Democracy Spraffa

Corporate Improvement Plan IIA

Argyll and Bute Council · 26 June 2025
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 26 June 2025 and its agenda

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Argyll and Bute Council: Equality and Socio-Economic Impact
Assessment 
About the proposal 
Title of Proposal. 
Corporate Improvement Plan
Intended outcome of the proposal. 
The Corporate improvement Plan is required of us to evidence Best Value in what we
do.
How does your proposal align with strategy? 
The CIP is required of us to evidence our commitment to Best Value and continuous
improvement.  It  aims to enhance organisational effectiveness and service delivery in line with the
principles of Best Value and integrates the strategic framework of Connect for Success to ensure
comprehensive development, improvement and progress.  It is designed to support us in ensuring
that excellent services are delivered to our citizens – residents, businesses and visitors in Argyll
and Bute.  The CIP Action Plan includes elements of relevant strategies and plans.   
Description of proposal. 
The Corporate Improvement Plan (CIP) is required of us to evidence Best Value in what
we do.  The Council must embed and evidence continuous improvement in all of our
activities.  This CIP covers the period 2025 to 2028 and includes an Action Plan with
identified improvements in a number of areas that will, individually and collectively,
help us transform how we do our business and deliver services to our citizens and
customers.  Improvement areas include leadership and workforce, finance,
performance, community engagement and transformation, and improvements are
driven from a variety of sources including internal and external audit, self-assessment,
reflective practice, complaints and suggestions.
Lead and Appropriate Officers
Lead officer. 
Jennifer Coyle
Lead officer job title. 
Senior HR Business Partner

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Lead officer service. 
Customer Support Services
Appropriate officer. 
Jane Fowler
Appropriate officer Job title. 
Head of Customer Support Services
Who will deliver proposal. 
Separate improvements in the Action Plan will be delivered by named officers. 
Progress will be reported regularly to Audit and Scrutiny Committee through HR&OD
reporting activities.
Signed off by. 
Jane Fowler
Date. 
26/05/2025

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Evidence 
Data – What data have you used to inform the IIA. 
We have created the Action Plan with reference to internal and external audits,
complaints and suggestions, self-assessment and reflective practice.
Other information – This may include reference to reports by other people /
organisations relevant to the impacts you identified. 
Relevant plans and strategies reference individual improvement actions as appropriate. 
Consultation – What consultation / engagement have you carried out to inform the IIA? 
Individual strategies and / or plans which encompass improvements identified in the
Action Plan include consultation with relevant stakeholders.  The nature of the CIP itself
does not require consultation with specific groups.  Identified officers have been
consulted on improvements contained within the Action Plan. 
Gaps in evidence. 
Not to our knowledge. 
Knock on affect. 
Yes 
Knock on affect details. 
The CIP is anticipated to have beneficial effects through implementation of
improvements across service areas for citizens, customer, clients and visitors across
the Argyll and Bute area.  Individual improvements may have a positive impact on
specific group(s) eg young people may be positively impacted by an increase in
opportunities through relevant pathways, and we have established a Youth Voice panel
to improve consultation with this stakeholder group. 
Monitoring – How will you monitor the impacts of your proposal. 
We will monitor through regular performance reporting.

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Fairer Scotland 
Impact on service users 
Service users Impact
Mainland rural population  No impact
Island population No Impact
Low income No Impact
Low wealth No Impact
Material deprivation No Impact
Area deprivation No Impact
Socio-economic No Impact
Communities of place No Impact
Communities of interest No Impact 
Impacts details. 
The CIP is anticipated to have beneficial effects through implementation of
improvements across service areas for citizens, customer, clients and visitors across
the Argyll and Bute area.  Individual improvements may have a positive impact on
specific group(s) 
Impact on service deliverers 
Service deliverers Impact
Mainland rural population  No Impact
Island population No Impact
Low income No Impact
Low wealth No Impact
Material deprivation No Impact
Area deprivation No Impact
Socio-economic No Impact
Communities of place No Impact
Communities of interest No Impact 
Impacts details. 
The CIP is anticipated to have beneficial effects through implementation of
improvements across service areas for citizens, customer, clients and visitors across
the Argyll and Bute area.  Individual improvements may have a positive impact on
specific group(s)

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Don’t knows. 
[FS_SD_Dont_Knows]
Due regard
N/A.

