistants, library
assistants and sports staff to ascertain interest in Gaelic delivery.
Year 2 Lead officer: Education Officer/CLD Officer
12. Infrastructure:
The Learning Estate Team is responsible for enhancing and developing our learning estate (early year’s
settings and schools) in line with available budgets.
Within the current Learning Estate plan we have a new primary school in north Elgin (Findrassie) expected
to be operational in 2025 and new build/major refurbishments anticipated for Buckie High School and
Forres Academy towards the end of the decade. In addition, we are completing survey works across the
whole of the current Learning Estate (a further 49 schools), which will identify and prioritise a refurbishment
programme into the next decade.
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The team will consider how Gaelic can be incorporated into signage when developing new schools, or
refurbishing existing schools, in consultation with the school and wider community.
Target 20: We will consider how Gaelic signage can be incorporated into new and
refurbished schools to meet the needs of local communities.
Years 1-5 inclusive Lead Officer: Learning Estate Programme Manager
13. Library & Heritage Service
The Library Service (11 libraries and 1 mobile library) now has a permanent stock of Gaelic literature,
reference and learning materials. We work with the Scottish Book Trust to ensure age appropriate resources
are available to those who need them and we can provide free Gaelic language support to support groups,
health visitors, early years settings etc. as appropriate.
Target 21:. We will rotate our Gaelic resources around our larger libraries every 6 months.
We will publicise the collection as and when in each new location and refresh and renew
based on demand as appropriate.
Year 1-5 inclusive Lead Officer: Principal Librarian
Target 22: We will develop and promote Gaelic activity as part of the annual library services
programme for Moray Libraries Book Festival (September). We will feature at least one
Gaelic event as part of the programme each year. We will produce publicity and promotional
material in Gaelic
Year 2-5 inclusive; Lead Officer : Principal Librarian
Target 23: We will develop and promote Gaelic activity as part of the annual library services
programme for Book Week Scotland (November). We will feature at least one Gaelic event
as part of the programme each year. We will produce publicity and promotional material bi-
lingually.
Years 1-5 inclusive Lead Officer: Principal Librarian
The Heritage Centre has statistical accounts but no other Gaelic reference books. A carved lintel stone has
been found with “Biodh fiala ri choicrich,” roughly translated, “Be generous to strangers” above a doorway in
Burghead. There is also a second French and Gaelic inscription that is being researched. It is over 200 years
old and not listed on the Canmore site, which is an online catalogue of Scotland’s archaeology, buildings,
industrial and maritime heritage. https://canmore.org.uk/
Target 24: We will develop a project to actively collect images of Morays Gaelic Heritage to
build a data-base and share with Canmore.
Years 2-5 inclusive; Leads: Heritage Officer, Corporate Gaelic Group and partners.
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14. Community Learning & Development   
Our partnership CLD plan was published in 2021 with the priorities of:
• Learning for Life
• Active Citizens and Communities
• Participation and Community Voice; and
• Workforce Development
http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file138227.pdf 
Within this there are cross cutting themes of: 
• Addressing the impacts of rurality and poverty
• Improving mental health and wellbeing; and
• Addressing social isolation and helping people to reconnect. 
The Moray Gaelic Group was a stakeholder in the development of the new CLD plan and both the priorities
and themes are relevant to Gaelic. 
As the Adult and Family Learning Team has been developing provision there have been requests for Gaelic
and this will be responded to within the external funds available. 
Target 25: We will Continue to service the Corporate Gaelic Group,  apply for external
funds & report on activity and manage funding
Year 1-5 inclusive; Lead: CLD Officer
Target 26: We will deliver 3 “Exploring Gaelic” sessions to staff and community groups
Year 1; Lead: CLD officer and Gaelic specialist.
Target 27:  We will manage a Moray programme for World Gaelic Week
Year 1-5 inclusive; Lead: CLD Officer with partners
Target 28: We will seek external funding to secure a Gaelic speaking CLD workerYear 3;
Lead officer: CLD Officer 
15. HR Recruitment
Where Gaelic Language is an essential criteria for a post the Person Specification will specify this and the
post will be advertised in Gaelic and English.
Where it is deemed desirable for a post to have Gaelic language then the post should be advertised in
English.
To show our commitment it is proposed that the Vacancy Management form is amended to include the
following:
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1. Is Gaelic Language an essential criteria for this post
2. Is Gaelic language a desirable criteria for this post
Employee Development: Learning Gaelic
Moray Council staff will be encouraged to learn Gaelic where it would add value to their role using flexi
time, lunch-times, and late starts (where practicable) to do so.
Target 29: We will amend the Vacancy monitoring form to ensure recruiting officers
consider Gaelic language criteria
Year 1, Lead Officer: HR
Target 30: We will support and enable opportunities to learn Gaelic
Year 2, Lead office: HR
16. Environmental & Commercial Services
Where new or replacement signage is required the service will work with the relevant communities to
establish the best options for the signage, including the potential for bi-lingual signage.
Target 31: We will ensure we take a consistent approach to the inclusion of Gaelic when
implementing new or replacing existing signage.
Year 1-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Head of Environmental & Commercial Services
Target 32: We will consider developing Gaelic initiatives linked to the development of the
Moray Growth Deal, in line with the Deal’s focus on Innovation from Tradition.
Year 1-5 inclusive. Lead Officer: Head of Economic Growth & Development
Target 33: We will introduce bilingual Welcome signage in our public buildings
Year 2-5 inclusive. Lead officer: Head of Environmental & Commercial Services.
17. Appendices
a) Key Gaelic national partner links:
Bòrd na Gàidhlig Works to promote Gaelic throughout
Scotland. Find information on the benefits of
Gaelic education, being bilingual and your
nearest Gaelic provider
https://www.gaidhlig.scot/
Fèisean nan
Gàidheal
The organisation which supports the
development of community-based Gaelic
arts tuition festivals
https://www.feisean.org/en/
Comunn na Gàidhlig An organisation which seeks to promote
Scottish Gaelic language and culture
https://cnag.org
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Comann nam Pàrant  A Gaelic parents organisation which
supports a network of local groups
https://www.parant.org.uk 
Comhairle nan
Leabhraichean 
The Gaelic Books Council is the lead
organisation with responsibility for
supporting Scottish Gaelic authors and
publishers 
https://booksfromscotland.com 
An Comunn
Gàidhealach 
An Comunn Gàidhealach has supported the
teaching, learning and use of the Gaelic
language and the study and cultivation of
Gaelic literature, history, music and art for
over 100years. Through the organisation and
running of the Royal National Mòd and a
network of provincial Mòds across Scotland,
An Comunn Gaidhealach furthers the aims of
supporting and developing all aspects of the
Gaelic language, culture, history and
heritage at local, national and international
levels.
https://ancomunn.co.uk 
Ainmean-Àite na h-
Alba
A free database that provides a single source
of authoritative information on Gaelic forms
of place-names. 
https://www.ainmean-
aite.scot/ 
b) High level aims stipulated by Bòrd na Gaidhlig for Moray, and Moray Council’s response 
High-level Aims (proposed by Moray Council) High-level Aims (amended by Bòrd na Gàidhlig)
High-level aims for the second edition of the Moray
Council’s (MC) Gaelic Language Plan.
High-level aims for the second edition of the Moray
Council’s (MC) Gaelic Language Plan.
Using Gaelic Using Gaelic
MC will establish a permanent Gaelic Plan Group with
representation from all departments and
responsibility for development, delivery and
monitoring of the Council’s Gaelic language plan.
MC will establish a permanent Gaelic Plan Group with
representation from all departments and
responsibility for development, delivery and
monitoring of the Council’s Gaelic language plan.
MC will seek opportunities to develop our
understanding of the cultural and heritage value of
Gaelic across our different services. 
MC will seek opportunities to develop our
understanding of the cultural and heritage value of
Gaelic across our different services.
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Where opportunities arise MC will consider how
Gaelic can contribute to the development and
promotion of the Cultural Quarter project within the
Moray Growth Deal, in line with the Deal’s focus on
Innovation from Tradition.
MC will ensure that Gaelic is included in the Moray
Growth Deal in line with the Deal’s focus on
Innovation from Tradition, particularly in the areas of
heritage, culture, tourism and whisky. 
Learning Gaelic  Learning Gaelic
MC will undertake the duty under the Education
(Scotland) Act 2016 to promote and support, as
appropriate, the potential for Gaelic medium and
Gaelic learner education to MC residents, including
the opportunity that exists under this Act for parents
to request the establishment of Gaelic Medium
Education (GME).
MC will undertake the duty under the Education
(Scotland) Act 2016 to promote and support, as
appropriate, the potential for Gaelic medium and
Gaelic learner education to MC residents, including
the opportunity that exists under this Act for parents
to request the establishment of Gaelic Medium
Education (GME).
MC will work with partners to develop opportunities
for access to Gaelic for children and young people
aged 3-18, using different ways of engaging learners,
including digital means.
Where there is demand from families for ongoing
Gaelic provision MC will ensure there is a clear plan in
place and look for opportunities, where appropriate,
to develop planned Gaelic learning opportunities
within ELC settings and schools.
The Moray Council will offer certificate courses in
Gaelic Education in the Senior Phase S4-S6 and
progressively implement this across all Secondary
Schools. 
The Moray Council will develop an action plan with
agreed targets to ensure that Gaelic as a modern
language (L3) is available across primary schools in the
authority. 
MC will actively consult with parents and other
responsible adults in the Council area to establish
whether there is demand for Gaelic early years
provision and Gaelic education (learner and Gaelic-
medium). The top-level findings from the consultation
will be shared with key stakeholders, including Bòrd na
Gàidhlig. 
MC will actively consult with parents and other
responsible adults in the Council area to establish
whether there is demand for Gaelic early years
provision and Gaelic education (learner and Gaelic-
medium). The top-level findings from the consultation
will be shared with key stakeholders, including Bòrd na
Gàidhlig. 
MC will support adult Gaelic speakers and learners
across the Council area. 
MC will support adult Gaelic speakers and learners
across the Council area. 
Promoting Gaelic  Promoting Gaelic
MC will support events which highlight the present-
day and traditional role of Gaelic in the area’s
community, arts and cultural life. 
MC will support events which highlight the present-
day and traditional role of Gaelic in the area’s
community, arts and cultural life. 
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c. Corporate Aims – stipulated by Bòrd na Gaidhlig for all public bodies in Scotland
Amasan airson Seirbhisean Corporra Corporate Service Aims
Àrd Phrionnsapalan Overarching Principles
Spèis Cho-ionann
A h-uile gealladh anns a’ Phlana Ghàidhlig air a
lìbhrigeadh dhan aon ìre anns a’ Ghàidhlig agus anns
a’ Bheurla.
Equal Respect
Gaelic language plan commitments delivered to an equal
standard in both Gaelic and English.
Cothroman Follaiseach
Gnìomhan practaigeach gus dèanamh cinnteach gu
bheil fios aig luchd-obrach na buidhne agus am
poball daonnan air na cothroman a th’ ann gus
Gàidhlig a chleachdadh leis an ùghdarras phoblach.
Active Offer
Practical measures to ensure that staff and public are kept
regularly informed of all opportunities that exist to use Gaelic
in relation to the work of the public authority.
Treas Partaidhean
A’ dearbhadh gum bi ALEOs agus cunnradairean eile
ag obair gus plana Gàidhlig an ùghdarrais phoblaich
a chur an gnìomh.
Third Parties
Ensure that Arm’s Length Executive Organisations and other
contractors help with the delivery of the public authority
Gaelic language plan.
Gàidhlig na nì àbhaisteach
Geallaidhean bhon phlana Ghàidhlig air an gabhail a-
steach ann an structaran an ùghdarrais phoblaich
tro thìde, le sgrùdadh cunbhalach airson cothroman
a chomharrachadh taobh a-staigh bhuidseatan
stèidhichte gus Gàidhlig a thoirt air adhart.
Normalisation
Gaelic plan commitments are normalised within the
structures of the public authority over time, with
opportunities to grow Gaelic within existing budgets
constantly assessed.
Pàrantan Corporra
Gu bheilear mothachail air na dleastanasan a th’ ann
mar Pàrant Corporra gum bi a h-uile pàiste is neach
òg fo chùram no a b’ àbhaist a bhith fo chùram le
Gàidhlig a’ faighinn na h-aon cothroman ‘s a tha
clann le cànain eile.
Corporate Parenting
That the authority is aware of the duties of a Corporate
Parent to ensure that looked after children and young people
and care leavers with Gaelic receive the same opportunities
as those with other languages.
Inbhe Status
Suaicheantas
Ag amas air suaicheantas corporra anns a’ Ghàidhlig
agus anns a’ Bheurla a chruthachadh nuair a thig a’
chiad chothrom agus mar phàirt den phròiseas
ùrachaidh.
Logo
Aim to render the corporate logo in both Gaelic and English
at the first opportunity and as part of any renewal process.
Soidhnichean
Prìomh shoidhnichean air an dèanamh dà-
chànanach nuair a thathar gan ùrachadh.
Signage
Prominent signage will include Gaelic and English as part of
any renewal process.
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Conaltradh leis a’ phoball Communicating with the public
Brosnachadh
Teachdaireachdan gu bheil fàilte air conaltradh sa
Ghàidhlig bhon poball daonnan.
Promotion
Positive message that communication from the public in
Gaelic is always welcome.
Conaltradh sgrìobhte
Fàilte ga cur air conaltradh sgrìobhte sa Ghàidhlig
(post, post-d agus meadhanan sòisealta) daonnan agus
bidh freagairt ann sa Ghàidhlig, a rèir clàr-ama
conaltraidh àbhaisteach na buidhne.
Written Communication
Written communication in Gaelic is always accepted (post,
email and social media) and replies will be provided in
Gaelic in accordance with the general policy.
Ionad-fàilte agus am fòn
Far a bheil luchd-obrach le Gàidhlig ann airson seo a
thoirt seachad, gheibh iad taic airson seo a dhèanamh
agus thèid sanasachd a dhèanamh air t-seirbheis dhan
phoball.
Reception and phone
Where Gaelic speaking staff are capable of providing this
service, they are supported to do so and the service is
promoted to the public.
Coinneamhan
Cothroman airson coinneamhan dà-chànanach no sa
Ghàidhlig a chumail air an rannsachadh gu cunbhalach
agus air am brosnachadh.
Public meetings
Opportunities to hold public meetings bilingually or in
Gaelic are regularly explored and promoted.
Fiosrachadh Information
Fiosan-naidheachd
Prìomh fhiosan-naidheachd agus fiosan-naidheachd
mu dheidhinn na Gàidhlig air an cuairteachadh sa
Ghàidhlig agus sa Beurla.
News releases
High profile news releases and all news releases related to
Gaelic are circulated in both Gaelic and English.
Meadhanan sòisealta
Stuth Gàidhlig ga sgaoileadh tro na meadhanan
sòisealta gu cunbhalach, le stiùir bho ìre cleachdaidh
no cleachdadh a dh’fhaodadh a bhith ann.
Social Media
Gaelic content distributed regularly through social media,
guided by the level of actual and potential users
Làrach-lìn
Stuth Gàidhlig air làrach-lìn an ùghdarrais phoblaich, le
prìomhachas air na duilleagan le faicsinneachd mhòr.
Website
Gaelic content should be available on the public authority’s
website, with emphasis given to the pages with the highest
potential reach.
Irisean Corporra
Irisean corporra sa Ghàidhlig agus Beurla le
prìomhachas air sgrìobhainnean le faicsinneachd
mhòr.
Corporate Publications
Produced in Gaelic and English, with priority given to those
with the highest potential reach.
Taisbeanaidhean
Cothroman airson taisbeanaidhean dà-chànanach no
sa Ghàidhlig a chumail air an rannsachadh gu
cunbhalach agus air am brosnachadh, le prìomhachas
air an fheadhainn aig a bheil a’ bhuaidh as motha.
Exhibitions
Opportunities to deliver public exhibitions bilingually or in
Gaelic should be explored on a regular basis, with priority
given to those with the highest potential impact.
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17 
Luchd-obrach Staff
Sgrùdadh Luchd-obrach
Sgrùdadh cunbhalach air sgilean Gàidhlig agus
iarrtasan airson trèanadh Gàidhlig tro bheatha gach
plana.
Internal audit
Conduct an internal audit of Gaelic skills and training needs
through the life of each plan.
Inntrigeadh
Eòlas air a’ phlana Ghàidhlig mar phàirt den phròiseas
inntrigidh.
Induction
Knowledge of the public authority’s Gaelic language plan
included in new staff inductions
Trèanadh cànain
Trèanadh ann an sgilean Gàidhlig ga thabhann agus ga
bhrosnachadh, gu sònraichte a thaobh a bhith a’ cur
plana Gàidhlig na buidhne an gnìomh.
Language training
Gaelic language skills training and development offered to
staff, particularly in relation to implementing the public
authority’s Gaelic language plan.
Trèanadh le Fiosrachadh mun Ghàidhlig
Trèanadh le fiosrachadh mun Ghàidhlig, le
prìomhachas air stiùirichean, buill bùird,
comhairlichean agus luchd-obrach air a bheil
dleastanas a bhith a' conaltradh leis a' mhòr-shluagh.
Awareness training
Gaelic awareness training offered to staff, with priority
given to directors, board members, councillors and staff
dealing directly with the public.
Fastadh
A’ toirt aithne is spèis do sgilean Gàidhlig mar phàirt
den phròiseas fhastaidh. 
Gàidhlig ainmichte mar sgil a tha na buannachd
agus/no a tha riatanach gus seirbheisean Gàidhlig a
lìbhrigeadh agus a rèir na comhairle laghail aig Bòrd na
Gàidhlig. 
Sanasan-obrach dà-chànanach no sa Ghàidhlig airson
dreuchdan far a bheil Gàidhlig ainmichte mar sgil
riatanach.
Recruitment
Recognising and respecting Gaelic skills within the
recruitment process. 
Gaelic named as an essential and / or desirable skill in job
descriptions in order to deliver the Gaelic language plan
and in accordance with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig recruitment
advice. 
Bilingual or Gaelic only job adverts for all posts where
Gaelic is an essential skill.
Corpas na Gàidhlig Gaelic Language Corpus
Gnàthachas Litreachaidh na Gàidhlig
Leanaidh an t-ùghdarras Poblach Gnàthachas
Litreachaidh na Gàidhlig as ùire mar stiùir airson a h-
uile rud sgrìobhte aca.
Gaelic Orthographic Conventions
The most recent Gaelic Orthographic Conventions will be
followed in relation to all written materials produced by
the public authority.
Ainmean-àite
Iarrar stiùireadh bho Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba agus
cumar ris an stiùireadh sin.
Place names
Gaelic place name advice from Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba is
sought and used. 
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18 
c) Annual monitoring form from Bòrd na Gaidhlig
Appendix C 
BÒRD NA GÀIDHLIG 
FOIRM DÀTA BLIADHNAIL 2021-2022
ANNUAL RETURN FORM 2021-2022 
Ainm na buidhne
Organisation’s name  Moray Council 
Prìomh Dhàta Measaidh
Primary Indicator Data 
Fios bhon
Phoball
Communications from
the Public
Cia mheud brath sgrìobhte a fhuair am buidheann bhon
phoball ann an Gàidhlig am-bliadhna? 
How many written communications have the organisation
received from the public in Gaelic this year? 
None
A’ sgaoileadh
fiosrachaidh
Dissemination of
information
Cia mheud pìos a sgaoil am buidheann air na meadhanan
sòisealta ann an Gàidhlig am-bliadhna?
How many posts did the organisation distribute on social
media in Gaelic this year? 
4
Via
UHI/Moray
Gaelic Group/
Cia mheud fios-naidheachd a chaidh a sgaoileadh leis a’
bhuidheann anns a’ Ghàidhlig am-bliadhna?
How many press releases did the organisation publish in
Gaelic this year?
3
WGW;
Have you
Gaelic?
CLD plan 
Luchd-obrach
Staff
Cia meud neach-obrach a fhuair cothrom trèanaidh ann an
sgilean Gàidhlig am-bliadhna?
How many staff received Gaelic skills training this year?
70 people via
our World
Gaelic Week
programme; 4
via Moray
Gaelic Group
Cia mheud dreuchd a th’ agaibh an-dràsta far a bheil Gàidhlig
ann mar sgil riatanach?
How many posts do you currently have where Gaelic is an
essential skill?
None
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19 
Cia mheud neach-obrach a th’ agaibh an-dràsta aig a bheil
sgilean Gàidhlig?
How many staff currently within the organisation have Gaelic
skills?
