EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP Board Meeting: Thursday 9 March at 2.00pm Venue: Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock

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1 EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP Board Meeting: Thursday 9 March at 2.00pm Venue: Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock AGENDA 1. Present/Apologies 2. East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board Minutes of CPP Board meeting held on 17 November 2016 (Copy attached) Accuracy Matters Arising 3. Community Planning Partnership Transformational Change (Report attached) 4. Strategic Priority Reports 4a 4b 4c Youth Employment (Report attached) Alcohol and Drugs (Report attached) Child Poverty (Report attached) 5. Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2017 (Report attached) Reports for consideration, endorsement and implementation 6. Position Statement on Prostitution (Report attached) 7. Community Justice Update (Report attached) 8. Children Service Planning (Report attached) 9. Community Planning Update Report (Report attached) 10. Date of next meeting: 2pm on Thursday 15 June 2017 at Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock

2 Agenda Item 2 EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING HELD THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 1405 HOURS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS, LONDON ROAD, KILMARNOCK. PRESENT: Councillors Douglas Reid, Tom Cook, and Maureen McKay, East Ayrshire Council; Ian Welsh, Non-Executive Director, NHS Ayrshire and Arran; Peter Heath, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; Acting Chief Inspector John Cairns, Area Commander, Police Scotland; Bruce Kiloh, Head of Policy and Planning, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (part-meeting); John Binning, Principal Policy Officer, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport; Neville Prentice, Senior Director, Development and Delivery, Skills Development Scotland; Willie Mackie, Chair of Board, Ayrshire College; Brian Broadley, Trustee, Third Sector Interface; Iain Smith, Chair, Coalfield Communities Federation; and Caroline Scott, East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. ATTENDING: Councillor Bobby McDill, East Ayrshire Council (part-meeting); Fiona Lees, Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council; Alex McPhee, Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer: Economy and Skills, East Ayrshire Council; Jim Scott, Area Manager, Sottish Fire and Rescue Service; Temporary Superintendent Tim Ross, Police Scotland; Kerr Chalmers, Traffic and Road Safety Manager, Ayrshire Roads Alliance (part-meeting); Gwen Barker, Policy Planning and Performance Manager; and Lynn Young, Democratic Services Officer (both East Ayrshire Council). APOLOGIES: Councillor Eòghann MacColl, East Ayrshire Council; Dr Martin Cheyne, Chairman, NHS Ayrshire and Arran; Jim Reid, Stakeholder and Networks Director, Scottish Enterprise; Fiona Fawdry, General Manager, Third Sector Interface; Lorna Gibson, President, Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Aileen McKechnie, Director of Advanced Learning and Science, Scottish Government CHAIR: Councillor Douglas Reid, East Ayrshire Council, Chair. 1. Minutes of Meeting of 26 May 2016 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING There was submitted and approved as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Planning Partnership Board held on 26 May 2016 (circulated). 1.2 Matters Arising Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) Systems The Principal Policy Officer, SPT confirmed that a draft Agency Agreement in relation to the roll out of the RTPI System had been circulated to the 3 Ayrshire Authorities for approval.

3 2. Minutes of Meeting of 22 September 2016 There was submitted and approved as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Planning Partnership Board held on 22 September 2016 (circulated). EAST AYRSHIRE TRANSPORT OUTCOMES REPORT FOR 2016/17 3. There was submitted a report dated 8 November 2016 (circulated) by the Head of Policy and Planning, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, which (i) informed of the preparation by SPT of the East Ayrshire Transport Outcome Report (TOR); (ii) highlighted the connection between SPT activities and local outcomes from the Single Outcome Agreement; and (iii) highlighted the focus given within the TOR to the services and the benefits that SPT have delivered in 2015/16 together with details of the SPT East Ayrshire joint workstreams for 2016/17. During discussion, the following matters were raised: connectivity of the public transport system; improvements with regards to ticketing issues on the rail network; protocol for complaints regarding SPT subsidised bus services; passenger usage on the public transport system; the use of Community Transport; usage on the X76 service; and progress on the major realignment of the A70 at Glenbuck. Following discussion, it was agreed:- (i) (ii) to include within the TOR for 2016/17 a focus on improved rail links to the south of the Authority; and to note the contents of the report. The Chair thanked Councillor Bobby McDill, Bruce Kiloh, SPT and Kerr Chalmers, Ayrshire Roads Alliance for their input. ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITIES A FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITHIN EAST AYRSHIRE 4. There was submitted a report dated 2 November 2016 (circulated) by the Depute Chief Executive: Safer Communities, East Ayrshire Council, which presented for consideration and approval Engaging Our Communities: A Framework for Community Engagement in East Ayrshire. It was agreed: (i) (ii) to approve Engaging Our Communities: A Framework for Community Engagement in East Ayrshire ; to continue the adoption of the National Standards for Community Engagement as the basis for community engagement activity in East Ayrshire;

4 (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) to note that the Council s Vibrant Communities and Organisational Development staff would support the roll out of the National Standards and provide appropriate training for staff and partners; to remit to Vibrant Communities to work with stakeholders to develop a Community Engagement Charter that could be adopted by Community Groups, Organisations and Community Planning Partners; to endorse the commitments contained within the Framework; and otherwise, to note the contents of the report. SCOTTISH INDEX OF MULTIPLE DEPRIVATION (SIMD) There was submitted a report dated 1 November 2016 (circulated) by the Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer: Economy and Skills, East Ayrshire Council, which presented the high-level results of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2016 published by Scotland s Chief Statistician on 30 August It was agreed to note: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) the publication of the SIMD 2016 by Scotland s Chief Statistician; the results of the SIMD 2016 as they relate to East Ayrshire; that further analysis of the SIMD would be taken forward, in particular, to inform Locality Planning within East Ayrshire; and otherwise, to note the contents of the report. COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2015 UPDATE 6. There was submitted a report dated 1 November 2016 (circulated) by the Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council, which provided an overview on legislative requirements resulting from the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, and which set out the high level proposals in respect of Locality Planning, which is one of the statutory duties placed on Community Planning Partnerships under the Act. It was agreed: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) to note the requirements arising for Local Authorities and Community Planning Partnership as a result of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015; to note the current position with compliance from an East Ayrshire perspective and the work taken forward by officers to respond to the requirements of the Act; to endorse the proposals for the establishment of the new Local Outcome Improvement Plan; to endorse the proposed three-tier approach to Locality Planning; to receive further update reports as proposals are developed; and otherwise, to note the contents of the report.

5 COMMUNITY PLANNING UPDATE 7. There was submitted a report dated 1 November 2016 (circulated) by the Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer: Economy and Skills, East Ayrshire Council, which updated in respect of a range of Community Planning related matters. It was agreed: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) to approve the proposals which had arisen from the individual Board Review Meetings as detailed in paragraphs 3 11 of the report, and in particular, to the proposed assignment of mentoring roles as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report; to endorse the proposals which had arisen from the review of Community Engagement as set out in paragraphs of the report; to note the position in relation to Scottish Police Authority Representation on the CPP Board; to note the National Strategic Police Priorities published by the Scottish Government in October 2016; to note the new Committee Independent Chair appointments presented at paragraph 26 of the report; to note the checklist results detailed at Appendix 2 of the report; to remit the Executive Chief Officers Group to approve a partnership response to the School Catchment Area Consultation as detailed in paragraph 33 of the report; that Board Members distribute the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan Annual Review 2016/17 survey link widely throughout their respective organisations and encourage colleagues from across the CPP to participate in the consultation process; (ix) to note the Fire Reach Evaluation results as detailed in Appendix 3; (x) to approve the Risk Register as detailed in Appendix 4 of the report, subject to the Risk Owner being amended to the Policy, Planning and Performance Manager; (xi) that Board Members be provided with background information on the 16 Community Led Action Plans and active Community Councils; and (xii) otherwise, to note the contents of the report. On behalf of the CPP Board, the Chair extended his appreciation of the valuable contribution that both Jean Brown and Iain Smith had made to the CPP Board.

6 CPPB - MEETING SCHEDULE It was agreed to note the 2017 meetings of the Community Planning Partnership Board as follows: DATE TIME PAPERS ISSUED VENUE Thursday 9 March hours Thursday 2 March 2017 Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock Thursday 15 June hours Thursday 8 June 2017 Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock Thursday 21 September 2017 (Joint Engagement Event) 1000 hours Thursday 14 September 2017 East Ayrshire Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock Thursday 7 December hours Thursday 30 November 2017 Ayrshire College, Hill Street, Kilmarnock It was further noted that Board Members were invited to an Improvement Service Development Event on Place Making Proposals to be held on Thursday 2 February 2017 at 1500 hours, at WG13, West George Street, Kilmarnock. The meeting terminated at 1530 hrs.

7 Agenda Item 3 EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE Report by the Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer Economy and Skills, East Ayrshire Council PURPOSE 1. To provide the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board with an update in relation to the proposed Community Planning Partnership Transformational Change agenda. BACKGROUND 2. As Members may already be aware, a Transformational Change workshop was convened in August 2016, to bring Members of the Executive Officers Group together with key finance staff from across the Partnership. The aim of this session was to build a shared understanding of the financial challenges facing the Partnership in the years ahead and to begin to consider a shared approach to transformational change. 3. A further Transformational Change event for Members of the Executive Officers Group (EOG) was convened at Ayrshire College on Thursday 19 January The purpose of this session was to build on previous discussions in relation to the Partnership s approach to transformational change and to identify priority areas for action going forward, with a focus on deliverability. PROPOSED FUTURE ACTIVITY 4. The content of the discussions which took place during the EOG Transformation session have been distilled into the following key workstreams which are presented for consideration by the CPP Board: Maximising the impact of the partnership estate: Ensuring best use of the existing estate; identifying opportunities for rationalisation; and developing a shared strategic approach to future development. Maximising the impact of our co-located facilities: Mapping our current service provision, moving from co-location to single teams where appropriate and maximising access to services via digitalisation. Future Needs Analysis: Mapping future demand and using predictive analysis to inform future service delivery and infrastructure development. Locality Planning: Developing a shared understanding of what localities mean in practice and building local networks. Maximising our Economic Development: With a focus on delivering the Ayrshire Growth Deal; developing an Ayrshire wide Economic Development Team; and harnessing the benefit of the Apprenticeship Levy.

8 Digitalisation: Maximising connectivity and supporting future service delivery. Further detail of each workstream, together with the initial identified actions, is presented within Appendix 1 of this report. 5. Where possible, a Lead Officer has been identified who will be responsible for implementation, the first part of which will be to develop a more detailed plan for delivery of the identified workstream; and for providing an update on the plan and proposed timescales for sign off by the Executive Officers Group. 6. Members of the CPP Board are invited to endorse the proposed workstreams as outlined within this paper and to give consideration to the role of the CPP Board in supporting delivery of these workstreams going forward. RECOMMENDATIONS 7. The Community Planning Partnership Board is asked to: i) consider and endorse the proposed workstreams set out at paragraph 4; ii) give consideration to the role of the Community Planning Partnership Board in supporting delivery of these workstreams; and iv) otherwise, note the content of the report. Alex McPhee Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer (Economy and Skills) East Ayrshire Council 1 March 2017

9 Appendix 1 WORKSTREAM 1: Maximising the impact of the partnership estate Across the Partnership, a significant resource exists in the form of the property/estate owned by individual partner agencies. A strategic partnership approach to the understanding of this combined estate has the potential to deliver a range of benefits, as follows: To ensure that we are making best use of the existing estate to facilitate effective and collaborative service delivery and to attract skilled staff to work in East Ayrshire; To identify further opportunities for estates rationalisation, with the aim of generating savings; and To allow a joined-up approach to future capital development, with the aim of reducing duplication, achieving economies of scale and ensuring that the future estate meets the future need of the Partnership. A mapping exercise of the existing estate would potentially assist partners to identify opportunities to make better use of existing facilities where, for example there is a need for one partner to have a presence in a location where another partner already has a facility in which there is spare capacity. As a Partnership we also require to consider how we want to deliver services in the future; and how we can use our existing estate and future capital programmes to support this. There are clear linkages between all of the identified workstreams and Lead Officers will require to work closely together to ensure effective delivery and avoid duplication. Lead Officer: Andrew Kennedy, Head of Facilities and Property Management, East Ayrshire Council Initial Actions: Prepare detailed business case for workstream. Establish working group. Establish a baseline: Map out the existing Partnership estate. Establish a cost base and potential savings targets. Recommendations: August 2017.

10 WORKSTREAM 2: Maximising the Impact of our co-located facilities As a Partnership we have invested in a range of co-located facilities with the intention of providing a one-stop shop of service delivery for individuals and communities. Running in tandem with Workstream 1, it is proposed that a mapping exercise is undertaken to look at the current use of each of these facilities and prepare recommendations for future use with the aim of moving from the co-location of services to shared services and where possible joint teams. In addition, it is proposed that this workstream also focus on how we can maximise the range of services provided to the community within these facilities via digital connectivity. Lead Agency: Amanda McInnes, Senior Manager Business Support, Health and Social Care Partnership Initial Actions: Prepare detailed business case for workstream. Establish short term working group. Establish a baseline position map the range of services delivered within each colocated facility and by what agency. Establish a cost base and potential savings. Recommendations: August WORKSTREAM 3: Future Needs Analysis As a Partnership, we require to plan now to ensure that we have the infrastructure to support the services which we require to deliver in future. Determining what the future needs of our communities will be is an essential step in the planning of future services. An opportunity has been identified to make better use of our shared data and statistical expertise to support our future planning; and to ensure that this intelligence is shared across the partnership. Opportunities should be sought to overlay different data strands, rather than considering them in isolation for example bringing health data and schools data together. Although there will be challenges in relation to the currency of data, and the geographical breakdowns available, by working better together it is anticipated that as a partnership we will be able to collate intelligence which is good enough to allow predictive analysis to inform decisions in relation to future service delivery and infrastructure. By identifying patterns and making informed predictions about future needs, we will also be more able to design interventions which will improve future outcomes and impact on future demand for services.

11 It is recognised that there have been previous initiatives by the Partnership to bring together data analysts and this has proved challenging. Any new group will require to have a clear and specific remit in relation to predictive analysis and there may also require to be some level of skills audit, to ensure that the necessary skills exist within the existing staff group. If this is not the case, Partners may require to consider procuring an external/academic input. This group should also support the development of the data requirements associated with the new Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Planning. Lead Officer: Gwen Barker, Policy, Planning and Performance Manager, EAC Initial Actions: Prepare detailed business case for workstream. Individual partners to undertake skills audit/identify staff with the skills to participate in a partnership data group to focus on predictive analysis: Nominations to be submitted to Gwen Barker by Mid Feb. Establish working group. A research exercise to identify best practice in the use of predictive analysis in the public sector. Support the development of the new Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Planning (By Oct 2017) WORKSTREAM 4: Locality Planning The outline of our approach to Locality Planning has been developed and endorsed by the CPP Board at its meeting of 17 November At the highest, operational level this means a co-ordinated approach to our multi-agency working on a geographical basis, based on the 3 HSCP boundaries adopted by the Integrated Health and Social Care Partnership, which ultimately align to consolidated Electoral Ward Boundaries: The Northern Locality (Annick and Irvine Valley); The Kilmarnock Locality; and The Southern Locality (Ballochmyle, Cumnock and Doon Valley). As a first stage, a multi-agency working group has been established to develop detailed area profiles for these localities, to inform development of the overall Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (by 30 September 2017); locality plans (which will be developed for 4 identified target areas, namely Kilmarnock North; Kilmarnock South; Bellsbank/Dalmellington; and Muirkirk); and locality working arrangements. The next step and most important step on this journey is to develop a shared understanding of what these localities mean in practice for partnership staff; and to build the local networks which will ensure the success of this approach in practice. This workstream is about managing this approach and defining what it will mean at a

12 practical level; how it will work; and how partnership staff will be involved in shaping and delivering our locality based approach. Importantly working group members will require to consider how agencies work with local communities to address inequality in our most disadvantage communities. Lead Officers: Katie Kelly, Head of Housing and Communities and Annemargaret Black, Head of Community Heath and Care Services Initial Actions: Prepare detailed business case for workstream. Establish implementation group. A dedicated Executive Officers Group Session on Locality Planning during the Executive Officers Meeting of 9 May 2017 Establish a cost base and potential savings. Recommendations June 2017 WORKSTREAM 5: Maximising our Economic Development As a Partnership, we recognise that the development of our local economy is central to the achievement of our vision for East Ayrshire. Three linked opportunities to transform our economy have been identified as follows: Delivering the Ayrshire Growth Deal; and Developing an Ayrshire Wide Economic Development Team; and Harnessing the benefit of the Apprenticeship Levy. Ayrshire Growth Deal: There requires to be an increased focus on deliverability, ensuring that appropriate structures and systems are in place and consolidating where necessary. The influence of the Partnership should also be used to shape the governance arrangements established for the Deal when it comes to fruition. Ayrshire Wide Economic Development Team: Use Partnership influence to shape the scope, scale and remit of the new Team to ensure that we achieve the right solution for Ayrshire. Ensure effective practitioner engagement in shaping this agenda and driving it forward. Apprenticeship Levy: The first step is to identify the actual amount of Levy being collected from across Ayrshire as a whole and then to identify how much will come back to Ayrshire and how the funds will be redistributed. As a Partnership we require to ensure that the value of our contribution is returned to the local economy and also to ascertain whether there will be an opportunity to lobby for a greater share of the return. Lead Officer: TBC Initial Actions: Prepare a detailed business case for workstream.

