Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
16 April 2014
Please ask for: Miss J Maclennan
Telephone: (01463) 702132
TO: ALL DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD OF HIGH LIFE HIGHLAND
| Jenny Clarke | Drew Millar | Jaci Douglas | Kenneth Nicol |
| Ken Gowans | Fraser Parr | Douglas Graham | Ian Ross |
| Donald McLachlan | Laurence Young | Catriona MacLean |
Dear Director
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF HIGH LIFE HIGHLAND – 23 APRIL 2014
A meeting of the Board of HIGH LIFE HIGHLAND will take place in AM FASGADH, THE HIGHLAND FOLK MUSEUM, NEWTONMORE on WEDNESDAY 23 APRIL 2014 at 3.00 P.M.
A note of the business to be transacted at the meeting is appended.
I trust that it will be convenient for you to attend.
Yours faithfully
MICHELLE MORRIS
COMPANY SECRETARY
BUSINESS
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest
Directors are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Director making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
3. High Life Highland Purpose, Key Business Objectives and Corporate Values P 1
There is circulated summary of High Life Highland’s purpose, key business objectives and corporate values as extracted from the High Life Highland Business Plan 2012-15.
4. Confirmation of Minutes PP 2-14
The following Minutes are circulated for noting:-
i. Draft High Life Highland (Trading) C.I.C. held on 27 February 2014 (pp 2-5);
and the following Minutes are circulated for approval:-
ii. Board Meeting held on 27 February 2014 (pp 6-14).
5. Matters Arising – Board Meeting of 27 February 2014 PP 15-16
There is circulated, for information, matters arising from the meeting of the Board held on 27 February 2014.
The Board is invited to note the position.
6. High Life Highland Successes PP 17-65
There is circulated Report No. HLH7/14 dated 7 April 2014 by the Chief Executive presenting the best submissions from staff teams on the successful work being carried out by High Life Highland throughout the Highlands and across all areas of work.
The Board is invited to comment on the items presented and note that the selected items will form part of the long list for the annual Staff and Volunteer Award Scheme for 2013/14.
STRATEGY
7. ICT Re-Provisioning PP 66-68
There is circulated Report No. HLH8/14 dated 8 April 2014 by the Chief Executive updating Directors on work underway with Highland Council ICT Services to consider either a complete break away from the Highland Council’s ICT infrastructure or to secure ICT provisions beyond the current Fujitsu contract in partnership with the Highland Council.
The Board is invited to:-
i. note the scope of this work and associated timelines; and
ii. approve Option 3 as the preferred approach for High Life Highland ICT re-provisioning.
QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE
8. Finance Report PP 69-75
There is circulated Report No. HLH9/14 dated 8 April 2014 by the Chief Executive providing an update on the financial performance of High Life Highland for the period ending 28 February 2014 and information on contracts awarded since the previous meeting of the Board. A verbal update on the informal Finance and Audit Committee will be provided.
The Board is invited to note:-
i. the current financial position of High Life Highland as detailed in Appendix A of the report;
ii. the financial results for the 11 months to 28 February 2014 reports a negative variance on budget of £129,049k;
iii. the projected final out-turn for the year is likely to be circa £130k adverse to budget (0.06%); and
iv. the award of contracts to ICR Solutions, Mike Martins Tennis Academy, Highland Industrial Supplies and Allsorts Dornoch.
9. Budget Approval 2014/15 PP 76-80
There is circulated Report No. HLH10/14 dated 10 April 2014 by the Chief Executive providing Directors with the Budget 2014/15 for approval.
The Board is invited to approve the budget for the 9 services for 2014/15 as set out in Appendix A of the report.
10. Human Resources PP 81-83
There is circulated Report No. HLH11/14 dated 7 April 2014 by the Chief Executive providing an update on Human Resources activity for January–March 2014 including a quarterly report on absence, disciplinary and grievance issues.
The Board is invited to note the content of the quarterly report including the update on the staffing establishment.
11. Quarterly Performance Report PP 85-217
There is circulated Report No. HLH12/14 dated 5 April 2014 by the Chief Executive presenting performance information for the period January to March 2014.
The Board is invited to:-
i. comment on the report and agree that the overall health check on the company for the period is assessed as green;
ii. note the positive evaluation of High Life Highland and the positive contributions High Life Highland makes to wider external evaluations, as detailed in Appendix C of the report; and
iii. agree the new operational plans for 2014/15 as contained in Appendix D of the report.
