Agenda Document Pack - Community Planning Board - 19/08/2026
Moray Council · 19 August 2026
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Community Planning Board Wednesday, 19 August 2026 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Community Planning Board is to be held at Committee Room, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX on Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 14:00. BUSINESS 1. Sederunt 2. Minute of the meeting of the Community Planning Board held 3 June 2026 5 - 12 3. Moray Economic Partnership Annual Report April 2025 to March 2026 Report by Chair, Moray Economic Partnership, and Executive Director Economy, Enterprise, and Operations 13 - 22 4. Moray Workforce North Road Map Report by Executive Director Economy, Enterprise, and Operations 23 - 36 5. HITRANS Transport to Employment Programme Report by Partnership Director, HITRANS 37 - 42 6. Community Safety Annual Report 2024-25 Report by Executive Director Economy, Enterprise, and Operations 43 - 60 7. Locality Planning Annual Report 2024-2025 Report by Executive Director Finance, Strategy, and Transformation 61 - 68 8. 2025-26 Half Year LOIP Performance Monitoring Report Report by Executive Director Finance, Strategy, and Transformation 69 - 78 9. 2026-27 LOIP Development of Delivery Framework Report by Executive Director Finance, Strategy, and Transformation 79 - 96 Page 1
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10. AOCB Page 2
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THE MORAY COUNCIL Community Planning Board SEDERUNT Councillor Kathleen Robertson (Chair) Councillor Amber Dunbar (Depute Chair) Ms Connie Calvo (Member) Ms Karen Greaves (Member) Mr Serge Kabamba (Member) Councillor Sandy Keith (Member) Councillor Scott Lawrence (Member) Ms Jackie Maclaren (Member) Councillor Marc Macrae (Member) Mr Grant Moir (Member) Ms Shantini Paranjothy (Member) Mr David Reid (Member) Mr Dennis Robertson (Member) Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen (Member) Ms Caroline Webster (Member) Councillor Bridget Mustard (Outside Body Appointee) Group Captain Sarah Brewin (Non-Voting Member) Lieutenant Colonel Michael Gledhill (Non-Voting Member) Ms Sarah Medcraf (Non-Voting Member) Clerk Name: Lindsey Robinson Clerk Telephone: 07966 120593 Clerk Email: committee.services@moray.gov.uk Page 3
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MINUTE OF MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD Wednesday, 03 June 2026 Committee Room, Council Office, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX PRESENT Ms Connie Calvo, Area Manager for Moray and Orkney, Skills Development Scotland (SDS); Councillor Amber Dunbar; Ms Karen Greaves, Chief Executive, Moray Council; Councillor Sandy Keith; Councillor Scott Lawrence; Councillor Marc Macrae; Ms Sarah Medcraf, Chief Executive, Moray Chamber of Commerce; Councillor Bridget Mustard; Mr David Reid, Area Manager Moray, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE); Mr Dennis Robertson, Chair of Moray Integration Joint Board (MIJB); Councillor Kathleen Robertson; Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen SUBSTITUTES Wing Commander Andrea Dowds, Officer Commanding Base Support Wing, RAF Lossiemouth, attended on behalf of Group Captain Sarah Brewin, Station Commander, RAF Lossiemouth Chris Littlejohn, Deputy Director of Public Health, NHS Grampian, attended on behalf of Shantini Paranjothy, Director of Public Health, NHS Grampian Sarah Kane, Barrack Staff Officer, 39 Engineers, Kinloss attended on behalf of Lieutenant Colonel James Walker, Commanding Officer, 39 Engineers. APOLOGIES Group Captain Sarah Brewin, Station Commander, RAF Lossiemouth; Ms Jackie Maclaren, Chief Officer ,TSi Moray; Mr Grant Moir, Chief Executive, Cairngorms National Park Authority; Ms Shantini Paranjothy, Director of Public Health NHS Grampian; Lieutenant Colonel James Walker, Commanding Officer 39 Engineers, Ms Caroline Webster, UHI Moray representative; Mr Andrew Wright, Area Commander and Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) IN ATTENDANCE The Executive Director Education, Housing and Communities; Executive Director Finance, Strategy and Transformation; Chief Officer Moray Integration Joint Board; Head of Education (Chief Education Officer); Head of People, Change and Community Strategy; Interim Deputy Head of Service, Health and Social Care Moray; Item 2. Page 5
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Service Manager Growth Deal; GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer; Joseph Duggan, Community Wealth Building Officer; and Lindsey Robinson, Committee Services Officer. 1. Chair Councillor Kathleen Robertson chaired the meeting. 2. Minute of the meeting held 11 February 2026 The minute of the meeting held 11 February 2026 was submitted and approved. 3. Vary Order of Business In terms of Standing Order 29, the Chair sought agreement from the meeting to vary the order of business set down on the agenda and take item 8 "Whole Family Wellbeing Fund Governance" as the sixth item of business in order to allow discussion on the suite of reports as a whole. This was unanimously agreed. 4. NHS Grampian as a Public Health Organisation The meeting had before it a report by the Director of Public Health, NHS Grampian briefing the Community Planning Board (CPB) on the model for the NHS as a Population Health Organisation that had been shared with COSLA and how this was being progressed in NHS Grampian. This included NHS Grampian’s strategic priorities for 2026/27 for consideration by the CPB, particularly in relation to alignment with the proposed redevelopment of the Moray Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). During consideration, Councillor Mustard sought clarification on the timescales and budget required to achieve this. In response, the Deputy Director of Public Health advised it would be undertaken via a change in perspective, culture, and priorities within existing resources. He added that the assessment would be conducted this year with a workshop to be held in September. Councillor Macrae was of the opinion that there is a need to build on the success of the collaborative work already being undertaken. The Chief Officer of the Moray Integration Joint Board added that, as many NHS services were delivered through the Integration Joint Board (IJB), it would be affected by any changes. She further noted that the IJB Strategic Plan was due to be updated later this year, which would provide a good opportunity to align resources Following further consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to: i. note the concept and the model for the NHS as a Population Health Organisation as set out in Appendix 1; ii. note NHS Grampian 2026/27 Priorities for Delivery for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 as set out in Appendix 2; Page 6
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iii. note the alignment between Integration Joint Board (IJB) and NHS Grampian strategic priorities and the commitment to continue improving how we work as a whole system; iv. note the proposed actions during 2026/27 particularly to domains 1, 2 and 4, where these include working with Community Planning Partnerships, North East Population Health Alliance, and the Aberdeen Health Determinants Research Collaborative; v. hold a workshop/development day in September 2026 with all CPB partners, IJB and NHS Grampian to work through the maturity matrix assessment (once it is published) in relation to domains 1, 2 and 4: Understanding the needs of the population, System focused and collaborative, and Prevention and tackling social determinants, to understand the baseline position, how partnership working can be strengthened in relation to taking a whole system approach for community planning, and also to support a firm foundation for the basis of the development of a new LOIP for Moray. 5. Getting It Right For Everyone The meeting had before it a report by the Interim Deputy Head of Service, Health and Social Care Moray updating the Board on the national Getting it Right for Everyone (GIRFE) work and its implementation in Moray. During consideration, Councillor Robertson sought clarification on why there was no mention of partners within the report. She was of the opinion that, the report was NHS Grampian centred. The Chief Executive Moray Council added that communication was important to get right to ensure that the public and community groups got information in a way to which they could relate. In response, the Interim Deputy Head of Service Health and Social Care Moray advised that once the national communication strategy for GIRFE had been agreed, it would be shared with partners and the public. He added that the solution sits with the partnership and not just one agency and although other partners were not specifically identified they were included. Following further consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to: i. note the content of the report on GIRFE; ii. endorse the collaborative approach being taken to align GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) with GIRFE; iii. endorse the collaborative approach being taken to align GIRFE within a wider whole system approach; linking key themes such as Putting People First, Realistic Medicine, Frailty, Unscheduled Care, and Population Health; and iv. note Moray's involvement in a Grampian wide approach to embed the GIRFE principles and share good practice. Page 7
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6. Multi-Agency Work to Support Young People The meeting had before it a report by the GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer, and the Head of Education (Chief Education Officer) updating the Board on the ongoing work, initially in Buckie and Elgin South, to support young people and their families given the rise in behavioural concerns including use of alcohol and substance use. During consideration, Councillor Robertson sought clarification on whether lessons from the work in Buckie and Elgin South were sufficient to move to other areas. In response, the GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that further work was required to improve understanding and resources, although the long-term aim would be to expand the approach into other areas. Councillor Lawrence was of the opinion that prevention required data and sought clarification on whether sufficient information was available to support decision- making. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that the data existed, but it was not always held in the appropriate place. The Chief Executive of Moray Chamber of Commerce advised that Elgin High ASG had reported transport issues and expressed the view that, if such issues existed in the towns, they may be even more significant in rural areas. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer stated that, while young people valued being able to travel by bus free of charge, the difficulty was that services did not always take them to the places they wished to go, which they found restrictive. The Area Manager for Moray and Orkney, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), sought clarification on the proposed format of the Early Help Hubs. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that these would take the form of weekly meetings involving partners and young people to consider what was happening locally, who was providing support, and how others could contribute. She added that these would commence after the summer holiday period. Councillor Mustard sought clarification on what would be reported back in six months’ time and what the trigger point would be for expanding into new areas. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that, after six months, the main aim would be to develop a better understanding of the early signs being identified by families and young people. After 12 months, outcomes would be clearer and would allow for more detailed feedback. She added that no areas in which the project had been established would be withdrawn; rather, new hubs would be created, taking account of the key learning points. This would happen only once the original work had become more established and less intensive. She further advised that colleagues in other local authorities were being observed to help inform local practice. Following further consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to: i. note the progress of multi-agency work in Buckie and Elgin South; Page 8
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ii. endorse the emerging strategic direction, and to formally authorise and enable the workforce to actively participate in the next phase of activity; and iii. a further update being brought back to the meeting on 10 February 2027 to demonstrate progress and impact. 7. Whole Family Wellbeing Fund Governance The meeting had before it a report by the Interim Chief Social Worker/Head of Service clarifying the improved process of the spend and administration of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF) and to strengthen the oversight arrangements across Moray Council, Moray Integration Joint Board (IJB), and Moray Community Planning Partnership (CPP). During consideration, Councillor Mustard sought clarification on where the Elected Member involvement in the governance was. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that day to day it would be governed by Children's Services but if it were linked to the wider workforce a report would go to the IJB and CPB. The Chief Officer Moray Integration Joint Board added that as it was a partnership approach there would be an assurance that the right decisions were being made in the right arena. The Scottish Government Place Director for Moray sought clarification on whether this was the correct governance model or whether it was being used to fit the Scottish Government model. The GIRFEC/The Promise Strategic Lead Officer advised that it was the right model, but everything was being reported in triplicate. The Chief Officer Moray Integration Joint Board added that it was true to the spirit, but the process was complex. Following consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to: i. note the content of the briefing summary at Appendix 1; ii. note the duty to keep children safe and protected from significant harm at home in the community, or in alternative care, where this cannot be achieved; iii. note the Promise to keep families together, regardless of the makeup of the family, wherever possible; and iv. note the need for improved governance of the WFWF particularly where there are implications for the Council and Health and Social Care Partnership, including staffing, contractual requirements or longer-term sustainability matters as outlined in the report. Page 9
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8. Maximising Socio Economic Impacts for Renewable Energy The meeting had before it a report by the Executive Director Economy, Enterprise and Operations asking the Board to endorse the Council's approach to maximising socio- economic benefits from future energy developments in Moray, and to agree to play an active role in shaping that work going forward. During consideration, Councillor Macrae sought clarification on whether the wording in section 4.3 could be strengthened from encouraged. In response, the Community Wealth Building Officer advised that he would work with the legal team to ascertain whether it was an enforceable contribution. Councillor Lawrence sought clarification on where community ownerships fits within the report. The Community Wealth Building Officer advised that the team were working in partnership with Community Energy Scotland to look at community ownership of windfarms and other facilities. The Area Manager Moray, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) cautioned that the report only looked at where money would be spent if it were received. He added that the money may not be received or it could take longer than anticipated and that there would be considerable work to do before the scale of opportunity was at the level required. The Scottish Government Place Director for Moray sought clarification on whether or not there were plans to engage with neighbouring authorities. In response, Councillor Robertson confirmed that the Convention of the Highlands and Islands (CoHI) and the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (HIREP) were both involved. The Chief Executive Moray Council highlighted that more work would be needed to connect to the third sector and the community councils. The Community Wealth Building Officer advised that once the draft guidance was complete it would be sent out for wider consultation. The Chief Executive Moray Chamber of Commerce added that the Chamber should be involved in the process from stage 3 rather than stage 5. She added that transparency around governance was crucial and it could align with the Moray Economic Strategy. The Community Wealth Building Officer confirmed that it would be good to have the Chamber involved early and that any comments on the consultation would be shared with partners. Following further consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to: i. note the progress on developing a policy and delivery model to maximise socio-economic impact from future energy developments; Page 10
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ii. endorse the Council's proposed approach to maximising socio-economic benefits from future energy developments in Moray, as set out in the report; iii. actively engage in the development of the Moray Socio Economic Plan, including providing input into identifying key strategic priorities for Moray that developers will be encouraged to address; and iv. note the proposed work plan and timeline in Appendix 2, including the planned engagement with the Community Planning Board at Stages 3, 5 and 6. 9. Moray Growth Deal 2025 Annual Report The meeting had before it a report by the Executive Director Economy, Enterprise and Operations providing the Board with a copy of the Moray Growth Deal 2025 Annual Report for consideration and approval. During consideration, the Service Manager Growth Deal advised that some of the projects had attracted government funding. The Chief Executive Moray Chamber of Commerce was of the opinion that talent retention was an area where work needed to be undertaken. In response, the Service Manager Growth Deal advised that the team could do more work on the case studies to show people what Moray means to them. Councillor Lawrence was of the opinion that Moray needs to be marketed as a health and wellbeing hotspot and that lifestyle should be highlighted to those outside of the area. Councillor Macrae advised that the My Moray website was in the process of slowly being updated and that this will include case studies about what it is like to live here. Councillor Robertson advised that the recruitment team at Dr Gray's hospital use the tag line "good place to work, great place to live". Following further consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to approve the annual report for publication. 10. AOCB The Head of People, Change and Community Strategy advised that, following the Community Planning Officers Group (CPOG) meeting, action had been taken to establish a short-life working group to consider collective partnership data and inform the engagement plan to be presented to the Board at the next meeting. She added that this could also be taken forward as part of the workshop planned for September. She further advised that an email, with a deadline of two weeks, had been issued to all partner agencies and asked that it be forwarded to their data representative. She noted that any partner who had not received the email, and who had Moray data to share, should contact her directly. Page 11
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: MORAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2025 TO MARCH 2026 BY: CHAIR, MORAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND OPERATIONS 1. REASON FOR REPORT The report sets out some key changes in the wider economic context within which Moray Economic Partnership operates as well as progress made by the Partnership over 2025/26, the areas where further work is required, and the proposed direction for the year ahead. It also asks the Community Planning Partnership to note progress and support the proposed refresh and simplification of the Partnership’s delivery arrangements. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1. It is recommended that the Community Planning Partnership: i. Note key elements of wider economic change and planning relevant to the Moray Economic Partnership (MEP) and Moray Economic Strategy; ii. Note the progress made by the MEP during the period April 2025 to March 2026; iii. Note that the subgroup structure is still in its infancy, with some groups now beginning to define their role and work programme, while the Business Support subgroup has not yet met; iv. Note the continued importance and support of the Moray Economic Partnership as the strategic partnership forum for economic development within the Community Planning Partnership structure; v. Support a more focused approach to delivery of the Moray Economic Strategy, based on a smaller number of practical actions, clearer milestones and proportionate reporting; Item 3. Page 13
