The Third Sector plays a vital role in feeding into and shaping West Lothian Council policies through Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel’s or PDSP’s.
There are Third Sector representatives on all 6 of the panels. These representatives can ask questions or make comments on behalf of the sector.
We want to make sure that the sector and the representatives are in the best place possible to make strong contributions.
In these pages we’ll give background information on what PDSP’s are, list the representatives, when the meetings are and importantly how third sector can get in touch with their views for their representatives.
The more consultation and support the third sector can give their representatives the better placed we will be to have the strongest representation possible at the PDSP’s.
What is a PDSP?
Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel’s or PDSP’s are there to inform ongoing work to progress the of West Lothian Council.
PDSP review and make recommendations to Council committed. They provide an early airing for new policies and can make recommendations for Council officers for improvements
West Lothian Council PDSP’s;
- Corporate policy and resources
- Education
- Housing services
- Public & community safety
- Social work & health
- Environment & sustainability
- Economy, Community Empowerment and Wealth Building
Remits and Reps
CORPORATE POLICY AND RESOURCES (Third Sector Rep Stuart Barrie - VSGWL) stuart.barrie@vsgwl.org
1 Capital and revenue financial resources, asset management, planning, income, budgeting, audit and counter fraud (other than HRA and housing capital)
2 Land and property strategic planning, development and management
3 Corporate plan, supporting corporate strategies (other than the Raising Attainment Strategy), priorities, modernisation, digital transformation, shared services and best value
4 Corporate governance, decision-making, Standing Orders, ethical standards, complaints, and risk management and continuity planning
5 Electoral and parliamentary affairs and democratic renewal
6 Public sector equality duty
7 Corporate services
8 Customer Services
9 Community Services
10 Community planning, community councils and local disbursements fund
11 Anti-Poverty Strategy and related funding, and welfare grants and benefits
EDUCATION (Third Sector Rep Simon Henderson – Simply Play) simon@playworks.org.uk
1 Early years, school and additional support for learning needs education
2 School capacity planning
3 Pupil equity funding
4 Regional Improvement Collaborative
5 Positive destinations, youth strategy, Further and Higher Education
6 Community learning and development and adult and community education
7 School transport policy
8 Educational psychology service
9 Schemes of Devolved Schools Management
10 Monitoring performance and success of the Raising Attainment Strategy
HOUSING SERVICES (Third Sector Rep Silence Chihuri FJSS Group) – silence.chihuri@fjssgroup.org
1 Council and social housing strategy, delivery, allocations, repairs and improvement
2 Homelessness, temporary and supported accommodation
3 Housing advice, information, aids and adaptations
4 Tenant participation
5 Housing Revenue Account and housing capital planning, budgeting and control and council house rents
6 Private sector and registered social landlord engagement and regulation
7 Refugee support and resettlement
PUBLIC & COMMUNITY SAFETY (Third Sector Rep Helen Davis- YAP) helen@wlyap.org.uk
1 Liaison with and scrutiny of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, antisocial behaviour and community safety
2 Criminal Justice, management of offenders, gender-based violence
3 Trading Standards
4 Environmental Health Services
5 Emergency planning
6 Building Standards
7 RIPSA
8 Counterterrorism
9 Civic and miscellaneous licensing
10 Alcohol and gambling licensing
SOCIAL WORK & HEALTH (Third Sector Rep Mike Niles) mike@carers-westlothian.com
1 Social work services for children, young people, adults and older people
2 Community, residential, respite and day social care services, including charging for services
3 Mental health, addiction, substance misuse services and suicide prevention
4 Community health development and improvement
5 Liaison with and monitoring relationships with and amongst the Health & Social Care Partnership, Integration Joint Board and NHS Lothian
6 Monitoring progress towards the National Care Service and impacts on council services
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY (Third Sector Rep Carole Racionzer-Linlithgow CDT) Carole@trust-linlithgow.org.uk
1 Climate emergency and carbon management
2 Roads network and maintenance, including road safety, winter service plan, street and festive lighting and internal fleet management
3 Public transport and regional and local transportation planning
4 External environment, including parks, open spaces, flood prevention, cemeteries and crematoria, street cleansing and public toilets
5 Waste and recycling
6 School meals catering and FM and cleaning services for council premises
ECONOMY, COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND WEALTH BUILDING (Third Sector Rep Alan McCloskey-VSGWL) alan.mccloskey@vsgwl.org
1 Economic Development, growth, employment, community wealth building, and related funding
2 Strategic and local spatial and development planning
3 Town centre and villages improvement and development
4 Tourism
5 Voluntary organisations strategy, promotion and development, and related funding
6 Liaison with and scrutiny of Voluntary Sector Gateway and West Lothian Social Enterprise Network
7 Community empowerment – participation requests, participatory budgeting, and asset transfer
8 Arts, cultural, sports and leisure facilities, twinning links, gala days and local fairs
Links
Here you will find details of meetings of the council and individuals who represent you on your local council. Find out who sits on which committees, any declarations they have made, examine agendas and minutes of any meeting and find out how to contact any member of your local council. Use the menu on the left to navigate your way around the site.
https://coins.westlothian.gov.uk/coins/
Calendar
This page shows a calendar of meetings for the selected month. Choose a different month or year by using the drop down lists or use the "<< Earlier" and "Later >>" buttons to choose the previous or next month.
Click on the committee name to view further information about the meeting. Click on the calendar icon to add the meeting date to your calendar
https://coins.westlothian.gov.uk/coins/calendar.asp
Live Broadcast - West Lothian Council meetings
All council meetings are broadcast and recorded. They can be viewed on this page
https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/live-meetings
West Lothian Council’s YouTube channel
West Lothian Council committee meetings - webcast and recording.
Almost all meetings are shown live on the Council’s Website. Recordings are available to watch as well, for 6 months after the meeting here