12. Annual Health and Safety Report PP 218-231
Taking into account that an important element of the Governance structure relating to the company’s Health and Safety performance is the Health and Safety Annual Report, there is circulated Report No. HLH13/14 dated 9 April 2014 by the Chief Executive informing Directors about the performance of High Life Highland in terms of health and safety management.
The Board is invited to:-
i. note the low number and low severity of incidents over the period reflecting continuing good practice across the company;
ii. note that the Health and Safety Strategic Group continues to meet quarterly to review Health and Safety performance; and
iii. agree to the change of layout proposed in paragraph 2.3 of the report.
13. Risk Register Update PP 232-241
There is circulated Report No. HLH14/14 dated 7 April 2014 by the Chief Executive which provides an update on High Life Highland’s Risk Register.
The Board is invited:-
i. to note the updates to the Risk Register; and
ii. following discussion, to add any risks to the Register identified at the meeting.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
14. Appointment of Lead Director – Health and Safety
As Mr K Nicol has completed his two year term, the Board is invited to appoint a Lead Director for Health and Safety.
15. Recruitment to Vacant Board Positions PP 242-247
There is circulated Report No. HLH15/14 dated 4 April 2014 by the Company Secretary informing Directors of proposals to fill the vacant Board position which has resulted from the resignation of Mrs B McArdle in December 2013 and how it is proposed to fill the vacancies arising from the next two Directors who are due to stand down/seek re-election at the Board’s next Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February 2015.
The Board is invited to:-
i. agree the revised Skills Set, with specific skills being identified in the accompanying advert;
ii. agree to advertise for a Director to fill the vacancy created as a result of Ms McArdle’s resignation;
iii. agree that the annual recruitment process for two Independent Directors commence immediately and the vacancies are advertised in tandem with the vacancy as detailed above;
iv. following on from (iii) above:
a) agree that individual Directors consider if they wish to retire with effect from the AGM, bearing in mind that they can intimate their intention to seek re-election;
b) should no Director indicate their intention to resign, note the terms of office and, consequently, those Directors scheduled to stand down/seek re-appointment;
v. note that one Director’s term of office would take effect from the end of June 2014 while the remaining two Directors’ terms of office would take effect from the next AGM, scheduled at present for February 2015.
16. Chair/Chief Executive Verbal Updates
The Chair/Chief Executive will update Directors on:-
a) Highland Youth Voice Conference – 10-12 December 2014
Highland Youth Voice is looking for 3 Directors willing to sit on a panel alongside the Chief Executive and Head of Performance to answer questions on the work of High Life Highland at their conference taking place at Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore on 10-12 December 2014.
The Board is invited to nominate three Directors.
b) Update on Bi-monthly Meeting with the Highland Council Leadership
The following topics were discussed at the informal meeting held on 3 April and a verbal update on the discussion will be given to Directors at the meeting:-
• Year End Financial Position
• Budget Process 2014/15
• Budget Planning Process 2015-18
• National Interest/Meetings
• Support to the Voluntary Sector
• New Museum, Gallery, Library for Inverness
• Capital Projects
The Board is invited to note the range of topics discussed on an informal basis with the Council’s Leadership.
c) Development of Library of Video Clips
There has been previous discussion about the importance of capturing the “stories behind the statistics”. Work has begun in compiling a library of video clips which record users experiences and impressions of High Life Highland services. Examples of the initial video clips available will be shown at the meeting.
The Board is invited to note progress on recording users experiences.
d) National Archive Centre – Update
The contract brief for the operation of the proposed Centre and for the cataloguing, boxing and transporting of material from the 18 UK nuclear sites has been published. Directors will be updated on initial meetings with a potential private sector partner prior to a more formal discussion by the Directors working group on the subject.
The Board is invited to note the update.
e) Inverness Cultural Centre Project
Following discussions, Highland Council’s political administration decided to establish a Highland Council project board to take forward the proposal for a new museum, art gallery and library for Inverness and the Highlands. High Life Highland has been asked to service the Board and to manage development of the project on the Council’s behalf. A “public conversation” on the project will be held on 6 May 2014 seeking views on how the community might judge such a facility a success.
The Board is invited to note the update.