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vi. Support continued partner engagement in the subgroups, recognising that the Partnership’s value depends on shared ownership and contribution across organisations; and vii. Note the development of the Moray workforce roadmap through the Local Employability Partnership working group, and its potential to support future applications into the Workforce North Co-Investment Fund. 3. INTRODUCTION 3.1 The Moray Economic Partnership brings together partners from across the public, private and third sectors to support a stronger, more inclusive and more sustainable economy for Moray. Its purpose is not to replace the work of individual organisations, but to provide a shared space where partners can align activity, add value, understand risks and opportunities and strengthen Moray’s collective voice. 3.2 This year has been an important period of transition. The Partnership has continued to provide a forum for discussion on key economic issues underpinned by Moray Economic Strategy 2022-2032, including funding, skills, employability, infrastructure, place, tourism, energy and future investment. At the same time, it has become clear through capacity challenges and moves towards regional economic strategic planning, that the Partnership now needs to sharpen its focus, simplify how progress is reported, and ensure that the work of its subgroups is realistic, proportionate and clearly linked to delivery. 3.3 The subgroups are still in their infancy. Some have begun to meet and define their role, while others require further development. The Business Support subgroup has not yet met during this reporting period, and this is recognised honestly in this report. However, the foundations are now in place for a more focused approach. 3.4 The Moray Economic Partnership is not starting again; following a consensus session with MEP members it is adapting and recalibrating as the economic and organisational context that sits around us all also evolves and changes. This is what is meant by sharpening its focus. 3.5 Meanwhile, Moray Economic Strategy must also evolve not only to ensure clarity of local aspirations in an increasingly regionalised economic landscape , but also to review and refresh our stated ambitions over a slightly longer horizon to 2040, by which time many strategic interventions currently in delivery will have been completed, raising the question: What Next? 4. SCENE SETTING 4.1 The Moray Economic Strategy 2022-2032 provides the long-term context for the Partnership’s work. Its vision is for Moray to be a distinctive and attractive place to live, work, operate a business or social enterprise, study and visit. It seeks to support employment growth, higher wages, a resilient economy, sustainable communities and greater equality. Page 14
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4.2 The strategy identifies a number of long-term opportunities and challenges for Moray, including the Moray Growth Deal, the transition to net zero, Community Wealth Building, skills and labour market pressures, business productivity, housing, childcare, transport, and the need to retain and attract working-age people. 4.3 During 2025 to 2026, the wider economic and policy environment continued to change. Regional economic collaboration has become increasingly important, particularly through the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (HIREP) and other economic partnerships in Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire. Since its inception in 2021, HIREP has grown in maturity. In 2025 a Regional Economic Strategy 2025-2035 was approved and this year a Delivery Plan aligned to the strategy was also approved. The Scottish Government sees Regional Economic Partnerships (REPs) as key drivers of economic growth, and has committed to introducing legislation to unlock new powers and help REPs deliver on regional priorities like skills, economic development and planning. The UK Government has meantime directed new Local Growth Funding through REPs, making it increasingly likely that clear local voices will be critical in a regionalized economic landscape. HIREP has begun development work around these changes and Moray must also consider its position. 4.4 Moray has continued to experience pressures around workforce availability, infrastructure, public sector capacity, funding complexity, and the need to ensure that local communities benefit from investment. A Skills Summit was held in December 2025 and approval of a Moray Workforce Roadmap is also on the agenda for this meeting. But other themes within Moray Economic Strategy will also benefit from a review. For example, Moray Growth Deal will come to an end in 2031; in a volatile world defence spending will increase and, as an area with a significant military footprint and associated supply chains, this is an area where further inward investment in Moray may be stimulated; with a new Tourism Strategy now in place, is creating increased recognition for Moray on the global stage something that requires deeper consideration? Questions like these have led to planning now underway for a Moray Economic Summit to be held in late 2026, with a view to refeshing Moray Economic Stategy through creation of a new economic blueprint to 2040. Further details will be shared as soon as these are available. 4.5 The Moray Economic Partnership remains important in this increasingly dynamic context because it provides a central place for partners to discuss Moray’s economy, coordinate activity, identify shared priorities and represent Moray’s interests within wider regional and national structures. 4.6 The Partnership also sits within the Community Planning Partnership structure for economic development and contributes to the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan’s focus pillar of developing a diverse, inclusive and sustainable economy. This means the Partnership has a strategic role in connecting economic development with community wellbeing, employability, skills, place, infrastructure and inclusive growth. 5. ROLE OF THE MORAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP Page 15
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5.1 The role of the Moray Economic Partnership is to: • operate as part of the Community Planning Partnership governance structure for economic development; • contribute to the delivery of a diverse, inclusive and sustainable economy; • provide a central multi-partner forum for discussion of Moray’s economy; • provide oversight and act as a check and balance for certain funding streams where appropriate; • support delivery of the Moray Economic Strategy through focused subgroup activity. 5.2 The Partnership met regularly during the reporting period and continued to provide a forum for partner discussion. It supported consideration of funding activity, skills and employability, tourism, energy-related opportunities and other strategic issues affecting Moray’s economy. 5.3 The Partnership’s value lies in its ability to bring partners together around a shared agenda. However, this year has also highlighted the need for clearer focus, stronger partner ownership, and more visible progress against the Moray Economic Strategy. 6. PROGRESS THROUGH SUBGROUPS 6.1 The approved governance approach identified four reporting areas: 1. Structural Funds 2. Communities and Place 3. Business Support 4. Local Employability Partnership These areas provide the basis for this annual report. 6.2 It is important to recognise that the subgroup model is still developing. Some areas have made early progress and are beginning to define their role. Others require further work to establish membership, purpose, reporting and delivery expectations. The information set out below is based on extracts from reports to MEP by the relevant subgroups. 7. STRUCTURAL FUNDS 7.1 The Structural Funds subgroup held its inaugural meeting during the reporting period. Its purpose is to improve collaboration and shared awareness of funded activities taking place across Moray. 7.2 The group identified the need to build a clearer portfolio view of current and potential future investment. This includes understanding which organisation is leading activity, the source and purpose of funding, timescales, risks, opportunities and where partner support may be required. Page 16
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7.3 Initial discussion highlighted a significant range of investment activity in Moray, including the Levelling Up Fund, Pride in Place funding, the Just Transition Fund, the Moray Growth Deal, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, offshore wind funding, graduate apprenticeships and wider enterprise and community support. 7.4 The group also recognised that activity outside Moray, including major investment to the east and west, may create opportunities for Moray’s supply chain and workforce. This is particularly relevant in relation to energy transition, green freeport activity and regional skills investment. 7.5 The subgroup identified four main areas where it can add value: • developing a portfolio view of funded activity; • sharing lessons across organisations delivering funded programmes and projects; • improving data baselining and aggregation to reduce the risk of double counting benefits; • strengthening place-based communications. 7.6 Risks identified included the potential for double counting, challenges in collecting accurate and timely data, the need for coordinated communications, and the importance of aligning funding applications to avoid overlap. 7.7 The next phase of work will involve maintaining and developing a shared overview of funded programme and project activity, widening the view to include relevant activity around Moray, and agreeing on practical ways to identify and manage shared risks and opportunities. 8. COMMUNITIES AND PLACE 8.1 The Communities and Place subgroup began to define a focused and proportionate role for the year ahead. 8.2 Its proposed focus is shaped by two connected themes: Community Wealth Building and community voice. These themes reflect national policy direction and local priorities, and they align with the Moray Economic Strategy’s ambition to support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable local economy. 8.3 Community Wealth Building is about ensuring that local wealth is generated, retained and shared within communities. For Moray, this means considering how partners can support local supply chains, fair employment, community benefit, local ownership and place-based decision-making. 8.4 Community voice is equally important. A number of local and regional strategies are expected to be developed or refreshed, and major infrastructure projects and programmes of work may have significant local impact. The subgroup will therefore explore how community voice is currently captured, how it informs strategy, and how partners can strengthen and align their engagement approaches. Page 17
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8.5 The subgroup has proposed a high-level, insight-led approach rather than a full- scale review or formal consultation. This is a realistic position given the capacity available. The proposed work will include two themed sessions: one on Community Wealth Building and one on community voice and engagement. A small number of contributors will be invited to share practical experience, identify what is working well, and explore gaps and opportunities. 8.6 The expected output will be a summary back to the Moray Economic Partnership, setting out key insights, examples of good practice and high-level opportunities for alignment across partners. 8.7 This work is important because it connects economic development with people, places and communities. It also helps ensure that future strategic work is informed by both policy direction and practical insight from within Moray. 9. BUSINESS SUPPORT 9.1 The Business Support subgroup has not met during this reporting period. 9.2 This should be noted openly. Business support remains a central priority within the Moray Economic Strategy, particularly in relation to start-ups, scale-ups, productivity, local supplier engagement, business resilience, investment readiness and support for businesses to respond to the transition to net zero. 9.3 While the subgroup has not yet met, partners continue to deliver significant business support activity through their own organisations and through wider partnership working. The challenge for the Moray Economic Partnership is to identify where collective discussion adds value beyond existing delivery. 9.4 The next phase should focus on establishing a clear and proportionate remit for the Business Support subgroup. This should avoid duplication and concentrate on a small number of areas where partnership working can make a practical difference. 9.5 Potential areas of focus may include: • improving shared understanding of business support activity across partners; • identifying gaps in support for start-ups, scale-ups and business growth; • supporting local supplier engagement and procurement readiness; • helping businesses understand future investment and supply chain opportunities; • linking business support more clearly to workforce, skills, infrastructure and place priorities. 9.6 The establishment of this subgroup should be treated as a priority for the next reporting period, but its scope should be realistic and aligned with available capacity. Page 18
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9.7 Discussions with MEP members during the year led to the agreement that the Business Enterprise Hub (UHI Moray) would be the lead for this subgroup once they area in a position to do so. 10. LOCAL EMPLOYABILITY PARTNERSHIP 10.1 The Local Employability Partnership, operating through Moray Pathways, has continued to provide an important delivery mechanism for employability, skills and workforce activity. 10.2 Moray Pathways brings together a wide range of support organisations and local employers from the public, private and third sectors. Its work focuses on supporting people who require additional help into fair and sustainable employment. 10.3 During the reporting period, activity has included continued work on apprenticeships, sector-based work academy provision, support for people facing barriers to labour market participation, green skills planning, workforce development and alignment of skills provision with future demand. 10.4 A key area of progress has been the establishment of a new skills planning and Moray workforce subgroup within the Local Employability Partnership structure. This group has agreed its terms of reference and has begun work to align activity with the wider Workforce North action plan. 10.5 The group is also supporting development and implementation of a Moray workforce roadmap following on from the Skills Summit held in December 2025. This roadmap is intended to support a more joined-up approach to workforce planning in Moray, with a focus on improving skills, attracting and retaining people, making local opportunities more visible, strengthening vocational and apprenticeship routes, and supporting adults to upskill and reskill. 10.6 The roadmap will also help support future applications into the Workforce North Co-Investment Fund by providing a clearer shared framework for Moray’s workforce priorities. The Workforce North Co-investment Fund, formally announced by the Deputy First Minister on 28 October 2025, represents a major step in addressing the Highlands and Islands’ critical workforce supply challenges. The Fund is being launched with up to £2 million of seed investment from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), creating a platform to leverage further local authority and private-sector investment across the region, aimed at expanding, upskilling, and strengthening the regional workforce. Highland Council will chair the fund with support from other agencies and is expected to open in September 2026. 10.7 The Local Employability Partnership update also highlights work to raise awareness and understanding of apprenticeships. Planned activities include employer engagement, support on funding and apprenticeship frameworks, new marketing materials, and events to promote apprenticeship opportunities. Page 19
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10.8 Work has also continued to address barriers to labour market participation. This includes activity through the Moray Sector-Based Work Academy programme, enhanced specialist employment support for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, targeted support for underemployed parents in poverty, and links to community benefit opportunities associated with major projects. 10.9 The Local Employability Partnership is also contributing to wider work on skills provision, careers information and future demand. This includes planning around green skills, vocational pathways, workforce data and collaboration with education and industry partners. 10.10 This area of work is central to the Moray Economic Strategy. Moray’s future economic success depends on having enough people with the right skills to access current and future opportunities. It also depends on supporting people of all ages to see a future for themselves in Moray. 11. OVERALL PROGRESS AND EMERGING THEMES FOR MEP 11.1 The reporting period has shown that the Moray Economic Partnership continues to have value as a strategic partnership forum. It brings together partners who are individually delivering significant activity and creates a space to consider collective risks, opportunities and priorities and to mobilise the considerations and actions. 11.2 Progress has been strongest where the subgroup role is clearly defined and where there is a practical task for partners to undertake. The Structural Funds subgroup has made a positive start by identifying the need for a portfolio view of investment and shared risk management. The Communities and Place subgroup has proposed a focused approach around Community Wealth Building and community voice. The Local Employability Partnership has continued to develop significant workforce and skills activity, including a new working group and a draft roadmap. 11.3 However, progress is not yet consistent across all areas. The subgroup structure is still in its early stages. The Business Support subgroup has not yet met, and there is a wider need to make progress against the Moray Economic Strategy more visible. 11.4 The key emerging themes are: • the need for stronger clarity about what each subgroup is expected to deliver; • the importance of keeping subgroup activity proportionate to capacity; • the need to focus on a smaller number of practical actions; • the value of consolidating existing partner activity rather than creating unnecessary new work; • the importance of better evidence, milestones and reporting; • the need to maintain Moray’s collective voice as regional economic structures become more prominent. Page 20
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12. LOOKING AHEAD: SHARPENING THE PARTNERSHIP’S FOCUS 12.1 The Moray Economic Partnership is entering a period of refinement. It is about sharpening focus, simplifying delivery and ensuring that partner effort is directed where it can have the greatest impact. 12.2 The recent review of the Partnership identified that it continues to add value but also highlighted areas for improvement. These include the need for clearer partner ownership, better visibility of progress, a simplified delivery plan, and a limited number of milestones and performance indicators. 12.3 The Moray Economic Strategy (MES) remains broadly fit for purpose, but the way it is delivered needs to be more focused. The MES will require a resfresh to include the current economic context and the delivery plan should be altered to show the aggregation of existing partnership activity already contributing to the strategy’s objectives, and to identify a small number of additional actions that the Partnership can realistically coordinate within existing resources. 12.4 The Council-led economic review and proposed Economic Summit in planning for later this year also provide an opportunity to look further ahead and consider longer-term priorities, future funding opportunities and the wider economic blueprint for Moray. 12.5 For the year ahead, the Partnership should focus on: • confirming the purpose, membership and workplan for each subgroup; • establishing the Business Support subgroup; • supporting the Economic Summit and refresh of Moray Economic Strategy • simplifying reporting against the updated Moray Economic Strategy; • agreeing a small number of measurable milestones; • using the Structural Funds subgroup to strengthen visibility of investment activity; • using the Communities and Place subgroup to support shared learning on Community Wealth Building and community voice; • supporting the Local Employability Partnership working group to develop the Moray workforce roadmap and align activity with future funding opportunities; • ensuring that Moray maintains a clear voice within regional economic discussions. 13. CONCLUSION 13.1 The Moray Economic Partnership has continued to provide an important space for partners to come together around Moray’s economic future. 13.2 This year has shown both the value of that partnership and the need to strengthen how it works. There has been progress in key areas, particularly around structural funds, employability and workforce planning, and the development of a more focused approach to communities and place. At the same time, the Partnership must be honest that the subgroup model is still Page 21
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developing and that further work is needed to make delivery more visible and consistent. 13.3 The next stage is one of renewal and focus so that it can better support delivery, strengthen Moray’s collective voice and help ensure that future economic opportunities benefit Moray’s people, businesses and communities. Author of Report: Sarah Medcraf, Chair, Moray Economic Partership; Rhona Gunn, Executive Director Economy, Environement and Operations Background Papers: Ref: Page 22
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: MORAY WORKFORCE NORTH ROADMAP BY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMY, ENTERPRISE AND OPERATIONS 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 The purpose of this report is to highlight this collaborative framework to strengthen Moray’s workforce and support sustainable economic growth. The Moray Workforce Group is a sub-group of the Moray Pathways Local Employability Partnership which brings together partners from education, skills, employability, business and economic development. The Moray Workforce North Road Map ( see Appendices) was informed by a collaborative Skills Summit where partners and local businesses shared ideas for action. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1. It is recommended that Community Planning Board :- (i) Consider and endorse the Moray Workforce North Roadmap produced as Appendix 1; and (ii) Promote partnership endorsement of the Roadmap and its wider delivery framework. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Moray Workforce North Road Map at Appendix 1 has been developed collaboratively by the Moray Workforce Planning Group following the Moray Pathways Workforce North Employer Summit held in December 2025. The roadmap has been informed by employer engagement, labour market intelligence, regional and local strategies, and the expertise of partners from across education, employability, skills, business and economic development. Appendices 3 and 4 in background papers set out the context. The roadmap builds on existing partnership activity and focuses on five strategic priorities: promoting local career opportunities, strengthening education and career pathways, expanding apprenticeships and vocational learning, supporting upskilling and reskilling, and attracting and retaining working-age people. Through coordinated action, the roadmap aims to improve workforce resilience, Item 4. Page 23