12+ 
Foillseachaidhean
Publications
Cia mheud foillseachadh a dh’fhoillsich am buidheann gu dà-
chananach am-bliadhna?
How many organisational publications have been published
bilingually (Gaelic and English) this year?
Two:
CLD plan easy
read;
Equalities form
now includes
Gaelic 
Inbhe
Status
Cia mheud soidhne dà-chànanach a chuir am buidheann an
àirde am-bliadhna?
How many new bilingual signs has the organisation erected
this year?
None 
Prìomhachasan a’ Phlana Cànain Nàiseanta Gàidhlig 
National Gaelic Language Plan Priorities 
Cleachdadh na Gaidhlig / Using Gaelic
Ciamar a tha a’ bhuidhinn a’ toirt fàs air cleachdadh na Gàidhlig?
How is the organisation increasing the use of Gaelic? 
A staff skills audit was undertaken which highlighted some interest in Gaelic. 53 people were interested in a
follow up discussion from a survey return of 251. There is also partnership work with Moray Gaelic Group
and Moray College UHI who have continued to deliver a Monday night session on-line and support
initiatives. 
In March Moray delivered a programme for World Gaelic Week which was published bi-lingually. This
included targeted sessions from early years, primary to secondary for teachers; a Gaelic place names of
Moray input from Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba; Cofaidh agus Craic at the College; and 3 beginners’
opportunities. 70 individual people participated in the week. Participants also received free copies of Learn
Gaelic pocket resource.
As a result of this there was a programme created and broadcast by Keith Community Radio which covers
Moray-wide https://www.mixcloud.com/upload/KCR1077/world-gaelic-week-3-may-2022/complete/
A Gaelic session has been requested from a Family Learning group and a session will be delivered in the
autumn. 
A further programme was made about the creation of the next Gaelic Plan and broadcast on the 13th June.
https://www.mixcloud.com/upload/KCR1077/benefit-from-advice-moray-gaelic-plan-13-june-
2022/complete/ 
Ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig / Learning Gaelic
Ciamar a tha a’ bhuidhinn a’ toirt fàs air ionnsachadh na Gaidhlig?
How is the organisation increasing the learning of Gaelic?
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20
Learners are encouraged to attend the Moray Gaelic Groups on-line sessions.
In the last month a new tutor has come forward to offer taster sessions to complete beginners in short blocks
to gauge interest. We know people fall out of classes and want to try and reconnect with them. However the
infrastructure for this is fragile if her personal circumstances change.
Edinburgh City have agreed to support a lunch and learn on-line pilot in the autumn.
Learner’s materials are now available in the public library as well as novels and interest books which will be
rotated round the Council libraries.
A’cur air adhart na Gàidhlig / Promoting Gaelic
Ciamar a tha a’ buidhinn a’ cur deagh iomhaigh air adhart airson na Gàidhlig?
How is the organisation promoting a positive image of Gaelic?
In June we had a Gaelic stand at Rotafest in Elgin, from this, one young parent came forward as an interested
learner. Participants also received free copies of Learn Gaelic pocket resource.
The Adult & Family Learning team have had a request for a beginners Gaelic session too which will be
delivered next term.
An initial Gaelic Bookbug session has been delivered through the Libraries.
Books were purchased from the Gaelic Books Council which have been catalogued and will be rotated round
the main libraries and have advertising via social media. We now have a flag that highlights Gaelic provision
which will be used at events to spark interest.
https://newsroom.moray.gov.uk/news/moray-council-to-embrace-the-first-world-
gaelic-week
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21
Fiosrachadh dearcnachaidh eile
Other monitoring information
A’ brosnachadh Foghlam Gàidhlig
Promotion of Gaelic Education
Chan fheum ach Ùghdarrasan Ionadail seo a lìonadh a-steach
For Local Authorities only to complete
Fo Earrainn 15 de dh’Achd an Fhoghlaim (Alba) 2016, feumaidh ùghdarrasan ionadail aig a bheil foghlam
Gàidhlig anns an sgìre aca seo a shanasachd ann an dòigh iomchaidh. Feumaidh gach ùghdarras ionadail
sanasachd a dhèanamh air na còraichean a th’ aig pàrantan gus tagradh a dhèanamh airson foghlam
Gàidhlig aig ìre na bun-sgoile agus foghlam luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig a stèidheachadh. Ciamar a tha
sibh a’ coileanadh an dleastanais seo?
Under Section 15 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, local authorities which already provide Gaelic
education in their area must take reasonable steps to promote this. All local authorities must take
reasonable steps to promote the rights which parents have under the Act to make a request for Gaelic
Medium Primary Education and the potential provision of Gaelic Learner Education. Could you tell us how
you are undertaking this?
There is no GME in Moray.
All secondary pupils are offered e sgoil as a choice. One pupil accessed this last year.
Pàrantan Corporra
Corporate Parenting
Chan fheum ach Pàrantan Chorporra seo a lìonadh a-steach
For Corporate Parents only to complete
Am b’ urrainn dhuibh dàta a thoirt dhuinn air an àireimh de dhaoine òga le Gàidhlig a tha, no a tha air a
bhith, fo chùram a tha clàraichte leis an Ùghdarras.
Please provide data on the number of Gaelic-speaking care experienced young people registered with the
Authority.
None at present.
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22
Am b’ urrainn dhuibh fiosrachadh a thoirt dhuinn air tachartasan no cothroman a tha sibh a’ cur air dòigh airson
daoine òga le Gàidhlig a tha, no a tha air a bhith, fo chùram a tha clàraichte leis an Ùghdarras.
Please provide information on activities or opportunities you provide for Gaelic- speaking care experienced
young people.
We have no children at the moment who have requested Gaelic.
Co-ionannachd Equalities
Bu chòir don a h-uile buidheann seo a lìonadh a-steach
For all organisations to complete
An do chomharraich an t-ùghdarras poblach agaibh cùisean sònraichte sam bith co-cheangailte ri co-
ionannachd chothroman a thaobh leasachadh na Gàidhlig?
Has your public authority identified any particular issues relating to equality of opportunity with regard to the
development of Gaelic language?
1. The lack of experienced tutors who are prepared to deliver classes or activities.
2. It would be helpful to have a funding stream for qualified CLD workers who are Gaelic speakers to
stimulate and develop provision, plus build capacity.
3. A list of Gaelic touring companies or individuals would be helpful to promote interest in the language.
4. It would be helpful to receive “introductions” to Gaelic speakers from Gaelic organisations to help
develop provision.
A bheil poileasaidhean, modhan-obrach no dòighean-obrach sam bith co-cheangailte ri co- ionannachd a
chaidh a chur an gnìomh leis an ùghdarras phoblach agaibh, no a tha gan cur an gnìomh an-dràsta, a bhuineas
ri bhith a’ cur co-ionannachd chothroman air adhart an lùib leasachadh na Gàidhlig? An inns sibh dhuinn mun
deidhinn?
Are there any equalities policies, procedures or measures that have been implemented by your public
authority, or are in the process of being implemented, that are relevant to advancing the equality of
opportunity in the development of Gaelic language? Can you tell us about them?
None
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23 
A bheil eisimpleirean ann de cheumannan sònraichte a ghabh sibh gus piseach a thoirt air in- ghabhail agus
com-pàirteachas a tha air obrachadh gu sònraichte math a thaobh leasachadh na Gàidhlig taobh a-staigh an
ùghdarrais phoblaich agaibh? An inns sibh dhuinn nam biodh sibh toilichte nan sgaoileadh Bòrd na Gàidhlig na
h-eisimpleirean agaibh agus nan dèanamaid sanasachd orra. 
Are there examples of implementing specific measures to improve inclusivity or engagement that have
worked particularly well regarding Gaelic language development for your public authority? Please indicate if
you would be happy for Bòrd na Gàidhlig to share and promote the examples provided.
None 
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24 
Amasan airson Seirbhisean
Corporra
Corporate Service Aims 
Àrd Phrionnsabalan Overarching Principles   
Spèis Cho-ionann
A h-uile gealladh anns a’ phlana
Ghàidhlig air a lìbhrigeadh dhan aon ìre
anns a’ Ghàidhlig agus anns a’ Bheurla.
Equal Respect
Gaelic language plan commitments
delivered to an equal standard in both
Gaelic and English.
AMBER: at
forming stages
Cothroman Follaiseach
Gnìomhan practaigeach gus dèanamh
cinnteach gu bheil fios aig luchd-
obrach na buidhne agus am poball
daonnan air na cothroman a th’ ann
gus Gàidhlig a chleachdadh leis an
ùghdarras phoblach.
Active Offer
Practical measures to ensure that staff
and public are kept regularly informed
of all opportunities that  exist  to  use 
Gaelic  in relation to the work of the
public authority.
GREEN: a Gaelic
landing page is
being created on
the Councils
website with
resources, contacts
and opportunities
highlighted.
Treas Phàrtaidhean
A’ dearbhadh gum bi ALEOs agus
cunnradairean eile ag obair gus plana
Gàidhlig an ùghdarrais phoblaich a
chur an gnìomh.
Third Parties
Ensure that Arm’s Length Executive
Organisations and other contractors
help with the delivery of the public
authority Gaelic language plan.
GREEN: Positive
working
relationship with
Moray Gaelic
Group; Moray
College UHI
Gàidhlig na nì àbhaisteach
Geallaidhean bhon phlana Ghàidhlig
air an gabhail a- steach ann an
structaran an ùghdarrais phoblaich tro
thìde, le sgrùdadh cunbhalach airson
cothroman a chomharrachadh taobh
a-staigh bhuidseatan stèidhichte gus
Gàidhlig a thoirt air adhart.
Normalisation
Gaelic plan commitments are
normalised within the structures of the
public authority over time, with
opportunities to grow Gaelic within
existing budgets constantly assessed.
AMBER: we now
have a corporate
Gaelic Group
which meets
monthly.
Pàrantan Corporra
Gu bheilear mothachail air na
dleastanasan a th’ ann mar Phàrant
Corporra gum bi a h-uile pàiste is
neach òg fo chùram no a b’ àbhaist a
bhith fo chùram le Gàidhlig a’ faighinn
na h-aon cothroman ‘s a tha clann le
cànain eile.
Corporate Parenting
That the authority is aware of the
duties of a Corporate Parent to ensure
that looked after children and young
people and care leavers with Gaelic
receive the same opportunities as
those with other languages.
GREEN; no
requests currently 
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25 
Inbhe Status   
Suaicheantas
Ag amas air suaicheantas corporra
anns a’ Ghàidhlig agus anns a’ Bheurla
a chruthachadh nuair a thig a’ chiad
chothrom agus mar phàirt den
phròiseas ùrachaidh. Bu chòir an aon
ìre follaiseachd a bhith ann airson an
dà chànain san t-suaicheantas.
Logo
Aim to render the corporate logo in
both Gaelic and English at the first
opportunity and as part of any renewal
process. The logo should demonstrate
equal prominence for both languages. 
RED: no movement 
We have used the
Gaidhlig logo to
promote activities
and events. 
Soidhnichean
Prìomh shoidhnichean air an dèanamh
dà-chànanach nuair a thathar gan
ùrachadh.
Signage
Prominent signage will include Gaelic
and English as part of any renewal
process.
AMBER: this will
be agreed as and
when situations
arise.
Conaltradh leis a’ phoball Communicating with the public   
Adhartachadh  
A’ toirt teachdaireachd bhrosnachail
seachad gum bithear daonnan a’ cur
fàilte air conaltradh a nì am mòr-
shluagh ris an ùghdarras ann an
Gàidhlig. 
Promotion
Positive message that communication
from the public in Gaelic is always
welcome.
GREEN: as per our
equal opportunities
policy.
Conaltradh sgrìobhte
Bithear daonnan a’ gabhail ri
conaltradh sgrìobhte ann an Gàidhlig
(litrichean, puist-d agus na meadhanan
sòisealta) agus thèid freagairtean
Gàidhlig a thoirt seachad a rèir a’
phoileasaidh choitchinn. 
Written Communication
Written communication in Gaelic is
always accepted (post, email and social
media) and replies will be provided in
Gaelic in accordance with the general
policy.
GREEN: albeit
there will be a
slight time delay.
Ionad-fàilte agus am fòn 
Nuair as urrainn do luchd-obrach le
Gàidhlig an t-seirbheis seo a thoirt
seachad, gheibh iad taic airson sin a
dhèanamh, agus thèid sanasachd a
dhèanamh air an t-seirbheis am measg
a’ mhòr-shluaigh. 
Reception and phone
Where Gaelic speaking staff are
capable of providing this service, they
are supported to do so and the service
is promoted to the public.
RED: We do not
provide a walk in
access point. 
Currently there is
not the staff trained
to provide this
service.
Coinneamhan  
Thèid coimhead gu cunbhalach air na
cothroman a th’ ann gus coinneamhan
poblach a chumail gu dà-chànanach no
ann an Gàidhlig, agus thèid sanasachd
a dhèanamh orra. 
Public meetings
Opportunities to hold public meetings
bilingually or in Gaelic are regularly
explored and promoted.
AMBER: If this
was a need then it
would be
accommodated.  To
date this has not
been requested.
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26 
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27 
Fiosrachadh Information   
Fiosan-naidheachd
Prìomh fhiosan-naidheachd agus
fiosan-naidheachd mu dheidhinn na
Gàidhlig air an cuairteachadh sa
Ghàidhlig agus sa Beurla. 
News releases
High profile news releases and all
news releases related to Gaelic are
circulated in both Gaelic and English.
AMBER: press
releases through
MC have gone out
in English; CLD
ones have been bi-
lingual via social
media.
Na Meadhanan sòisealta
Thèid susbaint Ghàidhlig a
sgaoileadh gu cunbhalach sna
meadhanan sòisealta, agus sin a rèir
an uiread luchd-cleachdaidh Gàidhlig
a th’ ann agus a dh’fhaodadh a bhith
ann. 
Social Media
Gaelic content distributed regularly
through social media, guided by the
level of actual and potential users 
RED: early days. 
An Làrach-lìn
Bu chòir susbaint Ghàidhlig a bhith ri
faotainn air làrach-lìn an ùghdarrais
phoblaich, agus prìomhachas ga
thoirt do na duilleagan a
dh’fhaodadh an àireamh as motha
de dhaoine a tharraing. 
Website
Gaelic content should be available on
the public authority’s website, with
emphasis given to the pages with the
highest potential reach.
RED:
Content of CLD
plan; Education
working on a page
of learning
reources,
otherwise statutory
information
available.
Foillsichidhean  Corporra
Thèid an ullachadh ann an Gàidhlig is
Beurla, agus prìomhachas ga thoirt
don fheadhainn a dh’fhaodadh an
àireamh as motha de dhaoine a
leughadh. 
Corporate Publications
Produced in Gaelic and English, with
priority given to those with the
highest potential reach. 
AMBER: offer to
translate is
requested through
equal opportunities
policy
Tairbhe a’ Chànain
Bidh pròiseas ann gus dèanamh
cinnteach gu bheil a’ Ghàidhlig a
gheibhear san fhiosrachadh chorporra
uile aig deagh ìre agus gun gabh a
tuigsinn 
Language Utility
A process is in place to ensure that
the quality and accessibility of Gaelic
language in all corporate information
is high. 
RED: this would
only be available
through the
translation service. 
Taisbeanaidhean
Bu chòir beachdachadh gu
cunbhalach air cothroman gus
taisbeanaidhean poblach a
shealltainn gu dà-chànanach no ann
an Gàidhlig, le prìomhachas ga thoirt
don fheadhainn a dh’fhaodadh a’
bhuaidh as motha a thoirt air
Exhibitions
Opportunities to deliver public
exhibitions bilingually or in Gaelic
should be explored on a regular
basis, with priority given to those
with the highest potential impact.
AMBER: we have
no arts
development
service.
Partnership
opportunities
through Moray
College CLD
initiatives
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28 
cùisean. discussed, but no
students to date.
Remembering
Together project
raised but so far no
requests. 
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29 
Luchd-obrach Staff   
Sgrùdadh air sgilean
Thèid sgrùdadh a dhèanamh air
sgilean Gàidhlig an luchd-obrach
agus na feumalachdan trèanaidh
aca a thaobh Gàidhlig rè ùine gach
plana. 
Internal audit
Conduct an internal audit of Gaelic
skills and training needs through the
life of each plan.
GREEN: 251
respondents; 53
follow ups
Fiosrachadh Inntrigidh
Bidh fiosrachadh mu Phlana
Gàidhlig an ùghdarrais phoblaich
mar phàirt den fhiosrachadh
inntrigidh a gheibh luchd-obrach
ùr. 
Induction
Knowledge of the public authority’s
Gaelic language plan included in new
staff inductions 
GREEN, meeting
held with
employed
development to
incorporate.
Trèanadh cànain
Thèid cothroman trèanaidh is
leasachaidh airson sgilean Gàidhlig a
thabhann don luchd-obrach, gu h-
àraidh mar thaic do bhith a’
coileanadh Plana Gàidhlig an
ùghdarrais phoblaich. 
Language training
Gaelic language skills training and
development offered to staff,
particularly in relation to
implementing the public authority’s
Gaelic language plan. 
GREEN, via
Moray Gaelic
Group
Trèanadh le Fiosrachadh mun
Ghàidhlig
Trèanadh le fiosrachadh mun
Ghàidhlig, le prìomhachas air luchd-
obrach aig àrd ìre, luchd co-
dhùnaidh eile agus luchd-obrach air
a bheil dleastanas a bhith a'
conaltradh leis a' mhòr-shluagh. 
Awareness training
Gaelic awareness training offered,
with priority given to senior staff,
other key decision makers and staff
dealing directly with the public. 
GREEN: session
delayed because of
new intake of
councillors and
availability of
recommended
tutor: autumn
deadline
Fastadh
A’ toirt aithne do is a’ cur sùim ann
an sgilean Gàidhlig an lùib nam
pròiseasan fastaidh air feadh an
ùghdarrais phoblaich. 
Recruitment
Recognising and respecting Gaelic
skills within the recruitment process
throughout the authority 
GREEN: HR
implementing new
policy
Fastadh
Bidh Gàidhlig air a h-ainmeachadh
mar sgil riatanach agus / no a tha na
buannachd ann an tuairisgeulan
obrach gus cuideachadh le bhith a’
cur a’ Phlana Ghàidhlig an gnìomh
agus a rèir an stiùiridh bho Bhòrd na
Gàidhlig airson luchd-obrach
fhastadh. 
Recruitment
Gaelic named as an essential and /
or desirable skill in job descriptions
in order to deliver the Gaelic
language plan and in accordance
with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig
recruitment advice. 
AMBER: no
current jobs as of
yet, however
discussions
progressing with
NQT’s
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30
Fastadh
Bidh sanasan-obrach dà-chànanach
ann no ann an Gàidhlig a-mhàin
airson a h-uile dreuchd far a bheil
Gàidhlig na sgil riatanach.
Recruitment
Bilingual or Gaelic only job adverts
for all posts where Gaelic is an
essential skill.
AMBER: if
requested
Corpas na Gàidhlig Gaelic Language Corpus
Gnàthachas Litreachaidh na
Gàidhlig
Thèid cumail ris an tionndadh as ùire
de Ghnàthachas Litreachaidh na
Gàidhlig anns na stuthan sgrìobhaidh
uile a thèid fhoillseachadh leis an
ùghdarras phoblach.
Gaelic Orthographic Conventions
The most recent Gaelic Orthographic
Conventions will be followed in
relation to all written materials
produced by the public authority.
GREEN
Ainmean-àite
Iarrar agus gabhar ri comhairle bho
Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba air ainmean-
àite Gàidhlig.
Place names
Gaelic place name advice
from Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba is
sought and used.
GREEN
Session delivered
as part of World
Gaelic Week. No
requests in 2021-
2022.
d) Background information on the benefits of bilingualism: Appendix 4
• https://www.bilingualism-matters.org/
• https://scilt.org.uk/Primary/Promotinglanguages/tabid/1319/Default.aspx
• https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160811-the-amazing-benefits-of-being-
bilingual
• https://www.gov.scot/policies/languages/language-
learning/#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20learning%20additional%20languages&text=By%
20supporting%20our%20young%20people,of%20other%20countries%20and%20cult
ures
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: LEASE OF PINEFIELD ALLOTMENT SITE 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES &
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To invite Committee to approve the lease of the Pinefield Allotment site to the
Elgin Allotment Association at a nominal rent of £1 per annum. 
