Aberdeenshire Community Planning Board round-up

Implementation of Aberdeenshire's Youth Engagement Strategy, new Community Planning Partnership members, Tackling Poverty, and the Review of the Aberdeenshire Community Plan were among the topics discussed at the recent (Wednesday, Sep 23) meeting of the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Board at Woodhill House.

Youth Engagement Strategy Implementation Proposal agreedThe Board agreed a proposal to fund Dialogue Youth to take on the work to drive the implementation of the strategy, working with community planning partners and young people.

The partnership strategy had been launched in 2007, and endorsed by community planning partners, including Aberdeenshire Council.

New Community Planning Partnership members The Board agreed the establishment of an Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) for Aberdeenshire as a formal partner within the Community Planning Partnership. The ADP Chair will become a formal member of the Board (currently Colin Mackenzie, already a Board member as Aberdeenshire Council Chief Executive, but in the future to be a Police or NHS representative), and an ADP Lead Officer will sit on the Community Planning Executive.

It was also agreed that Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF) be invited to become a formal CPP partner. The Chair of ACSEF would be invited to attend as the Board representative.

Towards a Fairer Aberdeenshire: Tackling poverty and inequalitiesBoard members approved the 2008/09 monitoring report on the Fairer Scotland Fund to be sent to the Scottish Government. In the future, the reporting will be part of the Single Outcome Agreement reporting. They also approved the strategic approach to allocation of the funding that the partnership Tackling Poverty and Inequalities strategy group is taking and asked for future progress reports.

Further information will soon appear on the "Tackling Poverty" section on the community planning website.

Aberdeenshire Community Plan 2006-10 to be reviewedA timetable and process for carrying out the review of the Community Plan (beginning October) were discussed and agreed. It is intended that the new Plan will be published in June 2010.

It was requested that wide engagement in the process, including youth engagement, was ensured.

Aberdeenshire Third Sector Interface (ATSI) endorsedThe Board agreed to endorse the formation of an Aberdeenshire third sector interface, as required by the Scottish Government. This interface will comprise Bridge Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), CVS Central and South Aberdeenshire and the Volunteer Centre. They also agreed that ATSI be recognised as the official point of contact between statutory community planning partners and the third sector in Aberdeenshire.

A wider infrastructure partnership (separate to the interface) will also include Local Rural Partnerships, and other groups meeting the third sector Infrastructure organisation definition.

CPP Community Engagement Strategy approvedThis partnership strategy was approved by Board members. It will be an overarching strategy and has already been consulted upon widely within Aberdeenshire Council and other partners.

Aberdeenshire CPP now comprises the following partners:Aberdeenshire Council, Community Councils, Councils for Voluntary Service, Local Rural Partnerships, NHS Grampian, Grampian Police, Grampian Fire & Rescue, Nestrans, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future.

Prepared by Corporate Policy Officer (Community Planning), Erin Wood, (01224) 664316.