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address current and future skills shortages, support employers to meet changing workforce demands, and ensure Moray is well positioned to maximise the opportunities arising from future investment and economic growth. 3.2 The roadmap recognises that Moray benefits from a wide range of existing workforce initiatives and partnership activity. Rather than creating new programmes where effective activity already exists, it focuses on strengthening collaboration, improving coordination and identifying areas where partners can work collectively to address current and future workforce challenges.The Roadmap is intended to be a live document that will evolve as delivery progresses, with partners monitoring implementation, reviewing progress and responding to changing workforce priorities over time using the Action Tracker at Appendix 2 in background papers. This process will be managed by the Moray Workforce Planning Group, with updates provided to Coouncil within the Moray Pathways Local Employability Annual Report. 3.3 The roadmap provides a practical framework for collaborative action across five strategic themes: Theme 1: Promoting Moray's education, skills and employment opportunities through a coordinated communications campaign This focuses on creating a coordinated and consistent approach to promoting Moray as a place to build a career by raising awareness of current and future education, skills and employment opportunities. It brings together actions to develop shared messaging and promotional resources, improve public awareness through targeted communications and local media engagement, equip teachers and lecturers with up-to-date knowledge of emerging industries and career pathways, and ensure businesses particularly SMEs are informed about future investment, supply chain opportunities and workforce needs. Collectively, these actions aim to ensure residents, educators and employers all have a shared understanding of the opportunities available across Moray. Theme 2: Strengthening education and careers pathways for young people Theme 2 aims to strengthen the connection between education and employment by ensuring young people and those who influence their career choices have a clear understanding of local pathways into work. The actions focus on identifying and removing barriers to awareness of local careers, increasing employer engagement and workplace experiences in schools, expanding Foundation Apprenticeship opportunities to reflect priority sectors, and improving the knowledge of careers advisers, teachers and parents through targeted professional development and engagement. Together, these initiatives will help young people make informed career decisions while strengthening progression into employment and training opportunities within Moray. Theme 3: Expanding apprenticeship and vocational learning opportunities aligned to employer demand This theme seeks to make apprenticeship and vocational learning opportunities more visible, responsive and closely aligned to employer demand. It includes developing better mechanisms for sharing labour market intelligence, mapping Page 24
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existing vocational and apprenticeship provision to identify gaps and opportunities, and promoting Graduate Apprenticeships to school leavers, college students and existing employees wishing to upskill. By improving collaboration between employers, education providers and partners, the theme will ensure learning provision is better informed by workforce needs and that more people can access high-quality vocational pathways. Theme 4: Supporting adult upskilling and reskilling to respond to changing workforce needs This theme supports adults and employers to adapt to changing labour market demands by expanding opportunities for lifelong learning and workforce development. The actions include identifying gaps in existing training provision, developing flexible and employer-led learning opportunities, supporting career changers and people returning to work through more inclusive recruitment practices, and using community benefits and public procurement to create apprenticeships, work placements and new training opportunities. Together, these actions will help reduce skills shortages, improve access to employment and ensure workforce investment delivers lasting benefits for Moray’s economy and communities. Theme 5: Attracting and retaining working-age people while supporting employers to recruit and retain talent Theme 5 focuses on making Moray an attractive place to live, work and invest while helping employers recruit and retain the workforce they need. The actions include developing a coordinated place branding and talent attraction campaign, supporting employers to improve recruitment and workforce planning practices, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion to widen access to employment, and encouraging volunteering as a means of developing leadership skills and strengthening links between businesses and the third sector. Collectively, these initiatives aim to attract new residents, retain local talent, create more inclusive workplaces and support long-term economic growth across Moray. 4. CONCLUSION 4.1. The Moray Workforce North Roadmap is produced as Appendix 1 and the wider frameworks documents are held in Appendices 2-4 which are in background papers. Collectively these actions aim to improve awareness of local career opportunities, strengthen pathways into employment, increase employer engagement, support lifelong learning and ensure Moray is well positioned to respond to future investment opportunities and changing labour market demands. Delivery will be partnership-led, with actions allocated to lead organisations and supported through existing collaborative governance arrangements. Accordingly the Roadmap and associated documents are being considered through appropriate governance channels across delivery partners. Author of Report: Amy Cruickshank, Employability Team Manager Page 25
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Background Papers: Appendix 2 – Action Tracker Appendix 3 – Baseline data Appendix 4 – Mapping of Existing Activity – Gaps - Opportunities Ref: Page 26
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Page 27
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap 1. Developing the Moray Workforce North Roadmap The Moray Workforce North Roadmap has been developed following the Moray Pathways Workforce North Employer Summit held in December 2025, where employers and partners identified a broad range of opportunities and priorities relating to workforce attraction, skills development, education, employability, business growth and future workforce planning. Over the following months, the Moray Workforce Planning Group met on a number of occasions to shape the roadmap, drawing upon labour market intelligence, regional and local strategies, partner expertise and existing workforce activity across Moray. This collaborative approach ensured the roadmap reflected both evidence and practical experience, while providing partners with the opportunity to collectively consider current activity, future investment and emerging workforce challenges. Throughout these discussions, it became clear that many of the priorities identified by employers were already being progressed through existing partnership activity across Moray. Rather than duplicate these efforts, partners agreed that the roadmap should focus on areas where greater collaboration, improved coordination and targeted new activity could add the greatest value. Moray already benefits from a wide range of workforce initiatives delivered by employers and partner organisations. These activities support careers education, employer engagement, employability, vocational learning, apprenticeships, business support, inward investment and economic development, providing a strong foundation for the actions set out within this roadmap. The result is a focused roadmap that builds upon existing strengths, strengthens partnership working and identifies the collaborative actions needed to respond to Moray's current and future workforce challenges. 2. Purpose The Moray Workforce North Roadmap provides a clear and practical framework for collaborative action to strengthen Moray's workforce. It brings together partners from across education, skills, employability, business and economic development to deliver coordinated activity that responds to current workforce challenges while preparing the region for future opportunities. The roadmap is built around five cross-cutting themes that support people of all ages, employers and those involved in educating, influencing and developing the future workforce. It focuses on practical actions that add value to existing partnership activity, strengthen collaboration and support sustainable workforce growth across Moray. 3. Why it Matters Moray has a strong and resilient economy, supported by successful businesses, a skilled workforce and well-established partnerships. However, like many areas across Scotland, the region faces challenges which require a coordinated response. These include: • Skills shortages across several priority sectors. • A declining working-age population and the need to attract and retain talent. • Significant future investment which will increase demand for skilled workers. • Career pathways that are not always visible or well understood. • The need for employers and individuals to navigate an increasingly complex skills and training landscape. • The need to support people to upskill and reskill as technology, industries and workforce requirements continue to evolve. 4. What Success Looks Like Success will be measured not only through delivery of individual actions but through the longer-term impact they have on people, employers and the wider economy. The Moray Workforce North Roadmap aims to achieve: • Clear, consistent and positive messaging about living, learning and working in Moray. • Increased awareness of current and future career opportunities across Moray's priority sectors. • Stronger pathways from education into employment. • Increased employer engagement within education and workforce development. • Flexible vocational, apprenticeship and lifelong learning opportunities that respond to employer demand. • Improved opportunities for adults to upskill, reskill and change careers. • Stronger partnership working across organisations supporting workforce development. • A workforce that is better prepared to respond to future investment and economic opportunities. Page 28
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap • Moray being recognised as a place where people can build successful careers and businesses throughout their working lives. 5. Principles for Delivery The Moray Workforce North Roadmap has been developed around shared principles that will guide implementation. Activity will be: • Evidence informed, using labour market intelligence and employer insight to inform decision making. • Employer led, ensuring activity responds to genuine workforce demand. • Collaborative, building upon the expertise and resources of partners across Moray. • Focused on adding value, complementing existing activity and avoiding unnecessary duplication. • Flexible and responsive, allowing partners to respond to emerging opportunities, investment and changing workforce needs. • Practical and deliverable, focusing on actions that can achieve measurable outcomes. • Inclusive, supporting people of all ages, backgrounds and career stages. • Outcome focused, with progress monitored through agreed measures and regular partner review. Page 29
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Theme 1: Extensive Campaign Present a single, strong message about the current and future job opportunities which are available for adults and young people already living in Moray Clear promotion of local opportunities to people in Moray Upskill educators about key sector developments in Moray including skills/jobs requirements and entry pathways Raise awareness of opportunities with Moray businesses/employers Actions 1.1 Coordinated effort to share consistent key messages to people already living and working in Moray about existing opportunities and future jobs coming through investment in the area. Key tasks could include: • Identify target audience groups (young people, adults in the community, parents/carers etc) • Agree sectors to be included as part of messaging about opportunities in Moray • Develop resources, material and case studies to promote key messages • Hold engagement sessions with local press. 1.2 CPD programme designed for teachers and lecturers on different technologies including AI, required skillsets and existing, emerging and future roles in Moray’s key sectors. Sessions should recognise timetabling challenges and key priorities for education colleagues such as curriculum improvement. 1.3 Share information about forthcoming opportunities to businesses/employers in Moray via targeted newsletters, social media posts and thematic events. These activities must reach local SME base to ensure employers are aware of supply chain opportunities, and workforce implications and local procurement readiness. Suggested Output • Shared communications framework agreed. • Workforce messaging embedded within partner communications and engagement activity. • Partners promoting Moray's opportunities through existing communication channels, events and networks. • Consistent promotional resources available for partner use. • A coordinated programme delivered for teachers and lecturers, providing up-to-date insight on emerging technologies, workforce trends, priority sectors, skills requirements and career pathways in Moray. • Coordinated employer communications plan developed and delivered. • Targeted newsletters, social media campaigns and sector events delivered to businesses across Moray. • Resources and guidance produced to help employers understand supply chain opportunities, workforce implications and local procurement opportunities. Delivery partners Lead: Moray Council Employability Team Support: DYW Moray, UHI Moray, Moray Chamber, TSI, HIE, Skills Development Scotland, Business Gateway, FSB, DWP Lead: DYW Moray Support: Moray Council Education, Moray Chamber of Commerce, Skills Development Scotland Workforce Lead: Moray Chamber Support: Federation of Small Businesses, HIE, UHI Moray, TSI Moray, DYW Moray, Business Gateway, DWP Suggested Outcome Increased awareness of Moray's current and future education, skills and employment opportunities through consistent promotion across partner organisations. Teachers and lecturers have increased confidence and knowledge of local labour market opportunities, enabling them to better embed careers education within the curriculum and support learners to make informed decisions about future pathways. Employers, particularly SMEs, have increased awareness of forthcoming investment, supply chain opportunities and workforce implications, enabling them to plan, collaborate and compete for future opportunities in Moray. Suggested completion 12 Months 24 Months 12 Months Page 30
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Theme 2: Education Help young people in education and their key influencers clearly see and access local career pathways. Increase exposure to local pathways and industry opportunities in schools Expand Foundation Apprenticeship pathways for Moray school pupils Enhance CIAG practitioner knowledge Actions 2.1 Carry out work to understand barriers to school pupils learning about Moray’s key sectors and pathways into local jobs. 2.2 Look at best practice from other areas in response to these barriers and use this to inform an appropriate Moray response which increases exposure to local opportunities and inspires young people into Moray’s key sectors. Consideration to be given to the wider attainment agenda in Moray and to seek ways to provide accreditation opportunities for young people. 2.3 Broaden the FA offer for Moray school pupils with increased volume of places and greater range of frameworks like Creative and Digital Media, creating more entry routes into Moray’s key sectors. 2.4 Improve key influencers’ understanding of Moray’s sectors, career pathways, industry requirements and technologies driving skills demand, supporting young people to make informed career decisions. Activity could include: • Targeted CPD for CIAG practitioners and school staff, including employer visits, webinars, communities of practice and events. • Parent/carer information and engagement on local pathways, skills demand and future opportunities. • Employer insight on industry requirements, technologies, entry routes and priority sector pathways. Suggested Output • Research and engagement exercise completed with young people, schools and partners. • Barrier analysis and recommendations report produced. • Moray employer engagement model developed and implemented. • Increased number of employer encounters, workplace experiences and sector engagement activities delivered. • Foundation Apprenticeship provision reviewed and expanded to reflect Moray's workforce priorities. • Increased number of Foundation Apprenticeship places and frameworks available to Moray school pupils. • New and enhanced progression pathways established into priority sectors, including areas such as Creative and Digital Media. • CPD and sector insight activity delivered for CIAG practitioners and school staff. • Parent/carer information and engagement activity shared through school and partner channels. • Employers involved in sharing insight on skills demand, technologies, entry routes and career pathways. Potential partners? Lead: DYW Moray Support: Moray Council Education, Skills Development Scotland Lead: DYW Moray Support: Moray Council, UHI Moray, Skills Development Scotland Lead: Moray Council Education Support: DYW Moray, Highland Learning Academy, UHI Moray, Skills Development Scotland Lead: Skills Development Scotland Support: Moray Council Education, DYW Moray, Moray Council Youth Work, UHI Moray Suggested Outcome Improved understanding of factors influencing young people's awareness of local career pathways. More young people understand local career opportunities and pathways into priority sectors. More young people have access to a broader range of Foundation Apprenticeships, improving progression into further learning, apprenticeships and employment within Moray's priority sectors. Key influencers have improved awareness and confidence to discuss Moray’s career opportunities, helping young people receive consistent, informed and locally relevant guidance on future pathways. Suggested completion Date 12 Months 12 Months 24 Months 24 Months Page 31
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Theme 3: Apprenticeship expansion Make apprenticeship routes more visible, flexible and aligned to local jobs for all Moray people. Share insight on employer skills needs to inform response to identified gaps Promote the existing Graduate Apprenticeship offer Actions 3.1 Establish a mechanism to more effectively share findings from employer engagement in Moray relating to skills needs, training and apprenticeship requirements and views on existing provision/gaps. 3.2 Map existing vocational learning (and upskilling/reskilling offer) in Moray including schools, UHI Moray, training providers, Moray SWAP etc to understand existing pathways and respond to identified gaps. 3.3 Engage potential GA candidates (including school and college leavers as well as existing workers looking to upskill) to promote and improve uptake of GAs in Moray. Suggested output • Moray employer skills intelligence mechanism established. • Regular workforce insight reports shared with partners. • Establish a Moray learning provision working group. • Map existing learning provision across Moray, including schools, UHI Moray, training providers, Moray SWAP and other relevant provision. • Identify gaps, opportunities, scalable solutions and priorities for future learning provision. • Coordinated Graduate Apprenticeship awareness campaign delivered. • Employer and learner engagement events held Potential partners? Lead: DYW Moray Support: Skills Development Scotland, Moray Chamber, HIE, Federation of Small Businesses, Business Gateway, DWP Lead: Skills Development Scotland & Scottish Funding Council Support: Moray Council Employability Team, DWP, Scottish Funding Council, TSI Moray, UHI Moray Lead: DYW Moray Support: UHI Moray, Robert Gordon University, Moray Chamber, UHI, Skills Development Scotland Suggested Outcome Skills investment and curriculum planning are increasingly informed by real-time employer demand. A comprehensive understanding of existing learning provision. This can be considered along with 3.1, enabling partners to identify capacity constraints, service gaps and practical solutions to support workforce growth and delivery across Moray. Increased awareness and uptake of Graduate Apprenticeships in Moray's priority sectors. Suggested completion Date 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months Page 32