1.2  This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (B) (22 & 31) of
the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to the Council’s Strategy,
Policy, budgetary and monitoring arrangements and to the approval of new
rental concessions up to £50,000 per annum. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee agrees to provide the Elgin
Allotment Association with a lease for occupation of the Pinefield
Allotment site once developed at a nominal rent of £1 per annum, for as
long as the group are undertaking agreed delegated management
functions. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 On 15 March 2022 Committee approved the revised Moray Council Allotment
Policy (para 10 of the minute refers). 
3.2 The policy provides guidance and principles that allows the Council to work
with all stakeholders to identify and develop allotment sites in line with the
requirements of Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
It also provides information on responsibilities and guidance to support
partnership working between Moray Council, allotment community
management groups and other stakeholders in managing allotment provision.
Item 10.
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3.3 As per the Allotment policy once the waiting list within a particular community
reaches 15 applicants the Council must take reasonable steps to provide
allotments including, but not limited to: 
• Analysing demand; 
• Disseminating information; 
• Developing partnership working; 
• Identifying all land in the area that is suitable for growing;
• Ensuring there is sufficient suitable land to satisfy future
demand;
• Understanding the individual needs of those on the waiting
list. 
The Allotment Association membership is open to residents of Moray with
priority given to those living in Elgin. In Elgin the waiting list for allotments is
currently 23 applicants. 
3.4 In terms of developing partnership working the policy requires officers to work
together with voluntary sector agencies, Community Management Groups and
other stakeholders in the design and delivery of new allotment sites and,
where they are suitable and willing, to support Community Management
Groups to take on management responsibilities for allotment sites. 
3.5 The Elgin Allotment Association is a well-established group which currently
runs a successful small organic garden share project in Elgin. The Pinefield
site was identified for allotments in 2016 and planning permission was
secured in 2017. Since the revised Moray Council Allotments Policy was
agreed the group has been working with the Council project team (through the
Community Support Unit) on progressing the plans for the allotment site. The
allotment site works, which are being funded through the Council’s Place
Based Investment Programme, are due to be completed by March 2023. 
3.6 In line with Council policy the Elgin Allotment Association will be supported to
take on the lease of the completed site, and the delegation of management
responsibilities in line with agreed allotment regulations. 
3.7 The market rent of the site has been assessed as approximately £2,700 per
annum and a draft lease is being prepared. As the Elgin Allotment Association
will be taking on responsibilities that would otherwise be undertaken by
Council staff it is proposed that the annual rent is reduced to a nominal rent of
£1 per annum, for as long as the Group continues to undertake agreed
delegated management functions.
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4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)) 
This report supports the LOIP outcomes: 
• Empowering and Connecting Communities 
And the Corporate Plan Priority: 
• Empowering and supporting communities to build capacity 
(b) Policy and Legal 
There are no policy or legal implications arising directly from this report. 
(c) Financial implications 
If the Committee agree the recommendation in this report the rent
reduction will be £2,700 per annum. If the Elgin Allotment Association
were not able to take on management responsibilities for the site there
would be a requirement for Council staff to provide management
oversight. There is currently no capacity within Council teams to provide
this service, therefore this would be an additional cost to the Council. 
When the Council approved the budget for 2022/23 on 22 February
2022 (paragraph 3 of the Minute refers) it balanced only by using
reserves and one-off financial flexibilities. The indicative 3 year budget
showed a likely requirement to continue to make savings in the order of
£20 million in the next two years.   All financial decisions must be made
in this context and only essential additional expenditure should be
agreed in the course of the year.  In making this determination the
committee should consider whether the financial risk to the Council of
incurring additional expenditure outweighs the risk to the Council of not
incurring that expenditure, as set out in the risk section below and
whether a decision on funding could reasonably be deferred until the
budget for future years is approved. 
(d) Risk Implications 
The lease agreement and associated allotment regulations will set out
roles and responsibilities in terms of the overall management of the
allotment site, which reduces risk for the Council and the Elgin Allotment
Association.  Lease terms are being drafted by the Council and have not
yet been discussed in detail with the Allotment Association.  However as
the proposed lease terms will be standard it is expected that there will be
few difficulties in reaching agreement between the parties.
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The Council does not own a small area of the designated allotment site
and requires to purchase land from a third party.  However provisional
terms have been agreed and officers are progressing under delegated
powers.  The risks of this not concluding are considered small. 
(e) Staffing Implications 
There are no staffing implications arising from this report. 
(f) Property 
There are no specific property implications arising directly from this
report. The detailed design of the site is in process, with works expected
to commence in January and complete by 31 March 2023. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
The Pinefield allotment site is being designed in accordance with all
accessibility requirements. As part of our Community Support Unit (CSU)
support to the Elgin Allotment Association officers will provide advice
with regard to the inclusion of children, elderly and disabled users. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts 
The provision of allotment spaces helps the climate emergency by
supporting biodiversity and local food growing. Local food growth can
support the reduction in carbon emissions associated with importing and
transporting food. 
(i) Consultations 
Head of Housing and Property, Head of Economic Growth and
Development, Head of Environmental and Commercial Services, Chief
Financial Officer, Legal Services Manager, Lindsey Robinson,
Committee Services Officer, the Human Resources Manager, the Equal
Opportunities Officer and members of the Pinefield Allotment Project
Teams have been consulted and the comments received have been
incorporated into the report. 
5. CONCLUSION 
5.1 Committee is asked to consider a nominal rent for the lease of the new
Pinefield Allotment Site to the Elgin Allotment Association in recognition
of the delegated management responsibilities that will be undertaken by
the group and that would otherwise fall to Council staff. 
Author of Report: Jo Shirriffs, Head of Education Resources & Communities
Background Papers: 
Ref: SPMAN-9425411-82 
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING PULSE SURVEY 2022 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To inform Committee of the results from the Mental Health and Wellbeing
Pulse Survey 2022 and for Committee to approve the actions arising from the
report. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III B (24)(c) and (25)
of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to formulating, supervising
the implementation of and review as necessary the policy and practices of the
council for all employees in relation to the recruitment, training and
development, health, safety and welfare and practices of the Council. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: 
(i) consider and note the results of the 2022 mental health and
wellbeing pulse survey; and 
(ii) approve the actions arising from the results 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 Since 2006 Moray Council have regularly surveyed the workforce on
employment related issues. Due to the pandemic in 2020 it was considered
essential to measure and understand the impact of the pandemic on the
workforce to enable the Council to support staff during the recovery phase. 
Therefore, at the start of 2021 it was decided to complete a specific mental
health and wellbeing survey instead of the usual employee survey. As with the
employee survey, actions designed to address the issues were identified
based on the survey results. These fed into the workforce culture and
employee engagement programme. The following provides a summary of the
actions arising from the 2021 survey:   
Item 11.
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• Continue to disaggregate the results to an incremental bespoke approach
specific to each service.
• Focus engagement and culture activity on improving the knowledge and
management of mental health, increasing mental health awareness,
communicating change effectively and improving the management of
workload and time pressures.
• Progress discussions with management teams on survey results.
• Development of monitoring arrangements via the workforce planning
process. 
3.2 Given the wider reported impacts of the pandemic on the psychological
wellbeing of individuals a shorter mental health and well-being pulse survey
was undertaken in June/July 2022. The aim was to collect information during
the pandemic recovery phase and to identify whether the issues identified in
the 2021 survey remained the same. The survey was designed, administered
and analysed in-house. 
3.3 The survey was available electronically with paper copies available to
employees with no ready access to a work computer. It contained nine
questions which were structured to measure progress from 2021 and to
assess whether the themes of work being undertaken still remained the
priority areas of focus. 797 returns were received providing an overall
response rate of 15.8%. Education provided the lowest return rate and this
could be attributed to the timing coinciding with the end of the school year. 
3.4 Results have been analysed and are being cascaded via an employee booklet
and departmental results and improvement actions will be considered on both
a corporate level and service level. Actions will feed into workforce culture and
service planning processes. 
4. RESULTS 
The results to the pulse survey have been analysed and reported at corporate
and service levels and, as in previous surveys there are variations in the
issues that emerge at departmental/service level. The information in this
report is supported by Appendix A which outlines the main findings, emerging
themes and actions.   
Overview: 
4.1 The pulse survey displays an overall improving picture in terms of how
supported the workforce report feeling and how well they have been able to
manage their mental health and wellbeing during the recovery from the
pandemic. 
4.2 The results are generally positive and specific examples where the responses
indicate that progress is being made are: feeling safe in the workplace, having
a good work life balance and a higher number of respondents saying no to
having experienced a mental health issue in the past year that required
professional support.  Appendix A provides more detailed results against
each question theme. 
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4.3 In summary the results show in general the workforce has managed the
impact of Covid well, however, there are specific service themes which
require support and intervention in order to make improvements. Four
services report comparatively higher results for attention: Roads and Fleet;
Waste; Education: Teachers; and Education Resources and Communities:
Libraries. This corresponds with last year’s results. 
4.4 It is also evident that there are areas that require improvement work such as
anxiety about workload and employees’ mental health being well looked after
which are embedded in the wider aspects of our positive workforce culture
activities, although they may require further focus within specific teams and
services.  
4.5 Although this was a pulse survey with fewer questions, it is evident from the
survey results that the main themes arising from the 2021 survey remain
relevant and the 2022 results confirm that our focus of work remains
appropriate and relevant. 
Actions 
4.6 The immediate areas for action remain per the 2021 survey results and are
specifically in relation to improving awareness of mental health, training staff
to have a better understanding of how to support staff and their mental health,
reviewing communications particularly across frontline services, finding ways
to improve workload management and providing clarity on about future work
practices. 
4.7 A key focus for the immediate future is to complete the workload management
toolkit pilot, evaluate the effectiveness and then roll out the final version to the
wider workforce. Other areas identified in the last results are now incorporated
into the Workforce Culture Action Plan including training solutions and
interventions to support managers with improving their knowledge and skills of
the management of mental health, with training being offered both in house
and via the Flexible Working Fund provision and improving communications
across frontline services. 
4.8 The departmental analysis and related improvement actions and timescales
will be identified and agreed with Heads of Service as part of the workforce
planning process. This will ensure the interpretation of the results within the
context of specific services and teams with resultant actions agreed and
owned by the managers whilst being supported by the workforce culture team
where necessary.  
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5. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)) 
The work noted in this report supports the Council in achieving the
objectives and priorities in the Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan, and
sets out how the Council will meet the challenges in making best use of
its workforce and resources. In particular, the actions will ensure
continued progress towards the aims of ensuring an engaged workforce
with a positive workforce culture. 
(b) Policy and Legal 
There are no legal implications arising directly from this report. 
(c) Financial implications 
There are no financial implications arising from this report.  
(d) Risk Implications 
There is a risk of decreasing staff morale should no action be taken as a
result of the survey findings. These are heightened at this point due to
the recovery from the pandemic and the long term impact on mental
health still not yet fully manifested. 
The complex nature of mental health and the multiple factors that
influence individual situations combined with the long term nature of
establishing a cultural shift in behaviours are factors in evidencing the
impact of actions put in place and demonstrating change. 
(e) Staffing Implications 
There are no direct staffing implications arising from this report.
However, the resource for employee engagement and culture work was
reduced as part of savings made for the 2019-20 budget and given the
increased requirement for support this will limit the speed in which
progress can be made.   
(f) Property 
There are no property implications arising from this report. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
There are no equalities or socio-economic impacts arising from this
report.
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(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts 
There are no climate change or biodiversity impacts arising from this
report. 
(i) Consultations 
The content of this report has been considered by the corporate
management team and the results will also be considered by the Trade
Unions. 
An employee booklet will be available on interchange for the workforce
with access to a paper version available for employees without ready
access to a work computer following this committee. 
6. CONCLUSION 
6.1 The results of the 2022 mental health and wellbeing pulse survey
contain evidence of an overall improving picture in our recovery from
the pandemic and confirms the areas identified in last year’s survey
remain the key areas for improvement and action. 
6.2 It is proposed that further work is undertaken with departments and
services to identify solutions. 
6.3 Any actions will become part of the engagement and culture work, or set
up as distinct pieces of work specific to the services where the issues
are prevalent. 
Author of Report:  Anne Smith, Senior OD Adviser
Background Papers: 
Ref: SPMAN-1656699058-96 / SPMAN-1656699058-102 
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Moray Council – 2022 Mental Health & Wellbeing PULSE Headlines
Appendix A
2022 Mental Health and Wellbeing PULSE Survey results 
The 2022 Mental Health and Wellbeing PULSE Survey results have been analysed and are
detailed below: 
Response Rates: 
Distribution method Sent
out Returns
2022 Response
Rate from 5043
employees (%)
2022 Overall method
response rate of 797
employees (%)
2022 compared
to 2021 full
survey response
rate 
Paper questionnaire 900 60 1.18% 6.6% 58 (+2)
Online / electronic
survey 4543 737 14.6%  94.4% 1,193 (-456)
Total 5043 797 15.8% 100% 1251 (-454) 
Overview of results
The pulse survey displays an overall improving picture in the areas featured which
demonstrates a positive high level view on how well Moray council have supported the
workforce and how well the workforce have managed their mental health and wellbeing
during the recovery from the pandemic. The greatest positives appear to be around how
employees have felt safe in the workplace, have a good work/life balance and 78% of
respondents had not experienced a mental health condition that led them to seek GP or
health professional support.   
As with previous whole workforce survey results, it is difficult to identify specific actions that
will address areas identified for improvement as large surveys only provide a measure of
satisfaction on general themes and are best used as the starting point for more targeted and
focused work in specific areas e.g. the work being done in relation to developing a more
positive workforce culture. Additionally as this was a pulse survey with fewer questions a
direct comparison cannot be made as all questions were not replicated in the pulse survey.
However that being said similarities have been drawn for comparative purposes and it is
evident that the main themes arising from the 2021 survey remain relevant and confirm that
our focus of work remains as identified. 
Item 11.
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Moray Council – 2022 Mental Health & Wellbeing PULSE Headlines
Highest and lowest scoring questions:
The five highest scoring questions were as follows: 
79% I feel safe in the workplace.
78% Respondents said No to having experienced a mental health issue in the last year
that has led you to seek support from your GP or other health professional
73% I have a good work /life balance
68% I have all the equipment I require to undertake my role more flexibly
68% I feel supported and motivated by my line manager
67% My workload is generally manageable 
The five areas identified as concerns through lowest scoring areas were as follows:  
47% Yes, remains a concern or is a new concern regards Anxiety about workload 
44% Yes, remains a concern or is a new concern regards Ongoing concerns about
changes to working practice
40% Working in a front line service I feel my mental health is well looked after
by the work practices in place
22%
Respondents said yes they had experienced a mental health issue in the last
year that has led them to seek support from a GP or other health
professional?
21%
When compared to 2020/21 percentage of respondents have felt worse
during 2021/22 with regards to being able to maintain and/ or improve
mental health and wellbeing. 
The survey was broken down into 9 questions and details of the results are covered below. 
Current Working Situation
Of those completing the survey over 53% continue to work as normal in their usual location,
17% of respondents are working their contractual hours from home instead of the workplace
and 23% work between an office/school and their home.  1% remain redeployed, 1% were on
sick leave and 5% have other working arrangements. 
Environment and Mental Health & Wellbeing
Over half of respondents (56%) felt their mental health is sufficiently supported, 79% felt safe
in the workplace and 68% have the equipment they require to undertake their role more
flexibly.   
44% felt that working from home either part or full time continued to have a positive impact
on their mental health. 68% felt supported and motivated by their line manager, 67% felt
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Moray Council – 2022 Mental Health & Wellbeing PULSE Headlines
their workload was generally manageable and 48% of respondents felt they were kept well
informed of what is happening in the council. These are all an improving position compared
to 2021 results.
58% of respondents felt recognised for the job they are doing, 62% felt able to access training
and development opportunities and 73% of respondents felt that they had a good life/work
balance.
65% of respondents felt that they have been able to maintain and/or improve their mental
health and wellbeing during 2021/22 compared to 71% in the 2021 survey. 21% of staff
indicated in the survey that when comparing this question to 2021, they felt worse in 2022,
however 23% of respondents felt better than the previous year, 56% remained the same.
Of the highest scoring mental health and wellbeing concerns in 2021, anxiety about workload
remained or became a new concern for 47% of respondents in the pulse survey. 44% of
respondents have ongoing concerns about changes to working practice, 22% of respondents
are missing contact with colleagues and 13% are missing contact with friends and family. An
improving picture has been seen against all these areas when compared to the 2021 results.
22% of respondents experienced a mental health issue in the last year which has led them to
seek support from a GP or Health Professional. This has increased by 4% points on the 2021
results.
54% of respondents indicated that a year on they are coping either extremely well or well
compared to 12 months ago. This is an improvement of 4%.
How did employees think the council could help?
Ideas from respondents on how the council could help improve employee health and
wellbeing included a variety of suggestions with the main themes being as follows:
• Hybrid working: confirmation of corporate approach for hybrid working which
ensures consistency and guidance to inform the approach
• Recruitment: impact of staff shortages on workload and individual wellbeing
• Mental Health Training: to develop skills, remove stigma and identifying
support for staff
• Communications: improve frequency and ensure accessible to all
• Performance management and improved workforce culture that provides
equity for staff across all services
• ICT equipment: upgrade to enable more efficient working.
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Moray Council – 2022 Mental Health & Wellbeing PULSE Headlines
Key themes and achievements 
The greatest positives from the survey appeared to be around how employees felt that they
have been able to maintain or improve their mental health during the last year, have felt safe
in the workplace and have felt supported and motivated by their line manager. 
Key Themes and Achievements
2022 % agreeing
with statements
Have you been able to maintain and/ or improve your mental health
and wellbeing during the last year (2021/ 2022) - How does this
compare to 2020/21? Better or the same
79%
I feel safe in the workplace. 79%
I feel supported and motivated by my line manager
68% (20% increase
from 2021)
I am kept well informed of what is happening in the council
48% (22% increase
from 2021)
Yes, remains a concern or is a new concern - Missing contact with
friends/ family 
13% (decreased by
51% from 2021)
Yes, remains a concern or is a new concern - Missing contact with
colleagues 
22% (decreased by
32% from 2021) 
Areas for Improvement
There were less positive responses in relation to themes such as anxiety about workload and
an increase in the percentage of respondents who experienced a mental health issue in the
last year that led them to seek support from a GP or other health professional. 
Areas for Focus and Development
2022 % agreeing
with statements
Yes, remains a concern or is a new concern - Anxiety about workload 
47% (5 % increase
from 2021)
Working in a front line service I feel my mental health is well looked
after by the work practices in place
40%
Respondents had experienced a mental health issue in the last year
that has led them to seek support from a GP or other health
professional?
22% (4% increase
from 2021)
When compared to 2020/21 percentage of respondents have felt
worse during 2021/22 with regards to being able to maintain and/ or
improve mental health and wellbeing.
21% 
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Findings and actions arising
While these results provide an overall picture of responses to the pulse survey questions at a
corporate level, as in previous surveys there are distinct variations at departmental / service
level.     
The results show that while in general the workforce has managed the impact of Covid well
and are continuing to recover there are areas of concern arising from the departmental
analysis that identify specific service themes which require support and intervention in order
to make improvements. 
The following areas identify departments who have returned a response of more than 10%
less than the council average and therefore will be areas of focus moving forward.   
These include concerns in relation to feeling their mental health is sufficiently supported at
work across Libraries, Open Spaces, Roads and Fleet services, Sports and Leisure Services and
Education Support staff.   
Feeling Safe in the workplace was below the council average in Roads & Fleet Services, Open
Spaces, Education Support staff both term time and HQ based colleagues. 
Below the council average with regards having the required equipment to work more flexibly
services included Waste, Cleaning and Facilities Services, Education including Teachers, Early
Years and Support Staff as well as Libraries and Sports and Leisure.  These particular results
are likely to be due to the frontline nature of the roles which influence the opportunities for
working flexibly.  A new question was included in this year’s survey asking staff in a frontline
service if they felt their mental health is looked by the work practices in place services. Below
10% of the council average included Roads & Fleet, Open Spaces and Transportation and
Consultancy. 
Being recognised for the job I am doing had an average score of 58% with Financial Services,
Housing and Property, HR, ICT & OD, Roads and Fleet Services, Waste and Libraries all scoring
below the council average by 10% or more.   
Having access to training and development scored below the council average in Housing and
Property, HR, ICT & OD, Roads and Fleet Services and Waste.  Being kept well informed of
what was happening in the council was a concern for Roads & Fleet, Open Spaces, Education
Support Staff and Libraries. 
