Attendees and apologies

Group Chair

• Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Public Finance [for fireside chat only]
• Cllr Steven Heddle, COSLA Vice President [for fireside chat only]

Attendees

• Katie Kelly, New Local (Steering Group Official Level Chaair)
• Susan Paxton, Scottish Community Development Centre
• Laura MacDonald, Scottish Community Development Centre
• Pauline Smith, Development Trust Association Scotland 
• Elizabeth Docherty, Scottish Community Alliance
• Tanveer Parnez, Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland
• Jennifer McGee, North Ayrshire Council
• Paul Vaughan, Fife Council
• Lee Haxton, Perth & Kinross Council
• Douglas Hendry, Argyll and Bute Council
• Jennifer Kerr, South Lanarkshire Council
• Anna Baxendale, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Willie Sullivan, Electoral Reform Society
• James Henderson, Academic Researcher
• David Barr, Improvement Service

Officials support

• Julie McLachlan, Scottish Government, Place Based Service Change
• Ryan Little, Scottish Government, Local Governance Reform
• Christopher Robb, Scottish Government, Local Governance Reform
• Simon Cameron, COSLA Chief Officer, Corporate Policy Team
• Robyn Todd, COSLA, Policy Officer

Items and actions

Opening Discussion

The session began with group members and officials discussing progress so far, the plan for the day and other matters arising:

• This included a discussion on the First Minister’s Democracy Summit that had taken place the day before this session. Group members who had attended outlined what was discussed.
• The group agreed that the next steps from the summit should be closely aligned to the Democracy Matters work as an essential component to the delivery of democratic renewal in Scotland.
• Officials presented the initial points of consensus from the previous session on 12 March for feedback from the group.
• Group members then worked on further developing proposals regarding participation and governance, funding and integration into the existing decision-making landscape to present to Mr McKee and Cllr Heddle in the afternoon session.

‘Fireside chat’ with Minister for Public Finance and COSLA Vice President

Initial Remarks and Discussion

• Cllr Heddle and Mr McKee started by jointly endorsing the continued development of community decision making models as a key aspect of the joint Local Governance Review.
• Mr McKee added that Democracy Matters is a core pillar of the PSR Strategy, which is currently being developed, and it was crucial that this group’s work forms a part of that strategy.
• Group members outlined that Democracy Matters needs to be built into the follow-up work from the First Minister’s Democracy Summit.

Participation and Governance

Group proposals included:

• Reforms must ensure that every community is enabled to produce a community action plan (CAP). Following the development of the CAP, there will be the creation of a decision-making body which will be more than just a consultative group.
• There will need to be consideration around the requirements for the development vs the delivery of a plan.
• If CAPs are to be a founding document for decision making bodies, it is essential that communities are provided with adequate capacity to both develop CAPs and subsequently operate a decision-making body. Therefore, consideration must be given to how to facilitate and finance national capacity-building, so that communities are not left behind.
• CAPs will be underpinned by a focus on equality and human rights.
• These plans are not only about outlining gaps in service delivery but also to articulate the long-term aspirations of community and place.

Reflections from Mr McKee and Cllr Heddle:

• Cllr Heddle noted that there is not a one size fits all approach and future model frameworks must continue to reflect this flexibility.
• Cllr Heddle also highlighted that not all communities have the capacity to produce a plan so this will need to be considered in addition to the relationship with Development Trusts and Community Councils and the capacity that might be available there.
• Cllr Heddle outlined the need to ensure a strong focus on accountability.
• Mr McKee reminded the group of the commitment to introduce any essential legislation in the next session and the need to focus on practicalities.
• Mr McKee added that the structure of CAPs needs to be consistent to some degree and a set of minimum standards for CAPs may be necessary.
• Mr McKee also commented that the provision of resource and not solely a focus on funding will be required to support plan development.
• Additionally, the proposed framework should be a pathway where communities follow a route map to initiate gradual long-term change and ensure that powers are not thrust upon communities that are not ready to support them.
• Mr McKee also suggested that the group might need to be more prescriptive around what is already out there, for example the role of Community Councils given the need for a democratic link back to the community.
• Katie Kelly concluded this section, noting that CAPs need to state what communities can do themselves, what they can do with the state and what the state should be doing.

Funding and Finance

Group proposals included:

• Consideration around the funding of a structure – for example enabling work and then a shift to delivery.
• National and local government could be the primary collectors of funding, and this should be channelled directly to local decision-making bodies. An illustrative example could be 2% of the whole public sector budget.
• The current funding process could be streamlined, maximising the value of investment from LG and SG into community governance and capacity building.
• Additional funding could include a community precept on council tax, ensuring the visitor levy is allocated to communities, community benefit money from renewables, philanthropic funding and democratic finance (supporting wealth to stay in local areas and community wealth building).

Reflections from Mr McKee and Cllr Heddle:

• Mr McKee noted that people will participate when there is funding to be spent and will want to become even more involved if they are seen to be funding activity in some way through their own money.
• Mr McKee highlighted the importance of considering the maturity of groups and the need to ensure a fair balance of funding across communities. It might be more effective to ringfence particular amounts for communities rather than competitive applications although there is a need to consider unintended consequences of this approach.
• Cllr Heddle outlined the need to ensure equity for communities. Cllr Heddle also highlighted the need to bring elected members with us on any proposed changes to taxation and engage them from the outset given the competition for limited public sector resources.

Existing Decision-Making Landscape

Group proposals included:

• By making CAPs the primary community planning tool it would rationalise the landscape, so that all other public sector strategic planning would need to be in alignment with CAPs. In this approach there would be a need to consider how CAPs are reflected in annual budget setting processes.
• Community Planning Partnerships could instead be a facilitating body to help with engagement across different public sector partners and not the decision-making mechanism. This is about moving beyond consultation and engagement to an enabling state where communities are partners
• Procurement and economic development must be brought into consideration and consider CAPs as this is a potentially massive income source for communities to tap into. This could support a community wealth building approach.

Reflections from Mr McKee and Cllr Heddle:

• Cllr Heddle highlighted that we need to be clear what is in and out of scope for Democracy Matters development.
• Work must be done to empower communities without leaving them behind, given some communities will be able to go ahead unaided whilst others will ask for support.
• Mr McKee agreed, stating that work must be done at a local level around the roles of CPPs and on the landscape of public bodies whilst considering what is more efficient to do at a once for Scotland level, and what is best delivered locally.
• Mr McKee also noted that there should be a clear roadmap for implementation, with initial minimum starting points for communities and opportunities to take on more powers where possible. Mr McKee also highlighted that model development should focus on areas that are achievable and the group should be as specific as possible.

Group Discussion on Next Steps

The group discussed the focus for the June meeting and what work should take place in preparation for this:

• It was agreed that the next meeting will discuss a detailed proposition with detail below each thematic heading and an overview of the key building blocks of the model. This will include examples of what works (case studies) and also the benefits of the proposed approach.
• The group will also consider what wider engagement is required, potentially including with wider public sector partners and also the testing of the approach with communities.
• Officials will prepare material for the group which will build on the key points outlined today and in previous discussions for the group to actively comment on in advance, with drop in sessions on each theme for those interested in particular topics.