ASCC has made sure Zurich has up to date contact details for all members currently insured through the ASCC. Zurich has advised us that they will be in contact with each member and Local Authority which arrange block insurance directly.

Previously ASCC has provided ’safety cover’ for members to address any administrative gap between renewal date and payment. Please be advised this will no longer be available. It is necessary for Community Councils to have a policy in place for 1st May 2012 to provide continued insurance cover.

The Directors would like to wish all a happy and prosperous new year.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THE STANDARD INSURANCE COVER CURRENTLY BEING PROVIDED TO HUNDREDS OF CCs ACROSS SCOTLAND.

In the meantime, we urge CCs seeking insurance cover for events such as bonfire nights, firework displays, seasonal light ceremonies and so on to seek insurance from an insurance agent specialising in simple coverage solutions for single events.

We regret the inconvenience this will cause to the many CCs who undertake events in the autumn and winter, and emphasise this is the result of our enforced closure following a 40% cut in funding by the Scottish Government.

The project aims to encourage and enable local councils to engage in local energy action that helps to cut fuel poverty, and also to explore the extent to which such action can help potentially excluded local communities to benefit from the Green Deal. Linked to this, the project will explore what more is needed to enable local councils to play a full role in the equitable implementation of Government sustainable energy policy.

On 7th July, a workshop was held in Glasgow, with participants from a range of Community Councils, community development trusts and other Scottish stakeholders. The purpose of the workshop was to explore the potential role for Scottish Community Councils in relation to energy action and will look at the opportunities and barriers. We also discussed what kind of support is needed to enable community councils to fully capitalise on these opportunities

To read the full Workshot report click here Community Councils and Green Deal Workshop Report

 The Scottish Government had earlier in the year agreed to meet with the Directors of the ASCC to discuss major flaws in the report – a meeting which was cancelled at short notice by the Government.

 Whilst the Directors of the Charity accepts the right of the Government to invoke a stakeholders survey they strongly condemn the survey and it’s analysis.

 The survey is flawed both in its deployment and analysis.  The flaws can be grouped into three main areas:

Timing of the Survey.

 The survey was undertaken in November / Dec 2010 to ascertain the opinion of ASCC stakeholders on the performance of key objectives which were funded during the financial year April 2010- March 2011. These Objectives were not agreed until June 2010.

The inception of the survey (November 2010) – rates a 12 month agreement within the first 6 months of the funded period.

Therefore the survey lends itself to misinform the reader and intends to disadvantage and prejudice the Charity, Trustees and Staff.

 Structure of the Survey.

 The method for distribution was an ‘e’ platform and a word document format. There were no controls in place on the distribution to ensure the survey was in fact completed by relevant ‘stakeholders’.

Therefore there was no qualifying evidence to state whether responders were in fact interested parties to ASCC.

There were no controls to quantify evidence to prevent multiple responders.

The method of question structure was restricted by the ‘e’ platform used. Quest is a Norwegian based ‘e’ tool, with limited capabilities.

The form of questioning was ‘closed’ and therefore predetermined the response of responders.

The survey was also anonymous which is unusual for a Scottish Government Survey and as such no method of qualifying respondents or repetitive respondents was available.   

Analysis of the Survey.

 The overall analysis gives cause for concern.

‘The introduction to the questionnaire states to the respondents clearly; “Your response to this survey will help give us a broad, balanced view from ASCC stakeholders” – it does not.

Most of the questions are closed ended questions, therefore the respondents are limited to answering only from the options which have been given, and thereby nullifying the “broad” view that has supposedly came from all of the 17 questions of the questionnaire’

 ASCC National Vice President CCllr Bob Kerr said:

 “Not content with forcing the closure of the ASCC, the Scottish Government now wants to stick the knife into our credibility with the publication of this joke of a survey.

 We are left to wonder whether this is in retribution for our criticism of the Cabinet Secretary for his purposeful destruction of a national charity. Ministers and civil servants are well aware of the profound flaws in this survey, which are obvious to anyone with an understanding of proper research methods.

 The results of this are worthless.  If the Scottish Government now pretends or implies they have led to its decision to cut ASCC funding, this flies in the face not only of what the ASCC was told, but is a shocking abuse of power.  Not just an opinion poll on a national charity, but a defective opinion poll can now seemingly determine Government funding.”