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Theme 4: Upskilling and reskilling Support Moray adults and employers to train and adapt as jobs change. Develop joint training models for rapid upskilling/reskilling Provide targeted support for adults returning to work or changing careers Identify opportunities for co-investment in response to local gaps Actions 4.1 Identify gaps in upskilling and reskilling provision and use this to: • Create short, flexible and modular local training courses to support rapid upskilling and reskilling for the existing workforce, career changers and adult learners supported by industry. • Host reskilling events that allow individuals to explore new job opportunities with employers in Moray’s key sectors. 4.2 Promote benefits to employers of adapting recruitment practices to support career changers, adults returning to work, parents, older workers etc. This is to be informed by a local business panel to inform what is included within this activity. 4.3 Develop a Moray Community Benefits and Social Value approach that maximises the impact of public sector procurement spend by securing apprenticeships, jobs, work placements, employer engagement with education, community investment and support for local businesses. Use community benefit commitments and partner co-investment to address identified workforce and skills gaps, including the development of new training pathways and specialist provision in priority sectors. Suggeste d Output • Gap analysis completed and shared with partners. • Agreed action plan to address identified priority skills gaps. • New, adapted or better-promoted learning opportunities developed in response to employer demand. • Employer panel established. • Employer guidance and resources developed. • Employer engagement sessions delivered promoting inclusive recruitment practices. Moray Community Benefits and Social Value Framework/Policy developed and adopted by partners. Potential partners? Lead: UHI Moray (Business Enterprise Hub) Support: Moray Council Employability Team, Skills Development Scotland, DWP Lead: UHI Moray (Sector Based Work Academy Team) Support: Moray Council Employability Team, Moray Chamber, DYW Moray, DWP Lead: Moray Council Economic Development Team Support: Moray Council Employability Team, UHI Moray, DYW Moray, DWP, Business Gateway, Moray Chamber Suggeste d Outcome • Improved availability of training aligned to employer demand. • Increased opportunities for adults and career changers to access relevant skills development. • Reduced skills shortages in priority sectors. • Greater employer awareness of inclusive recruitment practices. • Increased recruitment from wider talent pools. • Improved access to employment for underrepresented groups. Procurement spend is used more effectively to deliver local employment, skills development, apprenticeships and community benefits aligned to Moray's workforce priorities. Suggeste d completi on Date 24 Months 12 Months 12 Months Page 33
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Theme 5: Attracting and keeping working age people in Moray Reduce out-migration and attract new working-age residents to Moray Promote Moray as a great place to live and work Help employers improve recruitment and retention and improve EDI within the workforce Actions 5.1 Develop and deliver a coordinated Moray place brand and talent attraction campaign that promotes the region as a destination to live, learn, work and invest. Create consistent messaging that showcases Moray's quality of life, career opportunities, strong communities and natural environment, while supporting inward investment, population growth and funding opportunities through a collaborative regional approach. Key tasks could include: • Identify target groups such as working families/early career professionals. • Consider what incentives could be offered to attract people into Moray. • Create compelling stories of working-age people who have moved to (or stayed in) Moray, highlighting the benefits of living in the region. • Work with employers to enhance how the business community promotes Moray to those out with the region. 5.2 Employer events with different professionals including marketing and comms, HR etc. to support employers with their recruitment practices. 5.3 Promote benefits of EDI in the workplace and support employers to diversify their workforce, drive innovation and attract (and retain) a wider range of candidates. 5.4 Promote benefits of volunteering to businesses for staff development amongst staff, especially representatives joining third sector boards/committees. Suggested Output • Coordinated Moray place brand and talent attraction campaign developed and launched. • Target audience marketing materials and case studies created. • Employer toolkit developed to support consistent promotion of Moray as a place to live and work. • Programme of employer events delivered focusing on recruitment, marketing, communications and workforce planning. • Good practice resources shared with employers. • Employer engagement programme delivered to raise awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). • Practical resources, case studies and guidance provided to employers to support inclusive recruitment and retention. • Employer engagement activity delivered promoting volunteering as a workforce development opportunity. • Information and resources developed for employers. • Increased connections between employers and third sector organisations seeking trustees or committee members. Potential partners? Lead: Moray Chamber Support: Moray Council, DYW Moray, HIE, UHI Moray, Skills Development Scotland, TSI Moray, DWP, Visit Scotland Lead: Moray Chamber Support: Federation of Small Businesses, Business Gateway, HIE, TSI Moray¸ DWP, DYW Moray Lead: Moray Chamber Support: Federation of Small Businesses, Business Gateway, HIE, TSI Moray, DWP, DYW Moray Lead: TSI Moray Support: Moray Chamber, Federation of Small Businesses, Business Gateway, HIE, DWP, DYW Moray Page 34
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Moray Workforce North Roadmap Suggested Outcome Increased awareness of Moray as a destination to live, learn, work and invest, helping to attract and retain working-age people and support sustainable economic growth. Employers adopt more effective recruitment and attraction practices, improving their ability to recruit and retain the workforce they need. More employers adopt inclusive recruitment and employment practices, helping to attract, retain and develop a more diverse workforce. • Increased employer awareness of the business benefits of volunteering. • Greater employee participation in third sector boards and committees. • Stronger collaboration between businesses and the third sector. • Enhanced leadership and professional development opportunities for employees. Suggested completion Date 24 Months 12 Months 12 Months 24 Months Page 35
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: HITRANS TRANSPORT TO EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME BY: PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR, HITRANS 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 This report updates the Board on the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) Access to Employment programme and outlines details of Moray’s participation in the 2026/27 delivery year. It summarises together the regional funding and delivery context, the complementary systemic Local Employability Partnership (LEP) funding for parental employability, and local governance proposals. 1.2 The paper asks the Board to endorse working arrangements with m.connect and major employers and support the funding, monitoring and governance arrangements required to mobilise pilots in 2026/27. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: i. Note the national Access to Employment funding routed to Regional Transport Partnersips (RTPs) and the HITRANS allocation of £1,032,148 for 2026/27 and the need for prompt mobilisation of this programme; ii. Endorse Moray’s participation in the HITRANS Challenge-led programme and the proposed Moray pilot menu (Section 6); and iii. Request a further report with learning from the initial year and an evaluation/scale-up proposal prior to the end of 2026/27. 3. BACKGROUND AND NATIONAL CONTAXT Item 5. Page 37
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3.1 Transport Scotland has made a targeted revenue allocation to Regional Transport Partnerships to improve access to employment as part of the national Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. Across Scotland, RTPs will receive a total of £9.8m revenue funding for 2026/27. HITRANS’ share is £1,032,148 under the agreed distribution model. The funding is not multi-year, revenue-only and intended for system-level transport interventions that remove barriers to work. 3.2 A complementary national funding stream of similar scale, circa £9m nationally, is being routed through LEPs to support parental employability activity. This means transport supply (HITRANS/RTP) and person-centred employability support (LEPs) are funded in parallel and must be coordinated locally to maximise impact on household income and job sustainment. 3.3 The Access to Employment funding is explicitly linked to the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Delivery Plan and the National Transport Strategy (NTS2). RTPs were asked to focus on availability, accessibility and affordability of transport and to prioritise low-income households/parents returning to work, young people within low-income households and rural communities. 3.4 HITRANS proposes a commissioning and partnership-led model with four delivery bundles A: Access to Work Transport Integration; B: Employer & Community Access Fund; C: HI-Bike to Employment; D: Housing Storage & Access. HITRANS will act as strategic integrator, run a regional Challenge Call, and manage monitoring and evaluation. 4. PURPOSE OF THE MORAY PROGRAMME 4.1 Translate the HITRANS regional programme into a Moray delivery plan that: removes transport barriers to job entry and sustainment for priority families; integrates HITRANS transport offers with LEP employability support and local childcare brokerage; and tests scalable service models e.g. m.connect shift alignment, employer shuttles, mobility credits, HI-Bike offers that can be triaged for regional scale-up if funding is committed for future years by Scottish Government/Transport Scotland. 4.2 The funding has a clear single person centred test of success for the programme. An intervention is judged successful if it demonstrably increases net household income after housing costs for participating priority families and achieves sustained employment at 26 weeks at an acceptable cost per sustained job. 5. ROLES, FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIP ARRAN|GEMENTS 5.1 HITRANS / RTP role (service enabling) • Fund and commission transport services and time-limited travel offers (DRT/CT adaptations, mobility credits, HI-Bike top-ups, employer shuttle pilots). • Provide regional governance, pooled learning and evaluation capacity. 5.2 LEP role (employability and wraparound support) Page 38
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• Manage referrals, casework, benefits maximisation, childcare brokerage and training support. • Co-fund or provide in-kind support for non-transport elements required to convert access into sustained employment. 5.3 Moray Council role (local delivery) • Act as delivery partner through M.Connect to deliver DRT shift runs and provide anonymised trip data under data-sharing agreements to enable further improvement of transport accessibility. 5.4 Employers • Employers such as Johnson’s of Elgin, Walkers, NHS Highland to co-design shift solutions and support onboarding. 5.5 Funding split principle • HITRANS funds transport supply and time-limited travel offers. • LEPs fund participant support (childcare top-ups, benefits advice, training). • Employers encouraged to provide match funding or in-kind support for employer shuttle pilots where feasible. 6. MORAY PILOT MENU (POTENTIAL) Pilot Type Intervention package Primary outcome m.connect Shift Alignment m.connect timetable extensions; Mobility Credits (4–8 weeks); employer referrals; LEP wraparound Increased job starts; reduced early attrition NHS Shift Access DRT links to NHS sites; discounted HI-Bike membership for staff; employer travel audits; LEP in-work support Reduced vacancy fill time; improved retention HI-Bike Employment Offer Free/low-cost HI-Bike membership (4–12 weeks); travel credit; route planning; LEP referral Short-commute modal shift; last miles support for mulit- modal transport and reduced travel costs Employer Shuttle Challenge Fund Employer co-funded shuttles/pooling; workforce travel audits; LEP recruitment support Employer co-funding; scalable shuttle models Childcare-linked Transport DRT to nursery + workplace; benefits maximisation check; childcare brokerage Increased sustained employment for lone parents 7. WORKING WITH M.CONNECT AND EMPLOYERS Page 39
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7.1 Design sprint (Q2/3 of 2026/27) • Convene m.connect, Moray transport officers, HITRANS, LEP and employer representatives to map origin–destination demand, confirm shift patterns, finalise timetable options and agree booking/fare handling for Mobility Credits. 7.2 Operational arrangements • M.connect to operate targeted shift runs; employers to support staff onboarding and communications; LEPs to manage participant referrals and benefits checks. 7.3 Data & privacy • A data-sharing agreement will be signed covering anonymised trip data, participant referral data and evaluation outputs; Moray Council will act as data controller for local evaluation and ensure GDPR compliance. 8. MONITORING, EVALUATING AND REPORTING 8.1 Minimum dataset (per pilot) • Participant demographics; number of children reached in the household; interviews enabled; job starts; retention at 4/12/26 weeks; hours and earnings; mobility credit uptake; DRT/CT trips; HI-Bike trips; change in gross and net household income after housing costs; benefits take-up; cost per sustained job; equity breakdowns. 8.2 Evaluation approach • Mixed methods: standard quantitative metrics for comparability; qualitative process evaluation; rapid contribution analysis to assess causality 9. RISKS AND MITIGATIONS 9.1 Low uptake • Mitigation: LEP referrals, employer onboarding, targeted communications. 9.2 Procurement/operational delays • Mitigation: use in-house operations (m.connect) for initial 26/27 given need for prompt mobilisation and uncertainty over future years funding. 9.3 Benefit interactions • Mitigation: embed benefits maximisation and model net income impacts before scale decisions. 9.4 Data/privacy • Mitigation: formal data-sharing agreements and central data officer oversight. 9.5 Sustainability • Mitigation: require exit plans and employer match commitments for pilots with ongoing costs. Page 40
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10. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS (SUMMARY) 10.1 HITRANS allocation: £1,032,148 (regional). Moray’s proposed initial ask is still subject to regional allocation and HITRANS confirmation. 10.2 Co-funding expectation: LEP budgets to cover participant wraparound (childcare, benefits advice); employers to provide match funding or in-kind support for shuttle pilots where feasible. 11. CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS 11.1 The HITRANS Access to Employment programme provides a timely, revenue-funded opportunity to remove transport barriers to work and to contribute to the Child Poverty Delivery Plan. By coordinating HITRANS service offers with LEP employability funding and employer engagement, Moray can test practical, scalable interventions that increase net household income for priority families. 11.2 If the Committee agrees the recommendations, officers will: • finalise the Moray prospectus with HITRANS; • convene the design sprint with m.connect, LEP and employer partners (Q2/3 2026/27); • mobilise the first tranche of pilots in line with the timetable set out in this report. Author of Report: Ranald Robertson, Partnership Director HITRANS Background Papers: HITRANS Partnership Report to 24 April 2026 (Access to Employment Funding; Appendix A). Ref: Page 41
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: COMMUNITY SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2024/25 BY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMY, ENTERPRISE AND OPERATIONS 1. REASON FOR REPORT i. To provide an update on the progress of the Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2022/26, for the period 2024/25, through the Community Safety Annual Report (Appendix A) and the work of the Moray Community Safety Strategic Group (CSSG) to develop a new Community Safety Strategy, 2026/2030. 2. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Board: i. Consider and note the content of the Community Safety Annual Report, 2024/25; and ii. Consider and note the work of the CSSG to develop a new Community Safety Strategy, 2026/2030. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The CSSG is a partnership of statutory services, drawing experience from many disciplines. It is responsible for the development, implementation and review of the Community Safety Strategy, which includes the Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Strategy as endorsed by the Community Planning Board on the 21 September 2022.(paragraph 6 of the Minute refers). 3.1 The statutory duty under the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act, 2004, requires local authorities and the police to publish and review an ASB strategy in partnership. Other key duties include maintaining records of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBO), managing landlord licensing, issuing antisocial behaviour notices (ASBNs), and addressing nuisance, noise, and disorder through prevention and enforcement. 3.2 The Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2022/26, sets two priorities: Item 6. Page 43
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• reducing harms in our communities • safeguarding our communities 3.3 It also sets out 18 thematic outcomes. 3.4 Community safety means different things for different people living and working in communities across Moray, but ultimately, it is about communities being resilient and feeling and being safe. Community safety doesn’t exist in isolation and overlaps with many aspects of the lives of our communities, from education, employment and health, through to how we live in our communities. 3.5 The Community Safety Annual Report 2022/24 Annual Report made six key recommendations: • Improve partnership working with individual partners and strategic partnerships across the system. • Move to more Dynamic Reporting and timeous partner updates for Community Safety (CS) Hub cases is needed to make the Hub more effective. • Development of new partnership projects that meet emerging need rather than ‘business as usual’, particularly around ASB. • Review the Outcome Measures to fit with a more focussed approach to Community Safety. • Consider the findings of the ASB Task and Finish Group, and report to the Community Planning Partnership. • Set up the Mental Health Task and Finish Group and then consider the findings and report to the Community Planning Partnership. 3.6 The CSSG achieved some significant successes in delivering change for Community Safety in Moray, in 2024/25, which can be attributed to the ongoing growth of partnership working, and the projects and improvement in service delivery that has flowed from these partnerships. 3.7 The growth and development of the CSSG’s partnership working has been achieved through the increase in levels of expertise by expanding its membership, the development of more robust governance processes, and the establishment of targeted projects and multi-agency working groups, designed to tackle antisocial behaviour and offer support to both complainants and subjects of complaints. With this has come a greater emphasis on prevention and earlier intervention. 3.8 Operationally, the increase in the number of Community Wardens, from two to five, has enabled the service to increase its work to tackle antisocial behaviour, and to operate in public spaces, rather than just within named residential addresses. Community Wardens now operate within clearly defined ‘patches’, meaning they are able to build relationships with other professionals and agencies working in the area, with schools, community facilities and with those living and working within their areas. These relationships build trust and help the Community Wardens to gain intelligence and to intervene at an earlier stage. Page 44
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3.9 Where there are still issues that need addressing, including in the area of environmental crime and ASB, partners are working together to take enforcement and preventative actions. 3.10 Procurement for the Elgin Active Youth Engagement (AYE) Bus was completed, and Action for Children were subsequently contracted to operate the Bus, funded by the Elgin Neighbourhood Fund (UK Government funding), via the Elgin Town Board for two years. As per the contract requirements, Action for Children is building partnerships with other agencies to provide support for young people. So far this includes youth work teams from Moray Council and Aberlour Youth Point and NHS Grampian. 3.11 Despite successes on the ground, limited progress has been made around the Outcome Measures, which are currently fixed within the Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2022/26. The issue has been around the continuing availability of the data to enable analysis of progress. The CSSG has continued to monitor those Measures where data was available, and agreed to review the Measures as part of the development of the Community Safety Strategy for 2026/30. 3.12 The CSSG commenced the review of the Moray Community Safety Strategy 2022/26, in the autumn 2025. This included a review of the Outcome Measures and the availability of data. This process is still ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of the year 2026/27. 3.13 To aid the development of the new Strategy, the CSSG has set out a programme which includes consulting with stakeholders. The stakeholders will include professionals working across all sectors, community representatives, businesses and residents. 3.14 The consultation process is being designed to identify stakeholders’ awareness and perception of what Community Safety is and understand what they would like to see prioritised for the next four years. The consultation process will be limited by budget constraints, as the CSSG, unlike other partnerships, does not hold a budget. All activities will take place within partners existing budgets. 3.15 An initial public consultation, Creating a Safer Moray was launched on the Engage Moray website in March 2026. The consultation closed on 30 June 2026, with 97 responses submitted. Analysis of these responses will then enable the development of themes which will then lead to further public engagement, before the CSSG is able to develop a new Community Strategy. 4 SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 4.1 The Moray Community Safety Strategy aligns with the priorities set out within the Moray Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP), providing a clear contribution to the overarching ambition of the LOIP in raising aspirations through improved wellbeing, expanded choices and stronger communities. This alignment will be strengthened in the Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2026 – 2030. Page 45