13 Establish working groups, as appropriate. Establish a cost base and potential savings. Map the scope and scale of the Apprenticeship Levy: SDS to calculate the value of the Ayrshire contribution; Desktop research exercise to ascertain the arrangements for the redistribution of these funds. WORKSTREAM 6: DIGITALISATION AND CONNECTIVITY Digital connectivity will play a central role in the future design and delivery of services across our communities and as a Partnership we require to take all possible steps to maximise the benefit of digitalisation and ensure that all of our communities benefit from the opportunities presented. Digitalisation also has the potential to play a significant role within the achievement of each of the other workstreams within this paper. It is proposed that a mapping exercise in relation to service provision and digital access across our communities/localities should be undertaken. This will be followed by a scoping exercise to explore which what services have the potential to be delivered in communities via digital opportunities (e.g. health, employment) and what infrastructure and skills would be required to deliver these changes. To begin this work, it is essential that we as a Partnership have a shared understanding of the potential for digitalisation across our respective organisations, and it is suggested that this workstream commences with a Digital Masterclass which will be delivered to the Executive Officers Group, to set the context for the future development of this workstream. Lead Officer: Craig McArthur, Head of Finance and ICT, EAC Initial Actions: Develop a shared understanding: Digitalisation Masterclass to be delivered to Members of the Executive Officers Group. Develop a detailed brief for workstream. Undertake a mapping exercise in relation to service provision and digital access across our communities/localities. Implement a scoping exercise to explore which what services have the potential to be delivered in communities via digital opportunities (e.g. health, employment) and what infrastructure and skills would be required to deliver these changes. Establish a cost base and potential savings.

14 EAST AYRSHIRE Agenda Item 4a COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 YOUTH EMPLOYMENT UPDATE Report by the Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, (Economy and Skills), East Ayrshire Council and the Vice Principal of Strategy, Planning and Performance, Ayrshire College PURPOSE 1. To provide the Community Planning Partnership Board with an update on youth employment/unemployment in East Ayrshire. BACKGROUND 2. Within the East Ayrshire Community Plan , the Council and its Community Planning Partners have a commitment to tackling youth unemployment in the local authority area. In addition, the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board has identified youth employment as a priority issue within the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) , with the expectation of a demonstrable shift in relation to improved performance over the three year period. 3. In this regard, a multi-agency Challenge Session was convened by the CPP on 25 August 2016, which highlighted a number of challenges in relation to youth employment in East Ayrshire, including: Ensuring that young people are work ready Tackling generational unemployment Taking an early intervention approach to inform career choices Identifying a flexible pathway and addressing duplication of services Improving and developing links to local employers. Destinations of school leavers (2014/15 cohort) 4. There were 1,328 leavers from East Ayrshire s mainstream schools in June The proportion of leavers in positive destinations was 93.7% and by the follow up survey in March 2016, this had fallen to 90.7%. In comparison, nationally, the proportion of leavers who were in a positive destination in October 2015 was 92.9% and by the follow up survey this had fallen to 92%. 5. Within East Ayrshire, the destination category that saw the greatest percentage point increase between initial and follow up return was employment, with an increase of 4.1 percentage points (from 16.0% to 20.1%). In Scotland, there was an increase on 6.5 percentage points from initial to follow up return (from 21.7% to 28.2%). 6. Conversely, the destination category that saw the largest percentage point decrease between the initial and follow up return was further education, with a 4.0 percentage point decline (from 36.6% to 32.6%), slightly less that the decrease

15 in Scotland of 4.3 percentage points from initial to follow up return (from 27.8% to 23.5%). 7. In East Ayrshire, the destination category for unemployed seeking increased by 2.5 percentage points, from 5.3% at the initial destination to 7.8% at the follow up return, compared to a 0.3 percentage point increase in Scotland, from 5.4% to 5.7%. Youth employment/unemployment 8. Claimant count youth unemployment in East Ayrshire has declined from 13.3% at July 2013 to 5.7% at January 2017, although remains one of the highest rates in Scotland Claimant Count (18 to 24) 0.0 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 East Ayrshire Scotland 9. The most recent data available reflects that: In January 2017, 580 young people aged in East Ayrshire were unemployed, representing 5.7% of the population, compared to 3.2% nationally. Following the national pattern, unemployment in East Ayrshire was greater for males (7.8%) than females (3.6%). In East Ayrshire, claimant count youth unemployment (18-24) reduced from 12.8% in January 2013 to 5.7% in January 2017; this was significantly higher than the claimant count (16-64), which reduced from 6.0% to 3.3% in the same period. At January 2017, East Ayrshire had the second highest claimant count youth unemployment (5.7%) in Scotland, behind North Ayrshire (6.5%). In January 2017, youth unemployment (18-24) was highest in Doon Valley South (10.8%), New Cumnock (10.7%), Shortlees (9.7%) and Auchinleck (9.3%). In January 2017, youth unemployment (18-24) was lowest in Grange, Howard and Gargieston (1.1%), Southcraig and Beansburn (1.2%), Northern and Irvine Valley Rural (1.3%) and Kilmaurs (2.2%). 10. A range of Key Statistics in relation to youth employment/unemployment is provided for information in the Member Area of the Community Planning website.

16 SUMMARY OF CURRENT DELIVERY 11. Employability partnerships provide a coordinated approach to reducing youth unemployment in East Ayrshire. A wide range of local and national programmes provides focused activity, which is being taken forward individually and collaboratively by Community Planning Partners and key stakeholders to support employability programmes and youth employment in East Ayrshire. Examples of this work are provided in detail in the Summary of Overview of Current Delivery, which is provided in the Member Area of the Community Planning website, including the following opportunities in 2016/17: East Ayrshire Council: Youth Employment Initiative - offering job seeking support, accredited, qualifications and job matching aimed at delivering results (jobs, modern apprenticeships further education or training) for young people aged Job Brokerage provides wage subsidies for private sector employers to create sustainable jobs. Routes to Recruitment offers accredited training and work experience, followed by wage subsidy to create sustainable employment. Employability Fund provides a vocational training programme funded by Skills Development Scotland and offers work experience and accredited qualifications aimed at helping young people into jobs. Modern Apprenticeships offers employment and sector specific training opportunities. Supported employment service provides tailored support for people with learning disabilities, autism and those affected by long term and enduring mental health issues who are seeking paid employment. Post School Activity Agreements supports some of the most vulnerable young people at Stage 1 of the strategic skills pipeline until their 20 th birthday. Senior Phase Flexible Pathways Initiative is targeted at school pupils who have been identified as at risk of not achieving a positive destination. The pupils attend Ayrshire College on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Project SEARCH provides employment and learning opportunities for young people with learning disabilities at University Hospital Crosshouse in partnership with Ayrshire College. East Ayrshire Woodlands offers intermediate labour market opportunities for young people to gain work experience and qualifications in forestry. East Ayrshire Council s Graduate Intern Programme, implemented in 2015/16, is targeted at local graduates who have not secured employment or who are under employed and provides one-year full-time employment and intensive support. Additional employment opportunities and apprenticeships for young people are facilitated through community benefits identified in contracts procured by the Council. The Council s Chief Executive convened a Listening Event on 7 September 2016 with officers across a range of services to examine the current work being delivered to support youth employment within the Council and consider what more could be done in this regard. While progress in relation to current activity is acknowledged, the session provided an opportunity to further consider how support in relation to youth employment could be maximised across the Council and with partners.

17 KEY POINTS Referrals to employability programmes can be limited and work is being taken forward to improve promotion and recruitment. For example, work coaches are now based in Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Ayr Jobcentres. Participation on employability programmes is affected by the lack of a visible presence and one point of contact supports available, and would benefit from the hub model providing co-located facilities. Consider opportunities to support a wider range of work placements to facilitate pathways to Modern Apprenticeships and jobs, and for individuals with significant barriers to recruitment. Raise the profile of Modern Apprenticeships, particularly in relation to future workforce planning. Trusted professional support for participants on the Activity Agreement programme can be difficult to resource and has an impact on progression of young people. Many, though not all, participants can qualify for financial support through the Education Maintenance Allowance payment, which is dependent on their attendance. There are resource implications in terms of work placements for young people through the Flexible Pathways Initiative, including travel and lunch costs (some young people have free school meals entitlement). Resources will be required to provide appropriate supports. Ayrshire College: Employability and Engagement Officers in schools College engagement staff offer confidence-building, enterprise and leadership programmes, accredited through ASDAN, for pupils identified by schools as being at risk of not progressing to a positive destination. HIVE Programmes A range of full-time personal development courses, including 24/7 (SCQF level 3), PEZ (SCQF level 4) and the Prince s Trust Team programme to prepare young people for further vocational programmes, training and employment. A PEZ programme also runs from Yipworld in Cumnock. Summer Programme In partnership with East Ayrshire Council, an opportunity for vulnerable young people to attend college two days per week during the summer break which eases their transition to college. WG13 in partnership with CVO East Ayrshire, Ayrshire College is delivering a bespoke training programme and work placement opportunities for young people with additional support needs. Employability Fund A higher proportion of Ayrshire College s 223 Employability Fund places in were allocated to East Ayrshire (41%), higher than North and South Ayrshire. Further detail is provided in relation to the Ayrshire College Employability Fund and Modern Apprenticeships in the Member Area of the Community Planning website. Short Employability Programmes In partnership with Jobcentre Plus, Ayrshire College delivers a range of short employability programmes across Ayrshire, mainly in the Cumnock area. School/College Partnership A range of college courses from SCQF level 2 to 7 for pupils in the senior phase to study while they are still at school. Foundation Apprenticeships - Ayrshire College is delivering an Engineering Foundation Apprenticeship in and will be offering three Foundation Apprenticeship from August Engineering (at the Kilmarnock Campus),

18 Software Development (at the Ayr Campus) and Children and Young People (at the Kilwinning Campus). Shared Posts to help vulnerable students remain and succeed on their courses two campus-based, jointly-funded shared posts (NHS Alcohol and Drug Liaison Office and Police Scotland Liaison Officer) have had a positive impact. Working with the Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnerships, Ayrshire College has recruited a campus-based, jointly-funded Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor to provide progressive mental health prevention, support and education, assist staff and young people in relation to improving knowledge of mental health issues, and build resilience and organisational capacity to recognise and support mental wellbeing. KEY POINTS Raise awareness of the wide range of programmes on offer at Ayrshire College with partners, including opportunities in WG13 with additional support needs. Widen the range of companies participating in the Modern Apprenticeship programme to ensure youth employment opportunities across a range of sub-sectors, particularly in view of the downturn in the Oil and Gas sector. Raise awareness of the new Foundation Apprenticeship courses to pupils, teachers, parents and employers. Explore opportunities to improve tracking of young people into employment in the construction sector. East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership: Pathways to Youth Employment supports the achievement of positive destinations for care experienced young people. Skills Development Scotland: 12. In support of youth employment, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is one of the delivery partners for the Scottish Government s guaranteed offer of a place in education or training for all 16 to 19 year old through Opportunities for All. In addition, SDS provides: Careers Advice through the school offer P7 to S6 and the post school offer for young people 15-17, and adults 20+, which has been now been enhanced to include P7/S1 transition, S2 and S3 and more targeted at work at S3, as well as continuing work at S4,S5 and S6; Contracted programmes, including Employability Fund and Modern Apprenticeships; and Employer Support, including through the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) to minimise the impact of people and business facing redundancy. KEY POINTS The school offer has been enhanced to include P7/S1 transition, S2 and S3 and more targeted at work at S3, as well as continuing work at S4, S5 and S6. Senior phase group work is now focused on expected leavers, with enhanced options to reflect wider routes, pathways and senior phase choices, with flexibility to deliver beyond the leaver cohort, subject to negotiation with the school.

19 Through the enhanced service, S3 expected leavers now receive 1:1 support by a qualified adviser; and 1:1 meetings are available for parents at S2 or S3 option choice time. To ensure that all teachers have resources to use in the classroom that better inform pupils career choice, 4 Career and Lifelong Professional Learning modules have been developed. Department for Work and Pensions: 13. A range of provision is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and a number of partners to support young people into positive destinations, including: Sector Based Work Academies - to train in care, retail, hospitality, wind turbines, landscaping and textiles. Prince s Trust Get into - courses in Cookery, Woodlands, Construction and Health Care Work Experience - with local retail, hospitality outlets and DWP. Both Cumnock and Kilmarnock Jobcentres have designed and delivered Group Information Sessions (GIS) to students at the end of the academic year on employability awareness, covering CV improvement workshops competency writing and digital job search. Partnership towards Employment - delivered with NHS Ayrshire and Arran, educating young people on how to manage their health condition and signposting them to organisations that can offer support. DWP Modern Apprenticeship Scheme - Kilmarnock Jobcentre delivered a tailored employability training programme for 25 MAs, all of whom have been offered employment and developing careers within DWP. KEY POINTS A Partner Suite is provided at Kilmarnock and Cumnock Jobcentres to facilitate effective referral to employability partners. Examination of caseloads has identified that there is a gap in provision for young people with mental health conditions. DWP is working with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and Street League to develop a workshop to consider the benefits of exercise. DWP has recently arranged for Skills Development Scotland to join the GIS group. SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIONS 14. A summary of the issues and key actions arising from the discussion and contribution of partners is also provided in the Summary Overview of Service Delivery and includes the following for consideration by the CPP Board: Develop an employability hub for young people in Kilmarnock. Develop and establish a single point of contact within the Council s Human Resources service to coordinate and facilitate council work placements for all services. Establish and implement work pathways, with recognised progression routes to Modern Apprenticeships. Develop and establish training provision to build Modern Apprenticeship assessor capacity within individual services.

20 Promote and support the delivery of the Foundation Apprenticeships offered by Ayrshire College from August Seek further opportunities to support the most vulnerable groups of young people, including care leavers. Support activity to address mental health and health issues, which are identified as barriers to employment. Assist students with mental health issues to help them remain on course, supported by a campus-based Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor (jointly funded by Ayrshire College in partnership with the Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnerships). Develop and implement targeted work to assist young people, particularly those in training, who are unable to access employment opportunities. Examine the new standards being developed for work experience placements to improve consistency and quality of work experience placements. Promote employment opportunities linked to business need. 15. Related activity to address youth employment is also being progressed by the Council s Human Resources Service, including policy review and a review of Modern Apprenticeships. 16. The Council s Youth Employment Improvement Group, comprising officer representation across a range of related services, has been remitted to develop improvement actions arising from the Chief Executive s Listening Event, as appropriate, to take this agenda forward. 17. Where appropriate, a number of these actions have been included in the SOA Improvement Plan 2016 and will be implemented through the Economy and Skills Delivery Plan, and relevant workplans, as appropriate. 18. A further event had been organised for 10 March 2017 to facilitate a more coordinated approach to supporting youth employment across Council services, including access to work experience and seeking more opportunities for Modern Apprenticeships. DEVELOPING THE YOUNG WORKFORCE 19. The Commission for Developing Scotland s Young Workforce, chaired by Sir Ian Wood, was tasked by the Scottish Government with bringing forward a range of recommendations designed to improve young people s transition into employment. The Commission s final report was published in June 2014 and highlights the importance of business and industry working with schools and colleges to ensure that young people are more prepared for employment, better informed in career choice, and highlights the need for concerted action to tackle structural and recurring youth unemployment. 20. Developing the Young Workforce Scotland s Youth Employment Strategy was published by the Scottish Government in December The strategy explicitly responds to the series of conclusions and recommendations made by the Government appointed and private sector led Commission for Developing Scotland s Young Workforce. 21. The headline target is to reduce the level of youth unemployment (excluding those in full time education) by 40% by 2021.

