Appendix 1. B&C - TORs - 2025
Argyll and Bute Council · 4 February 2025
Back to Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group — 4 February 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 1 Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Terms of Reference: Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is a sub group of, and reports to, the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership’s Management Committee. It is an unincorporated partnership of agencies and organisations with membership drawn from the public sector, third sector, private sector, community organisations and partnerships that have an interest in Bute and Cowal. Purpose Argyll and Bute is a large and diverse area. Communities inevitably have different issues even within the overall umbrella of a community plan for the whole area. Area Community Planning Groups are the vehicle to ensure that there is effective community planning delivery, as set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, at a local level by: • Contributing to the oversight role of the whole partnership by highlighting issues of a partnership nature that cannot be resolved locally through the Area Community Planning Group, to the Community Planning Partnership Management Committee • Acting on behalf of the Community Planning Partnership via its Management Committee to oversee the implementation of Area Community Planning Action Plans (known as ‘locality plans’ within the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015) • Acting on behalf of the community to ensure that local concerns and priorities are highlighted to the Community Planning Partnership’s Management Committee Role The role of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is to: • Oversee the development and implementation of the Area Community Planning Action Plan for Bute and Cowal • Encourage effective working across community planning partners at an area level • Act as a conduit to ensure that local priorities are met and local issues addressed through partnership working Remit The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group has the authority to: • Contribute to the development of an Area Community Planning Action Plan for Bute and Cowal • Monitor progress of the Area Community Planning Action Plan for Bute and Cowal • Provide the scrutiny role for the Community Planning Partnership within Bute and Cowal, considering regular performance monitoring reports and providing information
Page 2
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 2 to the Management Committee by submitting written reports on challenges that cannot be resolved locally; where these challenges relate to partnership working and not single agencies. A representative of a community group or statutory body or business that is not a member of the group may also attend a meeting, with prior agreement from the Chair, to provide additional information should a specific issue of concern to the group be scheduled as an agenda item • Form short term working groups to undertake defined pieces of work as required by the group • Engage with communities within Bute and Cowal to understand their needs • Inform and consult on issues relating to Community Planning at an area level • Contribute to a Community Planning Annual Report for Argyll and Bute on progress on the agreed outcomes and best practice in partnership working Short Term Working Groups Short Term Working Groups initiated by the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group must: • Be approved at a meeting of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group and its purpose recorded in the minute of the meeting, with clarity on the objective and output of the group and the start and end date of the work • Have a named member of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group acting as lead officer for the group • Have a list of members of the group agreed at inception • Have an appropriate source of administrative support identified and agreed at inception • Where relevant, have an appropriate funding package identified at inception and a named member of the short term working group undertaking financial responsibility for the initiative • Provide regular reports of activity and progress to the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group; and in updates to the Management Committee Any changes to the above must be approved by the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group and recorded in the minute of the meeting. Equal Opportunities and Fairer Scotland Duty The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will ensure that equal opportunities are considered in each of their remitted activities, any expected negative impacts are mitigated and that promotion of equal opportunities is central to its ongoing activities. In doing so, the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will consider the responsibilities placed on it by The Fairer Scotland Duty. This duty places a legal responsibility on particular public bodies in Scotland to pay due regard to (actively consider) how they can reduce inequalities of outcome, caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions. Criteria for Membership • Membership is drawn from public sector, third sector, private sector, community organisations and partnerships operating within the Bute and Cowal area • Membership is open to all public sector, third sector, private sector, community organisations and partnerships operating within the Bute and Cowal area with an
Page 3
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 3 interest in at least one of the outcomes identified in the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan • Organisations can self-nominate, be invited to join or have a statutory obligation to participate • In order to ensure democratic accountability, the Chair and Vice Chair from Argyll and Bute Council, Bute and Cowal Area Committee and, one other Elected Member from an Argyll and Bute Council Bute and Cowal Area Committee Ward not already represented by the Chair or Vice Chair, will sit as members of the group • In order to ensure democratic accountability, community councils situated with in the Bute and Cowal area will sit as a member of the group. Subject to local needs, this may be individual community councils, or by way of a caucus arrangement agreed by the community councils situated within the Bute and Cowal area, or alternatively one community council representing all of the community councils on a rotational basis. The community council undertaking this role will be nominated by the other community councils within the area on an annual basis, or more frequently if agreed locally • In order to comply with legislation which governs community planning in Scotland, some organisations have a statutory obligation to participate in community planning. The organisation will nominate the most appropriate person within their organisation to sit as a member of the group where relevant • In order to reflect the needs of the community and range of activities covered by the Area Community Planning Action Plan, other organisations and partnerships operating within the local area are also able to sit as members of the group • In order to obtain a balanced representation of the above and to ensure a community focussed approach, a ratio of no more than 50% public sector membership should be maintained throughout the lifetime of the group • The representatives ought to be able to speak on behalf of their organisation and where appropriate commit funding and other resources to local partnership activity • Membership should reflect the needs of the community and can therefore change subject to approval by a simple majority vote of the other members of the group Role of Members Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group members have the following responsibilities: • To consistently attend the scheduled Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group meetings. (Consistency in attendance by members is necessary to build momentum and progress the activities of the group) • Appoint a substitute to attend meetings on their behalf if they are unable to attend • To communicate information relating to the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group with other members and officers within their own organisation and other organisations operating within the area of activity they represent • To communicate information relating to their organisations area of activity to other members of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group at meetings • To raise community planning-related issues (that is issues related to Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership’s Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) on behalf of the community, at Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group meetings • To contribute to the development, ongoing monitoring and review of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Action Plan • To participate in short term working groups as required