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4.2 The development process for the new 2026–2030 Community Safety Strategy will ensure that the priorities of the Strategy maintain and strengthen alignment with the LOIP. Building on the current focus on preventing harm, protecting vulnerable people and supporting safer communities, the revised priorities will continue to contribute directly to the LOIP priorities of Improving Wellbeing of our Population and Empowering and Connecting Communities. 4.3 The new strategy will be developed to reflect emerging and ongoing community safety challenges while retaining a strong focus on prevention, early intervention and partnership working. As a result, it is expected that the 2026–2030 priorities will deliver the same, if not greater, contribution to improving physical and mental wellbeing, reducing vulnerability and inequalities, increasing community resilience, and supporting people to feel safe and connected within their communities. This strengthened alignment will further support the delivery of shared outcomes across community planning partners and reinforce the role of community safety as a key enabler of the wider ambitions set out within the LOIP. 5 CONCLUSION 5.1 2024/25 saw a number of successes, particularly in the development of partnership working and the projects and improvement in service delivery that has flowed from these developments. This can be seen reflected in the number of positive outcomes that have been achieved. 5.2 The progression of the Elgin AYE Bus, supported by the Elgin Town Board through the Pride in Place funding, has enabled partners to put an additional focus on young people who are engaging in ASB or risky behaviours. This engagement with young people helps in advancing Moray’s contextual safeguarding, where young people are at risk from events and individuals outside of the home. 5.3 The increase in the number of Community Wardens has made possible the reintroduction of both targeted and more ad hoc patrols, meaning that the Community Wardens are able to build relationships with partners and within the communities in which they work, for the benefit of those communities, and has assisted in the prevention and early intervention where ASB exists. 5.4 Where there are issues that need addressing, including in the area of environmental crime and ASB, partners are working together to take enforcement and preventative actions. 5.5 The availability of statistics and other data, both quantitative and qualitative, and the accuracy of this data remains a concern, which the CSSG hopes to resolve as part of the development of the 2026 – 2030 Moray Community Safety Strategy. 5.6 The development of a new Community Safety Strategy will include consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, to ensure that the Strategy meets the needs of the communities that it seeks to support. 5.7 The Community Safety Strategy, 2026/2030 will ensure greater alignment with the Moray LOIP and strengthen the partnership approach. Page 46
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Author of Report: Chrissy Stower, Lead Public Health Officer Background Papers: Moray Community Safety Annual Report 2024/25 Page 47
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1 April 2026 APPENDIX A Moray Community Safety Strategic Group Community Safety Annual Report 2024/25 Page 49
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2 April 2026 1. Background 1.0. The statutory duty under the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act, 2004, requires local authorities and the police to publish and review an antisocial behaviour (ASB) strategy in partnership. Other key duties include maintaining records of ASBOs, managing landlord licensing, issuing antisocial behaviour notices (ASBNs), and addressing nuisance, noise, and disorder through prevention and enforcement. In Moray, the ASB Strategy is incorporated within the wider Community Safety Strategy, 2022-2026. 1.1. The CSSG has two Strategic Priorities (Reducing Harms in our Community and Safeguarding our Community) as set out in the Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2022-2026, which also identifies 18 Thematic Outcomes. 1.2. ‘Community safety’ means different things for different people living and working in communities across Moray, but ultimately, it is about communities being resilient and feeling and being safe. Community safety doesn’t exist in isolation and overlaps with many aspects of the lives of our communities, from education, employment and health, through to how we live in our communities. 1.3. Addressing community safety issues is complex and requires a coordinated multi- agency approach, supported by meaningful engagement with the communities affected. 1.4. The Moray Community Safety Strategic Group (CSSG) is Moray’s Community Safety Partnership, a well-established partnership of statutory organisations, including Moray Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and NHS Grampian. The CSSG is responsible for the development and review of the Community Safety Strategy, which currently incorporates the Antisocial Behaviour Strategy, a statutory obligation under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act, 2004. The CSSG reports to the Community Planning Partnership and the Housing and Community Safety Committee. 2. Summary 2.0. 2.1 This Report covers the financial year 2024/25, gives an update on key activities in relation to the Moray Community Safety Strategy (2022/26). 3. Review of 2024/25 3.0. The Annual Report, covering the period September 2022 – April 2024, identified a number of recommendations to be taken forward, in order for the CSSG to achieve its targets. These recommendations have formed the basis of the work of the CSSG over the period 2024/25. 3.0.1. Improve partnership working with individual partners and strategic partnerships across the system. 3.0.1.1. Partnership working has improved significantly and the governance processes around the CSSG have been strengthened. The CSSG has strengthened its knowledge base by expanding membership to include senior professionals from a broader range of services, and the improvements in partnership at a strategic level, have enabled development at an operational level, particularly in addressing antisocial behaviour (ASB). This has been driven by better communication and greater engagement from partner agencies. The challenge remains for the CSSG to focus on a more strategic approach now that the partnership has been strengthened. A revised Community Safety Strategy in 2026 with clear, outcome-focused priorities will consolidate the improvements further. Page 50
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3 April 2026 3.0.1.2. National engagement through the Scottish Community Safety Network and ASB Officers’ Forum has enabled the sharing of best practice and participation in national projects, which in turn has improved the knowledge of the CSSG, and created a platform for the development of local projects, including the Elgin Crime and ASB project, and the Buckie Place Standard Tool, with Community Safety Lens project. 3.0.1.3. A persistent challenge is the lack of clarity around the term “community safety,” which is often used interchangeably with ASB. This confusion is compounded by the Council’s ASB team being called the Community Safety Team, resulting in limited attention to wider safety issues. The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour: Review Report (Feb 2025) highlighted the difficulties for partnerships where the ASB Strategy is embedded in the Community Safety Strategy and has made a recommendation to the Scottish Government that the two are separate. The report also identified legislative gaps and called for clearer definitions around Community Safety and ASB within current legislation. 3.0.1.4. Ambiguity also affects cross-cutting themes such as substance use, with the strategic partnership being the Alcohol and Drug Partnership, but which is also a Community Safety issue, when substance abuse leads to harm in the home or contributes to ASB. Links with other partnerships— Alcohol and Drug Partnership, Community Justice, and Violence Against Women and Girls—have been reinforced through shared membership to ensure cross-cutting themes are identified and gaps addressed appropriately. 3.0.1.5. Discussions on ASB often focus disproportionately on youth ASB, despite it being a minority of reported cases. This visibility is due to media coverage and proactive collaboration between Community Safety, Children and Families, Justice Social Work, and youth services. Strong links with the Children and Families Locality Network have improved access to services for children and young people and to the third sector. 3.0.1.6. Adult ASB management has improved through the review and further development of multi-agency Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), but strategic discussions on underlying causes remain limited. 3.0.1.7. Despite challenges, partnership working has exceeded expectations at both strategic and operational levels, evidenced by new initiatives and stronger governance. However, community engagement remains weak, with limited participation in shaping priorities. 3.0.1.8. The Crime and ASB Tactical Group was established to monitor crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) data across Moray, enabling partners to allocate resources effectively and implement targeted interventions. Since October 2024, the group has been collating and analysing data from Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and Moray Council on a monthly basis. While initial patterns are emerging, meaningful trends and seasonal variations will require at least one full year of data. 3.0.1.9. The Moray ASB Housing Forum, established in May 2024, brings together Moray Council, Police Scotland, Registered Social Landlords, and Private Landlord Registration representatives. While ASB occurs across all Page 51
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4 April 2026 housing tenures, it is most prevalent in rented properties, particularly social housing. The Forum provides a collaborative platform for landlords to share best practices, coordinate responses, and seek mutual support in tackling ASB within their housing stock. 3.0.2. Move to more Dynamic Reporting and timeous partner updates for Community Safety (CS) Hub cases is needed to make the Hub more effective. 3.0.2.1. Enhancements have been made to the Community Safety (CS) Hub, including integrating the Daily Brief—containing incident data from Police Scotland, Moray Council, and SFRS—into the Hub Tasking document. This ensures partners receive daily updates and can provide timely feedback from their services. 3.0.2.2. Despite these improvements, updates from some partners remain delayed. Plans to implement a SharePoint platform for real-time document updates have been postponed due to ICT security concerns. 3.0.3. Development of new partnership projects that meet emerging need rather than ‘business as usual’, particularly around ASB. 3.0.3.1. The CSSG remains concerned that the current Community Safety Strategy and its outcome monitoring are focused on ‘business as usual’ rather than addressing emerging needs. With the Strategy due to expire in 2026, CSSG plans to develop a new strategy that prioritises innovation and responsiveness. 3.0.3.2. Despite these limitations, notable progress has been made. Following the ASB Task and Finish Group, a multi-agency ASB Action Plan was created to identify service gaps and implement targeted activities to meet identified needs. 3.0.4. Review the Outcome Measures to fit with a more focussed approach to Community Safety. 3.0.4.1. The CSSG identified that the current Outcome Measures in the Community Safety Strategy are overly broad, often unmeasurable, and largely reflect routine activities. To address this, the review of Outcome Measures will be incorporated into a full review of the Moray Community Safety Strategy (2022–2026). This review will define clear priorities, identify service gaps, and inform the development of a new strategy. Scoping began in summer 2025 and is expected to conclude by early 2026, with the revised strategy scheduled for launch in late spring or early summer 2026. 3.0.4.2. The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour, commissioned by the Scottish Government, identified significant gaps in ASB data collection and analysis across Scotland. It recommends a systematic review of data gathering, analysis, and sharing processes. These recommendations, along with others in the report, are expected to influence the development of Moray’s new Community Safety Strategy, once the Scottish Government has published its response. Page 52
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5 April 2026 3.0.5. Consider the findings of the ASB Task and Finish Group, and report to the Community Planning Partnership. 3.0.5.1. ASB Action Plan: Following a report to the Community Planning Partnership, 29th February 2024, an ASB Action Plan was developed and then presented to the Community Planning Partnership in the report Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan and Community Wardens, 23rd October 2024. 3.0.5.2. In February 2024, Moray Council approved funding for two additional full-time Community Wardens, enabling the Community Safety Team to address rising ASB and reinstate patrols in hotspot areas. In June 2024, the Housing and Community Safety Committee approved converting the Housing Liaison Officer post into a third Warden, bringing the team to five. Each Warden covers a specific area, building community relationships, supporting schools, and conducting planned and ad hoc patrols. The increase in Warden numbers and patrols has contributed to a reduction in reported incidents, demonstrating a preventative impact. 3.0.6. Set up the Mental Health Task and Finish Group and then consider the findings and report to the Community Planning Partnership. 3.0.6.1. This recommendation was superseded by actions taken by the Moray Integration Joint Board Committee. A report presented on 26 September 2024 outlined proposals for a new Moray Mental Health and Wellbeing System, including a Delivery Plan and Governance Structure. While CSSG will contribute to and support this work, it was agreed that taking direct action could create duplication and confusion. 4. Progress Against Targets 4.0. As previously stated, measuring the performance of the Outcomes, as described in the Moray Community Safety Strategy, 2022-26, is not straightforward, and in some instances, is not possible. The CSSG agreed that those outcomes, where data is not readily available oris already reported by another partnership, would be omitted from all reports, due to the lack of accuracy. 4.1. For those Outcomes where accurate measurement is available, the results have generally been positive.. 4.2. The data alone does not give the complete picture, and reading these in context is essential. 4.3. The outcomes are used to measure the level of incidents and events that impact on an individual’s mental as well as physical wellbeing, and includes crime, ASB and unintentional harm. Although ASB is a key target area for the work of the CSSG, ASB does not have a specific outcome measure listed within the Community Safety Strategy and contained within other outcomes. 4.4. The Community Safety Team record data specific to the work of the Community Wardens. This includes the disaggregated ASB data on complaints received to the Council, but also data around the number patrols and direct action taken by Community Wardens. Page 53
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6 April 2026 4.5. In the calendar year 2025 the Community Wardens investigated 1,960 ASB complaints received into the service. In addition to that they undertook 1,451 other activities throughout Moray. These ranged from attending Community Council meetings and supporting partners, through to patrols in areas where ASB had been identified. The Community Wardens have also taken part in local events, talking to the public about their role and how people can report ASB. Feedback from the public has been positive, with residents stating that they feel safer with Community Wardens being visible. The Community Wardens report that when they are on patrol residents approach them. Some to ask about what they are doing and what their job is, but others come forward to report ASB issues or ask advice. The reduction in Neighbour Disputes and Noise Complaints is in part related to the work of the Community Wardens. 4.6. In terms of environmental ASB, fly tipping, dog fouling and littering are the areas that have seen a significant percentage increase. The increase is likely to be partly due to higher levels of reporting, rather than there being a large rise in actual ASB. This is as a direct result of Community Wardens raising awareness of how residents can make reports, or in them taking direct reports from the public. 4.7. Actions are being taken by Community Wardens to reduce this type of ASB, through the issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices, where there is direct evidence, and by putting up notices in areas identified as hotspots for environmental ASB. 4.8. Fly tipping in Moray tends to be domestic waste, such as bags of rubbish left in laybys, with less frequently some larger items such as mattresses or white goods. Moray has not to date seen fly tipping on a larger scale, such as the commercial waste seen in other areas. Moray Council works closely with partners, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), to identify potential issues and prevent such threats to the landscape. TABLE 1: Community Warden Patrols Month Type of Activity Patrols - hotspot areas Patrols - planned case specific Events and partnership working/support Jan 37 46 2 Feb 64 52 8 Mar 46 11 1 Apr 51 20 12 May 139 22 12 Jun 91 35 9 Jul 174 54 18 Aug 63 50 11 Sep 57 52 13 Oct 90 48 8 Nov 63 31 14 Dec 18 17 12 Total 893 438 120 Page 54
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8 April 2026 TABLE 2: Outcome Measures 2024/25 Priority Current Measure Source Type of measure 2024/25 Actual % Reducing Harms in our Community Reduce incidents of Violence (Non-sexual crimes of violence) Police Scotland No of incidents 1,135 + 1% Reduce incidents of Domestic Abuse Reported by Moray Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership Increase those referred to substance misuse support services Reported by Moray Alcohol and Drugs Partnership Reduce rates of Neighbour Disputes and Noise Complaints Police Scotland Number of complaints 837 -38% Moray Council Number of complaints 600 -8% Reduce Environmental Antisocial Behaviour complaints (Litter/Fly Tipping/ Dog Fouling/Graffiti) Community Safety Team/ Environmental Health Number of complaints 365 +31% Reduce number of accidental dwelling fires (all types) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service No of fires 80 -5% Reduce number of accidental dwelling fires involving substance misuse. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Percentage of fires 10% -33% Reduce number of secondary fires in the community Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Number of incidents 110 -33% Rates of Domestic Abuse where children are present Reported by Moray Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership Safeguarding Our Community Reduce the number of recorded online scams/ frauds/exploitation crimes/complaints Trading Standards Number of complaints 24 -82% Police Scotland 229 -9% Page 56
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9 April 2026 Increase the number of Home Fire Safety Visits Scottish Fire and Rescue Number of Visits 506 -25% Page 57
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H:\POLICY\INTERNET\item34antisocialbehaviourpolicy.docV5. 07/08/07 10 TABLE 3: Comparison of ASB over 2 years 4.9. Conclusion 4.10. 2024/25 saw a number of successes, particularly in the development of partnership working and the projects and improvement in service delivery that has flowed from these developments. This can be seen reflected in the number of positive outcomes that have been achieved. 4.11. The progression of the Elgin AYE Bus, supported by the Elgin Town Board through the Pride in Place funding, has enabled partners to put an additional focus on young people who are engaging in ASB or risky behaviours. This engagement with young people helps in advancing Moray’s contextual safeguarding, where young people are at risk from events and individuals outside of the home. 4.12. The increase in the number of Community Wardens has made possible the reintroduction of both targeted and more ad hoc patrols, meaning that the Community Wardens are able to build relationships with partners and within the communities in which they work, for the benefit of those communities, and has assisted in the prevention and early intervention where ASB exists. 4.13. Where there are issues that need addressing, including in the area of environmental crime and ASB, partners are working together to take enforcement and preventative actions. 4.14. Fly tipping in Moray is predominantly domestic waste in small quantities, and not the commercial waste seen in other areas. Although the increases in fly tipping, littering and dog fouling are of concern in terms of the level of increase some of this 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Bird Complaint CCTV Drugs Harassment Neighbour Nuisance Noise Rowdy Behaviour Serious Disorder Threats Youth Nuisance ASB By Type in Moray 2023/24 - 2024/25 2023/24 2024/25 Page 58
