Agenda and minutes

         The Minute of the Meeting held on 30 March 2023 was considered. 

DECISION

AGREED that the Minute be approved and signed by the Convener.

Consider Minute of Scottish Borders Council held on 30 March 2023 for approval and signing by the Convener.  (Copy attached.)

         The Minute of the Meeting held on 30 March 2023 was considered. 

DECISION

AGREED that the Minute be approved and signed by the Convener.

Consider Minutes of the following Committees:-

(a)     Cheviot Area Partnership                                   1 February 2023

(b)     Berwickshire Area Partnership                           9 February 2023

(c)     Local Review Body                                            20 February 2023

(d)     Peebles Common Good Fund                           28 February 2023

(e)     Peebles Common Good Fund                           7 March 2023

(f)      Innerleithen Common Good Fund                     8 March 2023

(g)     Pension Fund                                                     9 March 2023

(h)     Pension Board                                                    9 March 2023

(i)      Chambers Institution Trust                                 15 March 2023

(j)      Local Review Body                                            20 March 2023

(k)     Peebles Common Good Fund                           22 March 2023

(l)      Eildon Area Partnership                                     23 March 2023

(m)    Planning and Building Standards                       27 March 2023

(Please see separate Supplement containing the public Committee Minutes.)

            The Minutes of the following Committees had been circulated:-

          Cheviot Area Partnership                                   1 February 2023

          Berwickshire Area Partnership                           9 February 2023

          Local Review Body                                            20 February 2023

          Peebles Common Good Fund                           28 February 2023

          Peebles Common Good Fund                           7 March 2023

          Innerleithen Common Good Fund                     8 March 2023

          Pension Fund                                                     9 March 2023

          Pension Board                                                    9 March 2023

          Chambers Institution Trust                                 15 March 2023

          Local Review Body                                            20 March 2023

          Peebles Common Good Fund                           22 March 2023

Eildon Area Partnership                                     23 March 2023

          Planning and Building Standards                       27 March 2023

         DECISION

APPROVED the Minutes listed above.

Consider draft response to Scottish Government consultation by Director Resilient Communities.  (Copy attached.)

         There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Resilient Communities seeking approval for a response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Community Wealth Building.  The report explained that the Scottish Government’s consultation on Community Wealth Building (CWB) opened on 31 January 2023 and would close on 9 May 2023.  The consultation provided the opportunity to express views on the creation of a statutory duty related to Community Wealth Building, as well as on potential legislative and non-legislative developments which could facilitate the creation of community wealth in Scotland.  The Council’s response highlighted support for CWB as a strategic objective. It noted however that the Council would not support the creation of statutory duty pertaining to CWB due to a lack of commensurate funding supporting said duty and a multiplicity of other such statutory obligations. The Council also made a number of suggestions which could improve the creation of CWB, notably calling for a simplified policy landscape, the publication of further non-statutory guidance on CWB, and assistance to enable suppliers to access public sector contracts.  The Director advised that although the three options were contained in the consultation paper these had not been clearly articulated in the report and they were as follows:-

·                Option A - a duty requiring Scottish Ministers and prescribed public sector bodies to embed the CWB model of economic development into their corporate plans and wider strategies;

·                Option B - a duty requiring those public sector bodies statutorily obliged to be involved in community planning to produce a collective CWB place-based strategy and action plan which contained specific actions across the five CWB pillars to advance the CWB model of economic development in their local authority area (This requirement could be taken forward at a regional level if neighbouring local authorities and their community planning partners had a preference for that approach); and

·                Option C - a combined option – featuring a union of both options set out above

The proposed response to the consultation paper was contained in the Appendix to the report and this indicated No Duty should be taken forward.  Members supported the response and agreed that this was not something which should be covered by legislation as there were different requirements in different areas.  It was noted that the Council was already doing a lot of work in this area and it was included in the Council Plan.

DECISION

AGREEDto approve the response, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Community Wealth Building.

Update presentation by Chief Officer Health & Social Care Partnership.

