Agenda item

Consider report by Director Resilient Communities. (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 17 of the Minute of the meeting held on 30 March 2023, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Director – Resilient Communities which set out a proposal for Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders to deliver high quality sport, leisure and cultural services, now and into the future, through a high performing and financially sustainable partnership, to be achieved by reviewing existing governance and reporting arrangements and undertaking a proposed 12-month joint transformational change programme.  Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders agreed to commission a Joint Strategic Review in March 2023, with the aim of strengthening and improving both the partnership and service delivery arrangements to ensure that they were sustainable in the long term and meet the needs of Borders service users.  The proposed joint transformational change programme broadly followed the recommendations received from the external consultants commissioned to deliver the review.  The report set out the process and governance followed by the consultants throughout the review, which was delivered in two phases.  A Joint Steering Group based on the existing Executive/Board Liaison Group with additional representatives from both organisations oversaw the delivery of the review; supported by a Joint Working Group made up of the consultants and officers from both organisations.  An Interim Report was presented to the Joint Steering Group after Phase One identifying key operational and strategic themes and guiding the delivery of Phase Two and the creation of the consultants’ final independent report.  Both the consultants, the report and Live Borders acknowledged that the status quo in terms of services, facilities and funding was not sustainable.  Both organisations accepted that work must be progressed to ensure the future sustainability of sport, leisure and cultural services, provided in the Scottish Borders.  The report detailed each of the consultants' twenty-six recommendations and five additional pieces of work identified; and included additional explanatory narrative. Some recommendations had been strengthened to support both organisations’ commitment to reaching the goals as set out.  A 12-month joint transformational change programme was proposed to implement the consolidated set of recommendations; review existing governance arrangements and create a new Service Provision Agreement; and create a new Performance Management Framework.  Recognising the level of work required was significant, the report acknowledged that appropriate resource and additional financial support would be required to support the transformational change programme.  To ensure that the critical work was progressed at pace it was proposed that the existing Executive/Board Liaison Group was expanded with additional representatives from both organisations to oversee delivery of the proposed 12-month joint transformational change programme, supported by the Joint Officers Group.  Council would be updated on the progress being made with the transformational change programme on a regular basis via reporting at key points during the programme with the first update expected around the end of Quarter 4 2023/24.  The Director of Resilient Communities, Mrs Jenni Craig, presented the report and highlighted that the difficulties in providing sports, leisure and cultural services was not unique to the region.  Members welcomed the report, highlighted that there had been considerable engagement with the public on the topic, and expressed their thanks to the Board of LiveBorders for recognising the importance of the review. It was hoped that through effective partnership working the review would help the delivery of services for the people of the Scottish Borders.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)        to note the independent consultants’ report, findings and recommendations contained in Appendix 3 to the report;

(b)        to approve the consolidated set of recommendations, detailed in Column D in Appendix 1 to the report;

(c)        to note the joint transformational change programme and indicative timeline contained in Appendix 2 to the report;

(d)        to strengthen its strategic partnership with Live Borders, through revised governance arrangements, Service Provision Agreement and Performance Monitoring Framework;

(e)        that the existing Executive/Board Liaison Group was expanded with additional representatives from both organisations to oversee delivery of the proposed 12- month joint transformational change programme, supported by the Joint Officers Group; and

(f)         that Council was further updated on the proposed joint transformational change programme at key points, with the first update expected around the end of Quarter 4 2023/24.