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Meeting Details

Meeting Summary
Renfrewshire Area Support Team
18 Jun 2019 - 14:00 to 16:00
Occurred
Corporate Meeting Room 2
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  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Notification
Committee Members
Membership
Eileen Anderson; Derek Bramma; Craig Campbell; Annemarie Currie; Brent Dorey; Edi Hanley; Jennifer Hay; John Leckie; Ewan McNaught; Jim Melrose; Maureen Ralston; Marion Robinson; Angela Stevenson; Alison Thompson; Allan Thompson.

Representing Renfrewshire Council: Councillor John Shaw.
Chair
D Bramma, Area Convener.
Present
Eileen Anderson; Derek Bramma; Craig Campbell; Annemarie Currie; Edi Hanley; Marion Robinson; Angela Stevenson; and Alison Thompson. 
Chair
D Bramma, Area Convener, presided.
Also Present
L King, Locality Reporter Manager. 
In Attendance
C MacDonald, Senior Committee Services Officer (Finance & Resources).
Additional Items
The Area Convener indicated that there were two additional items which had not been included in the notice calling the meeting. The Area Convener, being of the opinion that the items which were dealt with at items 8 and 10 were competent and relevant, authorised their consideration.
Locality Reporter Manager - Update
8
The Locality Reporter Manager provided a verbal update in relation to staffing issues and hearing statistics.

The Locality Reporter Manager provided information relating to the number of appeals in May 2019; the overall number of hearing sessions; the number of hearings sessions cancelled; and a breakdown of the reasons for cancellations.  She also advised members of an incident which occurred during a hearing which resulted in damage to one of the walls of the hearing centre.  It was agreed that D Bramma would write to the Locality Reporter Manager indicating Panel Members’ concerns and ask that SCRA write to the Centre identified to seek assurance that each hearing is properly risk-assessed.

L King also advised that there had been a data breach recently in respect of a Panel Member’s mail being opened prior to them receiving their papers.  D Bramma agreed to write to Panel Members to advise that any data breaches should be reported immediately.

DECIDED:

(a)   That it be agreed that D Bramma write to the Locality Reporter Manager indicating Panel Members’ concerns and ask that SCRA write to the Centre identified to seek assurance that each hearing is properly risk-assessed;

(b)   That it be agreed that D Bramma write to Panel Members to advise that any data breaches should be reported immediately; and

(c)   That the report be noted.
 
Standard Items
Members of the Press and Public
Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting.
Further Information

This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. 

A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx

For further information, please either email
democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk or telephone 0141 618 7112.

Items Of Business
Apologies
Apologies from members.
Councillor J Shaw and B Dorey.
Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest.
There were no declarations of interest intimated by members prior to the meeting.
1 Minute of Previous Meeting
Minute of previous meeting held on 7 May 2019.
1
There was submitted the Minute of the previous meeting of Renfrewshire Area Support Team (AST) held on 7 May 2019.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.
2 Matters Arising
2
With reference to Item 3 – Hearings Management Sub-Group, it was noted that the logging of adjournments to allow a legal representative to consult with their client had commenced and it was agreed that D Bramma would write to Children’s Panel members to ensure the instruction was carried out as of 1 August 2019.  He also advised that he would raise the matter at the ALCG meeting to ensure the practice was adopted going forward and that the CHS national team would be copied in on the communication.

DECIDED:

(a)  That it be agreed that D Bramma write to Children’s Panel members with the instruction that as of 1 August 2019 Panel Members should commence logging of adjournments by solicitors; and

(b)   That it be agreed that the matter of logging of adjournments by solicitors is raised at the ALCG meeting and that the CHS national team be copied in on the communication.
3 Hearings Management Sub-Group
Minute of the meeting of the Hearings Management Sub-Group held on 4 June 2019.
3
There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Hearings Management Sub-group held on 4 June 2019.

The Minute provided an update on hearing statistics; pastoral care; panel numbers; and better hearings group.  It was noted that the panel member strength was now 85 and not 86 as indicated in the Minute of the Hearings Management Sub-Group as one member had resigned.