Having a good work/life balance was highlighted by Teachers, Sports and Leisure, Education
Resources and Communities professional & support staff, Libraries and Community Care Staff
(OT, Social Work and Performances and Commissioning) who all scored 10% or more below
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6 | P a g e
Moray Council – 2022 Mental Health & Wellbeing PULSE Headlines
the council average score. There were concern by Financial Services, HR, ICT & OD, Waste,
Open Spaces, Teachers, Education Support Staff and Education & Resources professional and
support staff with regards to their workload being generally manageable, with these services
scoring below the council average.
Having the ability to maintain and/or improve their mental health during the last year was a
concern for Teachers, Waste and Education Resources & Communities professional and
support staff. With anxiety about workload being mainly a concern for Community Care (OT,
Social Work & Performance and Commissioning) and Teachers. Missing contact with
colleagues featuring for Governance, Strategy and Performance and missing contact with
friends and family being a concern for Transport and Consultancy.
Feelings of low mood/depression remained a concern or was a new concern for Waste and
Roads & Fleet Services. Ongoing concerns about changes to work practice remained or was a
new concern for Libraries, Community Care (OT, Social Work and Performance and
Commissioning) and Teachers. With Waste and Education staff respondents experiencing a
mental health issue in the last year that led them to seek professional support.
In summary the four stand out service areas scoring 10% or more below the council average
across the question themes are Roads & Fleet services, Waste services, Education: Teachers
and Education Resources & Communities and Libraries. This correlates with last year’s results.
It is evident from the results that the key focus for the immediate future is to continue to
improve awareness of mental health generally, with the focus of engagement and culture
activity on improving the knowledge and management of mental health, increasing mental
health awareness, communicating change effectively and improving the management of
workload and time pressures.
The departmental analysis and related improvement actions and timescales will be identified
and agreed with Heads of Service as part of the workforce planning process. This will ensure
the interpretation of the results within the context of specific services and teams with
resultant actions agreed and owned by the managers whilst being supported by the workforce
culture team where necessary.
The results will also be cascaded to the workforce via an employee booklet.
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: ELECTED MEMBERS FAMILY LEAVE 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 The Committee is invited to consider and note the proposed new scheme in
relation to Family Leave for Elected Members. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (B)(6) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration relating to consideration of any new policy
matter which does not fall within the terms of reference of any other
Committee. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1      It is recommend that the Committee: 
(i) considers and approves the Family Leave for Elected Members
Scheme.  This is a new scheme which incorporates the
recommended guidance on Family Leave which was endorsed by
COSLA in September 2019 and updated in May 2020 and is
attached for reference as Appendix 1. 
(ii) note that if the scheme is adopted then it will require to be
referenced in the separate Members Allowance and Expenses
Scheme. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 The Council’s employment policy framework is reviewed regularly to ensure
it remains up-to-date in terms of legislative requirements, good practice and
operational relevance.  Whilst not an employment policy as such because
Elected Members are not employees of the Council, this scheme does
nevertheless demonstrate best practice.    
Item 12
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3.2 This scheme is being introduced following receipt of COSLA guidance and
recommendations with the purpose of removing barriers to participating in
local government.  It is intended that this policy will support and improve the
diversity of experience, age and background of Councillors.  It will also assist
with retention of experienced Councillors, particularly women, and making
public office more accessible to individuals who might otherwise feel
excluded from it.   
Principles 
3.3 The scheme sets the key principles to support elected members during
periods of maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave.  The
Family Leave Guidance updated in April 2020 was circulated to Scottish
Councils for adoption on a voluntary basis.   
3.4 There is no legal right to family leave of any kind for people in elected public
office.  The scheme however provides as insofar as is possible that there is
provision for Elected Members to take appropriate leave at the time of birth
or adoption, that both parents are able to take leave, and that reasonable
and adequate arrangements are in place to cover for portfolio holders and
others in receipt of Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA) or additional
councillor payments during any period of leave taken. 
3.5 This guidance confers no contractual or worker/employer status and can be
withdrawn at any time.  Councillors retain their status as office holders during
any agreed leave.  As proposed in the COSLA guidance leave has been
limited to 6 months with the requirement that Elected Members have a legal
duty to attend at least one qualifying meeting in a period of six months. 
3.6 Table 1 sets out the main leave provision or the scheme 
Type of
Leave
Provision 
Maternity
Leave
Up to 6 months (26 weeks) maternity leave from 28 days
prior to their due date 
In the event of premature birth (before the 37th week of
pregnancy), maternity leave maybe extended by a period
equivalent to the period between the date of birth and the
expected due date. 
Paternity
Leave
Up to a maximum of 2 weeks paternity leave if they are
biological or nominated carer of their partner/spouse
following the birth of their child(ren).
Shared
Parental
Leave
A Member who has made Shared Parental Leave
arrangements through their employment is requested to
advise the council of these arrangements at the earliest
possible opportunity.  Every effort will be made to replicate
such arrangements in terms of leave from the council. 
Up to 6 months (26 weeks) shared parental leave where
maternity leave is curtailed. Leave is limited to 6 months
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Type of
Leave
Provision 
(26 weeks) in total where both parents are Elected
Members.
Adoption
leave
A Member who adopts a child through an approved
adoption agency shall be entitled to take up to six months’
adoption leave from the date of placement. 
Remuneration 
3.7 The basic councillor remuneration is guaranteed by legislation and all
Members will continue to receive their basic allowance in full while on
maternity, paternity, and shared parental or adoption leave. 
3.8 Members entitled to a Special Responsibility Allowance will continue to
receive the additional remuneration during a period of leave (for either
maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave) for up to 6 months, or
until the date when the member taking the leave stands for re-election,
whichever date is sooner.  Where appropriate and following review, if the
member is re-elected, the Council may agree to extend the leave for the
remainder of the 6 month period, with appropriate additional remuneration. 
3.9 Elected Members retain their legal duty under the Local Government
(Scotland) Act 1973 to attend a qualifying meeting of the Council or an
outside body within a 6 month period, however absence due to one of the
reasons within this policy will be recorded as such to ensure transparency. 
3.10 For any senior councillor substitution to replace an Elected Member on
maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave by a councillor who
already holds a remunerated position, the ordinary rules relating to payment
of more than one senior councillor payment shall apply.  Backfill is only
required where the person on family leave receives a special responsibility
allowance and there is no proposal to appoint temporary Councillors. 
3.11 The proposed policy is based closely on the recommended guidance from
COSLA with no local adaptation or enhancement. 
4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP))
The work noted in this report supports the Council in achieving the
objectives and priorities in the Corporate and 10 Year Plan, and sets out
how the Council will meet the challenges in making best use of our
workforce and resources. In particular, the actions will ensure continued
progress towards the Council’s commitment to be a good employer. 
(b) Policy and Legal
This report supports the Council’s employer responsibilities and
commitments with regard to the health, safety and wellbeing of the
workforce 
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(c) Financial implications
Corporate Management Team Additional Expenditure Warning 
When the Council approved the budget for 2021/22 on 3 March 2021
(paragraph 3 of the Minute refers) it balanced only by using one-off
financial flexibilities. The indicative 3 year budget showed a likely
requirement to continue to make significant savings in future years.   All
financial decisions must be made in this context and only essential
additional expenditure should be agreed in the course of the year.  In
making this determination the committee should consider whether the
financial risk to the Council of incurring additional expenditure outweighs
the risk to the Council of not incurring that expenditure, as set out in the
risk section below and whether a decision on funding could reasonably
be deferred until the budget for future years is approved.   
The financial impact of this proposal relates to any backfill arrangements
and payment of allowances for cover arrangements. This is difficult to
quantify in terms of forecasting demand and costs, however applying this
policy retrospectively over the last 5 years indicates a nil return in terms
of requests that would have come within the auspices of this policy and
consideration of the age and gender demographics of the current cohort
of councillors suggests a potentially low level of uptake and consequent
cost.  This indicates that there is not anticipated to be any significant
financial implication associated with adopting the new policy and any
costs should be able to be contained within existing budgets.  The
position will be kept under review. 
(d) Risk Implications
The Remuneration Regulations in relation to payment of members
specify a maximum number of senior councillor payments and total
collective yearly amount that the council is able to pay senior councillors.
Arguably this scheme may on certain occasions place the Council in
breach of these regulations however there is also a risk of a breach of
equalities legislation if the council does not address the parental leave
issues.  On balance and in light of the national guidance from COSLA it
is considered reasonable to implement the proposals in this report and
deal with any future challenge on the breach of councillor payments,
taking advice from COSLA, should it arise. 
(e) Staffing Implications
There are no staffing implications arising from this report. 
(f) Property
There are no property implications arising from this report. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact
There are no equalities/socio economic implications arising from this
report. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts
There are no climate change or biodiversity impacts arising from this
report.
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(i) Consultations
Consultation have taken place with the Corporate Management Team,
Head of Governance, Strategy and Performance and Political Group
Leaders and their views have been incorporated. 
5. CONCLUSION 
5.1 The objective of this guidance is to ensure that insofar as is possible,
Elected Members can take appropriate leave at the time of birth or
adoption, that both parents are able to take leave and that reasonable
and adequate arrangements are in place to provide cover for portfolio
holders and others in receipt of Special Responsibility Allowances
(SRA) during any period of leave taken. 
5.2  Improved provision for new parents will contribute towards increasing
the diversity of experience, age and background of Local Authority
councillors. It will also assist with retaining experienced councillors –
particularly women – and making public office more accessible to
individuals who might otherwise feel excluded from it. 
Author of Report: Anne Smith, Senior OD Adviser 
Background Papers:  COSLA Guidance on Councillor Family Leave
Ref:  SPMAN-1656699058-99 / SPMAN-1656699058-100 / 
SPMAN-1656699058-101 
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FAMILY LEAVE SCHEME FOR ELECTED MEMBERS 
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 2
2. LEAVE PROVISIONS .................................................................................................... 2
3. PAY PROVISIONS ........................................................................................................ 2
4. NOTICE REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................ 3
5. MEMBERS RESPONSIBILITIES DURING LEAVE ....................................................... 3
6.    SENIOR COUNCILLOR SUBSTITUTION……………………………………………………3
7.    RETURN FROM LEAVE ................................................................................................ 4
8.    ADMINISTRATION AND REVIEW…………………………………………………………....4 
APPENDIX 1
Item 12
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2
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 While there is no legal right to family leave of any kind for people in elected public
office, the objective of this guidance is to ensure that as far as possible, Elected
Members can take appropriate leave at the time of birth or adoption, that both
parents are able to take leave, and that reasonable and adequate arrangements
are in place to provide cover for portfolio holders and others in receipt of Senior
Councillor payments during any period of leave taken.
1.2 The provisions of this guidance confer no contractual or worker/employment status
and can be amended or withdrawn at any time. Councillors continue to retain their
status as office holders.
1.3 The opportunity to take family leave under this scheme remains open to Elected
Members currently in office.
2. LEAVE PROVISIONS
2.1 The provisions of this guidance extend to Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental and
Adoption Leave only as detailed below:
Type of Leave Provision
Maternity Leave Up to 6 months (26 weeks) maternity leave from 28 days prior to
their due date
In the event of premature birth (before the 37th week of
pregnancy), maternity leave maybe extended by a period
equivalent to the period between the date of birth and the
expected due date.
Paternity Leave Up to a maximum of 2 weeks paternity leave if they are
biological or nominated carer of their partner/spouse following
the birth of their child(ren).
Shared
Parental Leave
A member who has made Shared Parental Leave arrangements
through their employment is requested to advise the council of
these arrangements at the earliest possible opportunity. Every
effort will be made to replicate such arrangements in terms of
leave from the council.
Up to 6 months (26 weeks) shared parental leave where
maternity leave is curtailed. Leave is limited to 6 months (26
weeks) in total where both parents are elected members.
Adoption leave A member who adopts a child through an approved adoption
agency shall be entitled to take up to six months’ adoption leave
from the date of placement.
3. PAY PROVISIONS
3.1 All members will continue to receive their basic remuneration in full while on
maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave.
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3 
3.2  Members entitled to a Senior Councillor Payment and the Council Leader will
continue to receive their additional remuneration during a period of maternity,
paternity, shared parental or adoption leave for a period of up to six months, or until
the date when the member taking the leave stands for re-election, whichever date is
sooner. At such a point, the position will be reviewed and may, where appropriate,
be extended by council to allow the member re-elected to remain on leave for the
remainder of the 6 month period with the appropriate additional remuneration. 
4.  NOTICE REQUIREMENTS 
4.1  A minimum of 4 weeks notice is required prior to a Member taking maternity,
paternity, shared parental or adoption leave. The Elected Member Family Leave
Notification form can be used for this purpose. 
4.2  Notification must be accompanied by the following certification as appropriate: 
5.  MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES DURING LEAVE 
5.1  Any member taking a period of maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption 
leave retains their legal duty under the Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973 to attend a qualifying meeting of the Council or an outside body within a six
month period unless the reason for non-attendance is accepted by the council.
Absence whilst on family leave taken under this Scheme will be deemed to be an
acceptable reason for non-attendance. 
5.2  Arrangements should be made prior to a period of leave for other duties to ensure
there is minimal impact on the relevant ward. This may include arranging for
another councillor to attend surgeries to represent and pursue constituents’
interests, or arranging substitutes for committee meetings as permitted by council
standing orders. In making such arrangements consideration must be taken of data
sharing legislation in relation to constituents’ personal information. 
5.3  Members on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave may
choose to attend council meetings or undertake other duties during their period of
leave. Doing so will not affect the period of leave which has been agreed or bring it
to an end prematurely. Similarly, any time spent on duties during the period of leave
will not extend the period of leave beyond the maximum period. 
6.1  SENIOR COUNCILLOR SUBSTITUTION 
Should a Member appointed to replace the Member on maternity, paternity, shared
parental or adoption leave already hold a remunerated position, the ordinary rules
relating to payment of more than one senior councillor payment shall apply.
Members appointed to replace the Member on maternity, paternity, shared parental
or adoption leave will continue to receive the additional remuneration until the return
Type of Leave Certification Required 
Maternity Leave Maternity Certificate (MATB1
Adoption Leave Matching Certificate
Shared Parental Leave Confirmation of the curtailment
of maternity
leave.
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4 
of the Member on leave or until that Member stands for re-election, whichever date
is sooner. 
7.  RETURN FROM LEAVE 
7.1  Unless the Member taking leave is removed from their post whilst on leave they will
return at the end of their leave period to the same post, or to an alternative post
with equivalent status and remuneration which they held before the leave began. 
7.2  If a Member decides not to return at the end of their leave and so to resign as a
councillor they must notify the council in writing with at least 4 weeks’ notice. All
allowances will cease from the effective resignation date. 
7.3  If an election is held during a Member’s leave and they are not re-elected, or decide
not to stand for re-election, their basic allowance and senior councillor payment, if
appropriate, will cease from the date they cease to be a councillor. 
8.  ADMINSTRATION AND REVIEW 
8.1  The Head of Performance, Governance and Strategy is responsible for the
administration of the Scheme. 
8.2  The Scheme shall be reported to the statutory first meeting of full council after each
local government election for re-adoption as part of the approval of the Scheme of
elected Member Remuneration, Allowances and Reimbursement of Expenses. 
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5 
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: COMPLAINTS ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES &
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 The Committee is asked to consider the Complaints Annual Report 2021-22. 
1.2 This report is submitted to the Corporate Committee in terms of Section III (B)
(39) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to developing and
monitoring public relations, public reporting, publicity and corporate
communications. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 The Committee is asked to: 
i) consider the contents of the Complaints Annual Report; 
ii) scrutinise performance as indicated in the report; and 
iii) approve the report for submission to the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman (SPSO). 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 All councils are required to publish their performance against the national
performance indicators set by the SPSO. The attached report presents
performance against these performance indicators for the 2021-22 reporting
period. (Appendix 1) 
3.2 Complaints handling is part of the council’s performance management
framework. Members receive updates on complaints performance through
routine reports to service committees. 
Item 13
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3.3 Compared to the 2020-21 figures, there has been an increase in the number
of complaints received. Despite the slight increase, complaints remain well
below that received prior to the COVID pandemic and are nearly half the
Scottish average per 1,000 population. As substantial providers of customer-
facing services, Environmental and Commercial Services and Housing and
Property Services continue to receive the largest proportion of complaints.
3.4 During 2021-22, 77% of complaints were dealt with at frontline (stage 1) and
23% were dealt with at investigation (stage 2) including those escalated to
investigation. This is a slight improvement from 74% dealt with at front line in
2020-21 but below the national average (89%). It is heartening to see that
most complaints continue to be dealt with at frontline, as suggested by the
SPSO’s guidance on the Model Complaints Handling Procedure to “take
every opportunity to resolve service users’ complaints at the first point of
contact if at all possible”. Opportunities to improve performance continue
through staff training, routine reporting and discussion with senior managers
and complaint administrators.
3.5 A new category of resolution was added to the complaint handling procedure
in 2021-22, with a small proportion of complaints being dealt with this way.
Resolution is used when agreeing a resolution outcome with the customer
without the need to fully enquire into their complaint issues. The option
remains for the customer to change their mind and have their complaint dealt
with through stage 1 and stage 2 of the complaint handling procedure.
3.6 54% of frontline (stage 1) complaints were recorded as ‘upheld’, ‘partially
upheld’ or ‘resolution’ in 2021-22, similar to 2020-21 performance. National
averages show a significantly higher proportion of complaints with resolution
as an outcome, however similar levels of upheld and part upheld. This
demonstrates where an anticipated level of service falls short, it is
acknowledged, learning and improvement outcomes are identified and
implemented.
3.7 45% of investigation (stage 2) complaints were recorded as ‘upheld’,
‘partially upheld’ or ‘resolution’ in 2021-22, marginally lower (4%) than
2020-21 performance and 5% below the national average. Over the past 3
years the proportion of stage two complaints (including after escalation)
‘upheld’, ‘partially upheld’ or ‘resolution’ has consistently been between 40%
and 50%.
3.8 Our average response times have improved for Stage 1 complaints (5.1 days)
and Stage 2 complaints (20.9 working days) to only just above SPSO target
response timescales of 5 and 20 working days respectively.
3.9 In certain circumstances, an extension to response times can be applied.
Focusing on complaints not meeting target timescales, where perhaps
extensions would apply most, performance highlights communication with
complainants as an area for improvement in the year ahead. In 2021-22, the
proportion of complaints not meeting response timescales that did not have
an authorised extension increased across all stages.
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3.10 The impact on complaint handling arising from the pandemic remained. Some 
staff who normally dealt with their service complaints were assigned to other 
roles. A high percentage of our staff continued to work from home 
necessitating additional work for our IT department to ensure they had access 
to systems, including those systems required to manage complaints. Services 
in the main adhered to our Complaint Handling Procedure (CHP). There was 
a similar impact for other councils at a national level and at the SPSO.   
3.11 Learning from complaints is essential if we are to improve the way we deliver 
services. Monitoring of complaint database closure e-forms shows that 
learning outcomes are being completed for individual complaints and 
summaries providing relevant complaint detail and lessons learned is 
provided in routine service performance reporting.  However increased 
scrutiny to look for commonalities that may contribute to organisational 
change. This is tabled as an agenda item at the December 2022 Local 
Authority Complaint Handlers Network meeting to establish what other 
councils do to capture, report and utilise their learning outcomes information. 
4 SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan - Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)
This report supports the Scottish Government’s national outcomes, in
particular the commitment to be accountable to the community as
stated: “Our public services are high quality, continually improving,
efficient and responsive to local people’s needs.” 
Effective complaints reporting is used to ensure the efficient and
sustainable delivery of services to meet the Council’s priorities in
‘Moray 2026: A Plan for the Future’. 
(b) Policy and Legal
The SPSO have made it a statutory requirement to have all local
authorities publish a Complaints Annual Report. 
(c) Financial implications 
It is not anticipated that there will be any financial implications. 
(d) Risk Implications
Failure to adhere to the statutory SPSO requirement may result in
SPSO making a declaration of non-compliance against the Council.
Non-compliance with the statutory duty relating to national standards
being adopted would present risk in terms of reputational damage and
a loss of public confidence in reporting complaints. 
(e)  Staffing Implications
There are no staffing implications related to this report. 
(f)   Property
There are no property implications related to this report.
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(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact
The Equal Opportunities Officer has been consulted in the preparation
of this report and recommended that where services are experiencing
high volumes of complaints, common complaint issues and any
learning arising should be identified. This will help to ensure that
complaints are not arising from situations where customer diversity
needs have not been considered or addressed, e.g. disability or
cultural issues.  Further recommending that where there is evidence or
a suspicion that a complaint is related to characteristics protected
under the Equality Act 2010 (race, disability, sex, religion/belief, sexual
orientation, age, gender reassignment, pregnancy/maternity), services
make contact the Council’s Equal Opportunity Officer. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts  
No climate change or biodiversity implications related to this report. 
