Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the
Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council's internet site.

There was submitted a joint revenue and capital budget monitoring report by the Chief Executive, Director of Finance & Resources and Chief Finance Officer Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership for those services reporting to this Board.

The projected revenue outturn at 5 January 2024 for those services reporting to this Board was an overspend of £0.819 million and the projected capital outturn for the same period for projects reporting to this Board was a breakeven position against the revised budget for the year.

The report highlighted revenue and capital budget adjustments since the last report at sections 4 and  6 of the report respectively.

DECIDED:

(a) That the projected revenue outturn position detailed in table 1 of the report be noted;

(b) That the projected capital outturn position detailed in table 2 of the report be noted; and

(c) That the budget adjustments detailed at sections 4 and 6 of the report be noted.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-committee held on 27 March 2024 which forms the Appendix to this Minute.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

 

 

Declaration of Interest

Councillor Nicolson having previously declared an interest in the following item of business left the meeting and took no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

Chair

Councillor J Cameron, Depute Convener, assumed the Chair.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to progress made by the Council and its partners to progress the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme across Renfrewshire.

The report provided an update on the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme including information on recent statistics and research in relation to the cost-of-living crisis; the proposed Fairer Renfrewshire Programme 2024/25 including indicative funding to help support a community-led model of support for people impacted by a brain injury and their families in Renfrewshire; and attached the response submitted by the Council to the Scottish Government’s National Good Food Nation Plan Consultation before the deadline for responses of 22 April 2024. 

Councillor J Cameron, seconded by Councillor Campbell, moved:

a) That the content of the report and the work being undertaken to progress the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme be noted;

(b) That £0.516m be allocated from the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme budget, to deliver key additional elements of the 2024/25 Fairer Renfrewshire Programme as detailed in Section 5; 

(c) That it be agreed that officers engage with stakeholders on the development of a new community-led model of support for people impacted by a brain injury and their families, with £90,000 funding earmarked from the Fairer Renfrewshire funding to support this upon final agreement and approval of the model in June 2024; 

(d) That it be agreed that delegated authority be provided to the Head of Policy & Partnerships in relation to the award of grant funding for the summer holiday activity and food programme, in consultation with the Council Leader;

(e) That the consultation response, attached at Appendix 1, submitted in relation to the National Good Food Nation Plan be homologated; and 

(f) That a report to be submitted to a future meeting of this Board on the background to the decision to cease funding for the brain injury service provided by Quarriers.

Councillor McMillan, seconded by Councillor Ann-Dowling, moved as an amendment that Council is concerned over the decision to cease funding the Head Injury Service which has been provided by Quarriers for Renfrewshire Residents since 2003.

Council asks for a report to be given to the next appropriate board on how this decision was made.

 

Furthermore council agrees that funding be found for this much valued service to continue during the next financial year and steps be made for it to operate in the longer term.

On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors 
Ann-Dowling, Clark, G Graham, N Graham, Leishman and McMillan.

The following members voted for the motion: Councillors J Cameron, Campbell, Audrey Doig, Hannigan, McGurk, Shaw and Steel.

6 members having voted for the amendment and 7 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the report and the work being undertaken to progress the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme be noted;

(b) That £0.516m be allocated from the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme budget, to deliver key additional elements of the 2024/25 Fairer Renfrewshire Programme detailed in Section 5; 

(c) That it be agreed that officers engage with stakeholders on the development of a new community-led model of support for people impacted by a brain injury and their families, with £90,000 funding earmarked from the Fairer Renfrewshire funding to support this upon final agreement and approval of the model in June 2024; 

(d) That it be agreed that delegated authority be provided to the Head of Policy & Partnerships in relation to the award of grant funding for the summer holiday activity and food programme, in consultation with the Council Leader;

(e) That the consultation response attached at Appendix 1 submitted in relation to the National Good Food Nation Plan be homologated; and

 

(f) That a report to be submitted to a future meeting of this Board on the background to the decision to cease funding for the brain injury service provided by Quarriers.

Chair

Councillor Nicolson re-joined the meeting prior to consideration of the following item of business and resumed the Chair.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to best value audit arrangements to be undertaken by external auditors in Renfrewshire during 2024/25.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to OneRen's Annual Business Plan for 2024/25.

The report noted that OneRen submitted an Annual Business Report to the Council which set out the charity's priorities for the year ahead and outlined how it would deliver the services specified in the Service Agreement. The business planning process provided the opportunity to assess the context in which the charity was operating and to consider how it was responding to changing community and customer needs.