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H:\POLICY\INTERNET\item34antisocialbehaviourpolicy.docV5. 07/08/07 11 increase can been seen in part to be due to higher levels of reporting following the work of the Community Wardens with the public. 4.15. The availability of statistics and other data, both quantitative and qualitative, and the accuracy of this data remains a concern, which the CSSG hopes to resolve as part of the development of the 2026 – 2030 Moray Community Safety Strategy. Page 59
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: LOCALITY PLANS - BUCKIE & NEW ELGIN 2024 -2025 BY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FINANCE, STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To provide the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) with an annual update on Locality Planning in Buckie and New Elgin and to ask that the Board consider requests for support and action. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: i. notes the progress made during the last year in Buckie and New Elgin and recognises that, as the Locality Plans enter their final 3 years, locality working groups are established for both areas to consolidate progress and develop a sustainable legacy beyond the life of the plans; ii. notes that partners will be contacted for the appropriate representatives to participate in this working group alongside community representatives; iii. notes the intended next steps to support a broader refresh of the Locality Plans and determine the most appropriate way forward; and iv. that, subject to Recommendation 2.1, the working groups include a specific focus on sustaining the Buckie Hub and The Link beyond 2028. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Community Planning Partnership’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan, Versions 1 and 2, identified New Elgin and Buckie as priority locality planning areas requiring targeted support from CPP partners. These areas were selected for specific locality-based work to address inequalities, improve outcomes and strengthen community-led approaches. Item 7. Page 61
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3.2 Following consideration of the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) report, “Supporting Place-Based Approaches in Moray”, which was presented to the Community Planning Board on 2 February 2022, it was agreed that progress on locality planning would be reported through the Community Learning and Development Strategic Group (paragraph 4 of the minute refers). An annual progress report for the New Elgin and Buckie localities would thereafter be presented to the CPP Board, setting out progress against priorities, identifying areas for future development and highlighting any requests for additional input or support from CPP partners. 3.3 The most recent Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) figures continue to highlight challenges within both locality areas. In Buckie, the main urban areas of Buckie Central East, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie comprise 10 data zones and have a combined population of approximately 8,500 people, representing around 9% of Moray’s total population. Nationally, 3 of these 10 data zones are ranked within decile 4 or below. Within Moray, the same 3 data zones are ranked among the 10% most deprived areas in the area. Estimated child poverty levels are above 25% in 6 of the 10 Buckie data zones, demonstrating the continued need for focused partnership activity and preventative support. 3.4 According to the 2020 SIMD figures, New Elgin has a population of approximately 8,178 and is divided into 10 data zones across New Elgin East and New Elgin West, with 5 data zones in each area. While one data zone in New Elgin East has improved since the 2016 SIMD rankings, four data zones in New Elgin have experienced a decline in terms of overall deprivation. In New Elgin East, one data zone has moved from decile 7 to decile 4, while another remains in decile 2 and continues to be one of the most deprived communities in Moray. Child poverty remains a significant concern, with parts of Elgin experiencing notable increases. New Elgin East has also seen an increase in child poverty levels, reinforcing the importance of ongoing locality-based support and community engagement. 3.5 Both Buckie and New Elgin benefit from dedicated capacity-building support through two Community Support Officers in each locality. This support has been fundamental to delivering the actions, outputs and outcomes set out within both locality plans. Community Support Officers have played a key role in strengthening local engagement, supporting community participation and enabling partners to respond more effectively to locally identified priorities. 4. KEY ACTIVITIES DURING 2024/25 Buckie 4.1 Monitoring Group: The Monitoring Group has continued to meet monthly to monitor progress on the Locality Plan. The group has been involved in several initiatives, including the Quadrant project in Cluny Square, provided financial backing for Fisherman’s Hall Confidence to Cook sessions and the Active Start project. The group conducted a partner survey which had a low response rate from partners (100 recipients, 8 responses) and refreshed the Locality Plan to Page 62
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prioritise community-led actions. The group has also compiled and distributed an annual newsletter. 4.2 Merson Park – : The group has secured Stage 1 Scottish Land Fund support for consultancy, business planning and to develop a feasibility study. Consultations have been delivered both in person and online, and the group is progressing a Community Asset Transfer application. Work is also underway on an options appraisal of the park area, supported by technical assessments and consideration of future sports and recreational use. Why this matters This work has the potential to secure a long-term community asset for Buckie, shaped by local priorities and supported by robust feasibility and business planning. It could improve access to outdoor space, sport, recreation and wellbeing opportunities; strengthen community ownership and participation; and provide a clearer evidence base for future investment, partnership support and sustainable management of the park. Linked outcomes: stronger community-led delivery; improved partner coordination; increased access to wellbeing and recreational opportunities; greater social capital and volunteering; and a more sustainable legacy beyond the current Locality Plan period. 4.3 The Hub: Development of the business plan was facilitated by officers. The core team meets fortnightly to manage operational matters. The group obtained Local Action Group (LAG) funding for early 2025 and Moray Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing funding for 2025–2026. This has enabled The Hub to continue its operations through covering running costs for a further year. In addition, The Hub has distributed donations from Cluny Primary and secured Moray Pathways funding for equipment. The Hub has also launched the Embedded Artist and Hot Press initiatives. Why this matters The Hub is providing a trusted, accessible community base in Buckie where residents can access practical support, social connection, advice, activities and partner services. The level of volunteering, footfall and social interaction demonstrates the strength of local ownership and the Hub’s role in reducing isolation, responding to hardship and supporting community wellbeing. Linked outcomes: improved access to support services; reduced social isolation; increased volunteering and social capital; stronger partner coordination; more preventative support; and a sustainable community-led model for the future. • The Hub continues to see high levels of engagement, with monthly averages in 2024 of 133 volunteer sessions, 604 user visits, and 434 instances of social interaction. The most frequent supports provided include information/advice, goods (food parcels, vouchers, clothing), use of facilities, and agency meetings. Page 63
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• Volunteer hours for the year totalled over 153,000, with an estimated value exceeding £183,000, highlighting the significant contribution of volunteers to enhancing community wellbeing. • Notable increases in user visits and social interactions occurred in early 2024, with some fluctuations reflecting seasonal and economic pressures. • An application for a 2-year grant to Moray Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund Year 5 (CMH&W Fund) was successful (£15,000 in 2025-26 and £15,000 2026-27). The value of the grant payable in year 2 (2026-27) is an indicative confirmation and cannot be taken as a guarantee. All indicative funding commitments are subject to the outcome of any spending review by the Scottish Government and approval of the annual Budget Bills by the Scottish Parliament during this period. • From engagement carried out, other partners are seeking to establish permanent space in Buckie. A brief entitled ‘Buckie Hub: Community Impact and Future Opportunities’ is attached to this report, and we would ask that the recommendations are considered. 4.4 Key Themes from Anecdotes and Referrals Positive Outcomes & Volunteer Impact The following anecdotes highlight the positive impact of volunteer support, from building confidence and skills to resolving practical issues and providing emotional reassurance, while also highlighting ongoing challenges: Financial Hardship & Food Insecurity • Persistent financial hardship is a dominant theme, with many referrals for food vouchers, parcels, and emergency support due to benefit delays, sanctions, or unexpected expenses. • Food insecurity affects individuals and families, including those in work, on benefits, or facing sudden crises. Housing, Homelessness & Vulnerability • Several cases involve individuals in temporary accommodation, at risk of eviction, or struggling with homelessness. • Vulnerable groups include those with health conditions, disabilities, or lacking family support. Mental Health, Wellbeing & Social Isolation • Mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and social isolation, are frequently reported. • The Hub provides a safe space for social interaction, informal support, and signposting to specialist services. Support for Families & Children • Many referrals relate to families with children, including support for school meals, clothing, and crisis grants. Page 64
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• The Hub works closely with schools, social work, and health professionals to address complex needs. Addiction, Recovery & Health • Support is provided to individuals in addiction recovery, those with chronic health conditions, and people facing barriers to accessing statutory services. 4.5 Other Buckie locality activity The following updates reflect wider locality activity in Buckie which continues to support community-led delivery, partnership working and progress against the Locality Plan priorities: • Multi-Purpose Community Hub (2.1): A community consultation (248 responses) was carried out. The Town Centre Development Manager and architect assessed the former Bank of Scotland premises, though the SSEN funding application for its purchase was unsuccessful. The Trust was unsuccessful in obtaining funding for the bank as a community space and, as such, further exploration of options will be undertaken by the Trust and key partners. This is due to commence shortly. • Findochty and Buckie Development Trust: Supported by SCDC until July 2025 and now continues to be supported by the Community Support Officer to lead on key priorities from the Locality Plan. • Community Engagement: The Hub hosted a community groups’ gathering in partnership with local organisations. Engagement also took place with allotment waiting list participants, including a presentation from Cullen Allotments Association. Buckie Roots’ receipt of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service was also celebrated. New Elgin 4.6 Over the past year, locality planning activity in New Elgin has focused primarily on establishing The Link as a community hub, providing local people with access to a range of services and activities aligned to the outcomes of the Locality Plan. As with Buckie, the original New Elgin East locality boundary did not fully reflect how residents understood their community. The reach of the plan was therefore extended initially to include New Elgin West and, through The Link hub resource, now also includes the Pinefield area, which contains the most deprived data zone in Moray. 4.7 The priorities below provide the outcomes framework for locality planning activity in New Elgin, with The Link now acting as a key community-based delivery mechanism across a number of these themes. Theme – Better Health - Health and Wellbeing 1.0 Reduce use of and impact of drug use in N.E.E 2.0 Reduce anti-social behaviour in New Elgin East. Page 65
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Theme – Community Involvement 3.0 Bring different generations of people together in New Elgin East to reduce social isolation (building social capital). 4.0 Build community cohesion between individuals and community groups in New Elgin East and wider area. 5.0 Increased opportunities for community involvement and engagement with support services in New Elgin East 6.0 More People in N.E.E are in sustained housing with options that meet needs. Theme – Better Place – Environment and Infrastructure 7.0 Reduction in number of road traffic and parking incidents in New Elgin East 8.0 Improved access to play equipment and sports facilities – wider Elgin area 9.0 Improved links between New Elgin East community and schools Theme – Better Off - Education and Employment 10.0 Widening access to better (paid), quality employment in New Elgin East 11.0 Supporting people to ensure they have a decent standard of living in later life 12.0 Increase out of hours childcare provision in New Elgin East. 4.8 The progress outlined below demonstrates how these priorities are being taken forward in practice through the development of The Link. Why this matters The Link has become a practical delivery route for the New Elgin locality outcomes, providing a trusted community space where residents can access activities, advice, learning opportunities and partner support. Its development has helped translate the Locality Plan priorities into visible community-led action, particularly around social connection, family support, wellbeing, volunteering and access to services. Linked outcomes: improved community involvement; reduced social isolation; better access to support services; stronger family and community wellbeing; increased volunteering and local leadership; improved learning opportunities; and a more sustainable place-based model for New Elgin. 4.9 Establishment and launch: The Link Community Space commenced operations following the handover of unit keys on 17 September 2024. Initial months were dedicated to establishing the facility and meeting operational requirements, supported by volunteers engaged during prior community events. A soft opening was held during the October school holidays, featuring a community breakfast on 8 October as part of Challenge Poverty Week. The official launch event on 30 November attracted over 200 attendees. 4.10 Community leadership and local ownership: The Link was established to address the significant lack of community resources and accessible spaces for families. The initiative was made possible through the support of elected members, Moray Pathways, and, most importantly, local volunteers. Volunteers formed a steering group early on and have recently become an established constituted group, named ‘The Friends of The Link’, playing a central role in decision-making and operations. 4.11 Core community provision: Core activities in the building have included Drop-In Social Space sessions, responding to the identified need for a welcoming place to socialise. Family Drop-In sessions, particularly for families with young Page 66
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children, have been consistently popular and are held every Monday afternoon in partnership with Moray Pathways. 4.12 School holiday and family activity: Community-focused events during school holidays began with successful February Mid-Term Sessions. The Easter programme featured themed sessions such as Make It Mondays (crafts), Tabletop Tuesday (board games), and Feel-Good Friday (mixed activities), culminating in an outdoor duck race. These initiatives led to a threefold increase in attendance. The summer programme provided family activities including inflatables, STEM learning, litter picking, and first responder demonstrations. 4.13 Regular activities and learning support: Established regular weekly activities include the Knit N Natter group, which attracts over 20 participants weekly, and Digiknow sessions designed to improve digital literacy. Creative experiences for young people were delivered in partnership with M; ADE. The Community Learning and Development (CLD) Adult and Family Learning Team have delivered one-to-one courses since January, averaging three sessions per week, and have partnered with Moray School Bank to offer a Driving Theory Course. The Link is now also hosting support sessions for Linkwood Primary and Elgin High School, as well as working with New Elgin Primary. 4.14 Reach, impact and partnership delivery: In its first year, The Link has established itself as a vital community resource, providing activities and support. Attendance figures include 233 families (777 children) at holiday family sessions, 112 families at core family drop-ins, and 788 individuals at core and drop-in sessions. Key partners include REAP, Moray School Bank, Health Improvement Team, CLD Adult & Family Learning, Moray Pathways, Libraries Learning Team, and Lossiemouth RAF STEM team. 4.15 Funding and sustainability: Core funding for The Link was secured until the end of March 2026. Further funding has recently been secured through Pride in Place funding until March 2028. 5. NEXT STEPS 5.1 Positive progress has been made in both Locality Plan areas. However, it is acknowledged that the data currently available to demonstrate progress against specific outcomes is less robust than would be expected at this stage of delivery. To ensure that the remaining period of the Locality Plans is used effectively, and that resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact, the CLD Strategic Partnership proposes seeking support from the Improvement Service to undertake a review and refresh of the plans. 5.2 This refresh would allow partners to take stock of the work undertaken to date, consider what has been achieved, identify where further evidence or action is required, and agree a focused action plan for the outstanding priorities. This will provide greater clarity on what needs to be delivered, by whom, and within what timescales. Page 67
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5.3 This is an important step in ensuring that the Locality Plans are not simply maintained but actively delivered in line with the commitment originally made to Moray’s communities. With the continued support and leadership of the Community Planning Board, including the commitment sought at section 2.1, the refresh will help ensure that the plans continue to build on the strong legacy established to date and that partners are able to honour the ambitions and promises set out when the plans were first agreed. 6. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 6.1 The 10-year Locality Plans are key priorities within the Moray Local Outcomes Improvement Plan and play an important role in reducing inequalities in communities that have experienced disadvantage over many years. Positive progress has been made, particularly in relation to priorities 3 and 4 of the LOIP. Isolated individuals, families and communities are becoming more connected, and people are accessing support that is improving health and wellbeing, income, skills, confidence, self-worth and aspirations. 6.2 While the two locality areas are distinct and have developed through different models, both have seen significant growth in social capital. Increased volunteering and community-led activity are beginning to tangibly transform these communities. Dedicated officer support and the local Hubs have been central to this progress, providing the capacity, coordination and bases needed to support delivery. The implication for the Board is that continued commitment and targeted support are required to sustain this progress, strengthen evidence of impact, and ensure the Locality Plans continue to honour their original purpose of reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for Moray’s communities. Author of Report: Martin Robertson, Service Manager – Community Strategy & Engagement Background Papers: Moray Community Planning Partnership – Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) New Elgin east community plan Buckie Locality Plan Page 68
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: 2025-26 HALF YEAR (OCTOBER - MARCH) LOIP PERFORMANCE MONITORING REPORT BY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FINANCE, STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To inform the Board of the performance against the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) for the period to 31 March 2026. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Board scrutinise and note progress reported in the templates hyperlinked to this report 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Community Planning Board on 4 June 2025 agreed the LOIP delivery frameworks, recognising that development work continues to refine and enhance the focus on outcomes (paragraph 4 of the minute refers). Delivery Plans provide a sharper focus which aims to enable the Group to give attention to a narrower range of priorities. 3.2 This report gives narrative summary on progress on LOIP priorities with links to Pentana styled backing tables that aim to capture progress against the delivery frameworks available as background papers. 3.3 Refinement of performance indicators and actions remains variable across priorities due to delivery plans and partnership strategy action plans developing on different timelines and these remain in development. 3.4 The Group and Board is invited to consider and apply scrutiny in assessing whether the information contained gives reasonable assurance on progress against LOIP priorities. Item 8. Page 69