  Read the full Response        ASCC Survey Analysis Response 2011

Introducing Vital Skills Programme.

These modules are of particular interest to new Community Councillors, and members of the public who want to know more about Community Councils.

More experienced Community Councillors can test their own practice and knowledge.

On the site, you are also able to download “know-how” information toolkits to support Community Councillors in efficient and professional information and community engagement techniques.

The Good to Great Leadership Programme will be introduced shortly and will be available to member Community Councils. This programme of leadership skills will compliment the skills of experienced Community Councillors, and new Community Councillors who wish to improve their practice.

Look out for information on how to register to access the Good to Great Leadership Programme shortly.
Accredited Courses
The Association of Scottish Community Councils are proud to be able to present training courses which are accredited by the Institute of Commercial Management. This accreditation provides assurance that our courses meet a professional standard.

Candidates will undertake private precourse study, attend a facilitated session, and complete and submit course work for internal and external verification. On successful completion the candidate will be awarded certification from ASCC and ICM.

Courses will include

Conflict Handling
Emotional Intelligence
Listening Skills
Leading Meetings
Participating in Meetings
Diversity
Data Protection
Equality Act 2010
Great Leadership Skills
Leading Effective Teams
Presentation Skills
Train the Trainer
Mentor Training
Facilitation Skills

For more information or to arrange a training session, contact us. You can also download the the training program to find out more about our training and development courses.

Click Here to go to the Learning Web Site
Download Training Program here

The timing of this closure is to allow Community Councils who receive insurance protection via ASCC to remain insured for the whole of the current insurance schedule.

The charitable arm will begin the process for winding up, as required by companies and charity legislation, towards a closing date of 30^th April 2012. 

The unincorporated arm of the ASCC will cease all activity with immediate effect.   The halt in activities of the unincorporated arm has a number of immediate consequences, including the cancellation of all further Regional Meetings, elections, ballots, the Annual National Conference and the quarterly issues of the ASCC Magazine.

The charity will continue to provide minimal support to Community Councils until the winding up process is complete.

The Scottish Government Finance Secretary, Mr John Swinney, offered the ASCC a grant of £30,000 for the current financial year.  That was subsequently increased to £40,000, but with strings attached so the money could only be spent on three specific areas.  This represents a more than FORTY PERCENT drop in income for the ASCC; the Association’s minimum operating requirements for one year are over £70,000.  Our financial and legal advisers were unanimous in saying that the ASCC could not operate with such a loss.

The Association is unable to make up the loss of Government income with grants from other funders.  The nature of the remit of the ASCC is such that major grant funders will not provide funding to the Association, because it exists to promote and support a part of the statutory sector.

The unincorporated arm is required to cease operating immediately, because the elected representatives of the ASCC are fully liable if it incurs liabilities it has no income to cover.

National Vice President, CCllr Bob Kerr said:

“Mr Swinney has purposefully decided to cause the closure of a national charity.  The only national organisation representing, promoting and supporting the Community Councils of Scotland.  He should be ashamed when he claims to support local democracy, and then attacks the most local tier of elected representation in Scotland.

This seems to have been part of a plan, the precursor of which was a shamefully biased and unprofessional “survey” of ASCC stakeholders.  It appears Mr Swinney is using a prejudiced analysis of that flawed opinion poll to justify the closure of a Scottish charity.

1200 Community Councils in Scotland are now without a collective voice, and a national presence.  It seems the unkept promises to Community Councils from the Government’s 2007 Manifesto were only the beginning.  Mr Swinney has just given the best possible gift to the bureaucrats and politicians who have resented and marginalised Community Councils since they were established in 1973.”

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/CommunityCouncils

Scottish Government Publications

http://www.scotland.uk/Publications/Recent

Information on current Scottish Government Consultations

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current

Planning and the built enviroment

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning

Data Protection

Your Responsibilities and obligations

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection.aspx

Scottish Information Commissioner

Your Guide to Freedom of Information

http://www.Itspublicknowledge.info/home/ScottishInformationCommissioner.asp