Orkney council’s education, leisure and housing committee has backed “illustrative” proposals for a new £40m assisted support for learning centre in the county, hoping Scottish Government money will be on the table.
Committee members met this week, during the councillors’ recess period, for a special meeting.
They were asked to give their backing to one of six options in time to meet the Scottish Government’s October 31 deadline for applications to the Learning Estates Improvement Programme.
The council will be hoping the government’s programme will foot £16m of the bill through a grant, while the council covers the remaining £24m.
The centre would bring together community learning and development, childrens’ social work, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), family support workers, educational psychology, and pupil support under one roof.
However, assuming the Scottish Government agrees to provide the funding, these plans could be some way off from fruition.
It was stressed that the decision did not mean the council signing up to a full commitment to build the centre.
Support for learning centre proposals backed but this is not the final decision on the matter
This was reassuring to the councillors.
There was an air of caution brought about by the last-minute feeling of the meeting.
Questions about the where and when of the new building are still unclear.
The plans backed would still have to go through consultations and more detailed plans and cost estimates would have to be developed.
They will also have to go through the council’s own capital project appraisal process.
Councillors will also see the plans again at future meetings.
Much of this would only happen after the grant funding was secured.
As councillor Leslie Manson put it, they were satisfied that the purpose of today’s decision was to “keep the door open” in terms of getting the funding but didn’t commit them to the endpoint.
The report put to the committee meeting invited the members to view six options.
Other options included the expansion of schools in Dounby and Westray as well as Glaitness School in Kirkwall.
Another more radical option on the list was developing plans to combine Glaitness and Papdale Primary School, establishing one large primary school.
Centre would result in better service and ease pupil number pressures at Glaitness, say officers
While an eye-catching option, it wasn’t recommended.
The council’s director of education, James Wylie, said this was looked at “as an exercise.”
There was also an option not to submit an application at all.
The option for a stand-alone assisted support for the learning centre came recommended by council officers.
As well as easing the demands around support for learning the council is hoping it would also reduce the pupil roll at Glaitness primary school, allowing it to expand to meet the needs of new and future housing developments nearby.
According to the council’s estimates, around 60 pupils would attend the new centre, with some of these attending full-time.
While there was no opposition to this recommendation, councillors weren’t at ease with how quickly a decision was needed.
Why doesn’t the council just use the spare space at Papdale primary, asks councillor
Councillor Steven Heddle asked why the less-pressured Papdale Primary School isn’t being considered for the expansion of the support for learning services.
He if they’d consider re-zoning Kirkwall to use the “extra headroom” available at Papdale.
Mr Wylie said a “much more detailed analysis” is going to be carried out.
May options will still be on the table, he said.
However, with the new centre, they would be looking at helping students of all ages and not just those of primary age.
The centre option was also said to offer the best flexibility to the council going forward.
There were also concerns about “centralizing” the service and having an equal service on Orkney’s outer isles.
Officers said the centre would mean the council can offer “equity of provision”. It would also result in higher quality service for users.
The idea is that the number of agencies housed in the centre would work together to provide a better service.
‘Beware Greeks bearing gifts’: councillor wary of Scottish Government funding
Council convener Graham Bevan had a career in the council’s education service.
He backed the officers’ recommendation. He said, while the figures involved are “mind-boggling”, the council had a duty to provide the supported learning service.
Mr Bevan said the centre would provide a “better deal” for the county’s young people.
Councillor Leslie Manson is a retired executive director of education, leisure, and housing with the council.
He was wary about the fact that the proposals were only being debated now because the government could provide cash.
Mr Manson felt it brought to mind the saying “beware of Greeks bearing gifts”.
He asked if the centre would have been the top choice if money from the government wasn’t available.
Mr Wylie replied: “Regardless of where the funding is coming from, the learning estates strategy has led us to this set of priorities.”
Quick-fire debate will be followed up by more detailed plans and costs analysis
Mr Manson said: “I think it’s a no-brainer that this bid should be submitted. But I’m sure all members feel a bit stampeded into a quick-fire debate about a fundamental aspect of the educational provision in Orkney.
“I’d like a lot more time for us to talk together and explore options.”
Councillors ultimately gave their backing to the plans for the new assisted support for learning centre. However, Steven Heddle added two further amendments.
He asked to explore how the council can better use its existing resources to improve the delivery of learning support.
Dr Heddle also asked the council to look at the potential impact of “centralising” learning support in Orkney.
The proposals will go on to Full Council on October 25.
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