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3.5 Building a better future for our children & young people in Moray (LOIP Actions & Indicators) Ten of twelve actions have completed as planned by March 2026, with the remainder well progressed. Outstanding work will carry forward to 2026- 27. LOIP PRIORITIES RAG The emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young people is improved 77% Children live in safe and supportive families 78% The impact of poverty on children, young people and families is mitigated 73% OVERALL PRIORITY PROGRESS Children and young people live in communities where their voice is heard and they are built up to be all they can be 77% Progress summary - 3.5.1 Progress against the outcome to improve emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young people has been made across the actions below relating to parent support, mental wellbeing provision and the development of a more coordinated mental wellbeing support system. • Parent support has expanded significantly, with 76 new parents engaged in the six months to March, supported through one-to-one and group-based sessions. New offers have been co-developed in response to the needs of parents of neurodiverse children. Reported outcomes are positive, with parent confidence increasing to 89% and self-esteem to 91%. • Gaps in mental wellbeing provision are being addressed through a newly commissioned mental health service, which launched on 4 February receiving 40 referrals during the remainder of quarter 4. Support for emotional school avoidance has moved from pilot activity into the parent-focused service offer. Digital wellbeing support has been promoted through school assemblies, and school counselling remains active with 269 referrals and an 82% improvement rate. The new SAMH service has been integrated into the wider support system, with processes in place to support co-delivered plans and smoother step-up/step-down supports. 3.5.2 Mitigating the impact of poverty on children and young people has focused on actions relating to crisis support, access to free or subsidised provision and employability support for parents. • The emergency formula pathway is now embedded and has been accessed 10 times during the year. Page 70
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• Families have been supported to access wider crisis funds. End of year data shows 569 families received crisis grants and 229 community grants, with approval rates increasing from 54% to 64%. Uptake of financial and practical support has increased, including 1,425 school holiday payments for the October holidays and a rise in Education Maintenance Allowances from 169 in 2023/24 to 203 in 2024/25. Access to food, travel, period products and sport-based activities has improved through the launch of 7 new breakfast clubs, expansion of 3 existing clubs, concessionary travel uptake for under 22s, the PeriodPlus project, and continued Active Schools provision. • Employability support has reached 130 new parent referrals alongside 62 parents carried forward from the previous year. Outcomes have included over 100 parents entering positive destinations, the majority to employment or training. Continuing work includes sustaining and increasing access to free support where funding in temporary, improving uptake of existing provision, identifying families experiencing financial pressure, and widening the UHI Moray upskilling pilot for parents in low-income employment. 3.5.3 With several actions supporting the outcome that children live in safe and supportive families, progress has been strongest in advocacy, online safety, inter-agency assessment and early intervention/diversion, while work is still developing around care experienced destinations. • Access to advocacy has increased substantially since the children’s rights service was commissioned in 2024. • Parent and carer online safety workshops and community event activity have continued, including a new session covering misogyny. • The Moray Inter-Agency Assessment Protocol was approved and implemented. • Barriers affecting looked after and care experienced young people’s access to further/higher education, training and awards have been identified to include interrupted schooling, literacy and numeracy gaps, mental wellbeing concerns and difficulty managing full-time opportunities. • Destination data shows 68% of care experienced young people leaving school entered a positive destination, with 60% maintaining this six months later, indicating a need for targeted improvement. A multi-sector group, led by the Virtual Head Teacher for care experienced children, has been established to develop improvement work and a plan of action. • Early and preventative youth justice support is in place, with no under-11s currently open to youth justice. Moray remains below the national average overall, supported by partnership working and continued Police Scotland investment in early intervention and diversion. Page 71
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3.6 Empowering and connecting communities (LOIP Actions and Indicators) – Overall, good progress is being made, with community hubs in New Elgin and Buckie supporting increased activity, strong resident engagement and volunteer contributions. Adult learning work is also progressing with expanded staffing, improved signposting and evidence of learners’ achievements and wider wellbeing impacts. Most actions remain live with further work focused on sustaining delivery, evidencing impact and moving local priorities from discussion to action. LOIP PRIORITIES RAG Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities 46% Improve life chances for people in Moray of all ages in communities experiencing the greatest inequality 50% OVERALL PRIORITY PROGRESS Thriving and well-connected place, where more people live well 48% Progress summary - 3.6.1 In developing stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities, progress against actions has been made through sustained place-based activity in New Elgin and Buckie, with community hubs continuing to act as focal points for support, connection and local action. • In New Elgin, The Link continues to deliver a broad weekly programme including family activities, adult and family learning, digital support, youth groups, wellbeing-related support and community drop-ins. At The Link the well-attended family sessions, including Sunday family activities averaged around 10 families and mid-term sessions involving 22 families and 111 children. In Buckie, the Monitoring Group has reviewed its action plan and continues to focus on cost-of- living support, community lunches, the local hub, public toilet improvements, promotion of Buckie and longer-term ambitions for a multi-purpose community hub. • This quarter, there were 966 volunteer hours at the Link that supported sessions which reached 1,660 community members, including 384 people receiving specific support such as financial help, service guidance and signposting, and 1,276 social visits supporting community connection. Funding has also been secured to support household hardship and to continue The Hub’s operation. Volunteer capacity remains a key area of delivering supported activities. 3.6.2 Improving life chances for people of all ages in communities experiencing the greatest inequality of outcomes is focused through actions on Page 72
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improving access to adult learning, strengthening signposting and evidencing learner impact. • Community-Based Adult Learning (CBAL) capacity has increased, enabling wider access to the CBAL offer. Learner Link Up now has an annual activity plan and a waiting list, which is helping the team monitor demand, assess need and consider alternative delivery models such as volunteer support and group-based work. A successful Qualifications Scotland systems visit confirmed that quality assurance systems and processes are operating effectively, with good practice noted in communications across assessors and verifiers. • The adult learner signposting landing page is being maintained and updated with relevant information and news. The team is recording signposting statistics, developing staff knowledge of referral routes, undertaking Making Every Opportunity Count and social media training and reviewing and updating literature. • Impact evidence is also being developed through case studies and qualitative reporting. Examples include the Bosie ESOL access group’s cookery sessions, the Progress for Parents award at Holyrood during Adult Learning Week, FitLife wellbeing survey activity, STEM delivery in two schools during British Science Week, and recording both accredited and non-accredited learner achievements, such as driving theory, Heritage Hero and ICDL alongside accredited awards in numeracy and communication. 3.7 Growing diverse, inclusive and sustainable economy (LOIP Actions and Indicators) – Strongest progress is evident in parental employability support, underemployed women’s progression, School Aged Childcare provision and employer engagement. Several actions are complete or substantially progressed, including national recognition for Progress for Parents, increased referrals, expansion of childcare provision and positive testing of targeted support models. However, a number of actions will carry forward into 2026/27, particularly around underemployment, childcare expansion, targeted support for young people and apprenticeship data development. LOIP PRIORITIES RAG Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through pathways to employment and higher skilled employment 85% Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through targeted approaches for those furthest from the job market 73% Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through choices for the young workforce 70% Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender 50% Page 73
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inequality through apprenticeships at all levels OVERALL PRIORITY PROGRESS By the year 2030 Moray will have a sustainable and inclusive economy which generates improved opportunities for everyone, including more skilled and higher paid jobs 73% Progress summary - 3.7.1 Pathways to employment and higher skilled employment has progressed through actions around the Progress for Parents project and wider Moray Pathways activity to support parents, underemployed women and those seeking progression into training or employment. • The Progress for Parents project received national recognition, winning the Family Learning Award at the Scotland Learning Partnership Awards. • Moray Pathways also held the Workforce North Event in December 2025, attracting 100 attendees and 50 local employers, training providers and public sector representatives. The event helped identify what is working well, gaps in provision and potential solutions. 3.7.2 Targeted approaches for those furthest from the job market has focused on childcare provision, parental support and targeted employability support through the Parents in Poverty project which has seen an increase in referrals. • Six School Aged Childcare (SAC) provision streams are in development, and the closure of another provision was prevented. A draft policy on the use of school buildings for SAC has been developed and is moving through the committee process. Additional funding has been secured to explore transport solutions to support childcare, with work shifting from Duffus to Speyside. Elgin City Football Club has received SFA Extra Time funding to provide after- school activities, currently involving three schools with plans to expand to twelve schools. Workforce development has also progressed through the ‘Step into Childcare’ taster course, with 12 participants completing the course this year and further course planned for 2026. 3.7.3 Choices for the young workforce has improved through targeted support for young people, including Keyworker support, Moray Pathways, the Sector Based Work Academy Programme, employer engagement activity and a supported employment offer. • A new supported employment service was provided by Enable Scotland as a test of change, offering intensive support to people whose disability or health condition is their main barrier to work. Page 74
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Following evaluation, this service has been integrated to test a new deliver model through 2026/27. 3.7.4 Progress with apprenticeships at all levels has been made through delivery of the Moray Apprenticeship Strategy by the Local Employability Partnership. • The apprenticeship development worker has provided a positive impact in the additional support and guidance available for employers. 3.8 Improving well-being of our population (LOIP Actions and Indicators) – Overall, the priority shows positive sustained progress across outcomes. Access to treatment remains above target, residential pathways are embedded and continuing to strengthen, and unplanned discharges show a clear downward trend. Harm reduction activity remains proactive and responsive, although naloxone supply has reduced compared to previous years and will require monitoring in the context of changing local drug trends. Continued partnership working, data quality improvement, early warning arrangements and trauma-informed outreach remain central to sustaining progress and addressing remaining risks. Outstanding actions have been carried forward into the 2026–27 LOIP Delivery Framework and reflected within the Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 to support continued delivery, monitoring and improvement. LOIP PRIORITIES RAG People who take harmful drugs are offered evidence-based harm reduction and advice 75% People can access the services they need to support their recovery 90% People remain in treatment for as long as they need to 70% OVERALL PRIORITY PROGRESS People are healthier and experience fewer harms as a result of making well informed decisions about their health and well- being 80% Progress summary - 3.8.1 Progress in people taking harmful drugs offered evidence-based harm reduction and advice has continued through proactive harm reduction outreach, daily huddles, assertive follow-up after non-fatal overdose, and strong third sector partnership working. • Naloxone distribution has fluctuated during 2025-26, with 125 supplies provided in the reporting year, a decrease from 169 last year. Although supply reduced in the second half of the year, repeat supplies increased in quarter 4, suggesting continued contact with people already receiving naloxone and ongoing reinforcement of harm reduction messages. Local drug trends appear to have shifted, Page 75
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including reduced reported availability of opiates and only five Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) referrals over the last year, which may be contributing to lower naloxone supply levels. In response, a local Early Warning Group has been established to strengthen monitoring of emerging substances, non-fatal overdoses, drug-related deaths and wider harm indicators. While suspected drug deaths have increased nationally, this has not currently been reflected locally. Overall, services remain responsive, with continued focus on monitoring risk, maintaining distribution pathways and strengthening awareness and training. This work will continue through the 2026–27 LOIP Delivery Framework, with ongoing monitoring by the Early Warning Group and continued partnership delivery of harm reduction activity. 3.8.2 There has been strong progress in maintaining timely access to specialist drug and alcohol services through the integrated support and treatment pathway. • In quarter 4, 93.7% of people started treatment within three weeks of referral, remaining above the 90% target. Performance has been consistently strong throughout the year, indicating sustained effectiveness in referral, triage and treatment initiation arrangements. Progress has also been made in residential rehabilitation access. The Moray Residential Rehabilitation Pathway is now embedded, with a dedicated Link Worker supporting people before, during and after placements. Placement completions have remained stable throughout 2025-26. The pathway has been reviewed with partners to reduce unnecessary barriers, including geographical and financial barriers and the partnership continues to work with providers through the Scotland Excel framework and national rehabilitation networks. Together, these actions show improved access, stronger coordination and more person-centred recovery support. Work to further strengthen the integrated pathway and residential rehabilitation access will continue through the 2026– 27 LOIP Delivery Framework and Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029. 3.8.3 For those remaining in treatment for as long as they need to, progress has been made in reducing unplanned discharges and improving oversight of disengagement from services. • Unplanned discharges have reduced and the overall trend is positive. The reduction has largely been driven by fewer people disengaging from services, reflecting the impact of assertive outreach follow-up, welfare checks and partnership working. A joint review within MIDAS and Arrows identified inconsistencies in discharge recording, and DAISy training has been implemented to improve data quality and consistency. Continued real-time monitoring, multi-agency review Page 76
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and lived/living experience-informed outreach are supporting earlier identification of risk and strengthening re-engagement approaches. This work will continue through the 2026–27 LOIP Delivery Framework, with a continued focus on reducing unplanned discharges, improving data quality and strengthening early intervention and re-engagement across the partnership. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 4.1 As a performance report, there are no direct financial, workforce, equalities, policy or legal issues from this report. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1. The report provides reasonable assurance of progress made against LOIP activities and highlights particular risks and issues associated with each priority. Author of Report: Louise Marshall, Strategy and Performance Manager Background Papers: 2025-26 Quarter 4 LOIP Actions 2025-26 Quarter 4 LOIP Performance Indicators CPB 04/06/25 LOIP Development of Delivery Framework (item 4) Page 77
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REPORT TO: COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD ON 19 AUGUST 2026 SUBJECT: LOIP DEVELOPMENT OF DELIVERY FRAMEWORK - UPDATE BY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (FINANCE, STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION), MORAY COUNCIL 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 To update the Board on progress in developing a delivery framework for 2026/27, the final year of the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) to advance the priorities set and agreed by the Board on 16 September 2020. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Board reviews and approves the plans set out in Appendices 1 to 4 in respect of each of the 4 Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) priorities for the period 2026-27, which together provide a delivery framework to advance the priorities set out in the Partnership’s updated Local Outcomes Improvement Plan in the final year of the Plan. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The Community Planning Board on 16 September 2020 agreed the second iteration of the Partnership’s LOIP (paragraph 4 of the minute refers). The overall direction and approach of the LOIP remains as originally set. The second iteration was a continuation of the existing priorities, with some refinement of wording to improve the focus of adding value, specific outcomes and achieving the priority of tacking inequalities of outcomes. 3.2 With a revised Council management structure in place, work continues on strengthening the Community Planning Partnership ambition for Moray communities and an emerging picture of future strategic priorities Item 9. Page 79
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of the Partnership which will inform a refocus of the LOIP from 2027 and developing partnership working through a locality approach. 3.3 As this work continues, delivery framework plans have been refreshed. There is reference in each delivery framework to partner strategies and plans that hold greater levels of detail. Performance monitoring reports will be brought forward so that the Board can support clear focused attention on the progress of these frameworks. 3.4 The delivery framework plans are attached at Appendices 1 to 4 for consideration and approval. 3.5 There are a number of cross cutting areas of work within the action plans for each priority. The lead on various issues will be taken by the Group responsible for each priority, however, they will report and feedback through the lead officer to Community Planning Officers Group (CPOG) as the group with the responsibility for the LOIP overall and for the overarching Raising Aspirations responsibility. This will enable oversight of interdependencies and cross cutting issues. Lead officers will also be able to brief each other to ensure consistency and coherence of actions. 4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS 4.1. As a performance report, there are no direct financial, workforce, equalities, policy or legal issues from this report. 5. CONCLUSION 5.1. Delivery plans are refreshed for each of the four priorities and the Board is asked to review and approve these. Author of Report: Louise Marshall, Strategy and Performance Manager Background Papers: Page 80