21 22. Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Ayrshire Regional Group was established in October 2015, led by the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a dedicated team of staff, and comprising representation from key stakeholders, including East, North and South Ayrshire Councils, Ayrshire College, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and the business community. 23. The Ayrshire Regional Group is focused on: Encouraging and supporting employers to engage directly with schools and college Encouraging more employers to recruit more young people. 24. Work taken forward to date relative to East Ayrshire includes: Raising the DYW Ayrshire profile locally. Connecting with employers through business networking groups, meetings and focus groups, and establishing a marketing campaign. Linking to local employers promoting DYW and the benefits of working with young people. Developing school and college employer partnerships and work placement models, including Learn4Work and Flexible Pathways Initiative (formerly 2plus 3). Working in partnership with the Prince s Trust and Entrepreneurial Spark to support self-employment. 25. In 2016/17, the focus for DYW Ayrshire will be on Increasing the quality of school business engagement. Focusing on the quality of work placement experience. Stimulating demand for Modern Apprenticeships among employers. Providing training for small businesses. Continuing engagement with schools and Ayrshire College regarding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, in particular to address gender imbalance in these subjects. 26. While the wide-ranging work being taken forward by partners under the DYW agenda and the positive progress over the first year of implementation is acknowledged, it was recognised at the Economy and Skills Delivery Group meeting in June 2016 that DYW activity requires to be more coordinated to maximise its impact. 27. A new strategic group has been established to achieve this and coordinate the implementation of all five key themes of DYW. The group includes lead Education Officers in the three local authorities, the Vice Principal leading on DYW at Ayrshire College, Skills Development Scotland and representation from the DYW Ayrshire Regional Group. A pan Ayrshire operational group made up of representatives from all partner organisations above has also been established to take forward the key actions in the strategic plan. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 28. The top 4 sectors providing employment for young people (16-24), which represent more than half (57.7%) of job opportunities in East Ayrshire, are as follows:

22 Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (24.4%); Human health and social work activities (12.5%); Accommodation and food services activities (11.2%); and Construction (9.6%). 29. While these sectors offer employment opportunities, these are not always the opportunities our young people seek or can compete effectively to achieve. Continued and concentrated investment is required to promote sectors where there is a current and future business need, most notably in health and social care. 30. East Ayrshire Council is the largest public sector employer in the local authority area, with 6.7% of employees aged under 25 (including bank workers) and 5.5% excluding bank workers. SUMMARY OF IMPACT OF ACTIVITY TO SUPPORT YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN EAST AYRSHIRE There is wide ranging and effective delivery of programmes of activity delivered by partners in schools and educational establishments and through wider Delivering the Young Workforce agenda to support youth employment opportunities in East Ayrshire. Partnership working is acknowledged as a strength in relation to employability support across the partnership; however, would benefit from an officer to provide a lead and co-ordinating role to ensure more effective oversight. Tracking of young people up to 18 years old, in the main seems effective; however, tracking of young people is more challenging for the 18+ age group. Employer engagement continues to grow and enhance provision, linked to schools and employability programmes Since the Youth Employment Challenge event in August 2015, youth unemployment has continued to fall in East Ayrshire and gap between the local and Scottish average youth unemployment rate has reduced from 3.8 percentage points in August 2015 to 2.5 percentage points at January OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD 31. Opportunities to support youth employment in East Ayrshire are provided through the following programmes: European Union Funding: million has been secured for the Strategic Pipeline East Ayrshire Works programme to support 2,877 participants aged 16+ on employability programmes up to December million has been secured for the Youth Employment Initiative to support 460 young people aged to progress to employment or higher/further education up to September In addition, 1.5 million has been secured for the Ayrshire Youth Employment Initiative, which will support participants up to June ,000 has been secured to implement the Financial Inclusion Flexible Pathways Initiative, which provides intensive support for individuals who are furthest from the labour market. Scottish Attainment Challenge in East Ayrshire:

23 million funding confirmed by the Scottish Government for East Ayrshire s Attainment Challenge Plan to tackle the attainment gap in our primary and secondary schools. The funding will support the following measures in schools with pupils who live in areas of deprivation: Excellence in Literacy and Numeracy: We aim to build on the work already underway to create literacy and numeracy rich learning environments. Leadership for All: We aim to create a culture of positive empowering leadership for staff, parents/carers and children and young people. Positive health and wellbeing for life and learning: We aim to promote and embed the information and skills needed to enable children and young people to make positive life choices. Families working together: We aim to help empower families and communities to have the information and skills to make the choices that help families and communities to flourish. Ayrshire Growth Deal: - Ensure that our communities have the skills to participate in the anticipated increased job opportunities that a growing economy will provide. - Through the Ayrshire Connected Classroom project, aim to provide young people with the skills to become digital innovators and creators, and seek to ensure that Ayrshire becomes a centre of excellence for digital skills. KEY INTERVENTIONS 32. At its meeting of 31 January 2017, the Executive Officer s Group dedicated some time to a spotlight on each of the Strategic Priorities, with a view to identifying the 3-4 key interventions which could be further progressed by the partnership to make the greatest impact on each Strategic Priority. 33. In relation to youth employment, the following key actions have been identified, to be progressed during 2017/18: Take forward plans to develop and establish an Employability Hub in Kilmarnock, bringing together multi-agency and experienced staff within a onestop-shop to provide a range of services, which support individuals, including young people, with whatever they need to move into work, for example job search, job applications, interview skills, training and links to local employers. Accommodation can be configured at Civic Centre North and SDS has indicated they are keen to be involved. Map out and promote employment opportunities linked to the current and future needs of the labour market, for example on early years, social care and hospitality, and raise awareness of young people, teachers and parents of the range of opportunities for progression within these sectors. Seek further opportunities for post education support (tracking), in particular to identify and re-engage with young people who are not currently engaging in the system, and continue to provide support for the most vulnerable groups, for example, care leavers, young people leaving custody and young people with health/mental health issues.

24 Continue to promote and raise the profile and career potential of employability programmes and Modern Apprenticeships, which provide work experience/employment opportunities and vocational qualifications for young people, particularly focusing on support for individuals aged 18+ years. RECOMMENDATIONS 34. The Community Planning Partnership Board is requested to: note the progress in relation to youth employment in East Ayrshire; consider the activity being delivered across the partnership to support youth employment in East Ayrshire and the summary of actions set out at paragraph 14; note and endorse the key interventions identified for action during 2017/18, as set out at paragraph 33; consider what further support, if any, is required to support youth employment in East Ayrshire across the partnership, and agree further areas for action and development, as appropriate; and otherwise, note the content of the report. Alex McPhee Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer Economy and Skills East Ayrshire Council Jackie Galbraith Vice Principal Strategy, Performance and Planning Ayrshire College 28 February 2017

25 Agenda Item 4b EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 ALCOHOL AND DRUGS UPDATE Report by Annemargaret Black, Head of Community Health & Care Services Health and Social Care Partnership PURPOSE 1. To update the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board on progress against the Board s strategic priority of tackling alcohol and drugs misuse. KEY POINTS 2. Performance improvements: Alcohol consumption and drug use among young people continues to decline. Increased access to opiate replacement therapy in addition to an increased number of naloxone kits distributed, exceeding targets. Alcohol-related hospital stays and mortality have declined by 17% and 41% respectively over the last 3 years. Maternities with drug use have decreased by 37% over the past 3 years. Increasing numbers of people in recovery and exiting to positive destinations. Drink driving and supply of drugs rates have declined over the last 3 years Targets in relation to access to treatment and support services continue to be met. Increased engagement with communities. Improvements in inter agency partnership working. 3. Future challenges: East Ayrshire communities experience significant impacts as a result of harmful alcohol and drug consumption. These impacts are experienced by individuals, families and communities. These include poor health and wellbeing outcomes for people affected, child and adult welfare and protection issues as well as limited life opportunities for people that resort to criminal activities in order to fund their substance use. Factors underlying problematic alcohol and drugs use include poverty, unemployment and personal trauma. Laws concerning drug use mean that end users are likely to have a criminal history thus reducing life opportunities further, reinforcing the societal and personal stigma that people experience. Within the general public there is significant stigma in relation to the problematic use of drugs and alcohol. This can affect families who might be

26 embarrassed about problems and not want to disclose them. It also affects children and young people living in households where problematic substance use is a feature. 4. Specific areas for improvement: Drug related mortality Drug related hospital stays Helping more people access treatment BACKGROUND 5. Over a number of years East Ayrshire partners have placed significant focus on the impact of problematic alcohol and drugs use across local communities. Alcohol and drugs continues to be a key Community Planning priority. 6. In measuring success against Community Planning priorities within the wellbeing element of the Community Plan , a key measure of success is the reduced impact of problematic alcohol and drug use through a focus on recoveryoriented care. 7. In measuring success against the Community Planning priorities within the Safer Communities element of the Community Plan , a key measure of success is improved uptake of drug/alcohol prevention and diversionary activities, particularly in areas where the need is greatest. 8. Following a Challenge Session by Community Planning executive officers on 29 January 2016, a multi-agency advisory group was convened to consider established ADP priorities and to consider challenges for the future. 9. During the Challenge Session a great deal of work and progress was presented to the three Community Planning executive lead officers and challenges were discussed. It was recognised that much of the ADP work requires to be highlighted made more visible. TACKLING STIGMA 10. International research concludes that the stigma associated with being a drug user provides a significant barrier to seeking help and support thereby prolonging the drug use history and increasing the risk to the drug user, their children and the community. The power of language to stigmatise can be a strong inhibiting factor to individuals seeking support. Whilst in East Ayrshire the use pejorative language and terminology are decreasing, their use remains common. These stigmatising terms as well as humiliating, embarrassing and demeaning the individual can often result in the isolation, depression and withdrawal of the individual from their community and support services. LEADERSHIP 11. In delivering improvements across the whole alcohol and drugs agenda the ADP has been, until recently, led by the Director of Health and Social Care who is the lead officer for Wellbeing within with CPP. This leadership along with the

27 commitment of East Ayrshire Council. Police Scotland, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, CVO and other partners has ensured that drugs and alcohol remains a significant Community Planning priority. Recently and in keeping with strategic intent across the protecting people partnership, the ADP along with the Child Protection Committee and the Adult protection Committee has appointed an independent chair. PERFORMANCE 12. The Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) reports annually to Scottish Government on delivery against seven national outcomes: Outcome 1- People are healthier and experience fewer risks as a result of alcohol and drug use. Outcome 2 - Fewer adults and children are drinking or using drugs at levels or patterns that are damaging to themselves or others. Outcome 3 - Individuals are improving their health, well-being and life-chances by recovering from problematic drug and alcohol use. Outcome 4- Children and family members of people misusing alcohol and drugs are safe, well-supported and have improved life-chances. Outcome 5 - Communities and individuals are safe from alcohol and drug related offending and anti-social behaviour. Outcome 6 - People live in positive, health-promoting local environments where alcohol and drugs are less readily available. Outcome 7 - Alcohol and drugs prevention, treatment and support services are high quality, continually improving, efficient, evidence-based and responsive, ensuring people move through treatment into sustained recovery. Some highlights in relation to local performance against these national outcomes, with comparative analysis, are presented at Appendix 1 of this report. RECOVERY 13. The Scottish Government define recovery as a process through which an individual is enabled to move-on from their problematic drug use towards a drugfree life and become an active and contributing member of society. A key message for communities in East Ayrshire is that people can and do recover from alcohol and drugs problems. 14. The local Patchwork recovery community regularly attracts over 20 individuals who meet regularly on a Friday evening in the Henderson Church in Kilmarnock for social activities. The group meet on a Monday in Addaction or the railway station where they undergo committee business and committee skills training and development. 15. East Ayrshire ADP supports and participates in the national annual recovery walk and NHS addiction services has recently recruited a support worker in recovery in order to increase in number those moving from treatment to recovery. A local festival of recovery on 23 November 2016 brought together around 80 participants that highlighted the assets that those in recovery possess as well as emphasising their individuality.

28 16. The award winning Addiction Worker Training project (AWTP) has recently recruited two new trainees for 2016/17. These trainees all of whom are in recovery from drug/alcohol problems are offered one year employment in the social care field whilst studying for SVQ level 2 social care qualifications. Both trainees from 2015/16 successfully completed their studies and one is currently working with a housing charity in Glasgow. 17. The ADP in partnership with the DWP developed additional work experience opportunities for those in recovery. As a pilot, two trainees secured work experience placements within East Ayrshire Council. One of the trainees has recently secured paid full time employment with East Ayrshire Council. 18. Scottish Drugs Forum currently recruit individuals in recovery to conduct research. The individuals are trained in social research and conduct research across Scotland. Currently, the volunteers are involved in a town centre study on behalf of the Community Safety partnership and a study on blood borne viruses (BBV) on behalf of NHS. 19. The ADP s key voluntary sector partner Addaction has delivered over 100 placements with individual work placements in the private care sector, the retail sector and in food preparation. In addition, Addaction work with Ayrshire College supporting over 200 people to access training courses including hairdressing, first aid, computing, and manual handling. 20. Over the past 3 years, the ADP has increased activity around recovery by introducing AWTP two years ago and supported development of Patchwork community within the last year. In 2016 the recovery festival codified the increasing numbers in recovery and this event is now set to occur on an annual basis. 21. Within the last year, the ADP has also supported the development of the blended model of prescribing which will increase access to treatment and thereby enhance and develop increasing recovery. With recovery being described as a process the ADP in keeping with most ADP s across Scotland is examining opportunities to develop recording systems and the ADP during 2017 will seek, in partnership with the nationally commissioned Scottish Recovery Consortium opportunities to more robustly capture and record recovery CPP consideration Encourage public sector and partner organisations to increase recovery options and capacity by providing work placement and jobs opportunities for those people who are in recovery. This would significant impact individual welling and as well as family wellbeing. SUMMARY OF IMPROVEMENTS 22. Against a background of limited and scarce resources as well as national policies on austerity and welfare reform, the ADP is able to report improvements that have positive impact on the health, wellbeing and life chances of individuals as well as helping keep our communities safer. Alcohol consumption and drug use among young people continues to decline. Increased access to opiate replacement therapy in addition to an increased number of naloxone kits distributed, exceeding targets.

29 Alcohol-related hospital stays and mortality have declined by 17% and 41% respectively over the last 3 years. Maternities with drug use have decreased by 37% over the past 3 years. Increasing numbers of drug/alcohol users in recovery and exiting to positive destinations. Drink driving and supply of drugs rates have declined over the last 3 years Targets in relation to access to treatment and support services continue to be met. Increased engagement with communities. Improvements in inter agency partnership working. KEY CHALLENGES 23. East Ayrshire communities experience significant impacts as a result of harmful alcohol and drug consumption. These impacts are experienced by individuals, families and communities. These include poor health and wellbeing outcomes for people affected, child and adult welfare and protection issues as well as limited life opportunities for people that resort to criminal activities in order to fund their substance use. 24. Factors underlying problematic alcohol and drugs use include poverty, unemployment and personal trauma. Laws concerning drug use mean that end users are likely to have a criminal history thus reducing life opportunities further, reinforcing the societal and personal stigma that people experience. 25. Within the general public there is significant stigma in relation to the problematic use of drugs and alcohol. This can affect families who might be embarrassed about problems and not want to disclose them. It also affects children and young people living in households where problematic substance use is a feature. PRIORITIES 26. Economy and Skills Influence key statutory services and organisations in East Ayrshire communities to provide a range of work placements to assist people in recovery to develop personal skills, daily routines and confidence for the future job market. (ADP outcome 3). Continue investment in schools and community prevention and education activity (ADP Outcome 2). 27. Wellbeing Continue investment in midwifery/maternity provision to ensure that mothers and children can access specialist support to help give them the best start in life (ADP outcome 4). Provide support, information and advice on low risk use of alcohol to the general population and targeted areas such as conferences (ADP outcome 1). Offer a range of opiate replacement therapies (ORT) and improve access to these (ADP outcome 2).

30 Continue to develop services to prevent drug related hospital stays and mortality by engaging with people that use services to find out what they want and also to look for innovation in relation to reducing drug related deaths. For example roll out opt out scheme with Police Scotland. (ADP outcome 1). 28. Community Safety Tackle offending and prevent reoffending (ADP outcome 5). Increase and expand on engagement with licensing forum and liquor licensing board (ADP outcome 6). Tackle stigma relating to people who have alcohol or drugs problems in communities, making it easier to access support without fear of embarrassment or judgement (ADP outcome 3). RECOMMENDATIONS 29. The Community Planning Partnership Board is requested to: i) note the significant improvements across a range of indicators and also the improvements in recovery options to support people, family and community wellbeing; ii) note that further work requires to be progressed to maintain the performance improvements achieved to date, particularly in relation to drug related hospital stays, mortality and access to treatment and care, including opiate replacement therapy; iii) note that work continues to protect children and young people affected by the impact of alcohol and drugs use and note that there have been improvements in this area; and iv) otherwise note the content of this report. Annemargaret Black Head of Community Health & Care Services Health and Social Care Partnership 1 March 2017

31 Appendix 1 National Outcome 1: Health: People are healthier and experience fewer risks as a result of alcohol and drug use Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Drug-related hospital stays (per 100,000 population) A Blended prescribing model introduced increasing treatment service capacity to carry out clinical reviews. D R U G R ELATED H O S P I T A L S T A Y S P ER 1 0 0, P O P U L A T I O N (Source: ScotPho) / / / 1 6 East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland The rate of drug-related hospital stays in East Ayrshire has increased by 8% over the last three years, which is similar to regional comparator and Scotland trends in this period. East Ayrshire has an estimated prevalence rate of 1.94% of people (aged 15-64) with drugs problems. This means that approximately 1,600 people in East Ayrshire have significant drug problems which negatively impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and the wellbeing of wider communities. Of these 1,600 people, 1,100 are estimated to be male, among whom the majority (560) were in the age group. Drug use services and pharmacies are involved in ongoing efforts to provide support to drug users with their addictions and with managing health consequences to improve quality of life and to avoid future healthcare demand, this includes the provision of clean equipment. CPP consideration increasing drug treatment and care could help more people into treatment and potentially avoid hospital stays.

32 Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Alcohol related hospital stays (per 100,000 population) G Alcohol brief intervention target exceeded in 2015/15 The week long alcohol awareness campaign involved a series of tweets being sent to East Ayrshire Council s 11,000 followers. A number of these tweets were retweeted. The safer drinking messages were also posted to East Ayrshire Council s 6,000 Facebook followers. Safer alcohol messages were ed to East Ayrshire Council s 6000 employees. Alcohol Awareness information appeared in Vibrant Communities Buzz magazine. Unstaffed displays were available at the Library at Rothesay House, Boswell Centre in Auchinleck, East Ayrshire Council HQ Canteen, Galleon Centre and Stewarton Area Centre. Alcohol information was displayed on the plasma screens in all GP surgeries and Crosshouse Hospital. All schools in East Ayrshire provided alcohol information to young people as part of the Health and Wellbeing curriculum. Communications strategy in development

33 A L C O H O L R ELATED H O S P I T A L S T A Y S P ER 1 0 0, P O P U L A T I O N / / / 1 6 East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) The rate of alcohol-related hospital stays has decreased across Scotland (6%) and in East Ayrshire where the decline has been more pronounced (17%) over the last three years. Significant effort and activity has taken place to raise awareness of the impacts of excessive alcohol consumption to both the general public and targeted groups. CPP consideration Continue to invest in alcohol awareness and monitor access to treatment for people with alcohol problems.