The report intimated that the implementation of the Business Plan actions and achievement of key priorities would be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the monitoring officer for OneRen, the Council's Head of Policy & Partnerships, to assess compliance with the service agreement and funding arrangement. The report advised that it was the recommendation of the OneRen monitoring officer that overall the Business Plan met the conditions of the service agreement and progress updates on the delivery of the Plan would be reported to this Board on a six-monthly basis during 2024/25.

DECIDED:

(a) That OneRen’s Annual Business Plan for 2024/25 attached at Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(b) That the monitoring arrangements in place for the Head of Policy & Partnerships (the Council’s nominated monitoring officer in relation to One Ren) to undertake quarterly performance monitoring meetings with OneRen be noted and that it be noted that six-monthly progress reports would be submitted to the Leadership Board.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the allocation of £360,610 of grant funding to Engage Renfrewshire for 2024/25.

The report intimated that together with annual core Scottish Government funding and wider income generation, this grant funding would enable Engage Renfrewshire to provide a range of activities and supports across the area and to operate as Renfrewshire’s third sector interface organisation as detailed in section 5 of the report.

DECIDED: That grant funding of £360,610 to Engage Renfrewshire to deliver the priorities outlined in section 5 of the report be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to an overview of recent developments in relation to migration and asylum provision in Renfrewshire.

The report detailed developments in the support for Ukranian displaced persons highlighting the shift from most of these people being accommodated in the Welcome Hub hotel to resettlement in the community. The report also set out the most recent position in relation to the UK Government’s asylum dispersal arrangements and Afghan resettlement programmes and highlighted the need for the Council and its partners to regularly review and respond to local requirements as these were identified, particularly in light of the pressures being experienced in terms of local housing availability.  

DECIDED:

(a) That the contents of the report be noted; and

(b) That the actions progressed by services and partners in terms of the wider demands on public services, with the allocation of additional resources as highlighted in section 5.10 of the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the development of the Renfrewshire Council British Sign Language (BSL) Plan 2024/25 (the Plan) as required in terms of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015.

The Plan, a copy of which was appended to the report, had been developed in consultation with BSL users in Renfrewshire and in line with guidance produced by Scottish Government which required local authorities to include specific actions from the national plan in local authority plans.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Renfrewshire Council BSL Plan, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved for implementation;

(b) That the summary of feedback from Renfrewshire BSL users be noted; and

(c) That it be agreed that Renfrewshire BSL users continue to be involved in monitoring the implementation of the Plan and that goals and activities be adjusted according to local need when appropriate.

Under reference to item 8 of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 26 April 2023, there was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the completion of the review of Renfrewshire’s public transport provision.  A copy of the review ‘Renfrewshire Bus Network Review and Future Options’ was appended to the report.

The report sets out the key stages the Council's consultant, Systra, considered as part of the review and the local and regional context for the current public transport network as well as looking further afield for any successful models currently in operation elsewhere. During the period of Systra’s review,  Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) also commenced a regional review of public transport and developed a Regional Bus Strategy. The Renfrewshire report linked to but was not constrained by the work ongoing at a regional level.

DECIDED:

(a) That the completion of the review and the results of the public consultation highlighted within the report be noted;

(b) That it be agreed that officers from Renfrewshire should participate in wider regional discussions on the implications of alternative delivery models for bus services in Renfrewshire;

(c) That it be agreed that officers should engage with bus operators and SPT in relation to the development of Bus Service Improvement Partnerships; and

(d) That the positive progress made with delivering a community transport model for Renfrewshire be noted.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and Director of Finance & Resources relative to an update on Renfrewshire Council’s Glasgow City Region City Deal projects.

The report set out progress on the Clyde Waterfront Renfrew Riverside (CWRR) project including details of the timescale for the delivery of the two sections of the new opening bridge. The bridge was expected to open later in 2024 following an intensive commissioning process.

The report intimated that, following discussions with the UK and Scottish Governments, £64.57 million of City Deal Infrastructure Grant Funds would be allocated to a new Regional Project. Member Authorities had been invited to submit suitable projects for consideration by completing an Expression of Interest by 17 May 2024.  Council officers were scoping a suitable project for submission by Renfrewshire, details of which would be submitted to a future meeting of this Board.

DECIDED:

(a) That progress of the CWRR City Deal project be noted; and

(b) That the submission of an Expression of Interest to the City Region Programme Management Office as detailed in the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the contribution made by the 2023 events programme to the Council’s current event strategy and to the Future Paisley cultural regeneration programme, confirming the 2024 events programme and highlighting the intention to develop a revised event strategy for the period 2025 to 2028.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.