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APPENDIX 1 Key Principles SMART actions delivered as a partnership Actions address inequality Outcome indicators measure progress Actions relate to and deliver intended outcomes Good governance principles for partnership working (Audit Scotland: Managing performance: are you getting it right?) Moray Outcome Building a better future for our children & young people in Moray CPP Focus The end result we want is: (Milestones / LOIP Progress Measures) We will know we are making progress when: Children and young people live in communities where their voice is heard and they are built up to be all they can be. The emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young people is improved • More children and young people report positive mental wellbeing. • Waiting times for mental health support reduce. • Increased uptake of early intervention and wellbeing services. • Improved school attendance and reduced emotional wellbeing- related exclusions. The impact of poverty on children, young people and families is mitigated • Fewer children are living in poverty. • Increased uptake of financial inclusion, welfare advice. • More families report they can meet basic needs such as food, heating and housing. • Reduced inequalities in health, education and wellbeing outcomes. Children live in safe and supportive families • Fewer children experience neglect, abuse or domestic harm. • More families access early help before crises occur. • Improved family functioning and parental confidence. • Reduced numbers of children requiring statutory interventions or entering care. Related strategies The Promise Plan National Improvement Framework (NIF) Moray Children’s Services Plan Corporate Parenting Strategy Child Poverty Action Plan Child Protection Committee Business Improvement Plan Page 81
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Moray Drug and Alcohol Action Plan Moray Violence Against Women Action Plan PIs As detailed below LOIP Priority Key Actions (CSP Improvement Aims as unlikely to change) LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting Children and young people live in communities where their voice is heard and they are built up to be all they can be. • Map provision and barriers to access for mental wellbeing and parenting/family support. • Develop and deliver a partnership action plan to improve early access to wellbeing support. • Strengthen and communicate coordinated pathways between schools, health, community and third sector supports. • Increase awareness and uptake of available wellbeing and parenting supports. • Use data and feedback from children, young people and families to quality assure and improve provision. The emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young people is improved • Percentage of children and young people reporting good mental wellbeing (e.g. Health and Wellbeing Census or local pupil surveys). • School attendance rates. • Exclusion rates related to wellbeing or behaviour. • Referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). • CAMHS waiting times and treatment completion rates. • Number of children accessing school counselling or community wellbeing services. • Number of self-harm or mental health- related presentations 31-Mar- 2027 Children’s Services Plan Children’s Services Planning Partnership (CSPP) Page 82
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LOIP Priority Key Actions (CSP Improvement Aims as unlikely to change) LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting to A&E. • Participation in youth activities and community programmes. LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting Children and young people live in communities where their voice is heard and they are built up to be all they can be. • Ensure all children and young people can access independent advocacy as early as possible • Encourage parents and carers to have conversations with children and young people about online safety • Work in partnership with families to enable the reduction of factors causing risk • Identify the challenges and barriers to looked after and care experienced young people accessing further/higher education, training opportunities and alternative awards • Track and monitor care experienced destinations up to the age of 26 years old – to measure the effectiveness of existing supports and identify if Children live in safe and supportive families • Number of children in need of care and protection accessing advocacy services • Percentage of looked after school leavers with 1 or more qualification at SCQF Level 4 or better • Percentage of looked after children leavers who enter education, employment or training following school • Percentage of leavers with additional support needs who enter a positive destination • Percentage of looked after children cared 31-Mar- 2027 Children’s Services Plan CPC Business Improvement Plan Supported by Public Protection Lead Officer Chair of Corporate Parenting Strategic Group Page 83
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there are caps in current provision • Improve early and preventative supports for young people at risk of offending for in a community setting • Percentage of looked after children care for in residential setting LOIP Priority Key Actions (CSP Improvement Aims) LOIP Outcome LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy /Plans supporting priority Lead officer for updates/reporting Children and young people live in communities where their voice is heard and they are built up to be all they can be. • Roll out and embed the emergency infant formula pathway within Moray. • Promote subsidised and free supports and activities that reduce the impact of low income. • Promote access to Moray Pathways local employability partnership support and provision for parents. • Strengthen referral pathways to income maximisation, welfare rights, debt advice, housing, food, fuel and crisis support. • Use data and local intelligence to identify and support families most at risk of poverty at the earliest opportunity. • Reduce barriers to employment, training and participation by promoting access to childcare, transport and digital inclusion support. • Work with schools, early years and community partners to The impact of poverty on children, young people and families is mitigated • Number of families accessing emergency infant formula support. • Increased referrals to and uptake of income maximisation, welfare rights, debt advice and crisis support. • Financial gains achieved for families through advice and support. • Number of parents accessing Moray Pathways employability support and progressing into training, education or employment. • Increased uptake 31-Mar- 2027 Children’s Services Plan Children’s Services Planning Partnership Supported by Co- Chairs of Fairer Moray Forum Page 84
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reduce the cost of the school day and improve access to affordable activities. • Monitor uptake, outcomes and family feedback to identify gaps and improve poverty-related support. of free or subsidised childcare, transport, digital inclusion and community activities. • More families report they can meet basic needs such as food, heating, clothing, housing and infant feeding. • Increased uptake of free school meals, clothing grants, school-cost supports and holiday provision. • Family feedback shows reduced barriers to accessing poverty- related support. Page 85
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APPENDIX 2 Key Principles SMART actions delivered as a partnership Actions address inequality Outcome indicators measure progress Actions relate to and deliver intended outcomes Good governance principles for partnership working (Audit Scotland: Managing performance: are you getting it right?) Moray Outcome Empowering & connecting communities CPP Focus The end result we want is: (Milestones / LOIP Progress Measures) We will know we are making progress when: A thriving and well-connected place, where more people live well. Improved life chances for people of all ages in Moray in communities experiencing the greatest inequality of outcomes. More communities who experience the poorest outcomes become actively engaged and participate More communities and groups are supported to feel more confident in increasing the sustainability of their communities in which they live. 1.1 Increase in number of activities offered and residents engaging through the new community hub facility (The Link) located in New Elgin. 1.2 Support local volunteers to sustain the community led hub provision in Buckie whilst supporting group to explore feasibility of expanding into larger premises 1.3 Sustain/grow the number of volunteers delivering on the Locality Plans in Buckie 1.4 Case studies/ qualitative reports on activities and impacts shared Confident, skilled and self- reliant communities where expectations and aspirations are raised and achieved. Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities Opportunities and engagement in a range of learning opportunities increases for people with the poorest outcomes. 2.1 Adult Learner Signposting landing page developed and maintained 2.2 Increase and then sustain number of adult learning opportunities posted by CLD partners on ALIS system 2.3 Increase in people accessing community-based adult learning Page 87
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opportunities. 2.4 Case studies/ qualitative reports on activities and impacts shared Related strategies Partnership Community Learning and Development Plan (2024-27) CPP Community Engagement Strategy Buckie Locality Plan 2019-29 New Elgin East Community Plan Moray Council Corporate Plan Moray Pathways Partnership Delivery Framework tsiMORAY Delivery Framework NHS Grampian – A Case for Change Health and Social Care Moray – Partners in Care Strategic Plan Children’s Services Plan HIE Strategy 2023-28 PIs As detailed below LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting Thriving and well- connected place, where more people live well. • Using a place-based approach to improve health and wellbeing - supporting community led action planning which contributes to reducing inequality in New Elgin and Buckie - the LOIP priority areas. (L) Develop stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities (L) Improve life chances for people in Moray of all ages in communities experiencing the greatest inequality of outcomes 1.1 Increase in number of activities offered and residents engaging through the new community hub facility (The Link) located in New Elgin. 1.2 Support local volunteers to sustain the community led Develop 6- month baseline figure by end June 2025 Report quarterly Partnership Community Learning and Development Plan (2024-27) CPP Community Engagement Strategy Buckie Locality Plan 2019-29 New Elgin East Executive Director (Finance, Strategy & Transformation) Head of People, Change & Community Strategy Page 88
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LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting hub provision in Buckie whilst supporting group to explore feasibility of expanding into larger premises. 1.3 Sustain/grow the number of volunteers delivering on the Locality Plans in Buckie and New Elgin. 1.4 Case studies/ qualitative reports on activities and impacts shared Annual report back to CPP board Quarterly reporting. Community Plan Moray Council Corporate Plan Moray Pathways Partnership Delivery Framework tsiMORAY Delivery Framework NHS Grampian – A Case for Change Health and Social Care Moray – Partners in Care Strategic Plan Children’s Services Plan HIE Strategy 2023-28 Confident, skilled and self-reliant communities where expectations and aspirations are raised and achieved. • Extend approaches to promote easier access to adult learning in Moray 2.1 Adult Learner Signposting landing page developed and maintained 2.2 Increase in access to our programmes of ESOL and employability- based work Developed by April 2027 Reviewed 6 monthly by CLDSP Executive Director (Finance, Strategy & Transformation) Head of People, Change & Community Strategy Page 89
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LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting within communities 2.3 Increase use of accreditation options available through both CBAL and more targeted work 2.4 Increase in people accessing community- based adult learning opportunities delivered through the CLD Strategic Partnership. 2.5 Case studies/ qualitative reports on activities and impacts shared Annual KPI figure from CLD Strategic Partnership Quarterly reporting Page 90
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APPENDIX 3 Key Principles SMART actions delivered as a partnership Actions address inequality Outcome indicators measure progress Actions relate to and deliver intended outcomes Good governance principles for partnership working (Audit Scotland: Managing performance: are you getting it right?) Moray Outcome Developing a diverse, inclusive and sustainable economy CPP Focus The end result we want is: (Milestones / Progress Measures) We will know we are making progress when: By the year 2030 Moray will have a sustainable and inclusive economy which generates improved opportunities for everyone, including more skilled and higher paid jobs. Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through: • Pathways to employment and higher skilled employment • Targeted approaches to those furthest from the job market • Choices for the young workforce • Apprenticeships at all levels • Decrease in the numbers of female (25 plus) Single and Parents who are claiming Universal Credit • Increase the number of underemployed women progressing and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities (targeted) • Increase the number of hours worked and salary increase for underemployed females participating in Progress for Parents project • Increase the number of 5-12 years in moray participating in new SACC provision • Increase the number of unemployed adults and parents progressing, and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities • Increase the number of hours worked and salary (Hanlon database) • Increase the number of young females participating, progressing and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities across the Moray Pathways Local Employability Partnership (Targeted) • Increase the number of young females entering the workforce via our Sector Based Work Academy Programme and MERI scheme (paid job placements) • No of female participation in (all age) apprenticeships at all levels have increased (Funding dependent – current waiting list) Related steps/strategies Growth Deal Moray Economic Strategy Moray Social Enterprise Strategy Moray Local Development Plan Employability Strategy – (Moray Pathways Delivery Plan) Page 91
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Moray Skills Strategy Developing the Young Workforce Attainment Strategy SFRS Community Fire Plans PIs As detailed below LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting Developing a diverse, inclusive and sustainable economy: By the year 2030 Moray will have a sustainable and inclusive economy which generates improved opportunities for everyone, including more skilled and higher paid jobs • Delivery of the progress for parents’ project, target groups include parents in poverty, unemployed and underemployed. • Improve Moray Pathways menu of opportunities and funding to support women who are underemployed. Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through: • Pathways to employment and higher skilled employment • Decrease the numbers of female (25 plus) Single and Parents who are claiming Universal Credit by 5% • Increase the number of underemployed women progressing and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities (targeted) by 15% • Increase the number of hours worked and salary increase for underemployed females participating in Progress for Parents project by 10% 31 March 2027 31 March 2027 31 March 2026 Moray Economic Strategy Early Years Strategy Local Employability Partnership Lead • School Aged Childcare (SACC) Project Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through: • Targeted approaches for those furthest from the job market • Increase the number of 5- 12 years in moray participating in new SACC provision by 5% 31 March 2027 Leisure & Culture Service Manager Leisure & Culture • Delivery of the Progress for Parents Project Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced • Increase the number of unemployed adults and 31 March 2027 Local Employability Local Employability Page 92
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LOIP Priority Key Actions LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures Completion Target Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting • Refine and evaluate the Moray Pathways menu of opportunities to meet the needs of all adults and parents. gender inequality through: • Targeted approaches for those furthest from the job market parents progressing, and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities by 10% • Increase the number of hours worked and salary (Hanlon database) by 10% 31 March 2027 Partnership Partnership Lead • Refine and evaluate the Moray Pathways Menu of opportunities to meet the needs of all targeted young people. This includes, Keyworker Support, Moray Pathways, Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), Employer Engagement actions. Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through: • Choices for the young workforce • Increase the number of young females participating, progressing and sustaining learning, training and employment opportunities across the Moray Pathways Local Employability Partnership (Targeted) by 5% • Increase the number of young females entering the workforce via our Sector Based Work Academy Programme and MERI scheme (paid job placements) 31 March 2027 31 March 2027 Local Employability Partnership Local Employability Partnership Lead • The Local Employability Partnership to deliver on actions within the Moray Apprenticeship Strategy Increased participation, skill and pay levels with reduced gender inequality through: • Apprenticeships at all levels • Increase the number of females participating in (all age) apprenticeships at all levels have increased (Funding dependent – current waiting list) by 5% 31 March 2027 Moray Economic Strategy Local Employability Partnership Local Employability Partnership Lead Page 93
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APPENDIX 4 Key Principles SMART actions delivered as a partnership Actions address inequality Outcome indicators measure progress Actions relate to and deliver intended outcomes Good governance principles for partnership working (Audit Scotland: Managing performance: are you getting it right?) Moray Outcome People are healthier and experience less harm as a result of poor health and well- being CPP Focus The end result we want is: LOIP Progress Measures We will know we are making progress when: To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) People are healthier and experience fewer harms as a result of making well informed decisions about their health and wellbeing • People who take harmful drugs are offered evidence-based harm reduction and advice • People can access the services they need to support their recovery. • People remain in treatment for as long as they need to. • More people receive overdose awareness advice and provision of take-home naloxone • People wait no more than three weeks for specialist drug and alcohol treatment • More people have access to Residential Rehabilitation placements • Fewer people disengage from specialist drug and alcohol treatment Related strategies Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland's Alcohol and Drug Strategy 2026–2035 National Service Specification for Alcohol and Drug Services Partnership Delivery Framework 2026 Moray Alcohol & Drug Partnership Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 PIs As detailed below LOIP Priority Key Actions To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) Completion Target To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) Page 95
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LOIP Priority Key Actions To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) LOIP Outcome (CPP Focus) LOIP Progress Measures To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) Completion Target To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) Partnership Strategy/Plans supporting priority Lead Officer for updates / reporting To be defined by Strategic Lead / Group) People are healthier and experience fewer harms as a result of making well informed decisions about their health and wellbeing Deliver evidence-based harm reduction, overdose prevention, naloxone provision and assertive outreach, responding to local need and emerging trends. People who take harmful drugs are offered evidence- based harm reduction and advice No. of Naloxone Supplies and Re-Supplies No target - monitoring only (increase is positive) Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 MADP Coordinator Maintain and develop integrated access to alcohol and drug treatment, recovery and support services in line with the National Service Specification and Partnership Delivery Framework. People can access the services they need to support their recovery. % people waiting no more than three weeks between referral to a specialist drug and alcohol service and commencement of treatment 90% (National Target) Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 MADP Coordinator Continue to deliver, promote and evaluate Moray's residential rehabilitation pathway, ensuring equitable access and ongoing support for people requiring residential rehabilitation. No. of people completing residential rehab placements No target - monitoring only (increase is positive) Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 MADP Coordinator Work collaboratively to reduce unplanned discharges and support timely re-engagement for people who disengage from treatment. People remain in treatment for as long as they need to. No. of people disengaging from specialist drug and alcohol services (unplanned discharge) No target - monitoring only (decrease is positive) Moray ADP Strategic Delivery Plan 2026–2029 MADP Coordinator Page 96