DECIDED:

(a)   That it be noted that panel member strength was now 85 and not 86 as indicated in the Minute of the meeting of the Hearings Management Sub-Group held on 4 June 2019; and

(b)   That the Minute otherwise be approved.
4 Learning & Development Sub-Group
Minute of meeting of the Learning & Development Sub-Group held on 10 June 2019.
4
There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Learning and Development Sub-group held on 10 June 2019.

The Minute provided an update on the Learning Academy training; Pre-Service update, In-Service update; and Resource Group update.

Discussion took place on the uptake of training courses.  It was noted that Clerks required to attend appropriate training as they had a key role to play in new procedures.  It was agreed that A Currie would liaise with the Clerk to the Area Support Team to ensure that appropriate training took place.

It was agreed that an open invitation would be extended to Panel and AST members for the planned visit to Kibble.

DECIDED:

(a)   That it be agreed that A Currie would liaise with the Clerk to the Area Support Team to ensure that appropriate training took place;

(b)   That it be agreed that an open invitation be extended to Panel and AST members for the planned visit to Kibble; and

(c)   That the minute be otherwise approved.
 
5 2019 Recruitment Campaign
Information page and verbal update.
5
D Bramma highlighted that there was an error in the dates of the Information Evenings on the 2019 Recruitment Campaign: Information Pages and this would be amended.

Discussion took place on representation of people under 30 on the Panel.  It was agreed that D Bramma would write to Rolls Royce PLC targeting male panel member recruitment.
 
DECIDED:   

(a)   That it be agreed the dates of the Information Evenings on the 2019 Recruitment Campaign: Information Pages would be amended; and

(b)   It was agreed that D Bramma write to Rolls Royce PLC targeting male panel member recruitment.
6 Area Support Team Reappointment
Verbal report.
6
The Area Convener referred to the forthcoming SAT re-appointment exercise and advised that two posts were to be advertised:  Lead Panel Representative and Panel Representative (with rota responsibility).

DECIDED:   That the verbal update be noted.
7 PPA Access to Panel Members Observation Reports
Verbal report.
7
The Area Convener referred to revised guidance issued by CHS in relation to PPA observations of Panel Members and intimated that access to observation reports for PPAs would be instigated on 1 July 2019.

DECIDED:   That the verbal update be noted.
8 Better Hearings Update
Verbal Update.
9
The Area Convener referred to the Better Hearings Initiative advised that the training videos were almost complete and everything else was progressing well.

DECIDED:   That the verbal update be noted.
9 Arrangements for Future Meetings
Report by Clerk to the AST.
10
There was submitted a report by the Clerk to the Area Support team relative to proposed dates for meeting of the AST until June 2020.

The report indicated that since its inception in April 2013, the AST had met on an
eight-week cycle, with meetings held on Tuesdays at 2.00pm, and it was proposed
that this practice continue.  It was noted that there was an error in the report in respect of the year on the meetings scheduled for 20 August, 29 October and 3 December which should have read 2019.

The dates proposed were: -

Tuesday 20 August 2019
Tuesday 29 October 2019
Tuesday 3 December 2019
Tuesday 28 January 2020
Tuesday 10 March 2020
Tuesday 5 May 2020
Tuesday 16 June 2020

DECIDED:   That the proposed dates for future meetings of the Area Support Team,
as detailed, be approved.

Supplementary Agenda

Agenda
Notification
Committee Members
Standard Items
Additional Item
I refer to the agenda for the meeting of the Renfrewshire Area Support Team to be held on Tuesday 18 June 2019 and enclose the undernoted additional report which was not included in the notice calling the meeting and which the Convener has agreed to be considered as an urgent item of business:
Items Of Business
10 Area Convener Liaison Group Briefing
Briefing note.

Attendance

Attended - Other Members
Name
No other member attendance information has been recorded for the meeting.
Absent
NameReason for Absence
No absentee information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.

Visitors

Visitor Information is not yet available for this meeting