(i)  Consultations
The Corporate Management Team have been consulted on the
contents of the Complaints Annual Report 2021-22. 
5. CONCLUSION 
5.1 That the Committee approve the publishing of the Complaints Annual
Report 2021-22 to comply with the SPSO statutory requirement. 
Author of Report:  John Black, Complaints Officer
Background Papers:   Held by Author
Ref:      SPMAN-2045703626-186 
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APPENDIX 1 
Complaints Handling Annual Report
2021/22 
Item 13
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Contents 
Introduction  4 
Complaints Handling Procedure 4 
Complaints Performance Indicators 5 
Indicator 1: Complaints received per 1,000 population  5 
Indicator 2: Closed Complaints  6 
Indicator 3: Complaints upheld, partially upheld and not upheld 7 
Indicator 4: Average Response Times 9 
Indicator 5: Performance against Timescales 9 
Indicator 6: Number of complaints where an extension is authorised 10 
Indicator 7: Customer Satisfaction  13 
Indicator 8: Learning from Complaints  14 
Conclusion  15 
Contact us  15 
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4
Introduction
At Moray Council, we aim to provide the highest possible quality of service however there are times
when we get things wrong and don’t meet the expectations of our customers. It is important we
understand when this happens and by looking at the complaints received, we modify and improve
our services to prevent a problem happening again.
We regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public
about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of the service provided by or on behalf of
the council. This includes a failure to follow the proper administrative processes, delays in
responding to service requests and enquiries, failure to provide a service to the expected standard,
dissatisfaction with Council policies and treatment by, or attitude of, a member of staff.
Complaints Handling Procedure
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the responsible body for complaints; setting and
monitoring complaints handling standards for the public sector in Scotland. These standards are
published as the Model Complaints Handling Procedure (MCHP) and define how they expect the
public service sector to handle complaints quickly and simply, with local and early resolution by
empowered and well-trained staff.
In line with the MCHP, all complaints we receive are managed under the two stage complaints
handling procedure:
We aim for as many complaints as possible to be resolved at Stage 1 with as few as possible
requiring progression to Stage 2. This helps improve the customer’s experience and our service
provision. However, if following completion of this process, a customer remains dissatisfied, the
complaint can be passed to the SPSO for further consideration and we advise the customer of this
entitlement.
Stage 1 - Also known as Frontline Resolution
These complaints should be straightforward.
A Stage 1 complaint could mean immediate
action to resolve the matter. These complaints
should be answered within 5 working days.
Most complaints will should be dealt with at
Stage 1.
Stage 2 – Also known as Investigation Stage
A Stage 2 complaint may be a concern that
has not been successfully resolved at Stage 1
and is therefore escalated or refers to a matter
that is more complex and requires a full and
detailed investigation. These complaints
should be answered within 20 working days.
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5
Complaints Performance Indicators
As part of the MCHP, local authorities are required to record, report and publish information on the
complaints they receive. To assist with this, the SPSO developed a suite of 8 Performance Indicators
that provide the minimum requirement for a local authority to self-assess, report on performance
and undertake benchmarking activities.
We use data from our Complaints Management System to report how we are performing against
these indicators, to monitor any issues raised and the learning outcomes taken to address these.
We share this information with our Corporate Management Team and Heads of Service on a
quarterly basis and our Service Committees every six months. Our Complaints Officer also holds
regular meetings with Complaints Administrators to monitor and address any concerns with our
Complaints Handling Procedure.
How we performed against the SPSO indicators in 2021/22 is set out below. For comparison
purposes, we have also included our performance from the previous two years and the 2021/22
national averages for Scotland.
Indicator 1: Complaints received per 1,000 population
This indicator records the total number of complaints we received at both Stage 1 and Stage 2. To
allow for a fair comparison across all local authorities in Scotland, the figure per 1,000 population is
used.
Table 1: Complaints received per 1,000 population
(Moray Council population based on NRS Population Mid-Year Estimates 2020, Scotland population based on Mid-Year Estimates 2020 for
those areas where complaints data was returned)
During 2021/22, we received 5.5% more complaints than in 2020/21. Despite this slight increase,
our complaints remain well below that received prior to the COVID pandemic in 2019/20 and nearly
half the Scottish average per 1,000 population.
Scotland
2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
Total Complaints Received (Stage 1 and Stage 2) 738 513 541 57,015
Population 95,820 95,710 95,710 5,292,350
Complaints per 1,000 population 7.70 5.36 5.61 10.77
Moray Council
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6 
Environmental and Commercial Services has again received the highest proportion of complaints,
although this has declined compared to previous years.  Housing and Property complaints remain
relatively static while complaints to Schools and Curriculum Development has increased, accounting
for 12% of all complaints received.   
Table 2:% of Complaints received by Department   
Looking specifically at Environmental and Commercial Services, complaints were particularly high in
both 2018/19 and 2019/20.  This spike can be linked to changes made to the Service at that time
with complaints received covering topics such as reduction in grass cutting, introduction of garden
waste permits, 3 weekly household collections and amended opening hours for recycling centres.   
Table 3:% of Complaints received by Environmental and Commercial Services   
Indicator 2: Closed Complaints 
A complaint is closed when the customer has received a response and at that time no further action
is required.  This indicator provides information on the number of complaints closed at both Stage 1
and Stage 2.   
Table 4: Closed Complaints by Stage 
% of Complaints received by Department 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Environmental and Commercial Services 42% 38% 31%
Housing and Property 29% 32% 29%
Schools and Curriculum Development 7% 4% 12%
Development Services 5% 7% 7%
Legal and Democratic Services 6% 4% 6%
Community Care 3% 6% 4%
Intergrated Children Services 5% 6% 4%
Lifelong Learning, Culture and Sport 1% 2% 3%
Financial Services 1% 0% 1%
Human Resources and ICT 1% 1% 1%
% of Complaints received by Department 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Environmental and Commercial Services 36% 41% 42% 38% 31%
2019-20 % 2020-21 % 2021-22 % 2021-22 %
Stage 1 Closed 579 80% 377 74% 404 77% 48,773 89%
Stage 2 Closed 134 18% 122 24% 110 21% 4,156 8%
Escalated Stage 2 Closed 12 2% 12 2% 13 2% 2,110 4%
Total Complaints Closed 725 511 527 55,039
Moray Council Scotland
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7
We aim to provide a quick response to straightforward issues and as a result the majority of our
complaints are closed at Stage 1. This has increased during 2021/22 however we are below the
Scottish average with more of our complaints closing at Stage 2. We will work to improve this
through staff training and sharing of best practice with our Complaint Administrators and Senior
Management Team.
Indicator 3: Complaints upheld, partially upheld, not upheld and resolution
We are required to review our complaints and record the outcome for each. This could be upheld,
partially upheld, not upheld or, since April 2021, resolution.
A complaint is defined as upheld when it is found to be true or confirmed. A partially upheld
complaint is where several issues have been raised and some, but not all, are upheld. Complaints
are not upheld when they are found to be untrue or where a reasonable standard of service has
been provided. Resolution covers complaints that cover a number of issues but we manage to agree
an outcome without the need to investigate and respond on each separately. If however during this
process the customer changes their mind, then the issues raised will be fully investigated and
responded to as a stage 2 complaint. Once a decision has been taken on the outcome, customers
are contacted and provided with an explanation of the findings.
Figures 1-3 show the proportion of our complaints at each stage by outcome over the last three
years and against the Scottish average in 2021/22.
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8 
Figure 1: Stage 1 Recorded Outcome 
Figure 2: Stage 2 Recorded Outcome 
Figure 3: Escalated Stage 2 Recorded Outcome 
2021/22 saw a decline in upheld Stage
1 complaints however this is likely due
to the introduction of resolution as an
outcome.  Overall, the proportion of
Stage 1 complaints closed as upheld,
partially upheld or resolution has
remained relatively static over the
past three years, moving from 57% in
2019/20 to 54% in 2021/22. 
Nationally the latest average is 72%. 
Stage 2 complaints upheld in some
form have also remained at a similar
level over the past three years at
around 45% compared to 50%
nationally. 
In 2019/20, 83% of our escalated
Stage 2 complaints were upheld or
partially upheld.  In 2021/22 this has
fallen to 76%, however this is still well
above the national average of 45%.   
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9
Indicator 4: Average Response Times
The SPSO response timescale for a Stage 1 complaint is up to 5 working days; for Stage 2 (including
escalated complaints) it is up to 20 working days. This indicator provides the average time in
workings days taken to close complaints.
Table 5: Average Response Times (Working Days)
Our average response times have improved for Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints with both now only
just exceeding SPSO response timescales and below the national average. Compared to 2020/21, we
have taken longer to respond to escalated Stage 2 complaints. Due to the complex nature of these
complaints, it can take more time to investigate fully however we do aim to reduce this whenever
possible. Each week our Complaints Officer works with Administrators to identify and progress
complaints taking longer than anticipated. Any issues around timescales are also discussed during
national Complaint Handling meetings held every quarter.
Indicator 5: Performance against Timescales
The results from this indicator allow us to see how we are performing against the SPSO response
time targets noted above.
Table 6: Percentage of Complaints Closed within Timescales
This indicator confirms the response times seen with indicator 4. In 2021/22 we improved the
proportion of our Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints that were closed within SPSO target timescales,
with both now above the Scottish average. We also saw a sharp decline in the proportion of our
escalated complaints meeting target timescales. Complaints not meeting the 20 working day target
involved complex issues with a Housing and Property complaint taking 34 days longer than
anticipated due to the requirement for legal advice. We will continue to work closely with our
Services and Administrators to progress complaints as quickly as possible.
Scotland
2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
Stage 1 Frontline 5.5 5.6 5.1 6.3
Stage 2 Investigative 22.9 21.9 20.9 20.7
Escalated Stage 2 29.1 20.3 26.2 18.6
Moray Council
Scotland
2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
Stage 1 Frontline 71% 71% 74% 67%
Stage 2 Investigative 53% 57% 69% 63%
Escalated Stage 2 50% 67% 23% 62%
Moray Council
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Indicator 6: Number of complaints where an extension is authorised
In certain circumstances, the MCHP allows for an extension to be applied to the response time
targets of 5 and 20 working days.  Stage 1 complaints may be extended by up to a further 5 days. 
The extension for a Stage 2 complaint can vary and is determined by a number of factors including
the nature of the complaint, the evidence and if it relates to more than one department.  That said,
the period of extension must be reasonable and justified.  This indicator shows us the number of
complaints closed at each stage where an extension was authorised as a % of all complaints at each
stage. 
Table 7: Stage 1 Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 
Table 8: Stage 2 Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 
Table 9: Escalated Stage 2 Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 
As stated above, this indicator benchmarks our performance for authorised extensions across all
closed complaints at each stage.  However, we can look at just those complaints not meeting target
timescales and identify whether or not an extension has been authorised.  A higher proportion of
authorised extensions against these late complaints would suggest a good level of communication
has been maintained and a more efficient Complaint Handling Procedure.    
Scotland
Stage 1 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
No of Closed Complaints 579 377 404 48,788
No of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 63 39 35 3,010
% of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 11% 10% 9% 6%
Moray Council
Scotland
Stage 2 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
No of Closed Complaints 134 122 110 4,156
No of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 25 19 12 783
% of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 19% 16% 11% 19%
Moray Council
Scotland
Escalated Stage 2 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2021-22
No of Closed Complaints 12 12 13 2,110
No of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 6 3 4 376
% of Closed Complaints with an authorised extension 50% 25% 31% 18%
Moray Council
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Unfortunately during 2021/22, the proportion of our complaints that did not meet target timescales
and did not have an authorised extension has increased across all three stages.  In particular, figure 4
shows our late Stage 2 complaints closed without an extension, rose to 74%.   
Table 10: No of Closed Complaints late or on time against target timescales   
Figure 4: 2021/22 % of Late Complaints by Authorised Extension 
Late On time Total
Stage 1 Frontline 106 298 404
Stage 2 Investigative 34 76 110
Escalated Stage 2 10 3 13
Stage 1 Frontline 109 268 377
Stage 2 Investigative 55 67 122
Escalated Stage 2 3 9 12
Stage 1 Frontline 158 421 579
Stage 2 Investigative 68 66 134
Escalated Stage 2 5 7 12
2021/22
2020/21
2019/20
Number of Closed Complaints
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12 
Figure 5: 2021/22 Stage 1 Closed Complaints % with/without Authorised Extension by Department 
Figure 6: 2021/22 Stage 2 Closed Complaints % with/without Authorised Extension by Department 
Figure 7: 2021/22 Escalated Stage 2 Closed Complaints % with/without Authorised Extension by Department 
From 2021/22 data (figures 5,
6 and 7) it is clear the use of
authorised extensions could
be improved across all areas
dealing with complaints; in
particular with
Environmental and
Commercial Services,
Integrated Children’s Services
and Housing and Property.   
We will work with our
Services and Senior
Management to enhance the
monitoring of late complaints
and ensure our procedure is
followed correctly.  
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13 
Indicator 7: Customer Satisfaction 
A customer satisfaction survey is sent to all customers of the complaints service.  In 2021/22, we
issued 482 surveys and received 58 responses, giving a return rate of 12%.  This is the lowest in
recent years with 15% recorded in 2020/21 and 13% in 2019/20.   
This survey aims to highlight what we do well when dealing with a complaint and where
improvements can be made.  Key points raised through our latest survey are below.  Perhaps not
surprisingly, with our low use of authorised extensions highlighted in figures 4-7 above, we need to
improve our communication regarding timescales and the next stage of a complaint. 
What we do well when dealing with
complaints: 
- Our process for making a complaint is easy 
- We give people the opportunity to fully explain
their complaint 
- Our staff deal with complaints politely
What we can improve when dealing with
complaints: 
- We need to ensure we address all points raised
in a complaint 
- We need to communicate better on timescales
and the next stage of a complaint 
-  We need to ensure our responses are easy to
understand
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14
Indicator 8: Learning from Complaints
Learning from complaints is a continuous process. We aim to identify trends and emerging issues
and improve the services we provide. Some examples of changes we have implemented in 2021/22
are provided below.
Housing Repairs
We identified an issue with delayed repairs and
the updates provided to housing tenants. We
reviewed our procedures to improve
communication and identified a local supplier
where our tradesmen could order parts direct,
minimising the risk for wrong orders that had led
to the delays.
Household Collections
From complaints to our Waste Team, it was
clear there were problems with the delivery of
new and replacement bins. We reviewed our
procedure to ensure stock levels were
maintained and we improved our
communication with revised delivery lead
times.
Housing Needs
A customer reported issues with the response to
their community emergency alarm. We reviewed our
contact information and improved our Duty Warden
Rota procedure.
Contact Centre
We received a complaint relating to our
Contact Centre. We worked with our staff
to ensure a more personal and sympathetic
response is provided to those we speak to.
Council Tax
A complaint was received in relation to our Council Tax
service. While investigating, it was clear backlogs had
affected the system. Staff were reminded to allow extra
time and check backlogs when awaiting evidence to
support a claim.
Education and Social Work
To address a complaint relating
to the school transition process,
staff across education and social
work were reminded to ensure
minutes of meetings were clear
and easy to understand. Teams
were also advised to always
signpost to additional services to
ensure full support was
provided.
Out of Hours Building Services
We were advised our Out of Hours procedure had not
been applied correctly. To ensure compliance, staff
were reminded to check records and instruct DLO to
attend when appropriate, particularly when a tenant has
been identified as vulnerable.
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Conclusion 
We are committed to learning from the views and experiences of our customers.  To do this, we aim
to record complaints accurately and adhere to our Complaints Handling Procedure.  This Annual
Report complies with the SPSO’s requirement to publish complaints information and highlights our
performance against their 8 performance indicators.  It also shows some of the recent issues we’ve
addressed and where our Complaints Handling Procedure can be improved.  We will continue to
welcome customer feedback and work towards providing the best service possible.   
Contact Us
Complaints regarding services provided by Moray Council can be made in person at any one of our
local access points in Elgin, Buckie, Forres or Keith or we can be contacted by telephone on 01343
543451 or email complaints@moray.gov.uk.  More information is also available online at
www.moray.gov.uk/complaints.
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: COUNCIL POVERTY PLAN PROGRESS UPDATE 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To inform the Committee of progress in developing a cross service whole
council poverty action plan as part of the Council’s strategic response to
reducing poverty in Moray. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section II B(6) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration relating to any new policy matter which
does not fall within the terms of reference of any other Committee. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that the Committee considers and notes progress in
developing a cross service whole council Poverty Action Plan as part of
the Council’s strategic response to reducing poverty in Moray and that a
further report will come forward for determination of content and
approach in early 2023. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 As part of the second phase of the Council’s Improvement and Modernisation
Programme, on 12 May 2021 the Council agreed to establish a resource to
develop the Council’s strategic response to reducing poverty in Moray.  It was
proposed that the project would define the issues and priorities, develop a
cross service whole council Poverty Action Plan and develop proposals to
meet gaps in activity to address agreed council priorities and co-ordinate
activity and reporting across the plan. (para 13 of the minute refers)
Item 14.
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Data Analysis 
3.2 To progress this project, initial work focussed on gathering a comprehensive
view of the national poverty environment, of the work already underway within
Council services and across Community Planning partners and of the
evidence base for poverty in Moray.  Work has been undertaken to refresh the
analysis of poverty data within Moray and to consider how different statistical
measures combine to show a picture of poverty indicators across Moray.  The
aim was to objectively collate poverty evidence, issues and actions to identify
gaps within the existing delivery of previously agreed council strategies and
action plans without replicating or diverting from existing planned work. 
3.3 The review of poverty data was undertaken using local and national data
sources accumulated into geographical data zones to enable comparisons to
be drawn.  Due to the way in which data is gathered and reported, the data
used covers timeframes between mid-2020 and early 2022.  Analysis included
consideration of statistics on benefits claimed; Scottish Index of Multiple
Deprivation (SIMD) data; and households below average income.  From the
analysis it became clear that as localities are aggregated up into larger
geographies, distinctions between groupings are lost.  For example, reviewing
data as Associated School Group level showed little variation between the 8
localities, whereas analysis at a lower geographical level identified differences
in poverty indicators.  This level of data is often not used in national reporting
where the smallest geography can be local authority area.  However, it will
continue to be taken into account in identifying issues and developing
interventions in future council work to tackle poverty and has also been
shared with the Fairer Moray Forum. 
3.4 This analysis of poverty statistics for Moray showed significant differences
when SIMD 2020 (geography based) data was compared with benefits
(people based) data, and illustrates why SIMD data should not be used to
assume that all people in an area with high levels of deprivation are deprived
and possibly in poverty.  It was also of note that locally claimed benefits are
an important factor in evidencing local poverty, but these are not included in
all national reporting (e.g. not used in “End Child Poverty” analysis). 
3.5 Overall, the analysis confirmed that the current locality work being undertaken
through the community planning partnership and by the council specifically is
focussed in areas identified by the data: New Elgin East; Elgin Cathedral to
Ashgrove and Pinefield; Forres South West and Mannachie; Buckie Central
East; and Keith and Fife Keith.  Locality work is also being actively supported
in Lossiemouth in line with the decision of the Education Communities and
Organisational Development Committee on 31 March 2021 (para 9 of the
minute refers) as it also contains vulnerable communities according to poverty
data.  Therefore, there can be assurance taken that locality based work is
addressing the areas where there is greatest need according to data analysis.
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Review of Current Plans and Actions 
3.6 The second area of work has been to collate information on the plans and
activities that are already progressing within council services to address
poverty in Moray.  This has been prepared into the current working draft of an
Anti-Poverty Assessment (Appendix A) which is designed to collate poverty
actions and identify gaps.  It sets out a summary of the drivers of poverty and
poverty policy followed by a brief summary of relevant national legislation and
policy directives that Moray Council is obliged to follow.  It then explores
existing local priorities, headline statistics and plans relating to the poverty
agenda.  An appraisal review of poverty actions drawn from other local plans
relevant to existing council service delivery is also included at the end of the
assessment. 
3.7 This assessment illustrates the extensive range of actions that are already
contained in specific plans to address poverty in Moray.  It is of note that there
are also a number of actions included in service plans that contribute to this
agenda, although not all of these are currently captured in the assessment. 
Reference has also been made to the poverty action plan developed by the
Fairer Moray Forum in 2018 on behalf of the community planning partnership
to identify actions where further work could be taken forward.  The actions
from plans have been grouped thematically along with additional relevant
poverty actions that could address identified gaps to give an indication of
areas to be explored further for inclusion within a co-ordinated and monitored
Moray Council poverty action plan (table 1 in the Assessment). 