34 Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Alcohol related mortality (per 100,000 population) G The CHiP van, supported by local services provided information on alcohol and safer drinking during the week in Sorn, Mauchline, Catrine, Ochiltree, Dalrymple, Rankinston, Drongan, Gatehead, Crosshouse and Knockentiber. Homeless drop in service providing health care, food, hygiene packages, clothing, social support and guidance Home safety fire checks on vulnerable service users. Access to treatment targets exceeded. Education and harm reduction programme delivered to college with ADP funded posts A L C O H O L R ELATED M O R T A L I T Y P ER 100,000 P O P U L A T I O N East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) The rate of deaths attributable to excessive alcohol consumption has steadily decreased in East Ayrshire between 2013 and 2015 by an overall 41%, despite regional comparator and Scotland rates either increasing or remaining fairly static in this period.

35 Actions targeting vulnerable people and the provision of quick access to treatment are contributory factors to this downward trend in East Ayrshire. Proactive Third Sector and Vibrant Communities activities are also assisting performance improvements in this area. CPP considerations Further targeting of support to vulnerable groups, access to treatment, harm reduction and ongoing awareness raising will support performance improvements in this area. The Head of Community Health and Care and Head of Housing/Vibrant Communities are exploring a homelessness and addictions conference to take place in 2017/18 to look for further opportunities to tackle health inequalities and reduce mortality further. Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Drug related mortality A Continue to review drugs related deaths on a pan-ayrshire basis and extract any lessons that can be learned and share. A pan- Ayrshire conference will take place in 2017 looking at learning and other opportunities to reduce drugs related deaths. Advice to prescribers in relation to prescribed drugs that feature in contributing towards drugs related deaths. For example in 2016, a learning note was sent to GP prescribers in relation to Pregabalin prescribing and work is ongoing with the pain clinic in Ayrshire as this drug is prescribed to manage pain. Low threshold/opt out pilot will commence spring 2017 with Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service. Peer to peer training of take home naloxone being carried out. Increased distribution of naloxone and

36 distribution targets set. Local downers leaflet produced and distributed Skills mixing in treatment and care services to introduce peer support roles to help services stick with people. Education and harm reduction programme delivered to college with ADP funded posts D R U G R ELATED M O R T A L I T Y R A T E P ER 1 0 0, P O P U L A T I O N East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) Drug-related mortality has steadily risen across Scotland over the last three years, however the rate in East Ayrshire has fluctuated during this period and was 11% lower than the national figure in There were 27 reported cases in 2016, however many of these have still to be confirmed as drug-related. Men over 35 years of age are most at risk and often experience co-morbidities such as hepatitis C and other blood born viruses, circulatory problems, and long terms conditions. People not in treatment are also at risk as are people being liberated from prison. CPP consideration Ensure access to hepatitis C treatment, harm reduction, treatment and care services and recovery options. If additional resources become available further investment in Hepatitis C treatment and access to substitute prescribing would be helpful.

37 National Outcome 2: Prevalence: Fewer adults and children are drinking or using drugs at levels or patterns that are damaging to themselves or others Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Percentage of 15 year old pupils who used illicit drugs in the last year 14% 14% G A full education programme is in place and additional investment of 200k has been made to continue to support prevention and education of young people in education All S1 pupils completed Substance Misuse Prevention in Community Education SPICE 3-18 curriculum health and wellbeing education programme updated to include NPS % EVER TRIED DRUGS EAST AYRSHIRE YEAR OLDS 15 YEAR OLDS

38 Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Proportion of 15 year olds drinking on a weekly basis 8% 7% G A full education programme is in place and additional investment of 200k has been made to continue to support prevention and education of young people in education 180 P7 pupils involved in street dance programme 1,214 S3 pupils involved with PACE Theatre Take a Drink Available data suggests a reducing trend of young people (13 and 15 year olds) that have tried illicit drugs in the past year. This is also the case for the proportion of 15 year olds that drink alcohol on a weekly basis Population Prevalence of problem drug use East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) The estimated prevalence of problematic drug use in East Ayrshire has decreased from 3.11% in 2010 to 1.94% in East Ayrshire performed better than comparator areas and against the national rate during this period. As mentioned previously, this 1.94% accounts for approximately 1,600 adults aged years, the majority of which were male (1,100).

39 This decline could be associated with the successful education programme that was delivered in schools and colleges throughout East Ayrshire. However, due to the success in reducing drug use prevalence in East Ayrshire the Ayrshire finding allocation to East Ayrshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership was decreased in 2015, which may have implications for future prevention activity. CPP consideration continued investment in preventative and educational activities seem to make a difference to overall prevalence in East Ayrshire. Continued additional investment by East Ayrshire Council is welcomed. Supports to adults may help raise educational attainment. National Outcome 3: Recovery: Individuals are improving their health, well-being and life-chances by recovering from problematic drug and alcohol use Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome naloxone kits distributed G East Ayrshire continues to exceed targets for the distribution of naloxone, with the number of kits distributed increasing from 151 to 190 between 2014/15 and 2015/16. In addition, 173 staff were trained in its use in 2015/16 and approximately 782 people who have drugs problems have been trained to use naloxone in East Ayrshire which is approximately 48% of the total number of estimated people with a drug use problem. CPP consideration targets are set based on available funding. National harm reduction funding has reduced but the ADP has recognised the value of prioritising naloxone as it can and does save lives. It is estimated that 5 lives are saved across Ayrshire and Arran every month by provision of naloxone.

40 Indicator / / / /17 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Number of people on opiate replacement therapy (ORT) A Increased access to a range of prescribers in place including locality GP s (April 2014) (April 2016) (February 2017 unpublishe d data To increase the uptake of ORT as part of people s recovery journey. To ensure assertive outreach is in place for anyone who disengages with treatment ANP prescribing in partnership with Addaction Although there has been a reduction in people on opiate replacement therapy in 2015/16, the overall number has increased this year. The shared addiction management system (SAMS) reported the following numbers were in treatment within East Ayrshire in 2017: Council on Alcohol (ACA) = 100 Addaction (drugs and alcohol) = 118 NHS Alcohol = 116 NHS Drug = 898 However, care should be taken when interpreting these figures as an individual may access more than one service. CPP considerations opiate replacement therapies assist people to recover from their opioid problems and caution should be use when interpreting what the numbers means. Having more people on ORT would be a protective factor to individual, family and community wellbeing and evidence exists that investing in treatment reduces other health and criminal justice spend.

41 National Outcome 4: Families: Children and family members of people misusing alcohol and drugs are safe, well-supported and have improved life-chances Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Maternities recording drug use (three year rolling average) G Participate in Ayrshire-wide foetal alcohol conference Development of FASD diagnostic pathway FASD training rolled out across area and including schools Poster campaign at Kilmarnock FC with child protection committee Giving alcohol to children is a foul RATE OF MATERNITIES RECORDING DRUG USE PER 1000 MATERNITIES (THR EE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE) / / / / / 1 4 / 1 5 / 1 6 East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) The rate of maternities with drug use has decreased notably in East Ayrshire in recent years, falling from 19 ( ) to ( ). This decline has been more pronounced than rates recorded in some regional comparator areas and across Scotland between this period.

42 CPP consideration educational activities and good access to treatment appear to be helping reduce drug use in pregnancy. Investment will continue in this areas in partnership with maternity services. EA ADP will participate in redesign of special needs in pregnancy pathways. Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Child Protection with parental alcohol or drug use (rate per 10,000 population < G Ensure rapid access to treatment for parents to minimise impact on children and young people Public protection review to take place in 2017 and will include ADP considerations Child Exploitation Child Placing Themselves at Risk (Source: Child Protection Committee) Child Sexual Exploitation Child Protection Investigations by main area of concern Domestic Abuse Emotional Abuse Neglect Non Engaging Family Parental Alcohol Misuse Parental Drug Misuse Parental Mental Health Problems Physical Abuse Sexual Abuse Q2 16/ Q1 16/ Q4 15/ Q3 15/ Q2 15/ Q1 15/ Q4 14/ Q3 14/ Q3 14/15 Q4 14/15 Q1 15/16 Q2 15/16 Q3 15/16 Q4 15/16 Q1 16/17 Q2 16/17 Other Concerns During the quarter 1 November 2016 to 31 January 2017 there were 63 child protection investigations. Of the 63 children, 10 were investigated due to concerns related to parental drug use.

43 As of 31 January 2017, 81 children were on the child protection register. Of these 81 children, parental drug use was the main area for concern for 15 children and parental alcohol use was the main area of concern for 8 children. CPP consideration Continued investment to support children and young people is being made through the ADP. Any additional funding will support vulnerable children and young people as well as their parents to access a greater range of services. National Outcome 5 : Community Safety: Communities and individuals are safe from alcohol and drug related offending and anti-social behaviour Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Breach of the peace (per 10,000 population) A Requires further analysis and action planning Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Drink driving (rate per 10,000 population) G National campaigns and policing activity in place Reckless Driving Wrecks Lives event to senior secondary pupils, educating young people on road safety Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Supply of drugs (rate per 10,000 population) G Social media campaign to publicise Crime Stoppers for reporting of drug dealing Targeted Police Scotland operations Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Possession of drugs (rate per 10,000 population) A Explore at ADP

44 267.9 BREACH OF THE PEACE - RATE PER 10, (Source: ScotPho) 2013/ / /16 East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland Breach of the peace rates have remained fairly static in East Ayrshire over the last three years despite downward trends in Glasgow and across Scotland. Notable declines were recorded for drink driving and the supply of illicit drugs over the last three years in East Ayrshire, however the rate of possession of illicit drugs increased slightly in this period, which may be due to policing activity throughout the Authority. CPP consideration it would be helpful to have a breakdown of the BOP statistics in order to explore and understand the issue and target interventions. It is also important for people to access treatment if they have a problem so discussions with police will take place in relation to sign posting people to services if they are caught either in possession or in supply of drugs that create harm. Consideration could be given to explore alternatives to prosecution for possession.

45 National Outcome 6 : Local Environment: People live in positive, health-promoting local environments where alcohol and drugs are less readily available Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome Number of premises licenses in force (per 10,000 population) Not available A Joint seminar delivered with licensing board on community safety and public health with 70 licensees Protocol developed regarding licensing objections Inputs to tenants federation Indicator 2 Percentage of people perceiving drug misuse or dealing to be very or fairly common in their neighbourhood 16.4% 22.2% 19.3% A Inputs to community councils Ongoing work of licensing Board Public Health and Police agreement to target objections in areas of high crime and outlet density. Increased visibility of those in recovery Increased numbers of those in active recovery via peer support workers

46 PERCEPTION OF DRUG USE IN NEIGHBOURHOOD East Ayrshire North Ayrshire Glasgow Inverclyde Scotland (Source: ScotPho) The percentage of people who perceived drug-related activity to be common in East Ayrshire has fluctuated and generally increased over the last three years, however Scotland rates have remained fairly static throughout this period. With numerous community led action plans indicating drug use a particular problem in a locality, the ADP has in partnership with Vibrant Communities promoted the message of recovery via the Community Councils annual conference as well as the Tenants Federation conference. A communications plan is currently in preparation that will enhance and develop the message that people can and do recover. A wide range of recovery activity is now taking place including leisure (art, music, gardening, walking), employment skills (Kilmarnock Railway Heritage Trust) and education/training (Ayrshire College). CPP consideration the use of language can be powerful in isolating and thereby maintaining and sustaining a drug using career. The CPP may therefore wish to give careful consideration to the language used to describe those who use alcohol and drugs in publications and communications

47 National Outcome 7: Alcohol and drug services are high quality, continually improving, efficient, evidence based and responsive, ensuring people move through treatment into sustained recovery Indicator / / /16 RAG Key actions delivered to support this outcome The number of alcohol brief interventions delivered in accordance with the HEAT Standard guidance Not available Not available 1249 G ABI s being delivered across not only the priority sectors but with offenders and young people. In addition, specialist midwives, community midwives, and a selection of hospital midwives have been trained to screen and deliver antenatal ABI s Number of people waiting more than three weeks between referral to a specialist drug and alcohol service and commencement of treatment Not available Not available 98% of Alcohol clients waited no longer than 3 weeks. G Supported self-assessment conducted with Care Inspectorate Improved access to care reviews and range of prescribers. Continue to develop as investment becomes available. 97.5% of Drug clients waited no longer than 3 weeks. 100% of Alcohol and Drug clients waited no longer than 6 weeks. Access to treatment in East Ayrshire continues to exceed targets. The service participated in a recovery conference where it was clear that people can have a moment when they are motivated to seek treatment. Despite current success in relation to access targets, continued work is required to maintain and improve response time.

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49 Agenda Item 4c EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 STRATEGIC PRIORITY UPDATE CHILD POVERTY Report by the Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer Economy and Skills, East Ayrshire Council PURPOSE 1. To provide the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board with an update in relation to the Child Poverty strategic priority. BACKGROUND 2. On 26 August 2015, a multi-agency Challenge Session was convened to consider the East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership Board s identified strategic priority of Child Poverty. 3. During the session, a number of priority areas for action were identified. Some of the actions related to areas of activity which were already being progressed in East Ayrshire; and some related to new activity. In addition, there were other identified issues which it was recognised that we may not be able to address directly, but where we would seek to influence others. A summary of the identified areas for action is provided at Appendix The purpose of this report is to highlight progress against these actions and also, looking forward, to identify the key areas which the partnership should focus on in future, to continue to address child poverty in East Ayrshire. CURRENT POSITION 5. The most recent statistics show that the percentage of children in poverty (after housing costs) in East Ayrshire is 27.97%. This figure is the 3 rd highest in Scotland, behind Glasgow and North Ayrshire, with figures for Kilmarnock South ranked 9th worst of all Council wards in Scotland and Doon Valley ranking 11 th. Published in November 2016, these figures relate to 2015 data and although they cannot be used to assess the impact of recent activity to address child poverty, they do illustrate the scale of the continuing challenge facing the partnership in relation to child poverty. 6. This is a challenge which is increasingly being recognised at a National level, with the publication, in 2016, of the Scottish Government s Fairer Scotland Action Plan which identifies ending child poverty as a key theme. A child poverty bill for Scotland is also under development. Encouragingly, a number of the actions which we had identified have since been picked up by the Scottish Government, particularly in relation to the CPP s intention to seek to influence external bodies, such as fuel companies and financial institutions, to address the so-called poverty premium, where those in poverty are, due to circumstance, forced to pay more for

50 fuel and financial services. The Scottish Government has committed to taking this work forward at a national level, through the Fairer Scotland Action Plan. 7. Locally, child poverty and its consequences are entrenched in the work of the Health and Social Care Partnership s Children s Health, Care and Justice (CHCJ) Service. We recognise as a partnership that the issue of child poverty cannot solely be seen as a Children s Services issue and that, in order to truly affect change, a comprehensive, evidence-based whole systems approach across all partners is required. We also recognise that the strategic work of the partnership to address employability, which has previously been reported in relation to the youth employment strategic priority, is an integral part of our response to poverty, and one which specifically addresses the causes as well as the symptoms of child poverty. PROGRESS SINCE THE 2015 CHALLENGE SESSION 8. A specific progress update in relation to the partnership actions which were identified during the original challenge session is attached at Appendix 2 of this report. Activity has been progressed at a strategic as well as an operational level, and, while crisis services continue to be provided to mitigate the impact of existing poverty on children, partners are also seeking to develop more strategic and sustainable approaches to prevent children and families from reaching crisis point. This is illustrated through the food poverty initiatives highlighted within the Appendix, where the focus is increasingly on sustainable longer term approaches which aim to reduce reliance on foodbanks. 9. In relation to the broader strategic activity of the partnership in relation to child poverty, the Children and Young People s Strategic Partnership and Child Protection Committees are working together to pull together all known data in relation to children and families, with the aim of creating a data compendium of key information relating to our most vulnerable children, young people and families in East Ayrshire. This information will be used to inform the future design and delivery of Children s Health, Care and Justice services to best support community needs. 10. At a pan-ayrshire level, a Strategic Children s Alliance is being established to consider the drivers of children and young people s health and social inequalities and seek to improve outcomes. The East Ayrshire CYPSP is heavily involved in the development of this Alliance which has identified four key priorities for its initial focus: 0 to 5 years, Adolescent Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Vulnerable Groups: Looked After Children and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). 11. Within East Ayrshire, Financial Inclusion Team, in addition to supporting people in poverty to access benefit entitlements and financial services (with a total of 4.25m secured over the last financial year in income maximisation), has also recently appointed a Financial Inclusion Officer with a lead role on Child Poverty issues. East Ayrshire Council has also agreed to match ESIF funding to provide 3 new Financial Inclusion Officers within Employability to tackle in work poverty. The Financial Inclusion team will also be working with the Poverty Alliance to further address poverty issues and food bank dependency during 2017.

