Highland Children’s Forum

Management Committee Meeting

13th December 2016 at New Start Highland Offices

Item
1 / Donnie welcomed all in attendance and intimated apologies.
2 / Apologies from Anne Watmough, Gillian Newman, Kirsty Hunter
3 / Sederunt – Donnie Macleod (Chair), Heather Duncan, Mark Boulton (Treasurer), Alasdair Christie, Christian Maclean, Judith Hope, Stephen Hope, Emma Thomas (Consultation Lead), Maggie Hume
4 / Minutes of previous meetings:
25th October 2016: to be approved at next meeting
10th May 2016:
Approved after following amendments:
Item 5 – 65.70 now 63
Item 6c – 2 weeks now changed to 3 weeks
Item 9 – 2011/12 report not found so delete
Proposed by Mark Boulton and seconded by Judith Hope
30th August 2016:
Approved after following amendment:
Item 2 – reference to ‘what? minor amendments’ to be changed
Proposed by Mark Boulton and seconded by Christian Maclean
5 / Staff reports:
Consultation Lead Report:
Emma reported that the Transition Consultation report is with Speedprint but printing is delayed. Alternative printers were discussed including A4 Print and For the Right Reasons (Grant Street).
Discussed if Ethics Committee approval is necessary for the sexual health and relationships consultation – it could be done without it but did we want it. The main aim of the consultation is to evaluate SHARE but this could lead to exploring deeper issues which would need more time than one year. Emma’s initial scoping of this consultation is vast. Decided need to discuss exactly what Highland Council want to know. Emma to see Sandra and put formal suggestions and explain the time scale implications. Need to draft an outline scope after further discussion.
Emma has the opportunity to become involved with an additional, linked project – EU Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme and the committee is happy for Emma to continue.
Maggie urgently requires a replacement laptop. Agreed that a laptop up to the value of £500 to be purchased.
Maggie has opened up connections with Skye via Portree for the Not In Full Time Education (NIFTE) consultation.Will also be going to St Clements. Maggie is looking at including case studies including a story of a positive return to school. Maggie and Emma are attending the Youth Highland AGM in January.
Discussion about attending a NHS Training Programme (contact: Frances Hine – Manager, Research and Development Unit, NHS) – committee agreed to make use of these free, approx. 3hr sessions.
Discussed draft questionnaire format – keep a neutral response option so not coercing people to have an opinion when they don’t.
6 / Finance Report:
Travel policy – Mark is to forward the policy to Gillian 1 week before the next meeting for the committee to review.
Insurance provider – renewed with current provider this year. To be reviewed before next renewal.
New bank account – the total amount in the bank account exceeds the government guarantee of £75,000. It would be better to have separate revenue and reserve accounts. A new account for the reserve money to be set up. Mark to make arrangements with TSB. Current signatories are Mark, Anne and Christian. Donnie to contact Kirsty to see if she is happy to be an additional signatory.
Management committee gave approval for an additional account for the reserve money.
Donnie requested a spreadsheet for the January meeting.
7 / Workplace Pensions Update:
7th January 2017 is the start-up date. NEST set up. Set up to be finalised by the end of next week and the first deductions will be made end of January.
Gillian and Emma are auto-enrolled. Maggie is not but she can join if she wants to.
Donnie expressed the committee’s thanks for all the work Mark has done.
Mark has now set up the workplace pensions fulfilling the legal obligations.
8 / Subsistence/Travel Policy Update:
Mark is to forward the policy to Gillian 1 week prior to the next meeting for the committee to review.
9 / Ratification of Development Plan Driver Diagram:
Following improvements to layout suggested:
-replace initials with peoples’ names
-include a key for acronyms
-use capitals for improvement group names
-use consistent language from our mission statements and
aims
Alasdair suggested that strategic aims and operational aims should be in 2 separate flow charts instead of trying to combine them.
Stephen suggested that actions should be categorised in order of priority.
Further suggestions included:
-rewording 8th action (‘Seek greater input to Leadership about what we are doing and recommendations from CYP’).
-clarifying 10th action (‘Provide shared discussion forum for various issues/support groups for young people’).
-remove jargon
-indication of priority
-clarify wording of the 4th column
-sharpen up detail on the 2nd page and work out how to measure and evaluate
-
Team Meeting to do some more work on this before the January meeting. Hopefully be able to table for next Management Meeting.
10 / Social Media: Office 365: Committee expertise and training needs; website and Facebook administrator:
Committee members happy to continue using email.
Staff to look at training needs.
11 / AOB:
Date of next Management Committee meeting:
11.30am on the 31st January 2017 at New Start Highland Offices