3.8 This working draft is provided to committee to demonstrate the range of work
that is underway and provide assurance on progress towards a whole council
poverty action plan.  However, it should be noted that this is work in progress
and that in particular the actions highlighted in green require to be updated
and reviewed as there has been progress against some, and in other cases
work has moved on.  Work will continue on these to ensure that the eventual
plan is focussed and current. 
Next Steps 
3.9 Ideally, a strategic policy statement that sets out the Council’s aims and vision
for reducing poverty would have been the starting point to direct and inform
actions.  However, the poverty agenda has grown organically from roots
upwards in Moray, which provides strong links to local and specific issues as
well as addressing national themes and, as the assessment demonstrates,
this provides a strong platform from which to move forward.  The next stage of
work will include the development of a strategic cross cutting set of aims that
provide a shared vision of the council priorities in addressing poverty in
Moray.  This will be used to create a cohesive cross cutting agenda to direct
collective and individual service effort and ensure limited resources are
appropriately directed to priority work. 
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3.10  The next stage for the anti-poverty assessment is to review the assessment in
conjunction with service managers across the Council to bring actions
together into a poverty action plan to support the strategy and to report this to
committee.   
Cost of Living 
3.11 On 29 June 2022 (paragraph 22 of the minute refers) the Council agreed to
establish a Cost of Living Working Group in response to the escalating
financial issues emerging from the wider economic environment.  The Group
has met twice and has agreed terms of reference and an initial set of actions
to be drawn into a short term rapid response piece of work.  This will aim to
support the immediate wider issues that are emerging and to sit alongside the
longer term approach to reducing poverty. 
Governance 
3.12 In parallel with the above, the governance arrangements relating to poverty
work across the community planning partnership have been reviewed with a
view to ensuring that the agenda is joined up and directed to the priorities of
the partnership and this includes a number of areas involving council services
and so will also support the integration of the poverty agenda within the
council. 
4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP) 
The delivery of Poverty Actions within this report will directly contribute to
the LOIP aims of ‘Raising Aspirations’: Moray provides an enabling
environment where residents can achieve expanded choices, improved
livelihood and wellbeing. 
(b) Policy and Legal 
There are no specific policy or legal implications arising from this report.
The undernoted are highlighted by way of background context. 
The Community Empowerment Act 2015 places specific duties on
Community Planning Partnerships to produce a local outcomes
improvement plan (LOIP) with a particular a focus on actions aligned to
addressing the poorest outcomes and to prepare locality plans.   
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 places a duty on local authorities
and health boards to produce an annual local child poverty action report
and national guidance suggests that this is developed collaboratively
with local partners. 
Both of the above are addressed through arrangements with community
planning partners 
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(c) Financial implications 
None at this time. 
(d) Risk Implications 
The following risks were noted in establishing this piece of work and
remain relevant. 
• Inability to resource and action solutions to address the issues
once defined;
• Creating expectations around solving a complex societal issue – a
range of interventions will aim to make improvements but the
combination of influencing factors make it difficult to measure a
causal link with change;
• Breaking into a complex and diverse existing environment that
has grown within specific service areas and is not currently co-
ordinated corporately may mean conflicting priorities or resistance
to overall direction; existing commitments need to be honoured so
limiting the scope for new impact;
• National requirements frame the agenda in some areas (mainly
with funding) with local activity being a discretionary addition,
therefore, can change in priority based on available resources,
national asks and local politics giving an uncertain and
inconsistent working environment. 
(e) Staffing Implications 
The post of Senior Policy Officer (Poverty) was agreed as part of the
report to the Council on 12 May 2021 (para 13 refers) and this post was
recruited to in October 2021.  Two further posts: Policy and Research
Office and Apprentice Researcher were also identified in the project
proposal with the intention that these posts would be activated once
there was greater specification to the work required.   
Subsequently on 30 August 2022, the Corporate Committee considered
an update report on the Improvement and Modernisation Programme
(para 6 of the minute refers) which identified that consideration of further
resourcing would be linked to the direction from committee following
planned report on strategic approach.  As this work is not yet concluded,
the issue of staffing resources will be addressed in the next report to
committee. 
(f) Property 
None 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
Delivery of anti-poverty actions will have a demonstrable and quantifiable
positive impact on equalities and the socio economic health of Moray. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts 
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None at this time 
(i) Consultations 
There have been 2 workshops held, one with Council officers and one
with the Fairer Moray Forum and wider Community Planning partners. 
The information gathered has been utilised to form the appendix to this
report.  The Corporate Management Team has been consulted on the
assessment set out in the appendix and is supportive of the general
direction of this work. 
5. CONCLUSION 
5.1 The work that has been progressed to prepare a poverty assessment to
identify current plans and activities that are already progressing within
council services to address poverty in Moray demonstrates the range of
work that is already in place.  Work will continue to finalise this
assessment and report back to committee to establish clear strategic
vision and direction to inform and direct this work moving forward and
to address any gaps following further work to explore these more fully. 
Author of Report: Denise Whitworth DCE (ECOD)/ Will Napier, Senior
Policy Officer (Poverty)
Background Papers: Poverty Data Analysis
Moray Community Planning Partnership Poverty Strategy
& Action Plan (Community Planning Board 18 April 2018)
Children’s Services Action Plan
Local Employability Partnership Plan
Local Housing Strategy
Ref: SPMAN-1468114179-39 / SPMAN-1468114179-40 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Appendix A 
Moray Council Anti-Poverty Assessment 2022 
Item 14.
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Foreword
This document is designed to enable Moray Council to objectively collate poverty actions and
identify gaps within the existing delivery of previously agreed council and partnership strategies and
action plans relating to poverty, set against national poverty policy and local poverty measurements. 
It does not replace those documents, nor does it alter their content or our commitment to them, it is
merely an attempt to take stock of the Council’s existing contribution to delivery and the
identification of possible routes to identifying and resolving gaps in delivery of agreed priorities.   
Purpose and contents
This Strategy & Action Plan forms an evidence base review of the shared understanding of Poverty in
Moray and enables cross cutting priorities to be reviewed and consideration given to where the
council wishes to direct collective and individual service effort and limited resources within a co-
ordinated and monitored poverty programme.  The outputs and progress of delivery of this plan will
be reported both internally within Moray Council, and within the governance structure of Moray
Community Planning Partnership. 
It begins with the drivers of poverty policy followed by a brief summary of relevant National
legislation and policy directives that Moray Council have a legal obligation to follow.  It then
explores existing local priorities, headline statistics and plans relating to the poverty agenda.
An appraisal review of the poverty actions drawn from other local plans relevant to existing council
service delivery is attached at Appendix 1. 
Relevant detailed actions are grouped thematically along with additional relevant poverty actions to
address any identified gaps for inclusion within a co-ordinated and monitored Moray Council
poverty action plan and table 1. 
By reviewing the current and emerging issues against existing plans and actions, it is possible to
provide an overview of what is already being achieved by the Council, so that gaps can be identified
and set against previously agreed aims from which to action and measure progress and work
collaboratively with partners, contributing to the overall anti-poverty efforts of the Moray
Community Planning Partnership. 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Background
Moray like the rest of the Country must deal with post Covid recovery and a cost of living crisis.
More people are in dire need now and predictions suggest that the situation will worsen prior to
recovery. While it has recently been the intention to plan and act strategically to reduce future
poverty, it must be acknowledged that current circumstances will challenge the Council to meet and
mitigate current poverty need, whilst also developing in parallel strategies to prevent poverty in the
future, in a ‘two pronged’ approach.
We must also be capable of accurately assessing the urgent needs of the Moray community and the
progress we make on delivering effective and locally relevant anti-poverty measures through both
statistical data and ‘lived experience’, the voices of local people experiencing poverty.
Themes/Factors contributing to poverty
There are several factors that can result in people experiencing poverty.
As identified by the Scottish Government’s “Every child, every chance: tackling child
poverty delivery plan 2018-2022” direct drivers of poverty fall in to three main categories –
income from employment, costs of living and income from social security. The relationship
of these drivers to wider thematic areas is summarised below.
Relevant National Policy Context
There is no single policy which on its own will eradicate poverty. Broadly speaking, increasing
income from work and benefit entitlement, along with reducing outgoing costs such as housing and
fuel are the greatest mechanisms by which we can reduce poverty in Moray.
This Council, like all others in Scotland, operates within a legislative framework and has a duty to
deliver on Government legislation. Therefore, our poverty work must align to and be mindful of the
following priorities set at a national level which have also informed the development of relevant
Community Planning documents referred to later.
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Child Poverty
Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017
Local Authorities and Health Boards are required to jointly prepare and publish annual reports on
measures taken and measures proposed to contribute to child poverty targets, income maximisation
measures, and measures to benefit those with protected characteristics. Beyond these
requirements, the process and content of reporting is at local leads’ discretion. 
‘Best Start, Bright Futures’ 
Scotland’s second tackling child poverty delivery plan – was published in March 2022. It is a plan for
all of Scotland and commits to partnership working across public, private and third sectors, and with
communities, to take forward the national anti-poverty mission. To coordinate efforts towards the
national child poverty targets, local Councils and partners are encouraged to align their actions with
the delivery plan. 
The national interim relative child poverty target set for 2023/24 is “less than 18%” with the final
2030/31 target set at “less than 10%”.  At the time of writing, Moray’s level of relative Child Poverty
is 23% 
Poverty
Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019
The Fuel Poverty Act sets stretching statutory targets for reducing fuel poverty. The overarching
target is that in the year 2040, as far as reasonably practicable, no household in Scotland is in fuel
poverty and, in any event, no more than 5% of households are fuel poor, no more than 1% are in
extreme fuel poverty and the fuel poverty gap is no more than £250 (in 2015 prices). The legislation
sets interim targets within this for 2030 and 2035.  Currently in Moray, 40% of households live in
fuel poverty compared to a Scottish average of 35% 
Dignity
Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021
This Act came fully into force on 15th August 2022 and places responsibility on Scottish local
authorities and education providers to provide a reasonable choice of free period products which
are easily obtained in a way that respects a person's dignity. 
Our Priorities: Relevant Local Plans, Strategies and Action Plans 
Local Outcome Improvement Plan
Raising Aspirations: Moray provides an enabling environment where residents can achieve expanded
choices, improved livelihood and wellbeing.
Focus: Poverty Strategy to tackle poverty, social cohesion and inclusion
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
• Inequalities in educational attainment will reduce.
• Access to employment opportunities will improve and low pay will reduce.
• Health and social inequalities will reduce.
Gaps in quantifiable baseline data and measurable targets, however much of the detail flows
through into other local plans that have taken their guide from LOIP 
Moray Council Corporate Plan 2024
The number 1 Corporate Plan priority within Our People, Children and Families is:
“Provide opportunities for people to be the best they can be throughout their lives with a strong and
sustained focus on those individuals and groups in our society who experience the most disadvantage
and discrimination”
The following actions are listed:
• Reducing the impact of poverty
• Tackling inequalities
• Raising Aspirations
• Fair, Ambitious, Improving, Responsive
There are a number of outcome measurements proposed, however there are opportunities for
specific measurements of where we are and what our targets should be.  This requires further
coordination into central poverty information. 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Moray Community Planning Partnership Poverty Strategy & Action Plan 2018-2021 
Although this plan has expired and it is not known at the time of writing if the Community Planning
Board wish to revisit it for refresh, it was agreed by Moray Council in September of 2019 and
originally contained a range of relevant poverty themes along with the Child Poverty Action Plan.  It
is a useful document to map potential gaps in poverty interventions and activities in Moray. Specific
actions are shown within the action appraisal at Appendix 1. The prioritised interest groups and
actions are summarised here:
Priority population groups Priority actions
Lone parents  free / affordable childcare provision
Nursery age children  free / affordable out of school childcare
provision
Primary school pupils  school holiday meals
Secondary school students  school uniforms
Looked after children  parenting support
Care leavers  mental health support
Large families (3+ children)  school attainment
Minority ethnic families including gypsy
travellers 
support into employment
Pregnant women  skills and training support
Families with infants under 1  access to the real living wage
Families with disabled children  ensuring social security uptake
Families with younger mothers (aged under
25) 
provision of financial advice
Adults with disabilities  internet access
Children with mental health problems  affordable credit
Adults with mental health problems  affordable housing
People experiencing homelessness  energy efficient homes
Adults without qualifications  affordable energy
Retired adults  affordable food  
affordable sanitary products  
affordable transport 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Children’s Services Action Plan – 2022/2023 Actions (Final Draft)
Priority 3 - “The impact of poverty on children, young people and families is mitigated”.
• The voices of children, young people and families experiencing poverty are heard and acted
upon.
• A co-ordinated approach to mitigating the impact of child poverty is adopted across the
children’s services partnership.
• The disposable income of families experiencing poverty is maximised
• No child or young person feels disadvantaged by poverty
There are a number of annual sub actions and performance measures, however further work is
required to address gaps in the baseline data and set quantifiable targets for improvement, along
with co-ordinating poverty information centrally. 
Moray Pathways Local Employability Partnership Delivery Plan 2022-2025 (Consultative Draft)
Specific work around increasing household income through employment and access to skills
development and supported training including to Low income families and lone parents with
children experiencing poverty and those with disabilities .  
KPI 4 – “Increasing household income, reducing child poverty, through access to fair work and in
work skills development” 
Current levels of children in Childcare places in Moray – 24% (Scotland 27.2%)
Underemployment in Moray is at 10.4% (Scotland 8.1%)
KPI 6 – “Contributing to the decrease in the digital poverty gap through skills” 
Local Housing Strategy 2019 – 2024
Priority 4: “Improve the condition and energy efficiency of housing, and minimise fuel poverty”
We will ensure that as many households as possible in Moray live in a warm, comfortable home they
can afford to heat. We will seek to reduce energy consumption in homes and promote the use of
renewable energy sources for heating.  We will seek to achieve this by:
• improving the energy efficiency of the housing stock in order to remove poor
energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty;
• making comprehensive energy advice available to individuals and communities
at greatest risk of fuel poverty;
• ensuring that investment in home energy efficiency energy and energy advice
and support is directed to households who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty;
• ensuring that new housing is built to high standards of energy efficiency
• participating in programmes to de-carbonise the heating supply
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
The Scottish Government’s current definition is that a household is in fuel poverty if, in order to
maintain a satisfactory heating regime, it spends more than 10% of its income on fuel and in
extreme fuel poverty if it spends more than 20%. In its draft Fuel Poverty Strategy 2018, the Scottish
Government intended to adopt a revised definition which moves the 10% fuel cost to income ratio
to an after housing costs have been paid basis and introduces a new minimum income threshold for
households experiencing fuel poverty. The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), which is used to
by the Scottish Government to measure progress on fuel poverty, estimated previously that 45% of
households in Moray (over 19,000 households) are in fuel poverty compared with the then Scottish
average of 31%. The SHCS estimated that 12% of households in Moray were in extreme fuel poverty
compared with a Scottish average of 8%.
A range of factors place households in Moray at high risk of fuel poverty, including, low income –
Moray has one of the lowest average incomes in Scotland – the poor energy efficiency of older
housing stock (only 23% of dwellings in Moray have a high energy efficiency rating compared to the
Scottish average of 37%), particularly in the private rented sector and the higher proportion of
households living in off-gas remote and rural locations and paying higher fuel costs. 62% of fuel poor
households are older households. The SHCS estimates that 42% of owner occupied households in
Moray (around 12,000 households) are fuel poor, compared with 54% in the social rented sector
(around 5,000 households). Over 70% of households in Moray are in the private sector.
Homes in Moray have relatively poor energy efficiency. The average Energy Efficiency Rating (SAP
2012) for housing in Moray is 58.8 which is worse than the Scottish average of 62.9. In Moray, the
ratings for social housing (62.1) were generally higher than both the owner-occupied (58.3) and
private rented (55.6) sectors. At 31 March 2018, 55.4% of the Council’s stock (around 3,350
dwellings) met the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH). 400 Council houses were
exempt from the EESSH, the vast majority being exempt for “technical” reasons.
Most recent figures suggest that there continues to be significant numbers of people experiencing
fuel poverty (Currently in Moray, 40% of households live in fuel poverty compared to a Scottish
average of 35%), despite investment in insulation via the HEEPS ABS scheme which was targeted at
those households at greatest risk. Targeting could be improved however, as initially, this was done
using Council tax records, and further work could be undertaken to co-ordinate and share up to
date poverty data.
Cost of School Day Plan
The Cost of the School Day has been in working in partnership with Moray schools since the start of
2020. The project works with the whole school community to explore the financial barriers to
participation and supports schools to implement policies and practices that reduce everyday school
costs and financial pressures on families. As the cost of living rises Cost of the School Day work can
help to reduce household costs for families on low incomes and mitigate the effect of poverty on
children and young people in the classroom. Children’s voices and experiences of how they access
the school day is integral to understanding the challenges faced by some pupils. This includes
exploring costs associated with uniform, curriculum costs, school trips, charity events and other
additional opportunities at school. Children who cannot access a full experience of school due to low
income very often report lower wellbeing and educational achievement. Work in Moray has the
following aims:
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
• Child poverty aware school staff throughout the authority with a clear understanding of
financial barriers at school and the motivation and resources to tackle them
• Policy and practice at school and local authority level which reduce costs and poverty related
stigma for children and families
• Families and children aware of and able to access support available in their schools
• Children from low income households able to fully participate in all parts of the school day
• Opportunities to share learning and good practice across all Moray school 
Topics covered by this project include: 
• Uniform
• Support for parents and financial entitlements
• Charity and Fundraising activities
• Trips
• Food (challenge is free school meal ‘take up’)
• Additional opportunities/activities
• Celebrations
• Expressive Arts, design and technology
• Homework, home learning and resources
• Curriculum and ability grouping
• Bullying
• Pupil voice
• Travel
• Rewards, behaviour and attendance
• Staff awareness and approaches 
There have been some excellent examples of best practice among some schools and broadly, the
challenges for further poverty work are: Sharing and communicating best practice along with a
review of relevant policy guidelines. 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Moray Council Poverty Action Plan 
Investing in poverty prevention, particularly in children and young people and raising their aspirations for the future is the most cost effective and sustainable ways to
combat poverty.  This action plan aims to do this wherever possible within actions and plans already agreed within the Community Planning Partnership.  The successful
delivery of this plan will also have links to wider, long term goals within Moray Council and our partners around economic development ambitions for example, moving us
away from a low wage economy.
This plan must also think in the shorter term however and do everything it can to mitigate against the effects of poverty currently being experienced
By reviewing the current and emerging issues against existing plans and actions, it was possible to provide an overview of what is already being achieved by the Council, so
that gaps could be identified and set in context with previously agreed aims set working collaboratively with community planning partners. 
Delivery of this plan ensures that Moray Council is contributing to the overall anti-poverty efforts of the Moray Community Planning Partnership. 
Further work to design ongoing monitoring of impact and performance will be required as will a refinement of initially estimated timescales for individual delivery of
actions. 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Table 1  
SERVICE AREA TARGET GROUP ACTIONS 2022-2024 
TARGET DATES / MEASURES (note
timing to be confirmed in a number of
actions)
LEAD COUNCIL
SERVICE/TEAM     
Cost of Living 
TO BE ADDED
MULTIPLY funded projects also
looking at education / mentoring
– sits with CLD Strategic
Partnership  
EDUCATION
Children and Families
Consider scope for PEF / SEF
Policy guidance to be reviewed for
closer supported links between
schools poverty related activity
and wider poverty aims so that up
to date poverty work can help
inform ongoing policy guideline
development and the sharing of
best practice and outcome
information. (note PEF is directed
by head teachers as funding
allocation is direct to schools)
Review completed and ongoing links
established within 6 months from
commencement.
