Draft Communications
Argyll and Bute Council · 3 June 2025
Back to Single Authority Model Short Life Working Group — 3 June 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Public sector services in Argyll and Bute We have different roles but have the same aim – to support Argyll and Bute and its communities. Supporting the area means constantly looking for new and different ways to provide public services because Argyll and Bute faces a combination of challenges most others do not – our geography can make it more difficult and expensive to deliver services; Argyll and Bute’s public purse faces demands other areas’ do not; and our population is ageing and has been in decline. Individually, public sector organisations in Argyll and Bute work to deal with their own particular challenges. And we also work together in different ways to benefit the area. However, times are tough for public services. And that shows no signs of changing. To support our communities, we have to consider all opportunities. So, we are exploring options through national public sector reform – including a Single Authority Model for Argyll and Bute. You can find information here about a single authority model and we will provide monthly updates This is all about considering – if we do more together can we do more for our communities? Pippa Milne Fiona Davies Chief Executive Chief Executive Argyll and Bute Council NHS Highland
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Questions and answers Q: What is a single authority model (SAM)? A: A SAM brings public sector organisations in an area, particularly councils and NHS services, together in what they do, how they work and the decisions they make. The aim would be to improve services or at least make it more possible to keep services for communities going into the future, in the face of significant challenges. For example by: - Sharing priorities for Argyll and Bute, avoiding duplication, and delivering solutions that are specific to the local area’s needs. Q: What are the challenges that Argyll and Bute faces? A: Our island, remote and rural geography makes Argyll and Bute a great place to live and work in many ways. However it also brings challenges in what the area needs from its public services. Services can cost more to deliver for example in getting materials or employees to islands. The public purse has to fund services not needed in some other areas, such as air and sea transport. And an area’s population can have an effect on national funding in terms of numbers, on demand on public services in relation to the needs of the population, and on recruiting the skills and people we need to deliver those services. Q: Why consider a SAM? A: We have to be realistic about how extremely difficult it is going to be to keep delivering public services, from roads or social care, transport to dental, or housing to refuse collection. Individual public sector organisations – council, NHS etc – deal with the challenges that face them day-to-day, year-to-year and longer term. But looking to the future of Argyll and Bute – we have to consider all opportunities to make things better for our communities. National public sector reform includes SAMs as an option. So we are exploring that, based on the key question – would this improve public services going forward for our communities? Q: How would a SAM work in practice? A: There are different arrangements possible for what working closer together could mean in practice. Options range from lighter touch combinations with organisations remaining separate but pooling budgets and resources; to separate organisations coming together as a new legal body with fully integrated budgets Q: Who is involved in considering a SAM for Argyll and Bute? A: At the moment discussions are happening primarily among the Scottish Government, the council, and NHS Highland. As a SAM would most affect the employees of the organisations involved in it, engagement with those employees is expected to be part of the process of developing these discussions.
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Q: What’s the next step? A: The first step would be to identify the type of SAM that would be best for Argyll and Bute if one goes ahead. This is expected by March 2026. As mentioned above, there are varied options for a SAM, and the extent to which organisations would come together, so a lot remains to be considered about what would work for Argyll and Bute.