            With reference to paragraph 6 of the Minute of 27 October 2022, the Chief Officer Health and Social Care provided an update of the provision of day services in Hawick.  Mr Myers advised that over a 7 week period there had been engagement with120 people.  Sessions had been held in Denholm, Bonchester Bridge, Newcastleton and Hawick and had included current service users, families and carers, community councils and members of the public.  This had focussed on what current provision was available, where were the gaps, how easily could people access information, what type of service people wanted and how it should interact with other services in the community.  In terms of the feedback, lack of transport was cited as a barrier to accessing current services; there was a lack of activities for those who needed a lot of support; there was a need for respite for carers of those with dementia and complex needs; services needed to provide social interaction and stimulation; and, with the exception of those from Newcastleton, Hawick was considered the most appropriate location for the service.  Stage 1 of the Inequality Impact Assessment had been completed with work on Stage 2 underway.  With regard to the venue for the Service, Mr Myers confirmed that the Katherine Elliot Centre would require significant works to make it suitable.  However, the Day Room at the Hawick Community Hospital had been identified as a suitable location which would only need minor adaptations and would provide capacity for 14 individuals.  It was noted that Care Inspectorate Registration could take up to 6 months.  A market sounding exercise had been carried out but there was a low level of interest.  An options appraisal was planned and this would inform the Business Case and a report would be presented to the H&SC Integrated Joint Board on 17 May to allow approval of the recommended option.  A further update would be provided to Council on 29 June 2023.  Mr Myers answered Members’ questions and confirmed that the service move to the Community Hospital would have no impact on the Katherine Elliot Centre as there were a number of other services provided from that location which would continue.  The provision of the service from the Hawick Community Hospital would allow for a more holistic service to be provided.  Members asked that the Care Inspectorate be encouraged to provide registration sooner than 6 months.  With regard to provision for Newcastleton, Mr Myers confirmed that the level of need in that area was being established which would allow further consideration.

DECISION

          NOTED the update.

Consider report by Director Social Work and Practice.  (Copy attached.)

         There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Social Work and Practice seeking approval to the inclusion of an Elected Member onto the Children and Young People’s Planning Partnership (CYPPP).  The report explained that the implementation of the new CYPPP offered a unique opportunity to reset the way the Council supported and worked with children, young people and families in Scottish Borders.  It also allowed the Council to reconsider and develop their practice as a multi-agency partnership, including strategic monitoring and evaluation of Corporate Parenting responsibilities.  Of significance was ensuring that the Council empowered the voices of those with lived experience to be at the heart of everything it did.  In order to ensure that there was appropriate membership and engagement on delivering the Promise and the Strategic Corporate Parenting agenda, it was essential that an Elected Member from Scottish Borders Council attended and supported the development of the CYPPP.  Governance and accountability for the CYPPP had been agreed by the Strategic Community Planning Partnership and would align under that structure.  Mr Easingwood answered Members’ questions and highlighted the various ways in which Members could feed their views into the Partnership.  This was a reset of the whole way in which the Council engaged with all children and families and could best be described as an umbrella policy to demonstrate that the Council was doing its best for all children and young people in the Borders.

         DECISION

AGREED to approve the inclusion of the Council’s Executive member for Developing Our Children & Young People onto the newly formed Children and Young People’s Planning Partnership (CYPPP).

Consider appointment of replacement for Councillor Rowley as the Council’s representative on Southfield Community Centre Committee.

         Councillor Jardine nominated Councillor Greenwell to be the Council’s representative for Southfield Community Centre to replace Councillor Rowley and this was seconded by Councillor Moffat. 

DECISION

AGREED that Councillor Greenwell be appointed as the representative for Southfield Community Centre.

          The questions submitted by Councillors Begg, Scott, Anderson and Steel were answered. 

          DECISION

          NOTED the replies as detailed in Appendix I to this Minute.

          MEMBER

          Councillor Rowley left the meeting.

Before proceeding with the private business, the following motion should be approved:-

“That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the aforementioned Act.”

          DECISION

          AGREED under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the business detailed in  Appendix II to this Minute on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 6, 8 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A to the Act.

Consider private Sections of the Minutes of the following Committees:-

(a)     Pension Fund                            -           21 March 2023

(b)     Peebles Common Good Fund  -           22 March 2023

(Please see separate Supplement containing private Committee Minutes.)

Members approved a report by the Director People Performance & Change on the recruitment process for appointments to Director posts.

Consider report by Director People and Performance.  (Copy attached.)

Members approved a report by the Director People Performance & Change on the recruitment process for appointments to Director posts.