Education   
Continue implementation of  the
Moray "Cost of the School Day"
action plan and relevant policy
guideline reviews
As part of ongoing rollout and sharing
of best practice   
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
HOUSING
All
(a) The identified leads will work
together to review the way in
which support is currently
provided to families experiencing
fuel poverty
(b) the identified leads will
develop an action plan to improve
coordination and reach/uptake of
support including Energy
Efficiency capital works
Revised approach to identifying those
experiencing fuel poverty and system
of support and advice within 6 months
of commencement.  Delivery of capital
works dependant on funding and
housing capital programme
Housing (LHS) 
Money Advice Moray Team
ECOD
(Transformation)
Every person who menstruates
Provide free sanitary products to
those who need them with
ongoing consultation regarding
venues and product types
Revised system of provision
established and in place by February
2023
Transformation Team 
Education
ALL
Prepare contingency plan for the
provision of ‘Warm Hubs’ across
Moray
Plan to be completed by end of
October 2022
Transformation Team (co-
ordination)
Maximising Income from Employment   
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
EMPLOYABILITY
Care Leavers
(a) Identify the range of
Employability support available to
looked after children and young
people leaving care
(b) Develop a communication plan
to increase awareness of these
supports amongst looked after
children and young people leaving
care
(c) ensure referral connection
between young people leaving
care and employability keyworker
support is made 
(d) Improve data collection and
tracking/monitoring via post
school pathways planning
meetings using through care and
aftercare services and children’s
services to increase the number of
referrals to Mentoring
Programmes
System in place within 6 months of
commencement with regular reporting
of referral numbers and positive
outcomes achieved
Employability Team 
Corporate Parenting Team
Children and Families 
Children and Families
Review of School estate Childcare
Policy guidelines to consider any
scope to assist with wraparound
childcare project to overcome
identified childcare barrier for
Review completed within 6 months of
commencement (timing tbc)
Education 
Employability Team
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
parents entering employment &
training opportunities 
EMPLOYABILITY
Minority Ethnic Groups (Including
refugees)
Co-ordinate ESOL community
provision to support the needs of
families seeking support
Collaborate with relevant partners
to identify the specific needs of
ethnic minorities to successfully
move into employment or
training.
Revised plan produced within 6 months
of commencement
Community Learning and
Development Strategic Group 
Employability Team 
Resettlement Group
Multiple
Identify specific target groups
where underemployment is more
common e.g. lone
parents/females/migrant
workers/refugees/veterans
Report identifying target groups and
plan for further work within 6 months
of commencement
Employability Team
Multiple
Encourage employers to offer
supported employment job
placements for our high priority
groups via the MERI scheme
Plan for ongoing Council procedure /
agreement developed within 3 months
of commencement
Employability Team 
HR
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
ALL
Write an apprenticeship strategy
to encourage public sector
organisations to increase uptake
of apprentices.
Plan for ongoing Council procedure /
agreement developed within 3 months
of commencement
Employability Team 
HR
EMPLOYABILITY Women
To investigate ways in which the
council can have an impact on the
gender pay gap within Moray
Initial research and report completed
within 3 months of commencement
Employability Team (potential
for support from partners to
be explored as significant
task) 
Equalities Team
Maximising Income from Social Security / Benefits   
MONEY ADVICE ALL
Via the locality networks deliver 4
dedicated money advice outreach
sessions over the next 12 months. 
Completed by end of December 2023
Money Advice Moray
Test the poverty leaflet that has
been developed with locality
networks to inform about access
to financial support.  Including
multi agency staff training
Sessions.
Completed within 1 month from
commencement
To adapt this leaflet specifically
for young people.
Completed 2 months from
commencement
People will be routinely advised
by practitioners in relevant
services of their entitlement to
social security benefits, to raise
Designed and commenced rolling
delivery within 6 months of
commencement
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
awareness, and signposted or
referred to free financial support
services if required.  Council Staff
Training required 
Communications and ‘Lived Experience’  
ALL
Children and Families
To clarify and formalise the
mechanism by which we
continuously hear the voice of
children and families through
linking with the locality networks
and the FMFAG to collate and
share knowledge, identify gaps
and direct activity to addressing
these gaps.
Established system of regular feedback
by end of December 2022
Community Support and
Engagement 
Communications Team 
Money Advice Moray Team
Children and young people will be
directly involved in the
development of policies to
mitigate the impacts of poverty.
Ongoing and linked to Rollout of Policy
development 
Measured by number of relevant
policies contributed to by target group
Deliver a campaign promoting
opportunities for all children to
participate in learning, leisure and
play.
Designed and delivered within 4
months of commencement
ALL
An easily accessible information
system will be developed in liaison
with those with lived experience
e.g. employability/financial
website/crisis app to ensure both
the general population and
professionals who offer support
are able to access the most up to
date information regarding all
Target of 1 year for design,
development and delivery
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
financial matters.  This will
supplement the Money Advice
Moray Team and hopefully reduce
service pressures  
Communications around the
specific promotion of access to
free activities such as open spaces
and events 
Specific communication plan produced
within 4 months of commencement 
Appendix 1. Review and appraisal of Poverty Actions 
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
To clarify and formalise the
mechanism by which we
continuously hear the voice of
children and families through linking
with the locality networks and the
poverty action group to collate and
share knowledge, identify gaps and
direct activity to addressing these
gaps.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion, as part of
ongoing communication and
wider effort to secure ‘lived
experience’ of poverty in Moray.
However, current position and
progress to be confirmed (tbc) 
Deliver a joint East/West locality
shared learning event with a focus on
poverty
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Children and Families Mitigation Inclusion not required as one off
event. Will be repeated as part of
wider Communications work.
Raise the profile of the Child Poverty
Action Plan within and beyond the
children’s services partnership.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Children and Families Mitigation Inclusion not required as part of
Child Poverty Group remit where
work is being done and covered
by wider communication.
Utilise learning from the research
undertaken to understand the
acceptability of the early years
Financial Inclusion Pathway for
families and for practitioners, in
order to identify opportunities for
improvement.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Income from
Social Security
and Benefits in
Kind
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of all efforts to ensure
benefit entitlement take up.
Via the locality networks deliver 4
bespoke ‘Making Every Opportunity
Count’ (MEOC) sessions over the
next 12 months.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Income from
Social Security
and Benefits in
Kind
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of all efforts to ensure
benefit entitlement take up.
Progress check needed
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
Test the toolkit that has been
developed with and for parents to
inform about access to financial
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Income from
Social Security
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of all efforts to ensure
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
support and promote trusted
community assets. Testing to begin
June 2022.  Including Training
Sessions.
and Benefits in
Kind
benefit entitlement take up.
Progress check needed
To begin the development of a young
person’s toolkit with and for children
and young people. 
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Income from
Social Security
and Benefits in
Kind
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of all efforts to ensure
benefit entitlement take up.
Progress check needed
Children and young people will be
directly involved in the development
of policies to mitigate the impacts of
poverty.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of ongoing communication
and wider effort to secure ‘lived
experience’ of poverty in Moray.
Progress check needed
Deliver a campaign promoting
opportunities for all children to
participate in learning, leisure and
play.
Children’s Services
Action Plan (2022-
2023 Actions)
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Children and Families Prevention Potential for inclusion in plan, as
part of raising attainment and
positive destinations for children
and young people.
Progress check needed
PEF guidance will be reviewed over
the next six months and reissued to
schools by the end of 2019, and
closer supported links between
schools poverty related activity and
Fairer Moray Forum.
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Attainment and
Cost of Living
Children and Families Mitigation Completed in 2019, possible
potential for inclusion of further
work as part of raising
attainment so that up to date
poverty work can help inform
ongoing SEF/PEF policy guideline
development and the sharing of
best practice and outcome
information.  However, merits to
be considered in light of work
already completed and autonomy
of head teachers in relation to
PEF  
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
(a) Explore during 2019/20 with local
employers what support would
enable them to offer a fair wage and
contract conditions for all workers
(b) Develop and implement an action
plan based on the results of (a)
during 2020/21
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Income from
Employment
ALL Prevention Not recommended for inclusion
as work now superseded by
council employability team (as
part of Moray Economic
Partnership) and detailed
separately.
(a) Identify the range of supports
available to looked after children and
young people leaving care
(b) Develop an action plan to
increase awareness of these supports
amongst looked after children and
young people leaving care
(c) Implement the action plan
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Communications
and ‘lived
experience’
Looked after children
and care experienced
young people
Mitigation Potential for inclusion, as part of
reconnection of development and
monitoring of council
Employability and Corporate
Parenting teams. Informing
Communications and ‘lived
experience’. New approved HT
for looked after children will also
support this work.
Progress check needed
Support, training and development
will continue to be available in order
for people to gain higher paid
employment through the
implementation of the Moray Skills
Investment Plan which takes forward
the key themes:
• Effective Careers and
information and advice
• Supporting Key Economic
Priorities
• A responsive skills
infrastructure
• Enhancing employer
engagement 
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Income from
Employment
ALL Prevention Not recommended for inclusion
as action delivered and work now
superseded by council
employability team (as part of
Moray Economic Partnership) and
detailed separately.
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
Implement the Moray "Cost of the
School Day" action plan
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living Children and Families Mitigation Potential for Inclusion.
Development of policy guidance
and the sharing of best practice.
Progress check needed as this
work is well established
The Early Learning and Childcare Plan
will be implemented to deliver
affordable, flexible and good quality
childcare in Moray
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living
and Income
from
Employment
Children and Families Mitigation Potential for Inclusion as part of
renewed focus on Childcare and
the reduction of
Underemployment.  However,
this may be industry led – liaison
with economic devt required
Explore opportunities to secure
necessary funding from e.g. Carnegie
UK Affordable Credit Loan Fund to
develop a community based and run
financial institution, in partnership
with existing providers of affordable
credit in Moray
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as affordable
credit is part of CWB strategy remit 
(a) The identified leads will work
together to review the way in which
support is currently provided to
families experiencing fuel poverty
(b) the identified leads will develop
an action plan to improve
coordination and reach/uptake of
support
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
co-ordination of cost of living
reduction and communications
across money advice actions in
partnership with relevant local
agencies.
Progress check needed as
information has been published
to address this as well as co-
ordinated event work in 2021
The Moray Food Poverty Action Plan
will be implemented - with particular
emphasis on developing provision for
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as Scottish
Govt has this as a stated
expansion of holiday provision for
children and young people,
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
young people during school holiday
periods.
although there would be a need
for funding
The Moray Housing Strategy and Plan
will be implemented, following
consultation, taking forward the key
priorities of:
• Improving access to housing
of all tenures and alleviating
housing need
• Preventing and alleviating
homelessness
• Assisting those who require
specialist housing
• Improving the condition and
energy efficiency of housing
and minimising fuel poverty
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
housing and fuel poverty actions
and renewed efforts to gather
information and track statistical
data.
Provide free sanitary products to
those on a low income
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
new legal duties.  Information to
be updated and reported.
Work is already established –
progress check required on
whether business as usual
(a) The lead group will consider the
need for the development of an
affordable, accessible transport
scheme
(b) Based on their assessment the
lead group will develop an action
plan to develop an affordable and
accessible transport scheme
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living All Mitigation Potential for inclusion with link to
Bus Revolution as part of the
solution 
The identified leads will ensure that
those on a low income are aware of
their services providing clothing
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership remit
and has been addressed at least
in part, but will feature in Cost of
School day actions.  Information
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
has been published by council and
partners (council cost of living
hub) which promotes support
available
The identified lead will lead the
exploration of the possibility of
developing a furniture service, with
the intention of developing an action
plan to implement this 
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership
remit.  To confirm how this is
currently covered
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
The Neonatal Expenses Fund will be
promoted, with the aim to identify
eligible and vulnerable parents so
that they may be supported to spend
as much time with their babies as
possible, while they are receiving
care within a neonatal unit.
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living  Children and Families Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership remit
(with Council input).
An easily accessible information
system will be developed in liaison
with those with lived experience e.g.
employability/financial website/crisis
app to ensure both the general
population and professionals who
offer support are able to access the
most up to date information
regarding all financial matters.
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living
and income
from
Employment
ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
Informing Communications and
‘lived experience’, and
Maximising Income from
Benefits
Progress check needed as council
as set up information hub on
website which addresses
information accessibility.
Lived experience gathered by CLD
Strategic group as part of
reporting
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
People will be routinely advised by
practitioners in relevant services of
their entitlement to social security
benefits, to raise awareness, and
signposted or referred to free
financial support services if required.
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
Informing Communications
Progress check needed - Template
established to take practitioners
through issues in place – closed?
The importance of attending for
antenatal care will be promoted with
the aim to increase the number of
vulnerable mothers eligible and in
receipt of Sure Start Maternity Grant
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living Children and Families Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership remit
and will be covered by other cost
of living / money advice actions.
We will continue to grow and sustain
Making Every Opportunity Count
(MEOC) across Moray
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership remit
and will be covered by other cost
of living / money advice actions. 
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
We will provide more support for
children and families in the very
earliest years through the Universal
Health Visiting Service and Family
Nurse Partnership Programme
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living Children and Families Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership
remit.
We will promote the importance of
Healthy Start with the aim to
increase access to the scheme for
eligible vulnerable families
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living Children and Families Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership
remit.
Financial inclusion referral pathways
will be developed within Midwifery
and Early Years Practice and then
adapted to be suitable and available
to all professionals.
MCPP Poverty
Strategy & Action
Plan 2018-2021
Cost of Living Children and Families Mitigation Not recommended for inclusion
as part of wider partnership remit
and will be covered by other cost
of living / money advice actions.
Wraparound childcare project to
overcome identified childcare barrier
for parents entering employment &
Moray Pathways
Employability
Income from
Employment
Children and Families Prevention Potential for inclusion due to links
between childcare and school
estate and policy review
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
training opportunities Delivery Plan
2022-2025
opportunities. However, need
may be let by other providers.
Improve data collection and tracking/
monitoring via post school pathways
planning meetings
Collaborate with through care and
aftercare services and children’s
services
Increase number of referrals to
Mentoring Programmes
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
Care Experienced Prevention Potential for inclusion as council
service focussed (Corporate
Parenting and Education).
Co-ordinate ESOL community
provision to support the needs of
families seeking support
Collaborate with relevant partners to
identify the specific needs of ethnic
minorities to successfully move into
employment or training.
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
Minority Ethnic
Groups (Including
refugees)
Prevention Potential for inclusion as council
service focussed (resettlement
group).
Progress check needed – this
areas is overseen by the
Community Learning and
Development Strategic Group
Promotion of partnership to
relevant groups within armed
forces organisations and veteran
organisations ( SAAFA & Poppy
Scotland)
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
Armed forces and
veterans
Prevention Potential for inclusion, as current
area of work and seeing an
increase in service personnel
making a claim to universal credit.
Identify specific target group where
underemployment is more common
ie: lone parents/females/migrant
workers/refugees/veterans
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
Multiple Prevention Potential for inclusion as links to
council service teams.
Encourage employers to offer
supported employment job
placements for our high priority
groups via the MERI scheme
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
Multiple Prevention Potential for inclusion as
opportunities for Council to
access MERI scheme including
cost benefits.
Write an apprenticeship strategy to
encourage public sector
organisations to increase uptake of
apprentices.
Moray Pathways
Employability
Delivery Plan
2022-2025
Income from
Employment
ALL Prevention Potential for inclusion as direct
link to council service teams.
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
improving the energy efficiency of
the housing stock in order to remove
poor energy efficiency as a driver of
fuel poverty
Moray Council
Local Housing
Strategy 2019 -
2024
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
cost of living action on fuel
poverty.
making comprehensive energy advice
available to individuals and
communities
at greatest risk of fuel poverty
Moray Council
Local Housing
Strategy 2019 -
2024
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
cost of living action on fuel
poverty and communications.
Progress check needed –
information published Oct 2022
ensuring that investment in home
energy efficiency energy and energy
advice and support is directed to
households who are most vulnerable
to fuel poverty 
Moray Council
Local Housing
Strategy 2019 -
2024
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
cost of living action on fuel
poverty.
Poverty Action/Outcome Origin  Poverty Theme Target Priority Group Intervention Type Council Poverty Action Plan
Recommendation
ensuring that new housing is built to
high standards of energy efficiency
Moray Council
Local Housing
Strategy 2019 -
2024
Cost of Living ALL Mitigation Potential for inclusion as part of
cost of living action on fuel
poverty. 
Gap Analysis 
Mitigation Prevention Children & families Other groups TOTAL
Max income from
employment
1 7 5 1 Care Leavers
1 Minority Ethnic
1 Armed forces
8 Income from
Employment Actions
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DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 
3 ALL
Max income from
benefits
5 5 4 1 ALL 5 Income from
Benefits Actions
Cost of living 11  7 8 ALL 11 Cost of Living
Actions
Communications and
‘lived experience’
3 1 4 1 Looked after
Children
1 Care Leavers
4 Communications
Actions
TOTAL 20 Mitigation Actions 13 Prevention Actions 20 Children and
Families Actions
17 Other group
Actions 
Additional gaps identified to date for consideration within action plan 
1) Gender pay gap (Employability) Some activity noted – consider whether this addresses issues 
• Women working fulltime earn £430 per week, compared to men working fulltime who earn £540 per week. 8
• Nearly one in three (29%) women work part-time in Moray, compared to one in thirty-three men (3%). 
• Women’s lower wages and fewer working hours increase the risk of poverty for women, and nine out of ten (90%) lone parents in Scotland are women. 9 
8 ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings – 2007-2016
9 Scottish Government, Equality characteristics of people in poverty in Scotland - 2015/16 
2) Communications around the specific promotion of access to free activities such as open spaces and events – recent publication of information – consider whether
this addresses issues   
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Page 171

REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 08 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: PERFORMANCE REPORT (FINANCIAL SERVICES) – PERIOD
TO SEPTEMBER 2022 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND
FINANCE) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To inform the Committee of the performance of the service for the period to 30
September 2022. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (4) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration to monitor performance in accordance
with the Council’s Performance Management Framework. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1  It is recommended that Committee: 
(i) scrutinises performance in the areas of Service Planning, Service
Performance and other related data to the end of September 2022;  
(ii) notes the actions being taken to improve performance where
required. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 On 7 August 2019, the Moray Council approved a revised Performance
Management Framework for services (para 5 of the minute refers). 
4. SERVICE PLANNING 
4.1 Each service plan sets out the strategic and service level priorities and
outcomes it intends to deliver in the coming year aligning closely with financial
planning, corporate and community planning partnership strategic priorities. 
This report provides an interim update on progress on the service plan, key
outcomes and performance indicators.  Committee is invited to review
progress to secure assurance that is satisfactory and to provide scrutiny and
further direction where performance requires attention.   
Item 15.
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4.2 The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Plan Actions and
Performance Indicators can be accessed within the Background Papers
section of this report.   
Strategic Outcomes – successes 
4.3 A preliminary review of the capital plan shows that through rescheduling of
planned works, the 10% target reduction has been achieved.  In the light of
recent increases in interest rates a further review is now ongoing.  A
prioritisation criteria matrix was circulated to budget managers for completion
which will be reviewed by the Asset Management Working Group.  This will be
refined and used in the capital planning process going forward.  (Action
FIN22-23.Strat-4.1b) 
Strategic Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.4 As the Transformation programme review progresses, savings are identified
as each strand is assessed.  The position was last updated to committee in
August and will be included in the Council’s budget for 2023/24 as at
December.  (Action FIN22-23 Strat 4.1c) 
Service Level Outcomes – successes 
4.5 To ensure compliance with the Living Wage, a review of contracted suppliers
was completed as planned.   The Council was formally awarded Living Wage
employer accreditation in September 2022.  (Action FIN22-23 Strat 5.4) 
Service Level Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.6 Three actions aimed at Increasing Service Efficiency have yet to progress due
to software issues.  Introducing e-billing for Non-Domestic Rates and online
sign up for Council Tax direct debit has stalled, whilst work to investigate
workflow for accountancy processes dependent on ICT availability, the service
continues to liaise with suppliers and ICT to resolve.  (Actions FIN22-23 Strat
5.6c, 5.6d and 5.6e)    
RAG
STRATEGIC
LEVEL
A sustainable council that provides valued services to our
communities 32%
Implement legislative regulatory changes 0%
Scottish Government priority 45%
Implement the Procurement Strategic Action Plan 30%
Council attains Living Wage Accreditation 100%
Support for MIJB 10%
Increase Service Efficiency 5%
Sound Financial Governance 30%
Workforce Development 10%
RECOVERY
& RENEWAL Supplier Relief 97%
36%
SERVICE PLAN OUTCOMES
At the end of September 2022, two actions (1 Strategic and 1 Service Level) have not
met assigned due dates. Work on both will continue during the seond half of the year. 
Three others relating to Increasing Service Efficiency are yet to progress although all
currently remain within expected due dates.     
OVERALL PLAN PROGRESS
SERVICE
LEVEL
2
3
8
1
SERVICE PLAN PI'S
Achieving
Target
Within Target
Below Target
Data Only
Data not
available at
this stage
14
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4.7 A review of Budget Manager training material is progressing outwith the
original due date due to competing work priorities.  Work to finalise this will
continue in quarter 3 with a view to finalising before the year end.  (Action
FIN22-23 Strat 5.7b) 
4.8 As at September, £315k spend has been identified and committed to
participatory budgeting, 15.9% of the indicative 1% overall council budget.  A
briefing session was delivered to elected members in April 2022, another to
the Head Teachers Forum with follow up sessions with a number of schools
and discussions ongoing with officers regarding potential exercises covering
Housing Revenue Account, Active Travel and Roads.   The 1% target will not
be achieved in 2022/23.  (PI FS214) Capacity challenges across the Council
are impacting on the ability to engage effectively with services and this is an
issue experienced by many local authorities in Scotland. 