Page 4
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 4 Meetings Chair • The Chair and Vice Chair of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will be elected by the members of the group and will be appointed for a period of two years • The outgoing Chair and Vice Chair can stand for re-election at the end of the two-year period. • However, no one person can serve in the role of Chair or Vice Chair for more than two consecutive two year periods • Should either the Chair or Vice Chair resign their position during their term of office, the office bearer must either notify the group in person at a scheduled Area Community Planning Group meeting or contact the Chair in writing, advising formally of their intention to stand down. Members will be advised of the resignation timeously and an election to fill the vacant post will be conducted at the next scheduled Area Community Planning Group meeting • Nominations for the Chair and Vice Chair positions will be proposed and seconded by Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group members. Each member will have one vote and a simple majority vote will determine the outcome of the election process • The elected Chair, or in their absence, the Vice Chair shall preside over the meeting. If both are absent, partners will choose a member from the floor to preside • Members should respect the authority of the Chair who will decide matters of order, competency, relevancy and urgency Quorum • The quorum for a meeting will be 5 • If a quorum is not present within 10 minutes of the scheduled start of a meeting, or if at any point after a meeting has commenced attendance falls below the quorum, the meeting will be declared inquorate • If a quorum is not present, at the Chairperson’s / Vice Chairperson’s discretion, the meeting shall proceed and any decisions taken will be homologated at the next meeting • For purposes of the quorum, participation of partners by video-conferencing or telephone conference links will be considered as present Frequency of Meetings • The Area Community Planning Groups of the CPP will normally meet once each quarter (4 times each year) • These meetings will normally be held in February, May, August and November • Where business requires, further meetings can be called with agreement of the Chair, subject to the required notice being given Conduct of Meetings • Meetings of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will be held in public • Observers can only participate in discussion with the agreement of Chair • Members must declare any conflict of interests at the start of a meeting and take no part in the consideration of the relevant item • Observers wishing to participate in discussion must declare any interest in the subject under discussion
Page 5
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 5 • All meetings will be minuted and a minute made available through the Council’s website and available from a link through the Community Planning Partnership website • Meetings of the Area Community Planning Groups will be conducted in accordance with the lead partner‘s (Argyll and Bute Council) standing orders for meetings subject to any necessary changes as set out above (mutatis mutandis) Decision making • All members of the group have equal status • Each member has one vote • The Chair retains the casting vote • All decisions must be clearly minuted with a brief summary of the discussion and reason for decision recorded as well as the outcome • The minutes should clearly record who or whatever organisation is responsible for action • Observers and persons attending the meeting in an advisory capacity may provide information but are not part of the decision making process and are not able to participate in a vote Accountability The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is an integral part of community planning in Argyll and Bute and is accountable to the following bodies: • Full Community Planning Partnership via the Management Committee • Community within its local area Support The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will be supported by: • A Lead Officer to facilitate and promote the smooth operation of the group and work closely with group members to ensure a supportive structure, which responds to the needs of the members in addressing issues • Administrative support, organising meetings, taking minutes and associated administrative support will be provided by Argyll and Bute Council, Legal and Regulatory Support • A Local Community Development Officer will have a key role, working in partnership with organisations in the support of community groups, organisations and individuals, particularly those who do not traditionally engage in community issues, to participate in local community planning Issue of Papers • The agenda and papers for the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will normally be issued 7 days prior to the date of the meeting • The Chair can agree to accept late papers • The draft agenda detail will normally be circulated four weeks in advance to allow members to propose items for inclusion • The agenda and papers will be available via the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership website and will be published on the Argyll and Bute Council website.
Page 6
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 6 Communications The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is encouraged to share any best practice in partnership working locally with the wider Community Planning Partnership. Case studies and examples of partnership working making a difference can be sent to cppadmin@argyll- bute.gov.uk to be shared and promoted. For example this may be through the regular CPP e- Bulletin. The CPP e-Bulletin is available to members of the Area Community Planning Groups and sign up is via cppadmin@argyll-bute.gov.uk. Paper copies can be made available and it is downloadable from the webpage. Winding Up The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is a sub group of the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership. • If the Argyll and Bute Community Partnership is dissolved, the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group will cease to exist by default • If a review of Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership delivery structure should recommend that Area Community Planning Groups should be dissolved to facilitate a new delivery structure, the decision whether or not to wind up the group will be made by the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership following consultation with the Area Community Planning Groups and Argyll and Bute Council as lead partner for community planning within the area • Area Community Planning Group members may initiate a proposed wind up of the group by submitting a report outlining the reasons why it was felt the group was no longer required, to the Management Committee in the first instance. The decision whether or not to wind up the group will be made by the Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership following consultation with Argyll and Bute Council as lead partner for community planning within the area Approved and adopted at the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group meeting held on 3 March 2015 Amended March 2015 to reflect a change in the meeting cycle Amended March 2016 to clarify procedure if either the Chair or Vice Chair resigns during their term of office and amend number of days meeting papers are to be circulated prior to meeting date Amended February 2017 to clarify procedure if outgoing office bearer wishes to stand for re- election. Amended February 2019 to clarify terms in respect of the Local Outcome Improvement Plan / Area Community Planning Action Plan. Amended February 2020 to clarify Communications, specifically the sharing of best practice and other minor changes to ensure ongoing currency and appropriateness for the work of the Area CPG. Amended February 2021 to clarify language and terminology and to include reference to Fairer Scotland Duty. Amended February 2022 to clarify language and terminology.
Page 7
Terms of Reference Version 1.8 February 24 Page 7 Amended February 2023 to clarify language and terminology. Amended February 2024 to clarify language and terminology, and to update the default media for the CPP e-bulletin. February 2025 no changes recorded.