Argyll and Bute TSI Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 5 November 2024
Back to Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group — 5 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) update - Nov 2024 Third Sector Support Advisor (TSSA) Cowal and Bute Janis Marshall Reilly: janismarshallreilly@argylltsi.org.uk Update from: Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (ABTSI) Third Sector Support Advisor for Cowal and Bute: Janis Marshall Reilly janismarshallreilly@argylltsi.org.uk Facebook page for Cowal and Bute TSI news can be found by clicking here. This update covers the period from 22nd July to 14th October 2024. TSI activity for quarter two 2024-2025 has included: - promoting the final version of the TSI funded Community Wealth Building report to Area Community Planning Groups - reviewing our budgets - supporting member organisations and the wider community through the council and IJB budget processes - planning for our next business plan and new strategy. Scottish Government, Parliament, the TSI landscape and policy activity - on 3rd September 2024 the Scottish Finance Secretary announced over £500m in direct savings. Much of this was achieved through postponing or cancelling infrastructure projects. Whilst our local community and third sector has not suffered directly as a result, many in the sector are awaiting the outcome of the UK Government’s budget on 30th October 2024 and the implications for the next Scottish Government Budget due in December 2024. We note that transformational change for the public sector is predicated on a third sector able to invest in preventative and early intervention services. This is reflected in our last funding letter from the Scottish Government and indeed in much of the work of this TSI since 2021. - on 4th September the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government was published and included the long awaited Community Wealth Building legislation as well as a Bill intended to address Climate Change – both areas that the TSI has been heavily involved in working with other local partners. Over the past two years in particular the TSI Scotland Network has been focussing on areas where we might work together. Whilst lobbying and communications are obvious areas for the expression of this ambition the activity that will yield the most benefit to our communities is the joint work on five thematic improvement programmes:- • Theme One: Telling our Story: Improving our reporting on our activity, and our ability to use our data to influence decision-makers. • Theme Two: Evaluating Third Sector Activity: Upskilling staff on outcomes and evaluation.
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Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) update - Nov 2024 Third Sector Support Advisor (TSSA) Cowal and Bute Janis Marshall Reilly: janismarshallreilly@argylltsi.org.uk • Theme Three: Improving the Induction for TSI Staff: Harnessing our existing resources to create a better induction for new TSI staff. • Theme Four: Delivering for our Communities: Enhancing the Network’s ability to collaborate. • Theme Five: An Ambitious Network: Embedding improvement for the longer term. Theme Four entails developing joint products and shared services that all TSIs could use and the ABTSI CEO is engaged directly in this workstream. Local strategic partnerships It was previously reported that the HSCP was in a challenging financial position with a need to find £11.4million of cuts and specifically proposed cuts to day care services for vulnerable adults on Bute and Oban. The TSI made representations directly at the IJB by working with family groups and user groups. The cuts have been stalled and a review has been requested which the TSI will be supporting to ensure there is proactive engagement with the affected communities. The TSI is working with a third sector and service user led stakeholder group and the HSCP has agreed to fund a research project to map current provision, need and propose ultimately a new service delivery model. The TSI is procuring this and a project management fee is being taken. Community Wealth Building (CWB) progress Following April’s Community Planning Partnership (CPP) meeting the ABTSI CEO Takki Sulaiman presented the report’s findings to the four Area Community Planning Groups (ACPG) in May and then again in August 2024. The CPP’s CWB steering group will meet for a further time in November to identify how to take forward the specific recommendations contained in April’s report. Given the forthcoming legislation we would expect Argyll and Bute’s anchor organisations to take increasingly more interest in the focus and extent of implementing this new economic methodology. Community Benefits Part of the CWB report outputs was a review of how we approach community benefits arising from major infrastructure schemes. In September 2024 we have worked with some emerging local coalitions in Dunoon to approach the structure of a potential fund via a public event. More strategically there may well be scope to research the whole field of community benefits to analyse how it is spent and identify room for improvement, improve
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Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) update - Nov 2024 Third Sector Support Advisor (TSSA) Cowal and Bute Janis Marshall Reilly: janismarshallreilly@argylltsi.org.uk transparency and focus on local needs. We will wrap this up as part of our strategic review. Meeting with Argyll and Bute Council Chief Executive A positive meeting took place between Argyll and Bute’s Chief Executive and our CEO last week. It was clear that the new administration has in mind a collaborative relationship with Communities and the Third Sector. Under discussion was the need to collaborate on the development of local place plans, supporting the third sector to collaborate more deeply in project development and the design and delivery of shared services for the sector. Internal matters, contracts, sector support and strategic action plan delivery A longstanding staff member, Margaret Wallace, retired with our thanks in September 2024 and we welcomed a new TSSA for Mid-Argyll, Caitlin McNeill, as her replacement following a very competitive interview process held in early September. Caitlin’s email address is caitlinmcneill@argylltsi.org.uk. 1. ABTSI strategy development preparations Further to the Board’s decision in April 2024, the CEO has been working on a plan to deliver a survey and focus groups identifying key local third and social enterprise issues in general for three reasons:- 1. Map and identify the concerns and needs of the sector 2. Use the findings to drive an overarching training, events and networking calendar 3. Use the findings to drive the TSI's new strategy, business plan and a sector led campaign. There are significant Venn diagram type intersections with the above, Living Well and Climate Change work streams as well as other identified in conversation with other stakeholders. 2. Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund – Year four grant and preparations Grant letters for year four (2024-2025) of the Communities Mental and Wellbeing Fund were received and signed in July 2024. As with 2023-2024 funding is broadly the same with £280,979.23 for the fund itself and a £13,387.37 administration grant. As anticipated the fund opened in early September 2024 and by the fund’s close on Caitlin McNeill
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Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) update - Nov 2024 Third Sector Support Advisor (TSSA) Cowal and Bute Janis Marshall Reilly: janismarshallreilly@argylltsi.org.uk 14th October 2024, 75 applications had been received totaling £503,647.98. That represents 179 per cent of available funds. A Lived Experience reviewing panellist is being recruited and funds are expected to be disbursed by the end of November 2024. 3. Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) The TSI supported Argyll and Bute Climate Action Network (ABCAN) continues and year two of the seed corn funding programme are currently being disbursed using the TSO platform. A third funding round is anticipated for December 2024 again at the lower level of £10,000. 4. Work of the Wellbeing Development Manager The Wellbeing Development Manager, hosted by the TSI and funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and the HSCP, has continued to work at pace. The outputs from a collaborative workshop held in June has been captured and a video is available from our website. CLICK HERE TO: Meet the Team - Argyll & Bute Third Sector Interface CLICK HERE TO READ ALL ABOUT THE: Employee/Volunteer Assistance Programme – a new service for Argyll and Bute - Argyll & Bute Third Sector Interface