4.9 Unfortunately, a number of quarter 2 performance indicator results were not
available within committee reporting timescales, therefore comment relates to
quarter 1 results. (PIs FICT125, FS017, 17a, 20, 123, ERDP.FIN1, 2, 3) 
Recovery and Renewal - successes 
4.10 Nothing to report. 
Recovery and Renewal – challenges and actions to support 
4.11 The average time to pay supplier relief claims, at 29 days exceeded the target
of 21 days in the period to June 2022 due to the majority of applications
requiring further information or additional verification.  Going forward the
target will be extended to 30 days to reflect processing requirements.  (Action
FIN22-23 Recovery 6.1) 
5 SERVICE PERFORMANCE 
5.1 In line with Performance Management Framework, operational performance is
monitored quarterly by departmental management.  Areas performing well
and/or areas subject to a decreasing trend or where benchmarking results
show performance below comparators will be reported to this Committee for
member scrutiny. 
5.2 Following approval of the Service Plan by Committee, a review of
performance indicators has been undertaken and amendments made to align
indicators with service outcomes. 
5.3 The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Performance
Indicators can be accessed within the Background Papers section of this
report.    
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5.4 At a meeting of this committee on 14 June 2022, it was agreed non-payments
of rents should be included within future Financial Services performance
reports (para 12 of the Minute refers).  It has since been confirmed the data
requested is reported to the Housing and Community Safety Committee as
part of Housing and Property Services performance reports (PIs H5.3, H5.3a
and H5.5 refer) and this committee is best placed to provide scrutiny of
performance in this area as all relevant officers are in attendance.   
Operational Indicators – successes 
5.5 Nothing to report as indicators are updated annually. 
Operational Indicators – challenges and actions to support 
5.6 Nothing to report as indicators are updated annually. 
6 OTHER PERFORMANCE RELATED DATA 
Complaints & MP/MSP Enquiries 
6.1 In line with the Performance Management Framework, complaints are
reviewed quarterly by departmental management in terms of time taken to
respond, outcome and learning points.  Detailed tables can be accessed
within the Background Papers section of this report.   
6.2 During the first half of 2022/23, Financial Services received 12 complaints and
10 were closed; 9 (90%) as frontline and 1 (10%) as investigative.  Five
frontline complaints (55%) were dealt with within the target timescale of 5
working days and the investigative complaint, closed at day 21 took one day
longer than target to provide a full response.   
6.3 Of all complaints closed, only 1 frontline complaint was upheld after contact
from a member of the public was found to have been missed.  To address
this, procedures relating to correspondence were updated.   
6.4 In addition to complaints, 11 MP/MSP enquiries were received between April
and September.  Most related to queries around council tax with 10 (91%)
dealt with within target timescales.
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Other Performance (not included in the Service Plan) 
6.5 Nothing to report. 
Case Studies 
6.6 Nothing to report. 
Consultation and Engagement 
6.7 The Procurement Team have engaged with local suppliers at two events over
the summer period.  “Food for Moray” at Elgin Town Hall involved both
Catering and Procurement staff and aimed to encourage applications for
contracts to supply fresh food to the council’s schools and community centres. 
The team also supported the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) to
deliver the first face to face “Meet the Buyer North” event since the pandemic. 
Held at UHI Moray in September, this event involved 18 organisations and
attracted over 350 attendees.  During the event, Moray Council was
represented by three stalls; Corporate, Moray Growth Deal and Building and
Maintenance contracts for tender.   
7  SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP))
Performance measurement is used to ensure the efficient and
sustainable delivery of services to meet the Council’s priorities in both
the Corporate Plan and the LOIP. 
(b) Policy and Legal
The Council has a statutory requirement to publish a range of
information that will demonstrate that it is securing best value and assist
in comparing performance both over time and between authorities where
appropriate. 
(c) Financial implications
None. 
(d) Risk Implications
None. 
(e) Staffing Implications
None. 
(f) Property
None. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact
An Equality Impact Assessment is not needed because the report is to
inform the Committee on performance.  
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(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts
None 
(i) Consultations
The Head of Financial Services, Depute Chief Executive (Economy,
Environment and Finance), Service Managers, Legal Services, the Equal
Opportunities Officer, and the Committee Services Officer have been
consulted with any comments received incorporated into this report. 
8. CONCLUSIONS 
8.1 At September 2022, progress against the Financial Services Service Plan
for 2022-23 was 36% with work ongoing where slippage has occurred. 
Author of Report: Suzanne Wilson, Research and Information Officer
Background Papers: Service Plan Actions 
Service Plan Performance Indicators
Service Performance Indicators
Complaints Monitoring Report
Ref: SPMAN-1293228629-761 
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 8 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: PERFORMANCE REPORT (GOVERNANCE, STRATEGY AND
PERFORMANCE) – PERIOD TO SEPTEMBER 2022. 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To inform the Committee of the performance of the service for the period to 30
September 2022. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (4) of the 
Council’s Scheme of Administration to monitor performance in accordance 
with the Council’s Performance Management Framework. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1 It is recommended that Committee: 
(i) scrutinises performance in the areas of Service Planning, Service
Performance and other related data to the end of September 2022; 
(ii) notes the actions being taken to improve performance where
required. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 The Moray Council, approved a revised Performance Management
Framework for services on 7 August 2019 (para 5 of the minute refers) which
provides for twice yearly reports to committee on service performance. 
4. SERVICE PLANNING 
4.1 Each service plan sets out the planned strategic and service level priorities
and outcomes it intends to deliver in the coming year aligning closely with
financial planning, corporate and community planning partnership strategic
priorities. This report provides an interim update on progress on the service
plan through key outcomes and performance indicators.   Committee is invited
Item 16.
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to review progress to secure assurance that is satisfactory and to provide
scrutiny and further direction where performance requires attention. 
4.2 The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Plan Actions and
Performance Indicators can be accessed within the Background Papers
section of this report. 
4.3 At the half year point of the 2022/23 service plan the majority of actions have
progressed as scheduled, where progress has been delayed services have
noted actions will be progressed over the second half of the reporting year.  A
number of services continue to deal with changes in their normal activities to
meet the additional demands that have resulted from dealing with Covid-19
and cost of living crisis, particularly within the Benefits service. 
Strategic Outcomes - successes  
4.4 As part of the modernisation and improvement plan, service redesign of
customer contact / face to face has been well progressed.  The HQ Annexe
area is now open for appointment only meetings and Information Hubs in
libraries are being rolled out with revised staffing and Interchange information
pages in place to support this. (GSP22-23.Strat-4.1) 
Strategic Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.5 The final element of the Governance Review, agreed role of the Audit and
Scrutiny committee, has been delayed, however a report is drafted and will go
to the Full Council on the 7 December 2022.  (GSP22-23.Strat-1.1) 
4.6 Review of Money Advice Services to establish a sustainable funding model
has been delayed as the Council await Scottish Government approval of the
Moray Investment Plan under the Shared Prosperity Fund.  Current EU
structural funding runs out in March 2023 and a redesign of the service is
required so that it can continue to provide a “universal” service to the rest of
the people in Moray.  (GSP22-23.Strat-6.1) 
4.7 The Customer Services annual survey ran over a 4 week period and received
383 responses.   The services that respondents made most contact with were
Housing, Council Tax and Benefits which accounted for over 51% of
responses. The level of service provided by the Contact Centre was extremely
positive with over 90% satisfied or very satisfied, particularly in relation to the
RAG
40%
47%
N/A
44%
Service Plan - Annual progress is measured by milestone achievements,
as at the end of the first half of 2022/23 the majority of actions have
progressed as expected.  Actions which are behind schedule are due to
progress over the second half of the year.
Performance Indicators - no strategic indicators.
Comment
RECOVERY AND RENEWAL
SERVICE PLAN PRIORITIES
OVERALL PLAN PROGRESS
STRATEGIC LEVEL OBJECTIVES
SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVES
SERVICE PI'S
Achieving
Target
Within Target
Below Target
Data Only
0
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professionalism of staff and their ability to understand and deal with the issue
raised. 
Though the responses were generally very positive there were also common
areas highlighted that require further investigation, working closely with
services to review online presence and how to promote the use of online
services to those that have access and are able to self-serve: 
• 60% of all customers did not look at online content before they called the
Contact Centre
• 40% using the Council website before phoning or emailing did so because
either the information was out of date, they did not understand the content,
or were unable to complete online
• Limited ability to pay online
• Unable to book online 
Any improvement actions arising with be incorporated into the Service Plan in
order to monitor progress. (GSP22-23.Strat-4.2) 
Service Level Outcomes - successes 
4.8 The Hybrid system introduced for the committee meetings which enables
members to access meetings remotely is now fully installed and in use for all
council meetings.  An updated virtual meetings protocol was approved at the
meeting of Full Council on 29 June.  Training ‘on the job’ will continue with
support from Committee Service Officers.  (GSP22-23.Serv-5.1-5.3) 
4.9 Training of staff on the new Customer Complaints policy and process is
progressing well. An e-learning module has been developed which is
mandatory for staff to complete.  The Council’s Complaints Handling
Procedure training presentation has been shared nationally as an example of
good practice.   (GSP22-23.Serv-1.1) 
Service Level Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.10 Progress with the development of Council Benefit e-form continues to be
limited due to competing workload pressures.  Initial discussions with ICT are
ongoing. (GSP22-23.Serv-2.3) 
4.11 The review of content and design of the Your Moray website has not been
progressed as yet.  A revisit of the existing data in order to update the content
will be the initial work to be undertaken in autumn before reviewing the design
of the site.  (GPS22-23.Serv-1.4)   
5. SERVICE PERFORMANCE 
5.1  In line with the Performance Management Framework, operational
performance is reviewed quarterly by departmental management.  Areas
performing well and/or areas subject to a decreasing trend or where
benchmarking results show performance significantly below comparators will
be reported to this committee for member scrutiny. 
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5.2  The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Performance
Indicators can be accessed within the Background Papers section of this
report. 
Operational Indicators - successes 
5.3 Nothing to report as all indicators are performing within target thresholds. 
Operational Indicators - challenges 
5.4 Nothing to report as all indicators are performing within target thresholds.   
6. OTHER PERFORMANCE RELATED DATA 
Complaints & MP/MSP Enquiries 
6.1 In line with the Performance Management Framework, complaints are
reviewed quarterly by departmental management in terms of time taken to
respond, outcome and learning points.  Detailed tables can be accessed
within the Background Papers section of this report. 
6.2 A total of 13 complaints were received during the first half of 2022/23 with 14
complaints closed. Of those closed, all were resolved at Frontline stage. One
complaint was upheld, two partially upheld and the remaining 11 were not
upheld.  Nine of the complaints were resolved within the 5 working day target
timescale, with the overall average time taken to respond to all complaints
being 5 days.  Of the three complaints upheld / partially upheld, two related to
process / procedures and the other against a staff member.  All were
acknowledged and reinforcement action taken. 
6.3 Ten MP/MSP enquiries were received and closed during the first half of
2022/23.  All enquiries were resolved. 
6.4 Across the council, over the last three years the Council have dealt with 1,856
non-statutory MP/MSP enquiries, above the 1,792 statutory complaints
received over a similar period, that are subject to the Model Complaints
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Handling Procedure (MCHP).  The following graph shows the volume of
enquiries received each quarter since quarter 3 2019/20. 
On average each quarter the Council receive 157 enquiries.  Just over 90% of
enquiries were directed to Economy, Environment and Finance.  All enquiries
follow a similar process to that of complaints in being formally logged and
responded to. 
Other Performance (not included within Service Plan) 
6.5 Nothing to report.   
Case Studies  
6.6 Nothing to report. 
Consultation and Engagement 
6.7 Nothing to report. 
7. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP)) 
Performance measurement is used to ensure the efficient and
sustainable delivery of services to meet the Council’s priorities in both
the Corporate Plan and the LOIP. 
(b) Policy and Legal 
The Council has a statutory requirement to publish a range of
information that will demonstrate that it is securing best value and assist
in comparing performance both over time and between authorities where
appropriate. 
(c) Financial implications
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None. 
(d) Risk Implications 
None. 
(e) Staffing Implications 
None. 
(f) Property 
None. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact 
An Equality Impact Assessment is not required as this report is to inform
the Committee on performance. 
(h) Consultations 
The Head of Legal and Democratic Services, Depute Chief Executive
(Education, Communities and Organisational Development), Service
Managers, Legal Services, the Equal Opportunities Officer, and Tracey
Sutherland, Committee Services Officer have been consulted with any
comments received incorporated into this report. 
8. CONCLUSION 
8.1 As at September 2022, overall progress against the service plan for
2022/23 was 40% complete.  Actions subject to slippage will be
progressed over the second half of 2022/23. 
Author of Report: Neil Stables, Research & Information Officer
Background Papers: Service Plan Actions 
Service Performance Indicators 
Service Complaints
Ref: SPMAN-2045703626-194
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REPORT TO: CORPORATE COMMITTEE ON 08 NOVEMBER 2022 
SUBJECT: PERFORMANCE REPORT (HUMAN RESOURCES,
INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) – PERIOD TO SEPTEMBER
2022 
BY:  DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES AND
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) 
1. REASON FOR REPORT 
1.1 To inform the Committee of the performance of the service for the period to 30
September 2022. 
1.2 This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (4) of the
Council's Scheme of Administration to monitor performance in accordance
with the Council’s Performance Management Framework. 
2. RECOMMENDATION 
2.1  It is recommended that Committee: 
(i) scrutinises performance in the areas of Service Planning, Service
Performance and other related data to the end of September 2022;  
(ii) notes the actions being taken to improve performance where
required. 
3. BACKGROUND 
3.1 On 7 August 2019, the Moray Council approved a revised Performance
Management Framework for services (para 5 of the minute refers).  
Item 17.
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4. SERVICE PLANNING 
4.1 Each service plan sets out the strategic and service level priorities and
outcomes it intends to deliver in the coming year aligning closely with financial
planning, corporate and community planning partnership strategic priorities. 
This report provides an interim update on progress on the service plan, key
outcomes and performance indicators.  Committee is invited to review
progress to secure assurance that is satisfactory and to provide scrutiny and
further direction where performance requires attention.   
4.2 The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Plan Actions and
Performance Indicators can be accessed within the Background Papers
section of this report.   
Strategic Outcomes – successes 
4.3 Work to develop a Communication Strategy and Plan is complete. 
Implementation is now ongoing as part of normal business.  (Action
HR&OD22-23 Strat 4.5) 
Strategic Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.4 Nothing to report. 
Service Level Outcomes – successes 
4.5 During the first half of 2022/23, the number of working days lost due to
industrial injury or accident fell to just 6, previous high numbers were linked to
a particular case of long term absence that has ended.  Fire Risk
Assessments have progressed in line with the planned schedule and the joint
inspection programme was finalised and about to commence.  Lone working
guidance and a review of risk assessment guidance and training has
completed, ready for implementation. (HR&OD22-23 Serv-5.2, PI CS045)  
HR & OD ICT
Sustainable Council that provides
valued services to our community 51% 13%
Compliance N/A 12%
52% 32%
COMMENT
At the end of September, most actions within the HR & OD and ICT Service
Plans have progressed as planned. Some have been affected by
resourcing issues or have been reliant on other plans, however this is not
anticipated to delay work going forward into the second half of the year.  
SERVICE PLAN OUTCOMES
STRATEGIC
LEVEL
Sustainable Council that provides
valued services to our community 53% 71%
SERVICE
LEVEL
OVERALL PROGRESS
Workforce Development 0% 0%
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Service Level Outcomes – challenges and actions to support 
4.6 Violence and Aggression incidents reported continue to exceed target.  In the
half year to September, over 750 incidents were reported, the majority by
Education, an increase of 10% on the same period last year.  As previously
reported there is ongoing work to ensure oversight of this situation and action
to make improvements, including the ASN review, however, this is a long term
area of work which will continue to be monitored (PI CS024b) 
5. SERVICE PERFORMANCE 
5.1 In line with Performance Management Framework, operational performance is
monitored quarterly by departmental management.  Areas performing well
and/or areas subject to a decreasing trend or where benchmarking results
show performance below comparators will be reported to this Committee for
member scrutiny. 
5.2 Following approval of the Service Plan by Committee, a review of performance
indicators has been undertaken and amendments made to align indicators
with service outcomes. 
5.3 The narrative included is by exception, links to Service Performance Indicators
can be accessed within the Background Papers section of this report.   
Operational Indicators – successes 
5.4 In the quarter to September, 1,563 of the 1,584 ICT helpdesk calls received
were resolved (98.67%) within target timescales; improving upon the previous
quarter and the highest result since the indicator was introduced in 2012. 
Whilst a backlog of calls remains, work to reduce this will be a priority in the
next quarter when appointments to four vacancies is complete.  (PI CPS041) 
Operational Indicators – challenges and actions to support 
5.5 Nothing to report. 
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6. OTHER PERFORMANCE RELATED DATA 
Complaints & MP/MSP Enquiries 
6.1 In line with the Performance Management Framework, complaints are
reviewed quarterly by departmental management in terms of time taken to
respond, outcome and learning points.  Detailed tables can be accessed
within the Background Papers section of this report.   
6.2 During the first half of 2022/23, HR, ICT and OD received two complaints; both
were closed as investigative, one being upheld. 
6.3 The upheld complaint did not meet the response target timescale of 20
working days and in response a thorough review of procedures undertaken to
avoid a reoccurrence. 
6.4 In addition to complaints, one MP/MSP enquiry was received between April
and September regarding issues around employment status.  This was dealt
with within target timescales. 
Other Performance (not included in the Service Plan) 
6.5 In September, Moray Council was formally recognised as a Living Wage
employer.  Although employees have been paid above the living wage since
2012, achieving accreditation is a significant milestone and demonstrates the
ongoing commitment to supporting employees.   
6.6 The PC and laptop refresh is now complete for all primary and some
secondary schools.  Good progress has also been made on the upgrade of
the People’s Network equipment in Libraries and Information Hubs. 
Case Studies 
6.7 Pilots for workload management toolkits are underway with work progressing
with Education to extend these to schools.  These initial pilots will be
evaluated in quarter 3 and reported on in quarter 4. 
Consultation and Engagement 
6.8 Employee Engagement activity has been reinstated.  A Back to the Floor visit
to the Care at Home Team took place in July by the Moray Health and Social
Care Chief Officer.  Two question time session pilots have been held, Service
Learning visits made by the Chief Executive, including to the Care At Home
Team and by the Depute Chief Executive (Economy, Environment and
Finance) to the Employability Team. 
6.9 Monthly Manager Forums are now in place providing Managers with the
opportunity to seek advice and support on a variety of issues.  Led by those
attending, topics so far have included promoting mental health and wellbeing,
motivating staff remotely, approaches to performance management and
engaging with customers.   
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7  SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 
(a) Corporate Plan and 10 Year Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement
Plan (LOIP))
Performance measurement is used to ensure the efficient and
sustainable delivery of services to meet the Council’s priorities in both
the Corporate Plan and the LOIP. 
(b) Policy and Legal
The Council has a statutory requirement to publish a range of information
that will demonstrate that it is securing best value and assist in
comparing performance both over time and between authorities where
appropriate. 
(c) Financial implications
None. 
(d) Risk Implications
None. 
(e) Staffing Implications
None. 
(f) Property
None. 
(g) Equalities/Socio Economic Impact
An Equality Impact Assessment is not needed because the report is to
inform the Committee on performance. 
(h) Climate Change and Biodiversity Impacts
None 
(i) Consultations
The Head of HR, ICT & Organisational Development, Depute Chief
Executive (Education, Communities & OD), Service Managers, Legal
Services, the Equal Opportunities Officer, and the Committee Services
Officer have been consulted with any comments received incorporated
into this report. 
8. CONCLUSIONS 
8.1 At the end of September 2022, progress of the HR & OD and ICT Service
Plans are 52% and 32% complete respectively with most actions
progressing as planned.   
Author of Report: Suzanne Wilson, Research and Information Officer
Background Papers: Service Plan Actions 
Service Plan Performance Indicators
Service Performance Indicators
Complaints Monitoring Report
Ref: SPMAN-1656699058-95
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