The Communities Committee met at Woodhill House this morning for the final Policy Committee meeting this year.

The meeting began with a briefing session on the forthcoming rollout of Universal Credit nationwide.  The Aberdeenshire rollout commences with Montrose postcodes, with Peterhead postcodes going live in June and finally Aberdeen postcodes in October.
There are challenges for the Council, but officers seem well placed for this rollout.

Next we noted the Police Scotland Performance Monitoring and Operationl Update April-September 2017.
This on the most part is a very promising report with key factors showing increases and decreases in certain areas.
I asked the Chief Superintendent on where the “over-establishment” officers are currently stationed as Community Councils in Mid Formartine often hear that there are minimal officers in our ward in the evenings, and was informed that even though the force if over-establishment, that factors-in probationer officers.

It was agreed to send the Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson for Communities (or their substitute) to the Chartered Institute of Housing Conference, and the Shelter Homelessness Conference next year.

We moved on to discuss the Housing Services Quarter 2 2017-18 Performance Report and Service Plan Update acknowledging the progress.
While it still shows mixed performance to the Key Service Objectives, there is reasonable confidence that things will be positiv in periods 3 and 4.

We also discussed the progress towards the development of a tenure-neutral major adaptions (housing) process.  This is a process we share with the Inter=gration Joint Board.

The Local Housing Strategy 2018-2023 document was agreed.  It is an extensive document and well prepared.  It time permits, I would encourage residents of Aberdeenshire to read it.

We then noted progress on the Culture & Sport Trust which has been on-going since the decision by Full Council to move toward it last month.

Our final piec of public business was a review of the Charging Policy for Social Care services.
This included a decision over two options put forward for an 18% increase in Residential Care & Support – which the Committee unanimously agreed to phase in over five years – as opposed to the other proposal of three years.  New users would pay the 18% from the start of their service.

We then discussed three items in private session.