Single Authority Models Stakeholder Group minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care
• Minister for Public Finance

• Cllr Shona Morrison, COSLA President
• Cllr Steven Heddle, COSLA Vice President
• Simon Cameron, Chief Officer, Corporate Policy
• Cllr Paul F. Steele, Council Leader
• Malcolm Burr, Chief Executive
• Gillian McCannon, Chair
• Gordon Jamieson, Chief Executive
• Emma Macsween, Chief Officer
• Cllr Jim Lynch, Council Leader
• Pippa Milne, Chief Executive
• Douglas Hendry, Executive Director 
• David Logan, Head of Legal and Regulatory Support
• Graeme McMillian, Transformation Programme Manager
• Laura Blackwood, Executive Support
• Sarah Compton-Bishop, Chair
• Fiona Davies, Chief Executive
• Gareth Adkins, Executive Director of People and Culture
• Evan Beswick, Chief Officer
• James Gow, Head of Finance and Transformation
• Charlotte Craig, Interim Head of Strategic Planning, Performance and Technology
• Cllr Heather Woodbridge, Council Leader
• Gavin Mitchell, Head of Legal Services
• Ross Cunningham, Service Manager
• James Goodyear, Interim Chief Executive
• Debbie Crohn, Head of Corporate Governance
• Joanna Kenny, Chair
• Stephen Brown, Chief Officer
• Mary McAllan, Director for Public Service Reform
• Christine McLaughlin, Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland
• Paula Speirs, Deputy Chief Operating Officer NHS Scotland
• Simon Mair, Deputy Director, Public Service Reform
• Kirsty Walker, Place Director, Western Isles
• Julie McLachlan, Place Based Service Change and Delivery
• Kirsty MacCormick, Primary Care
• Brian Logan, Local Governance Review
• Jennie Marshall, Health Planning
• Erica Clarkson, Islands Policy
• Allan Stewart, Health Planning
• Lukas Waclawski, Local Governance Review
• Christopher Robb, Local Governance Review
• Matthew Downie, Deputy Private Secretary
• Hayley Smith, Deputy Private Secretary

Apologies

• Rachael McGruer, Place Director, Argyll and Bute
• Ellen Leaver, Place Director, Orkney
• Oliver Reid, Chief Executive, Orkney Islands Council 

Items and actions

Welcome and Strategic Context

Mr McKee welcomed attendees and confirmed that actions from the October meeting had either been completed or were scheduled for discussion during the meeting. He thanked partners for the submissions and noted that today’s discussion will help shape the Scottish Government’s response to be issued ahead of the pre-election period in March.

Mr Gray noted the substantial effort made by councils, health boards and Integration Joint Boards to progress proposals at a busy time for all. He acknowledged the constructive engagement that had taken place locally. Cllr Morrison welcomed the opportunity for joint discussions.

December submissions

Orkney

Orkney partners reported ongoing positive local engagement. Two sessions with the external facilitator will take place in February and March respectively to build further trust in advance of taking decisions on future governance arrangements, which will have implications for key services. The interlinked nature of service delivery will require involvement from wider Community Planning Partners as the work moves forward. Partners would find it helpful to have reassurance from the Scottish Government that national policy and strategic direction will remain supportive at implementation stages. Specific areas where local partners may seek Scottish Government’s agreement include flexibility in IJB governance arrangements and reporting requirements more broadly. Mr McKee reiterated Ministers’ firm commitment to this agenda and requested that Orkney partners set out in writing if there are specific elements of their plans which require additional reassurance.

Argyll & Bute

Argyll and Bute reported that development activities had progressed well and there was increasing alignment across partner organisations. Joint local work aided by the independent consultant informed the development of initial draft options using a SWOT analysis, prompting areas of further exploration, including consideration of a ‘hybrid option’. Additional analysis will be required to refine these. Partners sought early indication from the Scottish Government on whether emerging work is within the intended scope.

Mr McKee recognised the work undertaken, reiterated the commitment to issue formal feedback on the proposal and noted the importance of ambition in developing solutions.

Western Isles

Partners noted the lack of a joint proposal to date with the expectation of early feedback ahead of the Scottish Government facilitated session in Stornoway.  It is hoped that through continued negotiation and collaboration there may be scope for convergence on a joint proposal.

The need to continue improving outcomes for people using services was emphasised, alongside recognition that differing local contexts would require different solutions.

Mr McKee noted that it was reassuring to see commitment to a common approach.  Mr Gray added that the core purpose of the work was about service improvement through greater alignment and models would be assessed around how they can improve integration and decision-making.

Draft Single Authority Models Publication

A draft joint publication was presented which summarises progress, outlines next steps, including plans for coordinated national and local engagement.

COSLA suggested incorporating assurances from the Scottish Government into the publication, for example through Memorandums of Understanding.

Clarification was requested on how Health Boards can ensure they are meeting their statutory duties to engage appropriately on service changes. It was confirmed that updated guidance on engagement within a SAMs context was in development and would be shared soon, but there were no changes to the requirements of the Planning with People guidance, which remains in place.

COSLA asked whether there was an opportunity to transfer the SAMs work to other areas. Mr McKee said he would be interested in understanding this work in more detail.

The potential implications of wider changes within health and social care, for example sub-national planning, and the integration reform work NHS Highland is involved in for the Highland area were highlighted. Mr McKee outlined that whilst SAMs development should be cognisant of other workstreams, it should not let that impede progress. Mr Gray outlined that sub-national planning should have no impact on SAMs.

NHS Sub-national Planning

Further questions were raised regarding potential implications of wider structural changes within health and social care (e.g. sub-national planning). Although wider reform work was recognised by Mr McKee, Mr Gray noted that it should not inhibit progress on SAMs. 

An update was provided on sub-national work across several service areas, including business systems. It was outlined that it will be possible for both SAMs and sub-national planning to align; however further detail will be required to identify any areas of conflict. Initial assessment found no inherent conflicts with SAMs, though more detailed analysis will be needed as models mature and further details emerge to ensure that any specific potential conflicts can be resolved on a case-by-case basis.

Local partners highlighted the importance of avoiding duplication and maintaining clear communication between workstreams. They sought clarity on how emerging SAMs models would interface with wider system changes, particularly to avoid fragmentation of existing structures.

Closing Remarks

Mr Gray reiterated his support for the ongoing work and emphasised the importance of alignment between related workstreams. SAMs development should remain focused on collaboration and improvements to the delivery of services to improve outcomes for people. Cllr Morrison recognised the quality of submissions and thanked the partners for their submissions. Mr McKee acknowledged the commitment from local partners.

Actions

• Scottish Government to issue formal feedback on local submissions as soon as possible and by early March.
• Orkney local partners to consider outlining any specific areas of their plans which require additional reassurance.