51 12. Continuing to recognise the impact of fuel poverty on our most vulnerable households, a new group has been established, including representatives from Housing, Financial Inclusion, Citizens Advice, Citrus Energy and Home Energy Scotland. However this is also one of the areas which has been identified within the Fairer Scotland Action Plan as a priority for national government. 13. A range of activity locally has also been addressed to raise awareness of poverty related issues and its impacts on local residents. A series of Stick Your Labels poverty awareness training sessions were delivered to a range of partnership staff between August - October The purpose of this training, delivered by colleagues from the Child Poverty Action Group, was to raise awareness of poverty issues and to provide staff with information to take back to share with their teams, in relation to the real facts about poverty and its impact on local residents. 14 Education staff were included within the Stick Your Labels training as part of the wider poverty proofing our schools agenda; and poverty and its impact on the early years is also built into training with Head Teachers and staff from Early Years establishments. Although there are no plans to take forward poverty proofing our schools as a separate workstream during 2017/18, this approach will remain integral to the work of our schools, particularly within our most disadvantaged communities. In addition, the Scottish Government, through its Fairer Scotland Action Plan, has also committed to taking action to reduce the costs of school for low income parents. 15. We welcome the fact that, through its Fairer Scotland Action Plan, the Scottish Government has pledged to address a number of the issues which we had previously identified locally. Direct action to lobby fuel companies and financial institutions will therefore be taken forward at a national level. The national Action Plan also includes actions to address in-work poverty and to address the stigma associated with poverty. In addition, some national funding will be made available to directly to communities, to address poverty. For example, a new 18.9million Aspiring Communities fund has recently been launched to support fragile and disadvantaged communities across Scotland to develop and deliver community-led solutions that tackle inequality and poverty. ONGOING CHALLENGES 16. The current impact of Welfare Reform and the rising cost of living has major implications for many of our most vulnerable residents and families. The welfare reform programme is introducing more conditionality which brings with it a higher risk of sanctions. The consequential local impacts may be to drive up demand, in particular for council services including Money Advice, Social Work and Welfare Rights/Advocacy from those households affected by sanctions. As a partnership we require to work together and with other stakeholders to help support those impacted by sanctions. 17. The overwhelming message from stakeholders is that, as a partnership, we require to continue to recognise that child poverty and educational attainment cannot be addressed in isolation, and that all aspects of poverty require to be tackled at source, rather than providing support at crisis point.

52 18. Stakeholders are also keen to ensure that a child poverty impact assessment is undertaken when financial/budgetary decisions are taken by Partners as, in addition to impacting directly on child poverty, these decisions can also impact on other services/agencies and the support that they require to provide to families. 19. Implementation of a local child poverty impact assessment was identified within the original Child Poverty Challenge Session, and the Scottish Government has since, within the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, stated that during 2017, a new national socioeconomic duty on public bodies will be introduced, to ensure that the sector takes full account of poverty and disadvantage when key decisions are being made. As a Partnership, we await further guidance from Government in relation to the specific nature of this duty, which will inform the development of a local (child) poverty impact assessment. PROPOSED ACTIONS 20. The following actions have been suggested by stakeholders Ensure that a child poverty impact assessment is undertaken when financial/budgetary decisions are taken by Partners, taking account of the new national socio-economic public sector duty (see paragraphs 16-17, above). Ensure that future partnership interventions relating to child poverty, including those within the new Local Outcome Improvement Plan and related Locality Plans, are specific, family focused and manageable, for example by focusing on particular neighbourhoods, families or groups. Specific vulnerable groups of children should be recognised within any framework in relation to addressing child poverty, with targeted activity to address the needs of, for example, LAAC, young carers and other groups of young people who face particular challenges in relation to their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Continue to recognise that child poverty and educational attainment cannot be addressed in isolation, and that all aspects of poverty require to be tackled at source, rather than providing support at crisis point. Continue to take every opportunity to raise awareness of the immediate and long term impact of poverty on children and continue to address this as a structural issue. Continue to encourage/support self-monitoring and evaluation of processes and outcomes and sharing of good practice across the partnership. 21. Members of the Community Planning Partnership Board are invited to consider the proposed actions set out within paragraph 20, above, and how these and any other identified actions should be progressed by the Partnership during 2017/18.

53 RECOMMENDATIONS 22. The Community Planning Partnership Board is asked to: i) note the progress update in relation to the partnership actions which were identified during the original challenge session as attached at Appendix 1; ii) consider the current position and ongoing challenges as set out within this report; iii) consider the proposed actions set out at paragraph 20 how these and any other identified actions should be progressed by the Partnership during 2017/18; and iv) otherwise note the content of the report. Alex McPhee Depute Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer (Economy and Skills) East Ayrshire Council 1 March 2017

54 Child Poverty Appendix 1 PURPOSE OF REPORT 1. On 26 August 2015, a multi-agency Challenge Session was convened to consider the East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership Board s identified strategic priority of Child Poverty. This report sets out the key actions which were identified during the Challenge Session. BACKGROUND 2. Participants in the Challenge Session included members of the East Ayrshire Financial Inclusion Group; East Ayrshire Child Protection Committee; the East Ayrshire Children and Young People s Group; and a representative from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland. 3. During the session, a number of priority areas for action were identified. Some of the actions relate to areas of activity which are already being progressed in East Ayrshire; and some relate to new activity which we require to progress. In addition, there are other identified issues which we may not be able to address directly, but where we may seek to influence others. 4. The identified actions have been further categorised with reference to the outcomes set out within the Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland, which are as follows: Pockets: Maximising the financial resources of families on low incomes. Prospects: Improved life chances of children in poverty. Places: Children in low income households live in well-designed, sustainable places. WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO 5. The East Ayrshire Community Plan and related thematic Delivery Plans have already identified a number of work streams which will assist us to address the challenges of child poverty in East Ayrshire. The discussions during the Challenge Session confirmed a particular need to continue to drive forward progress in relation to the following actions: Continue to invest in improvement and early intervention through the Early Years Collaborative. (Prospects) Raise educational attainment. (Prospects) Attract inward investment and high quality employers to East Ayrshire. (Pockets and Prospects) Provide a range of income maximisation services. (Pockets) Further empower our communities to deliver change. (Places)

55 WHAT WILL WE DO 6. Participants in the Challenge Session also identified a number of new actions, which could be implemented to enable us to better address the challenges of child poverty in East Ayrshire. Poverty proof our schools taking cognisance of the findings of the CPAG in Scotland s 'The Cost of the School Day report. (Prospects) Build a child poverty impact assessment into our policy development. (Prospects) Make better use of social media to raise awareness of available supports. (Pockets and Prospects) Promote and provide safe places to play (out of hours). (Places) Promote access to cheaper shopping and healthy eating across targeted communities. (Prospects, Place and Pockets) Work with the community and voluntary sector to establish a baby clothing and school clothing swap shop promoting recycling. (Pockets) WHAT WE WILL SEEK TO INFLUENCE 7. The policies implemented by national government, at both Holyrood and at Westminster, impact directly on many of the most disadvantaged residents in East Ayrshire, and there are other organisations whose actions may have an adverse impact on local people. These are areas where the direct action which we can take may be limited; however, we have a clear role in seeking to bring the influence of our Community Planning Partnership to bear in relation to the following: Transport provision across East Ayrshire. (Pockets, Prospects and Places) The impact of Welfare Reform (including changes to in work benefits). (Pockets) The impact of fuel poverty, in particular pre-paid meters. (Pockets) The stigmatisation of people in poverty within the media and across wider society. (Prospects) Encourage employers to adopt good and flexible working practices and to offer the living wage. (Pockets) Lobby for ATM banks not to charge for accessing money in deprived communities. (Pockets)

56 STRATEGIC PRIORITY CHILD POVERTY UPDATE ON IDENTIFIED ACTIONS Appendix 2 1. Invest in improvement and early intervention through the Early Years Collaborative; and Raise educational attainment (continue): In 2016, Early Years Collaborative and Raising Attainment for All combined to form the Children and Young People s Improvement Collaborative (CYPIC) to deliver quality improvement throughout a child's journey, 0-18 years. East Ayrshire is also part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge, which will focus and accelerate targeted improvement activity in literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing in primary and secondary schools. The Attainment Challenge is particularly focused on closing the poverty related attainment gap.. A full update in relation to the work if the CYPIC was presented to East Ayrshire Council Cabinet at its meeting of 11 January The CYPIC has identified that the key priorities for collaborative work across the CPP are language, communication and literacy and a range of initiatives are currently being implemented, including Linking Language and Literacy, a partnership project with colleagues from the East Ayrshire team of Speech and Language Therapists, which has been in place for almost a year in the Irvine Valley. The project aims to support the development of early language skills in very young children, preparing for the development of literacy skills and improving life chances. An evaluation of the project will commence in January 2017 to identify what has worked and the practice that can be spread and scaled up. Communication champions have also recently been identified in early childhood centres, as evidence shows that children s vocabulary skills are linked to their economic backgrounds. At the Cabinet meeting of 11 January 2017, it was agreed that 2 additional Speech and Language Therapists and 7 peripatetic early learning and childcare practitioners will be recruited to support this initiative. Further activity, specifically in relation to early literacy, nurture networks, early childhood networks and Early Level practice is also outlined within the Cabinet Report. 2. Attract inward investment and high quality employers to East Ayrshire (continue): Significant progress has been made in relation to this long term partnership objective over the last year. November 2016 saw the launch of the new Invest East Ayrshire business investment campaign, including a new website, which will provide assistance and information for businesses looking to start up, expand or relocate to East Ayrshire. Work continues to develop a range of ambitious business proposals as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal, which seeks to build on Ayrshire s potential to boost business, jobs and prosperity, providing the infrastructure and support to make our businesses even more innovative and international in their outlook. Further updates on this activity will continue to be provided to the Executive Officers Group through the regular Economy and Skills update reports. 3. Provide a range of income maximisation services (continue): The Financial Inclusion Team (FIT) provides support to the most vulnerable people in our community to ensure that household incomes are fully maximised with unfavourable

57 DWP benefit decisions being challenged. In the past financial year, 4.25m additional benefit income was generated for individuals and families in East Ayrshire in this manner. A Financial Inclusion Officer has also recently been appointed with a lead role on Child Poverty issues. A number of other third sector agencies also support local residents to access income maximisation services, including East Ayrshire Advocacy and East Ayrshire CAB, which secured 2.6m in additional benefits for East Ayrshire residents between April-November Finally, following agreement of the Council s 2016/17 budget, the following specific initiatives were announced, to support income maximisation services: Additional funding for staff at the East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau to provide money advice as the impact of welfare reforms continue to cause concern; and Funding for the Ayrshire Credit Union to develop Basic Bank Accounts for those who need them to allow DWP benefits to be paid to bank accounts. 4. Further empower our communities to deliver change (continue): Vibrant Communities continue to work with and empower communities to develop their own Community Led Action Plans (a total of 16 produced to date); to take control of community assets (Asset Transfer of over 30 Community Facilities Saving 1.3m to date); and to further empower local communities via community budgeting (2 pilot events held to date). Further activity is ongoing to increase community representation on the CPP Board and to implement Community Participation Requests, in line with the requirements of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act Poverty proof our schools (do): The Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland s 'The Cost of the School Day report was shared with a working group of colleagues in Education which included head teachers from a range of different establishments across the Authority area; Poverty and its impact on the early years is built into training with Head Teachers and staff from Early Years establishments; Education staff were included within the partnership s Stick Your Labels poverty awareness training, delivered August - October 2016; and East Ayrshire Council increased the school footwear and clothing grant from 50 to 75. The Scottish Government, through its Fairer Scotland Action Plan, has also committed to taking action to reduce the costs of school for low income parents. 6. Build a child poverty impact assessment into our policy development (do): The Scottish Government s Fairer Scotland Action Plan states that, during 2017, a new socio-economic duty on public bodies will be introduced to ensure that the sector takes full account of poverty and disadvantage when key decisions are being made. As a Partnership, we await further guidance from Government in relation to the specific nature of this duty, to inform the development of a local (child) poverty impact assessment. In the meantime, the delivery of the CPAG Stick Your Labels poverty awareness training, referenced above, has increased staff awareness of the poverty related issues facing our local communities. In addition, Health Scotland has developed a Child Poverty, Health and Wellbeing elearning module. This tool, which was launched in September 2016, is available on the Health Scotland website. It aims to raise awareness of child poverty in Scotland and how poverty can impact on children and

58 young people s health and wellbeing. The module looks at causes of child poverty, how it is measured and challenges participants to consider their own role in tackling child poverty. Initially developed for health visitors and midwives, the new module is relevant for all workers across health, social care, education, the public sector and people who are in contact with families with children through work, and can be accessed via the Health Scotland e-learning website. 7. Make better use of social media to raise awareness of available supports (do): Social Media training is currently being rolled out across relevant EAC staff, to empower officers to make better use of social media to publicise available services/supports; and a range of Financial Inclusion services are available online via the one stop eamoney website. 8. Promote and provide safe places to play (do): Providing safe places to play is part of the wider placemaking approach which has been adopted by East Ayrshire, which ensures that broader community priorities, such as safe places to play, are taken account of within local development and planning. In addition, the East Ayrshire Positive Play project works with children, families and whole communities using unique, asset based approaches to facilitate a range of community based play services. This project also focuses on delivery of more specific, targeted work with, and for the most vulnerable and isolated children and families encouraging connections to natural community supports. For example, the project also supports prisoners and their families by encouraging positive play, bonding and attachment through the Play in Prison initiative. This initiative won the COSLA Chair Award 2016 in recognition of the innovation, enthusiasm and motivation of the project as well as the strength and unique nature of the partnership approach. 9. Promote access to cheaper shopping and healthy eating across targeted communities (do): Dignified food provision has been progressed by the partnership during 2016/17. While an East Ayrshire foodbank, facilitated by CVO East Ayrshire, continues to be provided for those in immediate need, East Ayrshire Council has provided funding from the Welfare Reform Fund to CVO/CAB to tackle dependence on foodbanks. Early indications are that this project has resulted in a reduction in number of referrals to foodbanks in East Ayrshire by 20%. Third sector partner Centrestage also worked with Council to provide a highly successful summer food programme in Dalmellington and Onthank. Each community enjoyed a wide variety and choice of food; participants were encouraged to eat healthily; and the project also supported the strategic distribution of surplus food. It connected with, and supported, almost 4,000 people over the summer 2016 and a positive project evaluation has been undertaken. The summer food programme built on the success of the broader Centrestage Catalyst Food With Dignity initiative. This initiative, which was introduced initially in Drongan and Rankinston, offers those who benefit the opportunity to give a donation when they can, a pay it forward approach which helps to retain dignity, foster solidarity and contribute to sustainability. It also teaches people to cook high quality meals utilising surplus Fairshare food and offers pathways into volunteering. It has since been expanded to Shortlees, Dalmellington and Onthank and, again, has been

59 the subject of a positive evaluation which is available on the What Works Scotland website. This approach is in line with the Fairer Scotland Action Plan commitment to make Scotland a Good Food Nation by enabling more people to have access to affordable, healthy food, in a dignified way. As a first step, the government has pledged to offer a range of alternatives to emergency food aid, including a 1million a year Fair Food Fund to support projects that offer a dignified response to food poverty. 10. Work with the community and voluntary sector to establish a baby clothing and school clothing swap shop (do): Colleagues within the Financial Inclusion Team have initiated discussions with CVO in relation to a possible school clothing bank. Information is currently being gathered from other stakeholders with a view to progressing this idea during Transport provision across East Ayrshire (influence): Representatives from SPT have attended CPP Board meetings, specifically those meetings convened in November 2015 and 2016, which provided Board members with a specific opportunity to focus on local transport provision and related issues. 12. The impact of Welfare Reform (including changes to in work benefits) (influence): While the Financial Inclusion Team and a range of third sector partners continue to work locally to mitigate the impact of Welfare Reform, as outlined at paragraph 3, the Fairer Scotland Action Plan sets out the priority actions which will be taken forward at a national level in this regard. These include utilising Scotland s new social security responsibilities to make social security fairer; offering specific help for carers; and working with a range of partners to help people claim the benefits to which they are entitled. 13. The impact of fuel poverty, in particular pre-paid meters (influence): This issue has been picked up at a national level: Scottish Government s Fairer Scotland Action Plan includes a commitment to convene a summit with energy companies to help low income consumers to get a better deal. Locally a group to focus on fuel poverty, including representatives from Housing, Financial Inclusion, CAB, Citrus Energy and Home Energy Scotland has been established. In addition, Energy Agency has also worked in partnership with the East Ayrshire Housing and Communities team to deliver the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Scheme locally. As a result of this activity, 603 properties have had external wall insulation installed free of charge to the householder. 14. The stigmatisation of people in poverty within the media and across wider society (influence): This has also been picked up by Scottish Government through the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, which includes a commitment to provide 100,000 new funding to allow people with experience of living in poverty to speak out, tackle stigma and push for change to public services; and will establish a national Poverty and Inequality Commission. Local activity to address the stigmatisation of people in poverty included a series of Stick Your Labels poverty awareness training sessions which were

60 delivered to a range of partnership staff between August - October The purpose of this training, delivered by colleagues from the Poverty Alliance, was to raise awareness of poverty issues and to provide staff with information to take back to share with their teams, in relation to the real facts about poverty and its impact on local residents. 15. Encourage employers to adopt good and flexible working practices and to offer the living wage (influence): In work poverty is an increasing concern which has been picked up at a national level. Through the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, Scottish Government has committed to do more to promote the living wage; to help people to work flexibly; and to ensure greater opportunity within the labour market for people with disabilities. 16. Lobby for ATM banks not to charge for accessing money in deprived communities (influence): This issue has been picked up at a national level: Scottish Government s Fairer Scotland Action Plan includes a commitment to use its leverage to work with the banking and finance sector to tackle the poverty premium affecting low income households.