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Consumer duty 
No impact justification. 
We have screened this impact assessment for relevance and concluded that a
Consumer Duty Impact Assessment is not required because the proposal does not
relate to a strategic decision.

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Children rights and wellbeing 
DIRECT and INDIRECT impacts on children and young people
Direct refers to policies/measures where children are the focus of the proposed
changes. 
Examples include childcare, school breakfast clubs, child protection, looked after
children or youth sports activities. 
Indirect refers to policies/measures that are not directly aimed at children but will
have an impact on them. 
Examples include local welfare support schemes, work preparation classes for
parents, housing supply and design, policies on air quality, or local transport
schemes. 
Are there any aspects to your proposal which directly impact on children? 
Yes 
Direct impact on children details. 
Young people may be positively impacted by an increase in opportunities
through relevant pathways, and we have established a Youth Voice panel to
improve consultation with this stakeholder group. 
Are the any aspects to your proposal which indirectly impact on children? 
No 
Indirect impact on children details.
[CRW_Indirect_Impact_Details] 
Children rights 
This section asks you to think about how your proposal affects children’s
rights, first by considering the ‘general principles’ articles, and then by thinking
about the rest of the articles.
Complete the options relating to the general principles. 
You should check against these whether your proposal contributes in a
positive or negative way to the rights of children, whether the impact will be
neutral / won’t have an impact at all, or whether you don’t know what the
impact will be.

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Children rights Impact
Article 2: (non-discrimination) The
Convention applies to every child without
discrimination, whatever their ethnicity,
sex, religion, language, abilities or any
other status, whatever they think or say,
whatever their family background.
No Impact
Article 3: (best interests of the child) The
best interests of the child must be a top
priority in all decisions and actions that
affect children.
No Impact
Article 6: (life, survival and development)
Every child has the right to life. The
council must do all it can to ensure that
children survive and develop to their full
potential.
No Impact
Article 12 (respect for the views of the
child) Every child has the right to express
their views, feelings and wishes in all
matters affecting them, and to have their
views considered and taken seriously.
This right applies at all times, for example
during immigration proceedings, housing
decisions or the child’s day-to-day home
life.
Positive 
In addition to the General Principles, you should consider whether any of the
other articles are relevant to your proposal.
We have provided you with a list of UNCRC articles and descriptions of what
they are. If you do not identify any of the other Articles as being of relevance,
the assumption will be made that the proposal’s impact on this right will be
neutral. 
Have you identified any other article as being relevant to your proposal? 
[CRW_Identified_Other_Articles_DD]

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What options have you considered to reduce negative impacts? 
[CRW_Other_Reduce_Negative] 
If you cannot implement measures to mitigate impact why not? 
[CRW_Other_Mitigate] 
If you have identified relevant articles for which you don't know what the likely impact
will be, how will you monitor impact as your proposal progresses? 
[CRW_Other_Monitor]

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Children’s wellbeing
For each wellbeing indicator, review whether your proposal will result in an
improvement to children’s wellbeing or not. List of Wellbeing Indicators, with an
explanation of what they are. 
Children wellbeing Impact
Safe No Impact
Healthy No Impact
Achieving Positive
Nurtured No Impact
Active No Impact
Respected No Impact
Responsible No Impact
Included Positive 
For the indicators where you believe your proposal will result in reduced children's
wellbeing, explain what these reductions will be. 
N/A 
For the indicators where you believe your proposal will result in improved children's
wellbeing, explain what these improvements will be. 
Young people may be positively impacted by an increase in opportunities through
relevant pathways, and we have established a Youth Voice panel to improve
consultation with this stakeholder group. 
If you have identified any indicators as being relevant to your proposal, but you do
not know what the impacts will be, explain how you will monitor impact as your
proposal progresses. 
N/A

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Island Community 
No Impact Justification. 
We have screened this proposal for relevance and concluded that an Island
Communities Impact Assessment is not required because this proposal will not affect
islands in a way which is different to other areas and will not disadvantage island
communities relative to their mainland counterparts. Nor will this proposal
disadvantage some island communities relative to others.

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Equality impact 
Equality impact on service users 
No Impact Justification. 
The CIP is anticipated to have beneficial effects through implementation of
improvements across service areas for all citizens, customer, clients and visitors
across the Argyll and Bute area.