61 Agenda Item 5 EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 DRAFT EAST AYRSHIRE LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PLAN 2017 Report by the Depute Chief Executive (Safer Communities) and the Local Senior Officer East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire & South Ayrshire, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service PURPOSE OF REPORT 1. The purpose of this report is to present the draft East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2017 for consideration by the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board. BACKGROUND 2. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is required under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, as amended by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, to prepare Local Fire and Rescue Plans for each local authority in Scotland. The first East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan was approved by the CPP Board in March 2014 and covers the period 2014 to The first Local Fire and Rescue plans were developed to provide direction for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at a local level and to support the initial transition and consolidation process following the creation of the national Fire and Rescue Service under the 2012 Act. 4. The publication, in October 2016, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service s new three-year Strategic Plan provides the national strategic framework that underpins the requirement to undertake the mandatory review of all Local Fire and Rescue Plans. 5. The development of a new East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan provides an opportunity to review how well the Fire and Rescue Service has performed against existing priorities, as well as highlighting areas for continued improvement and change against the growing needs of our communities. 6. A draft East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan covering the three-year period from 2017 has now been published and is subject to a public consultation process that concludes on 20 March REVIEW OF THE EAST AYRSHIRE LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PLAN Alongside the publication of the draft 2017 Local Fire and Rescue Plan, the Fire and Rescue Service has undertaken a review of progress against the priorities contained within the Plan. A copy of the Review report is provided at Appendix 1 to this report.

62 8. In summary, the Review concluded that operational demand in the longer term (over 5 years) has been reducing. However, during the current year (2016/17) the review indicated that fluctuations in operational demand have been occurring. 9. A key approach adopted by the Fire and Rescue Service to reducing demand is through effective engagement and by working in partnership to support the most vulnerable members within our communities. As a national organisation, the SFRS is also progressing with its transformational agenda to develop the organisation in an environment of continuous financial challenges. This presents opportunities for the SFRS to develop its role at a local level in the protection of communities across East Ayrshire through the strengthening of existing partnerships, whilst seeking new partnership approaches to manage, mitigate and reduce risk. 10. To support the pursuance of transformational efficiencies, reducing service demand is essential to provide the means to utilise the totality of SFRS resources to maximum benefit. It is recognised however, regardless of how active the SFRS is in its prevention agenda, operational demand will still be present. It is therefore vital to ensure the SFRS is able to respond as and when such demand arises. The process of identifying and reviewing the range of risks within our communities will provide the basis as to how the Fire and Rescue Service will manage and respond to such risks to safeguard the safety of firefighters and our communities. 11. The review of the Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire over the period has helped inform the development of key priorities for the new Plan. Meeting the challenges in the new Plan will not be achieved in isolation but through effective partnership working and as such, the new Local Fire and Rescue Plan will seek to compliment and contribute to the integrated approach to Community Planning within East Ayrshire. DRAFT EAST AYRSHIRE LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PLAN REVIEW The draft 2017 Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire has been developed to support the delivery of agreed local outcomes for the communities of East Ayrshire in conjunction with the national priorities contained with the SFRS Strategic Plan The draft Plan, attached at Appendix 2 to this report, proposes a set of priorities intended to achieve the ambition of working in partnership to improve community safety and enhance the well-being of those living in, working in or visiting to East Ayrshire. In addition, the priorities contained within the draft Plan align to the shared outcomes contained within the East Ayrshire Community Plan and its related Safer Communities Delivery Plan. 14. The draft Plan sets out both the national and local context and describes the range of operational activity that is provided across East Ayrshire. Reflecting on the review of performance against the last Plan, the new draft Plan notes a general downward trend in overall activity levels over the last five years. 15. In terms of fire related activity, accidental dwelling fires have fluctuated year on year with the current trend showing an increase. Fire fatality rates within East Ayrshire are extremely low, although fire casualty rates have fluctuated over the corresponding periods.

63 16. Deliberate fire setting on average accounts for just over 1 in 4 operational responses and trend analysis indicates fluctuation in levels of this activity type over the last five years. Analysis identifies deliberate fire setting is occurring on an ongoing basis, although peak activity has been identified in the same periods each year. 17. Whilst attendances at non-fire related emergencies on average account for around 1 in every 10 operational mobilisations and are considerably less than the number of fire related incidents, the number of fatalities and casualties are notably higher than fire related injuries (fatal and non-fatal). Whilst the majority of non-fire emergency casualties (fatal and non-fatal) are as a result of road traffic collisions within East Ayrshire, another emerging trend has been identified in those persons requiring assistance from other organisations. This results in support being requested from the SFRS in the form of forcing entry into premises to render assistance to occupants or the provision of first responder (medical) assistance. 18. Whilst many incidents within East Ayrshire are as a result of a confirmed genuine emergency, on average more than half of emergency responses made by the SFRS turn out to be false alarms. These alarms may be as a result of a genuine belief that a fire is occurring which subsequently is confirmed not to be the case or through malicious activity resulting in a report of fire being made knowing this report is false in its nature. There are also a number of warnings of fire generated by fire alarm systems which, following an attendance and investigation, turn out to be false in their origin. Currently attendances to premises which generate these false signals account on average for a quarter of all emergency responses within East Ayrshire resulting in disruption to those within the premises in which the alarm activates and also to the SFRS who, on many occasions, are diverted from other activities to attend these incidents. 19. Reducing service demand, whilst developing the role of the SFRS as part of the ongoing process of public service reform, presents both challenges and opportunities for the Service to become more integrated in the community planning partnership environment. The draft Plan acknowledges the recent introduction of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which will result in the development of a Local Outcome Improvement Plan and a locality planning model which is designed to deliver local outcomes that make a positive contribution across East Ayrshire s communities and to reduce inequalities. In developing the new Local Fire and Rescue Plan, the SFRS will seek to ensure its activities compliment and support the locality planning process. PROPOSED LOCAL PRIORITIES 20. The draft Plan proposes 6 local priorities which are set out below. 21. Priority 1 - Domestic Fire Safety: Fire safety within the home is a key prevention strategy for the SFRS as the consequence of fires within the home can result in a range of impacts on individuals, families, social landlords and communities. For organisations the requirement to respond, intervene and deal with the aftermath of domestic fires places demand on its resources. To reduce this demand, it is essential approaches to prevention are evidenced based in order to maximise and focus resources to make the biggest impact to safeguard those most at risk of fire.

64 22. Priority 2 - Unintentional Harm and Injury: It is not uncommon for those at risk from fire to also be at risk from other injuries within the home, in particular from injuries arising from slips, trips and falls. Requests to the SFRS to provide assistance directly through a first responder role or to provide support to other agencies are increasing. Analysis of data indicates that falls are a common cause of accidental deaths and injuries and account for a significant proportion of admissions to hospital. Those persons injured through falls may often be affected by other medical conditions such as dementia. The SFRS has a role to play in contributing to the protection of those at risk from injury and harm within the home. Through operational attendances and delivery of home fire safety visits, the SFRS has the opportunity to identify those at risk and through an assessment of such risk, refer individuals to partner organisations for additional support. 23. Out with the domestic environment, the SFRS respond to a range of non-fire related emergencies. The most common incident of this type within East Ayrshire is attendances at Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) which results in the majority of non-fire related injuries. Responding to RTCs is a statutory duty for the SFRS, however a collective approach is required amongst community planning partners to support risk reduction measures. 24. Priority 3 - Deliberate Fire Setting: Deliberate fire setting accounts for a significant number of operational incidents within East Ayrshire and takes various forms. Whilst a small proportion involves occupied buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures (primary fires), the majority of deliberate fires are classed as secondary in nature and on most occasions occur in outdoor locations. 25. Analysis of incident data identifies deliberate secondary fires occurring throughout the year, however peak activity is noted in the spring time, during the bonfire season and when prolonged periods of dry weather arise. Deliberate fire setting is regarded as anti-social behaviour and is also criminal in nature. These acts can lead to serious consequences such as personal injury, damage to property and the environment. Dealing with instances of deliberate fire setting also diverts fire and rescue resources from other meaningful activities. 26. Priority 4 - Non-Domestic Fire Safety: In general, all workplaces and business are classed as non-domestic premises and as such come within the scope of Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (the Act) which places duties on persons responsible for these premises to comply with the Act and its associated regulations. The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety and where required enforce compliance with fire safety legislation. To discharge this duty and to secure compliance, the SFRS has adopted an approach utilising advice, education and where required formal enforcement powers. 27. Priority 5 - Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals: Fire protection within premises can be viewed as a holistic approach for the purposes of safeguarding life and/or property by inhibiting, growth and spread of fire. The design and use of premises will influence the extent of the fire protection required to be incorporated within it. In developing a fire protection strategy for the various premises types and for that strategy to be successful, a key component is the provision of early warning of fire. The provision of early warning enables those within premises sufficient time for them to exit the building to a place of safety in the event of fire.

65 28. Whilst a small number of fire alarm signals generated are due to confirmed fire conditions being present, there are an even greater number of signals generated which when investigated have occurred when no fire conditions have been present. On such occasions these are known as Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) and is defined as an event which has required an operational attendance by the fire and rescue service due to the unwanted actuation of a fire alarm system. On these instances the signal may originate from a monitoring/call centre as a result of an automatic activation of the fire alarm system or a person activating the fire alarm system either maliciously or with good intentions believing a fire was occurring within a non-domestic premises. 29. The impact of responding to UFAS incidents causes disruption to the premises working environment and to the range of activities the SFRS undertake. Unnecessary blue light journeys also create additional risks and hazards to firefighters and to the public whilst responding to UFAS incidents and also have a detrimental impact on the environment through additional carbon emissions. Active and positive engagement with occupiers to take responsibility in limiting the number of UFAS incidents within their premises is integral to reducing these impacts. 30. Priority 6 - Operational Resilience and Preparedness: The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire (Additional Function) (Scotland) Order 2005 defines the duties and responsibilities for the SFRS in relation to responding to emergencies. It is essential firefighters possess the skills, knowledge and expertise to respond to incidents which, by their nature, can be varied in both their type and complexity. 31. Emergency response across East Ayrshire includes firefighters operating within the Retained Duty System (RDS). Working within this duty system our RDS firefighters respond from home and/or primary work locations and is based on an On-Call provision. Given the dynamic nature of this duty system and to support a balance between primary, personal and firefighting commitments, each RDS station requires a sufficient number of RDS firefighters to ensure this vital resource is available when required. 32. The draft Plan, attached at Appendix 2, sets out additional detail of the activity which will be undertaken by SFRS and Partners, in relation to each of these priorities. CONSULTATION 33. The draft Plan is currently subject to an open consultation exercise which runs to 20 March An initial draft response on behalf of East Ayrshire CPP has been prepared and is attached at Appendix 3 of this report. Members of the CPP Board are invited to consider and approve the draft response, subject to the addition of any points which arise during discussion of this agenda item. RECOMMENDATIONS 34. The Community Planning Partnership Board is asked to i) note the Review of the East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan ; ii) endorse the draft East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Service Plan 2017;

66 iii) consider and approve the draft consultation response attached at Appendix 3, subject to the addition of any points which arise during discussion of this agenda item; and iv) otherwise, note the contents of the report. Chris McAleavey Depute Chief Executive (Safer Communities) East Ayrshire Council Jim Scott Local Senior Officer East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire & South Ayrshire Scottish Fire and Rescue Service 1 March 2017

67 East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

68 Contents Introduction 2 Performance Data what the figures told us 2 Reducing Accidental Dwelling Fires by 10% each year 4 Reducing Fire Casualties and Fire Fatalities by 5% each year 5 Reducing Casualties From Non-Fire Emergencies by 5% each 6 Reducing Deliberate Fire Setting by 5% each year 7 Reducing Fires in Non-Domestic Property by 5% each year 8 Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals by 5% each year 9 Engagement what our stakeholders told us 10 Scrutiny what we learned from the Inspectorate 10 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 11 East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

69 Introduction The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is required under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 as amended to prepare Local Fire and Rescue Plans for each local authority in Scotland. Following the publication of our Strategic Plan in 2013, our first Local Plans were published in April These plans were developed to direct the Service through its initial consolidation journey and have helped to forge our place as a national organisation with a strong sense of local accountability. Against the drive of public sector reform, the local planning landscape continues to evolve to provide a greater focus on protecting the most vulnerable and improving community outcomes through collaborative working. The publication of our new three-year Strategic Plan in October 2016 now instigates a timely requirement to carry out a mandatory review of all Local Fire and Rescue Plans. This review will provide us with information on how well we are performing against our existing priorities as well as highlighting areas for continued improvement and opportunities for change against the growing needs of our communities. Performance Data what the figures told us Over the past five years within East Ayrshire, the SFRS responded to an average of 2354 incidents each year. Review of operational demand has indicated a downward trend overall, with activity levels decreasing by 13% between 2011 and Current activity levels reviewed on the 30 th November 2016 indicated a 2% increase when compared to the same period last year. 2011/ / / / /16 Fires Non-Fire Emergencies False Alarms Total Incidents Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

70 The review of operational demand has identified False Alarms being the most common type of incidents attended within East Ayrshire and have accounted for 54% of mobilisations with Fires and Non-Fire Emergencies (Special Services) accounting for 37% and 9% respectively. Review of activity during the current fiscal monitoring period (Apr 2016 March 2017) has determined minimal change in the demand ratio across these incident classifications. Incident Activity By Classification Current Activity Ratio 53% 54% 37% 38% Fires Non-Fire Emergencies False Alarms 9% 9% Previous 5 Yrs. Activity Ratio As part of the process of scrutiny the SFRS are responsible for the submission of performance reports to East Ayrshire Council s Police & Fire and Rescue Committee. The basis of these reports is to report on the progress the SFRS is making against the priorities contained within the Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire. The first two targets set (Table1) followed the High Level Performance Indictors set within the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2013, with the remaining four targets defined at a local level. The current progress against the rolling three-year average indicates five priorities above the three-year average and one priority currently below the three-year average. We assess each of the targets that follow using a Red, Amber or Green indication of our performance. Green means we have achieved or exceeded the target; Amber means we did not achieve the target but achieved a reduction in the three-year average figure and Red means we have not achieved the target and have seen an increase in the three-year average figure. Current Local Fire and Rescue Plan Priorities for East Ayrshire 2013/ / /16 Target* RAG** 1 - Reducing Accidental Dwelling Fires by 10% each year Reducing Fire Casualties and Fire Fatalities by 5% each year Reducing Casualties From Non-Fire Emergencies by 5% each year Reducing Deliberate Fire Setting by 5% each year Reducing Fires in Non-Domestic Property by 5% each year Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals by 5% each year (Table 1) *2016/17 target based on rolling three-year average **Current progress against three-year average East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

71 Reducing Accidental Dwelling Fires by 10% each year RED Performance Explained Current progression towards the three year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Red due to a rise in the number of accidental dwelling fires this year. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of accidental dwelling fires per 10,000 population within East Ayrshire is 7.84, which is mid-range when compared against all local authorities and slightly below the average rate for Scotland. Analysis of accidental dwelling fires over the past five years have determined the most common cause being attributed to cooking, accounting for 63% of all incidents. The severity of fires within the home can vary from the incident being dealt with by the occupier with little or no damage occurring to incidents where direct firefighting is undertaken by the SFRS. On average only 1 in 5 incidents require the SFRS to undertake direct firefighting. Early warning is key to alerting occupants and over the last five years, 83% of properties affected by fire had smoke or heat detection present which has raised the alarm on 71% of occasions with 20% originating from domestic linked alarm systems. On average just under 60% of incidents resulted in no fire damage to properties and only 54% of incidents resulted in heat or smoke damage. 4 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

72 Reducing Fire Casualties and Fire Fatalities by 5% each year RED Performance Explained Current progression towards the three-year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Red even though the figures to date this year indicate a reduction from last year s corresponding position. On average 73% of all fire fatalities and casualties within East Ayrshire arose from accidental dwelling fires. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of accidental dwelling fire casualties per 10,000 population within East Ayrshire is 1.06, which is the 13 th lowest rate compared against all local authorities and below the average rate for Scotland. Whilst the fatality rate per 10,000 population is slightly higher in comparison (21 st ), the overall rate is 0.08 which equates to 3 accidental dwelling fire fatalities in the past 5 years. Analysis of accidental dwelling fire fatalities and casualties has identified a link to fires within the kitchen accounting on average for 70% of incidents where injuries arise. Most common human contributory factor has been identified as Distraction. Whilst the number of persons recorded as accidental dwelling fire casualties has seen an increase in the previous two years, review of the nature of injuries has determined the majority of recorded casualties (54%) were treated at the scene and did not require to attend hospital for treatment. Of the 69 casualties recorded at accidental dwelling fires, only 4 have attended hospital having sustained serious injuries. Smoke inhalation has been identified as the most common cause of injury. Nearly two thirds of all accidental dwelling fire casualties are aged 50 years and over with females accounting for the majority of all accidental dwelling fire casualties. East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

73 Reducing Casualties From Non-Fire Emergencies by 5% each year RED Performance Explained Current progression towards the three-year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Red with an upward trend evident at this time. Whilst overall the number of Non-Fire Emergency (Special Service) incidents is low compared to Fire and Unwanted Fire Alarm incidents, fatal and non-fatal casualties arising from Special Service incidents exceed those from accidental dwelling fires. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of special service fatal and nonfatal casualties per 10,000 population within East Ayrshire is 4.25, which is around mid-range when compared against all local authorities and just below the national average. Fatality rates over the previous 5 years is 0.41 per 10,000 population which compared to other local authorities is below mid-range and the Scottish average. In reviewing the previous special service activity, attendances at Road Traffic Collisions accounted for 74% of all special service casualties within East Ayrshire. An additional 18% of casualties have been recorded over the last five years as a result of attending incidents to either assist other agencies, forcing entry into premises to render assistance to occupants, the provision of medical response or to assist in body recovery. Unlike accidental dwelling fire casualties, the majority of special service casualties attend hospital with 60% of all casualties being deemed to have sustained slight injuries. Of all recorded injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, males accounted for 63% of all recorded casualties with all persons between the ages of 20 and 59 being the most prevalent age group for special service fatalities and casualties. 6 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

74 Reducing Deliberate Fire Setting by 5% each year GREEN Performance Explained Current progression towards the three-year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Green as current activity is below the three year average, although an upward trend has been noted at this time. On average deliberate fire raising accounts for 76% of all fire related activity within East Ayshire. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of deliberate secondary fire raising has identified East Ayrshire as having a high prevalence of activity when compared against all local authorities, in particular deliberate refuse fires which at the rate of incidents per 10,000 population, is the highest rate in Scotland and above the Scottish average. In terms of total activity deliberate fires have accounted for 28% of all operational incidents within East Ayrshire, with 26% of all mobilisations being to secondary fire incidents. Deliberate refuse fires account for just over half of all secondary fire activity within East Ayrshire with other outdoor fires involving wildland, trees and vegetation being the second most common secondary fire types. Deliberate primary fires have seen a reduction of 34% over the past five years with current activity slighly under the five year average. East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

75 Reducing Fires in Non-Domestic Property by 5% each year RED Performance Explained Current progression towards the three-year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Red with an upward trend evident at this time, although the year on year figure is currently static. Whilst overall the number of non-domesitc fires account for only 2% of all operational mobilisations, just over 70% of all non-domestic fires involve premises within the Business or Service sectors. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of non-domestic premises involving the business or service sector per 10,000 population within East Ayrshire is 2.53, which is around mid-range when compared against all local authorities and below the Scottish average. In reviewing the previous 5 years activity for non-domestic fires, just over half of all incidents (53%) are classed as accidental in origin. Whilst accidental incidents have been decreasing since 2013/14, there has been an increase in deliberate non-domestic fires over the same period. Business and Service sector premises normally fall within the scope of Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) act 2005 as amended and are classed as Relevant Premises. Given the importance of the protection of the local economy, monitoring of activity within Relevant Premises is ongoing in conjunction with a programme of fire safety enforcement audits. Current analysis identified a year on year reduction in fires within Relevant Premises between 2011 and 2015, however activity in 2016 has increased at the time of this review. 8 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

76 Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals by 5% each year RED Performance Explained Current progression towards the three-year average target for 2016/17 is classed as Red with a slight increase in the three year average noted at this time and the year on year figure also slightly increasing. In total, all false alarms account for 54% of all operational mobilisations. Various types of false alarms fall into this category with Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) having been identifed as the cause of 47% of all false alarms. In reviewing data over the last 5 years, the rate of UFAS incidents per 10,000 population within East Ayrshire is 46.69, which is around the upper range of highest instances when compared against all local authorities and is also above the Scottish average. In reviewing the previous 5 years activity for UFAS incidents, weekdays indicate the greatest prevalence of UFAS incidents with the period between 0800 hours and 1600 hours being the most common time period for UFAS incidents. Review of the data suggests these instances, on a general basis may be related to the most frequent periods of when buildings are occupied. In examining the cause of alarms, a number of factors may be attributed to the building occupants contributing to the alarm operating such as cooking, testing of the system, or accidently/carelessly setting off the alarm, which over the previous 5 years has accounted for 29% of all alarm activations. Review of the property types responsible for UFAS incidents has identified residential homes, hospital/medical care facilities and schools as the most common property types which the SFRS attend, which collectively over the past 5 years has been responsible for 46% of all UFAS incidents. East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

77 Engagement what our stakeholders told us Building on the intelligence we gathered during the engagement and consultation of our Strategic Plan we re-engaged with our key stakeholders to seek further views on our local service delivery. Feedback identified the SFRS s engagement with young people and our communities as a strength and whilst the SFRS is a national organisation it is seen as having the ability to deliver its services on a local basis. Comments also suggested the SFRS should consider how it can develop further opportunities to share resources and further strengthen its partnership links including those within the Third Sector. It was recognised that persons at risk are often known to other organisations therefore areas such as information sharing; joint training and an integrated joint response within a partnership environment could enhance the safety and well-being of those at risk within our communities. Feedback also highlighted the need to consider the provision of services and support to persons who are sensory impaired and this was highlighted as a common challenge across organisations. Overall an underlying theme was one where the SFRS should continue to promote the safety and well-being within the home environment. Scrutiny what we learned from the HM Fire Service Inspectorate (HMFSI) To support this formal review the outcomes from HMFSI s Local Area Inspections that examine the development and delivery of Local Fire and Rescue Plans, have also been considered. By undertaking inspections of our service delivery within local authority areas, HMFSI can provide independent assurance to Scottish Ministers and the public that adequate provision for local service delivery is being made, there is equal access to specialist resources, service provision and partnership working is of sound quality and strong scrutiny arrangements are in place. This allows HMFSI to maintain a good awareness of how well we are functioning and build intelligence to inform future inspections. By the end of the period 2016/17 it is planned that the SFRS service provision will have been examined in nine local authority areas. These areas included Aberdeen City, East Renfrewshire, Western Isles, West Lothian, Dundee, South Ayrshire, Scottish Borders, Moray and Glasgow City. Once prepared, these inspection reports are published by HMFSI on their website. On examining the published Local Area Inspection Reports, we noted that HMFSI generally felt that there was a need to identify unique characteristics for each local area and provide clearer use of risk-based evidence to identify and shape priorities across our Local Plans. HMFSI would also like to see a stronger emphasis made on specific local priorities and contribution supported by an appropriate level of local performance measures. Local priorities and measures should be balanced against our national needs as well as aligned to the collaborative partnership working requirements of Local Outcome Improvement Plan delivery. 10 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

78 Conclusion In reviewing the progress against the priorities within the Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire ( ), it has been identified that operational demand in the longer term has been reducing, however review of activity during the current fiscal year indicates fluctuations in operational demand has been occurring. A key approach to reducing demand is through effective engagement and by working in partnership to support our more vulnerable members within our communities. As a national organisation the SFRS is also progressing with its transformational agenda to develop the organisation in an environment of continuous financial challenges. This presents opportunities for the SFRS to develop its role at a local level in the protection of our communities across East Ayrshire through the strengthening of existing partnerships, whilst seeking new partnership approaches to manage, mitigate and reduce risk. To support the pursuance of transformational efficiencies, reducing service demand is essential to provide the means to utilise the totality of SFRS resources to maximum benefit. It is recognised however, regardless of how active the SFRS is in its prevention agenda, operational demand will still be present. It is therefore vital to ensure the SFRS is able to respond as and when such demand arises. The process of identifying and reviewing the range of risks within our communities will provide the basis as to how we will manage and respond to such risks to safeguard the safety of our firefighters and our communities. The review of the Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire over the period has considered the progress that has been made to date and supported the development of key priorities for the next plan. Meeting the challenges in the new plan will not be achieved in isolation but through effective partnership working and as such, the new Local Fire and Rescue Plan will seek to compliment and contribute to the integrated approach to Community Planning within East Ayrshire. Recommendations It is recommended that the following priorities are taken forward in the new Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire area: Priority 1: Domestic Safety Priority 2: Unintentional Injury and Harm Priority 3: Deliberate Fire Setting Priority 4: Non-Domestic Fires Priority 5: Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Priority 6: Operational Resilience and Preparedness East Ayrshire Local Fire and Rescue Plan Review

79 DRAFT LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PLAN EAST AYRSHIRE 2017

80 Contents Introduction 2 National Context 3 Local Context 4 Local Priorities 6 1. Domestic Fire Safety 6 2. Unintentional Harm and Injury 7 3. Deliberate Fire Setting 8 4. Non-Domestic Fire Safety 9 5. Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Operational Resilience and Preparedness 11 Review 12 Tell Us What You Think/Contact Us 12 1 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

81 Introduction Welcome to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Local Fire and Rescue Plan for East Ayrshire. This plan has been developed to support the delivery of agreed local outcomes for East Ayrshire s communities in conjunction with the national priorities contained with the SFRS Strategic Plan With the ambition of working in partnership to improving community safety, enhancing the well-being of those living or resorting to East Ayrshire whilst tackling issues of social inequality, this plan will set out our priorities in order to support this ambition. The demands placed upon the SFRS to respond to a wide variety of incidents challenges us to ensure our personnel acquire and maintain a range of skills to enable our ability to respond to emergencies. Through the identification and the management of risks within the area we will continue to prepare for these responses, however we recognise on many occasions this demand can be reduced through effective engagement and intervention measures. We recognise as a public service organisation and as a member of the community planning partnership, the demographics of our society is changing which will challenge us to continually improve on how we deliver our services to our communities. Our plan will therefore seek to focus on those areas of demand to maximise the potential to work in partnership and by using our capacity more effectively and innovatively to ensure we direct our resources to the point of need within our communities to protect those most at risk from harm. As the SFRS continues to evolve we will seek to play a key part in public service reform and identify new opportunities to broaden our role within society to ensure as a modern Fire and Rescue Service, we continue to protect East Ayrshire s communities. This Local Fire and Rescue Plan in conjunction with the statutory responsibilities placed upon the SFRS will be used as a driver to build upon our existing partnership arrangements in East Ayrshire whilst seeking to foster new relationships to support the service s mission of Working Together for a Safer Scotland. James Scott Local Senior Officer Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

82 National Context Scottish Ministers set out their specific expectations for the SFRS in the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland This provides the outline we should follow to ensure our resources and activities are aligned with the Scottish Government s Purpose and national outcomes. Our Strategic Plan has been designed to meet these national expectations. Set against a complex and evolving backdrop our Strategic Plan encapsulates our mission, values and strategic priorities. These have been shaped with due regard to the challenges we face and to what we need to achieve to be a highly effective, sustainable public service. Operating within a climate of significant financial uncertainty and public service reform means we need to transform how we operate. This will particularly include how we prepare for and respond to changing societal needs, the impact of climate change and the threat of terrorism. Strong leadership, supported by sound governance and management arrangements are at the very core of our foundations. These arrangements will direct and provide assurance that we comply with our statutory responsibilities. In addition, they will provide Local Senior Officers with supporting mechanisms to deliver services specifically tailored to local needs. 3 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

83 Local Context The current population of East Ayrshire, which is around 122,000 and constitutes 2.3% of the total number of persons living in Scotland, is predicted to remain static at a time when Scotland s population is predicted to increase by Whilst the population within East Ayrshire will be relatively unchanged, the demographical aspect of the area suggests a projected increase in elderly residents by 51% for persons over the age of 75. This significantly increases by 94% for residents over 85 years of age whilst the number of people of working age and young persons are projected to fall. To enable the SFRS to plan and deliver on a proactive and reactive basis, it is important to understand where and how demand for fire and rescue resources may arise in the short, medium and longer term. As a local authority area, East Ayrshire is constituted by nine multi-member electoral wards covering a range of diverse urban and rural communities over approximately 490 square miles. Emergency response within the local authority area is provided from eight locations comprising of one wholetime station (permanently crewed) and 7 stations which operate on an On Call basis. Review of operational activity across East Ayrshire indicates a general downward trend in overall activity levels over the last five years. In terms of fire related activity, accidental dwelling fires have fluctuated year on year with the current trend showing an increase, although the provision of early warning has contributed significantly to reducing the severity of fires within the home with the majority of incidents being dealt with in their initial stages. The protection of our vulnerable members within our communities has been supported by the provision and extension of linked alarms into domestic properties, which currently accounts for just over 1 in 5 of all accidental dwelling fires being attended by the SFRS. Fire fatality rates within East Ayrshire are extremely low, although fire casualty rates have fluctuated over the corresponding periods. Although a positive downward trend is not indicative at this time, the majority of recorded fire casualties are not required to attend hospital and of those who have attended hospital, the majority have been deemed to have sustained only slight injuries. Deliberate fire setting on average accounts for just over 1 in 4 operational responses and trend analysis indicates fluctuation in levels of this activity type over the last five years. Analysis identifies deliberate fire setting is occurring on an ongoing basis, although peak activity has been identified in the same periods each year. Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

84 Whilst attendances at non-fire related emergencies on average account for around 1 in every 10 operational mobilisations and are considerably less than the number of fire related incidents, the number of fatalities and casualties are notably higher than fire related injuries (fatal and nonfatal). Whilst the majority of non-fire emergency casualties (fatal and non-fatal) are as a result of road traffic collisions within East Ayrshire, another emerging trend has been identified in those persons requiring assistance from other organisations. This results in support being requested from the SFRS in the form of forcing entry into premises to render assistance to occupants or the provision of first responder (medical) assistance. Whilst many incidents within East Ayrshire are as a result of a confirmed genuine emergency, on average more than half of emergency responses made by the SFRS turn out to be false alarms. These alarms may be as a result of a genuine belief that a fire is occurring which subsequently is confirmed not to be the case or through malicious activity resulting in a report of fire being made knowing this report is false in its nature. There are also a number of warnings of fire generated by fire alarm systems which, following an attendance and investigation, turn out to be false in their origin. Currently attendances to premises which generate these false signals account on average for a quarter of all emergency responses within East Ayrshire resulting in disruption to those within the premises in which the alarm activates and also to the SFRS who, on many occasions, are diverted from other activities to attend these incidents. Reducing service demand, whilst developing the role of the SFRS as part of the ongoing process of public service reform, presents both challenges and opportunities for us to become more integrated in the community planning partnership environment. The recent introduction of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 will result in the development of East Ayrshire s Local Outcome Improvement Plan through a process of locality planning which is designed to deliver local outcomes that make a positive contribution across East Ayrshire s communities and to reduce inequalities. In developing this Local Fire and Rescue Plan, the SFRS will seek to ensure its activities compliment and support the locality planning process. With the development of the local community justice strategy within Ayrshire following the introduction of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, the SFRS will ensure, as a partner within the Community Justice Authority, its resources contribute to support the delivery of the local justice strategy. The delivery of shared outcomes is embedded within East Ayrshire through its range of community planning approaches. East Ayrshire s Community Planning Partnership is committed to the delivery of its vision of being a place with strong, safe and vibrant communities where everyone has a good quality of life and access to opportunities, choices and high quality services which are sustainable, accessible and meet people s needs. Through the development of its Community Plan and associated key strategic priorities focused on Economy and Skills, Safer Communities and Wellbeing, the SFRS takes an active role in the delivery of these priorities and their intended outcomes through participation and engagement across the partnership arena. Supporting the delivery of Anti-Social Behaviour, Adult and Child Protection, Health and Social Care including Alcohol and Drug strategies are examples of where the SFRS can collaborate in the delivery of these priorities at a local level whilst pursuing the key priorities of this Local Fire and Rescue Plan. Overseeing the performance of the SFRS at local level is the responsibility of East Ayrshire s Police & Fire and Rescue Service Committee. Within this forum the Committee undertakes the process of scrutiny to monitor progress against the priorities within East Ayrshire s Local Fire and Rescue Plan and also engages with the Local Senior Officer in matters arising on a regional or national basis. 5 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

85 Local Priorities 1. Domestic Fire Safety Fire safety within the home is a key prevention strategy for the SFRS as the consequence of fires within the home can result in a range of impacts on individuals, families, social landlords and communities. For organisations the requirement to respond, intervene and deal with the aftermath of domestic fires places demand on its resources. To reduce this demand, it is essential approaches to prevention are evidenced based in order to maximise and focus resources to make the biggest impact to safeguard those most at risk of fire. Analysis of accidental dwelling fire data identifies cooking as the most common cause of fires within the home in East Ayrshire and also the most prevalent cause where fire related injuries are sustained by occupants. Distraction has been identified as the main contributory factor where accidental dwelling fires and/or injuries occur. Those who are deemed at risk from fire may also have other vulnerabilities and impairments due to age, health or mobility reasons and they may also be receiving support from other partners. The scope therefore exists to work more closely together to protect those most at risk from fire through effective information sharing. In order to reduce the potential for fires from occurring, influencing positive change in occupant behaviours through raising fire safety awareness will be at the forefront of our preventative activities. By increasing the ownership of working smoke detection, the means of giving early warning of fire will also contribute to mitigating the severity of fires and fire related injuries within the home. By using assistive technology such as Telecare, the opportunity exists to further enhance the safety of those who are at risk from fire. We will seek to reduce accidental dwelling fires and fire related injuries within the home by: Promoting and undertaking Home Fire Safety Visits to those deemed at risk from fire Working with our partners in East Ayrshire to share information where fire risks within the home have been identified and to provide solutions to protect those who are at risk Focusing engagement activities in those areas where service demand has been identified Supporting the provision of assistive technology within the home to increase occupant safety We will monitor our progress in promoting our domestic safety strategy by: Reviewing the number of accidental dwelling fires and their severity Reviewing the number and the severity of fatal and non-fatal fire related injuries Increasing the presence of working smoke/heat detection within homes affected by fire By achieving a reduction in the frequency and severity of accidental dwelling fires and fire related injuries we will: Support the safety and well-being of East Ayrshire residents Support the independent living of vulnerable members within our communities Reduce the social and economic cost of fires and fire related injuries Reduce demand on the SFRS and its partners Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

86 2. Unintentional Harm and Injury It is not uncommon for those at risk from fire to also be at risk from other injuries within the home, in particular from injuries arising from slips, trips and falls. Requests to the SFRS to provide assistance directly through a first responder role or to provide support to other agencies are increasing. Analysis of data indicates falls are a common cause of accidental deaths and injuries and account for a significant proportion of admissions to hospital. Those persons injured through falls may often be affected by other medical conditions such as dementia. The SFRS has a role to play in contributing to the protection of those at risk from injury and harm within the home. Through operational attendances and delivery of home fire safety visits, we have the opportunity to identify those at risk and through an assessment of such risk, refer individuals to partner organisations for additional support. Out with the domestic environment, the SFRS respond to a range of non-fire related emergencies. The most common incident of this type within East Ayrshire is attendances at Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) which results in the majority of non-fire related injuries. Responding to RTCs is a statutory duty for the SFRS, however a collective approach is required amongst community planning partners to support risk reduction measures. As a partner, the SFRS will support the education of young drivers who are considered to be an at risk group and support other initiatives intended to reduce the instances and impact of RTCs within East Ayrshire. We will seek to reduce the impact of unintentional injury and harm by: Utilising our Home Fire Safety Visit programme to assess for non-fire related risk and refer those deemed at risk from injury and harm to partners to provide additional support Raising awareness of fire and rescue service personnel as to those factors that increase the risk of unintentional injury or harm Working in partnership to deliver targeted road safety programmes to young drivers Focusing resources where demand has been identified and deliver key safety messages We will monitor the effectiveness of our intervention strategies by: Reviewing the number of requests for assistance from other agencies and for the provision of medical and first responder support Reviewing the number of attendances at RTCs and the frequency and severity of injuries arising from RTCs Reviewing the number of other non-fire related emergencies and the frequency and severity of injuries arising from these incidents By achieving a reduction in the frequency and severity of unintentional harm and injuries we will: Reduce the social and economic cost of unintentional harm and injury Support vulnerable members within our communities to live independently within their communities Ensure the safety and well-being of those living, working and visiting East Ayrshire 7 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

87 3. Deliberate Fire Setting Deliberate fire setting accounts for a significant number of operational incidents within East Ayrshire and takes various forms. Whilst a small proportion involves occupied buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures (primary fires), the majority of deliberate fires are classed as secondary in nature and on most occasions occur in outdoor locations. Analysis of incident data identifies deliberate secondary fires occurring throughout the year, however peak activity is noted in the spring time, during the bonfire season and when prolonged periods of dry weather arise. Deliberate fire setting is regarded as anti-social behaviour and is also criminal in nature. These acts can lead to serious consequences such as personal injury, damage to property and the environment. Dealing with instances of deliberate fire setting also diverts fire and rescue resources from other meaningful activities. Working in partnership, we will seek to combine our information to identify those parts of our communities that are being affected by anti-social behaviour in order to reduce such instances whilst tacking the underlying causes of such behaviour. On some occasions the SFRS will work with Police Scotland to investigate deliberate fire setting to determine the cause and if possible those responsible for such acts. Diversionary and engagement activity is regarded as an important approach in tackling anti-social behaviour and will continue to be part of our approach to raise awareness of the impact of this unwanted activity. We will seek to reduce the instances of fire related anti-social behaviour by: Identifying those parts of East Ayrshire s communities affected by deliberate fire setting to share this information with our partners Utilising our Young Firefighters, Fire Reach, Firesetters and school s education programmes to raise awareness of the impact of fire related anti-social behaviour Working with partners to develop joint strategies to reduce the risk posed by deliberate fire setting and to mitigate its impacts We will monitor the effectiveness of reducing fire related anti-social behaviour by: Reviewing the number and type of deliberate fire setting incidents within East Ayrshire Evaluating the effectiveness of our youth engagement programmes By achieving a reduction in fire related anti-social behaviour we will: Enable the SFRS to divert it resources towards other community based activities Protect the natural and built environment Support the promotion of active and responsible citizenship across East Ayrshire communities Support our communities in feeling safe from crime, disorder and danger Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

88 4. Non-Domestic Fire Safety In general, all workplaces and business are classed as non-domestic premises and as such come within the scope of Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (the Act) which places duties on persons responsible for these premises to comply with the Act and its associated regulations. The SFRS has a statutory duty to promote fire safety and where required enforce compliance with fire safety legislation. To discharge this duty and to secure compliance, the SFRS has adopted an approach utilising advice, education and where required formal enforcement powers. Given the variety of premises which come within the scope of the Act, the SFRS has developed a fire safety enforcement framework which is based on the principal of risk combined with historical fire data across occupancy groups to create the fire safety audit programme. Those premises which present a higher degree of risk from fire are subject to regular fire safety audits to verify compliance. The impact of fire can have a devastating impact on business, employment, the provision of critical services and also our heritage. Evidence suggests that premises affected by a serious fire experience a high failure rate. The SFRS will undertake its audit programme to support East Ayrshire s ambition to grow its economy during this challenging period of economic recovery and seek to safeguard its culture, heritage and continuation of employment opportunities. We will seek to reduce the instances of fires within non-domestic property by: Undertaking our fire safety audit programme in accordance with the SFRS Enforcement Framework Engaging with duty holders to promote responsible fire safety management of premises that come under the auspices of Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 Working in partnership to ensure the appropriate provision of fire safety standards are incorporated in new premises under construction or premises undergoing material changes Working in partnership with other enforcement agencies and organisations to support legislative compliance We will monitor the effectiveness of reducing fires in non-domestic premises by: Reviewing the number of fires in non-domestic premises and the type of premises involved in fire Reviewing the number and types of fire safety audits carried out across East Ayrshire Reviewing the outcome of fire safety audits carried out in non-domestic premises By achieving a reduction in fires within non-domestic premises we will: Enable the industrial, commercial and service sector to maintain business continuity and employment across East Ayrshire Reduce the potential for loss of life and injury Protect East Ayrshire s culture and heritage Protect the natural and built environment and reduce the impact of fire on our communities 9 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

89 5. Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals Fire protection within premises can be viewed as a holistic approach for the purposes of safeguarding life and/or property by inhibiting, growth and spread of fire. The design and use of premises will influence the extent of the fire protection required to be incorporated within it. In developing a fire protection strategy for the various premises types and for that strategy to be successful, a key component is the provision of early warning of fire. The provision of early warning enables those within premises sufficient time for them to exit the building to a place of safety in the event of fire. Whilst a small number of fire alarm signals generated are due to confirmed fire conditions being present, there are an even greater number of signals generated which when investigated have occurred when no fire conditions have been present. On such occasions these are known as Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) and is defined as an event which has required an operational attendance by the fire and rescue service due to the unwanted actuation of a fire alarm system. On these instances the signal may originate from a monitoring/call centre as a result of an automatic activation of the fire alarm system or a person activating the fire alarm system either maliciously or with good intentions believing a fire was occurring within a nondomestic premises. The impact of responding to UFAS incidents causes disruption to the premises working environment and to the range of activities the SFRS undertake. Unnecessary blue light journeys also create additional risks and hazards to firefighters and to the public whilst responding to UFAS incidents and also have a detrimental impact on the environment through additional carbon emissions. Active and positive engagement with occupiers to take responsibility in limiting the number of UFAS incidents within their premises is integral to reducing these impacts. We will seek to reduce the instances of Unwanted Fire Alarms Signals by: Investigating every cause of alarm and engaging with those responsible for fire warning systems following an operational attendance at a UFAS incident Analysing our UFAS attendances at those premises that give cause to frequent generation of false alarms to identify trends and support occupiers to develop demand reduction plans Instigating where required, formal fire safety enforcement measures to ensure appropriate demand reduction action is taken by those responsible for premises generating unacceptable levels of false alarms We will monitor the effectiveness of mobilising to Unwanted Fire Alarms Signals by: Reviewing the number of attendances at non-domestic premises and the type of premises generating unwanted false alarm signals across East Ayrshire Evaluating the outcomes of occupier s demand reduction plans to review progress and identify and share good practice Reviewing our attendances at UFAS incidents to ensure our attendances are based on an assessment of risk and demand By achieving a reduction in Unwanted Fire Alarms Signals we will: Minimise the disruption to business and service continuity across East Ayrshire Increase the capacity of the fire and rescue service to carry out other activities Reduce the risk to firefighters and public whilst responding to UFAS incidents Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

90 6. Operational Resilience and Preparedness The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire (Additional Function) (Scotland) Order 2005 defines the duties and responsibilities for the SFRS in relation to responding to emergencies. It is essential our firefighters possess the skills, knowledge and expertise to respond to incidents which, by their nature, can be varied in both their type and complexity. It is important our firefighters understand the risks across their communities to ensure the level of risk is matched by an appropriate level of operational response. In gathering this knowledge, appropriate training can be carried out to safeguard firefighter safety and to ensure any such response results in an effective and efficient deployment of our resources. Emergency responses across East Ayrshire includes firefighters operating within the Retained Duty System (RDS). Working within this duty system our RDS firefighters respond from home and/or primary work locations and is based on an On-Call provision. Given the dynamic nature of this duty system and to support a balance between primary, personal and firefighting commitments, each RDS station requires a sufficient number of RDS firefighters to ensure this vital resource is available when required. There will also be occasions whereby the nature of an emergency will require a combined response by emergencies services and other organisations to deal with such a major event. To ensure a co-ordinated response occurs, additional duties are placed upon the SFRS under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to prepare and be able to respond to deal with major emergencies. The scope of such preparations may include responding to adverse weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, chemical incidents or major transport incidents. The threat of terrorism also compels the SFRS to ensure it can also respond alongside other partner agencies should such an event occur. As an emergency responder, the SFRS needs to ensure it has the capability and the capacity to plan, prepare and respond to major emergencies. Working in partnership at a local and national level, the multi-agency approach requires a joint approach to assess these risks in order to develop appropriate response plans. Following their development, these plans require to be tested to support a return to normality when a significant event and subsequent disruption arises. We recognise the potential for the role of the SFRS to evolve which provides scope to further protect those members of our communities from harm in the event of an emergency. Assisting other agencies in emergency situations, such as responding to Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests is one example where resources can be combined to maximise the potential for positive outcomes for those requiring assistance. Out with emergency responses the opportunity also exists to promote and support community resilience to improve the survivability rates from cardiac arrests through active engagement and education across East Ayrshire communities. We will seek to ensure operational response and preparedness within East Ayrshire is maintained by: Identifying and assessing the risk to our communities through Operational Intelligence gathering Undertaking planned training events to support the acquisition and maintenance of skills to provide the capability to respond to emergency incidents Continuing with RDS firefighter recruitment campaigns to support operational responses across East Ayrshire Reviewing our operational responses to incidents to ensure ongoing firefighter safety and to ensure the ongoing protection our communities from harm Working in partnership to plan, prepare and test our responses to major emergencies Supporting and promoting the reduction of harm from Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests 11 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

91 Review To ensure this Local Fire and Rescue Plan remains flexible to emerging local or national priorities a review may be carried out at any time but will be reviewed at least once every three years. A review may also be carried out if the Scottish Minister directs it or if a new Strategic Plan is approved. Following a review, the Local Senior Officer may revise the Plan. Tell us what you think This draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan sets out what our broad ambitions will be on behalf of the people of our area. It sets our local direction for the SFRS and it will determine the details contained in all our other plans for that period. We would like you to tell us what you think of our plan. The formal consultation for this draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan opens on 20 December 2016 and will run until 20 March To ensure we review and manage all responses consistently you are invited to provide comment in our online survey. This can be accessed at firescotland.citizenspace.com. After the consultation is closed we will publish the results. If you cannot access our online survey, or if you would like more information about the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in your area you can: Write to: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire Area HQ 4 Barr Street Ardrossan KA22 8HD Phone: Visit our website: Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire

92 EAST AYRSHIRE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP Appendix 3 CONSULTATION RESPONSE: DRAFT LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PLAN EAST AYRSHIRE 2017 The key role played by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service within our Community Planning Partnership (CPP) is recognised within the text of the Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan and we welcome the continued commitment of the SFRS to our shared vision for East Ayrshire. The local priorities within the Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan 2017 reflect well with the Local Outcomes and associated actions articulated in our Community Plan, our current SOA and the Safer Communities Delivery Plan. The identified local SFRS priorities will also inform development of the new Local Outcomes Improvement Plan and related Locality Plans which require to be in place across our Partnership by end September 2017; and we look forward to working closely with colleagues in SFRS in this regard. To this end, we also welcome the stated commitment of SFRS to ensure that its activities continue to compliment and support locality planning in East Ayrshire. Operational Resilience and Preparedness has been identified as a local priority within the draft Local Plan and this too is welcomed. Our rural communities rely heavily on the retained service, and the sustainability of this resource is of crucial importance in East Ayrshire. The CPP particularly welcomes the recognition within the Draft Plan of the continued need for strong and effective partnership working to improve outcomes. Our experience of working locally with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a key partner has been extremely positive, at both a strategic and operational level, and a continued focus on partnership working, through the vehicle of the CPP, will ensure effective, integrated working involving the full range of partners in addressing the complex problems facing our communities; and crucially, at a time of financial constraint, will maximise the resources available across partner organisations to the benefit of the communities we serve. The broader contribution of SFRS locally to the work of other Partner agencies is significant, for example in supporting ambulance crews to access premises and as the first response to a range of emergency incidents across the authority area. We are committed to working in partnership with SFRS to consider how we can continue to support and further develop this wider role, and welcome the commitments given by SFRS in this regard. As a Partnership we have also noted the challenges presented to SFRS resources locally in relation to deliberate fire setting and unwanted fire alarm signals. We will continue to seek opportunities to support SFRS in raising awareness of these issues through our shared working, particularly in relation to children and young people. Going forward early intervention and prevention will continue to be a key focus of activity for the CPP. It is clear from the Draft Local Plan that SFRS continues to be committed to this principle and to building on the success of the targeted work

93 already undertaken in partnership with a range of services and Partners. The Plan also articulates a commitment to tackling issues of social equality, which is also central to the activity of our CPP. In summary, the Draft Local Fire and Rescue Plan East Ayrshire 2017 links well to the Community Plan and the associated SOA. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our colleagues in the Fire and Rescue Service to develop the new Local Outcomes Improvement Plan and related Localities Plans and, most importantly, to continue to improve the safety and wellbeing of our communities.

94 EAST AYRSHIRE Agenda Item 6 COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP BOARD: 9 MARCH 2017 POSITION STATEMENT ON PROSTITUTION (A FORM OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION) Report by Head of Children s Health, Care and Justice Services / Chief Social Work Officer / Chair of the East Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership PURPOSE 1. To advise the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board of East Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership s development of a Position Statement on Prostitution and to seek endorsement for this position, with clear communication to the workforce that support for prostitution, in any form, is unacceptable. BACKGROUND 2. The prevalence of prostitution in Scotland and East Ayrshire is unknown. However, anecdotal information from both national and local support services (including Women s Aid, Rape Crisis, Victim Support and Break the Silence) tells us that prostitution is an issue across all areas in Scotland, particularly given the emergence in recent years of online routes of purchase. 3. As such, the East Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership (EAVAWP) agreed it was important to both understand more about local prevalence of prostitution and set out a position as to how we respond collaboratively. 4. To gain an improved understanding of the prevalence of prostitution locally, the EAVAWP propose to scope a piece of qualitative research. POSITION STATEMENT 5. The EAVAWP position statement on prostitution, attached at Appendix 1, supports the definition of prostitution as a form of violence against women and advocates a challenging demand approach. 6. The challenge demand approach decriminalises and supports those exploited through commercial sexual exploitation (mainly women) and criminalises the buyers of sex (mainly men). 7. The EAVAWP supports the establishment of a legislative framework in Scotland that is founded on addressing the causes of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution i.e. gender inequality and the demand for men to buy sexual access to women. The EAVAWP advocates measures to: decriminalise those selling sex; provide support and exiting services for those exploited through prostitution; and criminalise the buyers of sex in all settings (on / off street and online).

95 8. This position is well evidenced and endorsed by both the Scottish Government and the National Violence Against Women and Girls Network. RECOMMENDATIONS 9. It is recommended that the Community Planning Partnership Board: i) endorse the position statement on prostitution attached at Appendix 1; ii) request that all Chief Officers ensure that all agency/partnership policies are consistent with this position statement; iii) request that all Chief Officers promote this position statement to all staff, making it clear that support for prostitution, in any form, is unacceptable; iv) note the proposal to scope a piece of qualitative research to improve local understanding of the prevalence of prostitution locally; and v) otherwise note the content of this report. Susan Taylor Head of Children s Health, Care and Justice Services / Chief Social Work Officer 1 March 2017

96 APPENDIX 1 POSITION STATEMENT ON PROSTITUTION (A FORM OF COMMECIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION) OVERVIEW 1. The aim of the East Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership (EAVAWP) is to prevent and eradicate all form of violence against women and girls, creating a strong and flourishing East Ayrshire where all individuals are equally safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from such abuse and the attitudes that help perpetuate it. 2. This paper outlines our position on prostitution as a form commercial sexual exploitation, informed by evidence gathered on international approaches to addressing prostitution. 3. It is expected that members of the EAVAWP commit to taking this report to their respective host organisations for formal endorsement and to agree that this is the position we will collaboratively hold in relation to prostitution. OUR POSITION 4. Equally Safe, Scotland s national strategy for preventing and eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls, defines prostitution as a form of violence against women and the National Violence Against Women and Girls Network has adopted a position that advocates a challenging demand approach. 5. It is proposed that the EAVAWP adopts a position, aligned to that of national policy, which also seeks to challenge demand. 6. EAVAWP supports the establishment of a legislative framework in Scotland that is founded on addressing the causes of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution i.e. gender inequality and the demand for men to buy sexual access to women. Given this, we advocate measures to: Decriminalise those selling sex. Provide support and exiting services for those exploited through prostitution. Criminalise the buyers of sex in all settings (on, off street and online).