The Community Planning Strategic Board met on Thursday 4 June 2026 to discuss a range of important topics, including updates on child poverty, locality plans, and partnership progress. The meeting also covered the Children and Young People's Services Plan and the forward planner for future meetings.

Theme 1: Poverty

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to Theme 1: Poverty. This included an update on child poverty, with a report on the Integrated Children's Annual Progress Report for 2025-26. The report detailed progress made in addressing child poverty and its associated challenges.

Locality Plans Update

An update was provided on the Locality Plans, which are designed to tackle inequality at a more local level. The plans focus on areas identified as being within the most deprived 20% in Scotland, specifically Burnfoot (Hawick), Langlee (Galashiels), and Bannerfield (Selkirk). The report outlined the progress made in developing and delivering these plans, with a focus on community engagement and addressing local needs.

• Burnfoot: Progress included initiatives to reduce anti-social behaviour, increase access to activities, reduce poverty, and improve access to work, learning, and training. Efforts were also underway to improve the maintenance of public areas and enhance the health and wellbeing of residents.
• Bannerfield: The plan for Bannerfield focused on community safety and wellbeing, travel, community activities, reducing poverty, and environmental quality. The report highlighted community assets and the challenges faced by residents, such as financial stress and limited transport access.
• Langlee: Updates on Langlee included ongoing community consultation and the development of a locality plan, with efforts to gather feedback from residents through various engagement activities.

Children and Young People's Services Plan (2026-29)

The Board was scheduled to consider the Children & Young People's Services Plan 2026-2029 for endorsement before its submission to the Scottish Government. This plan, a requirement under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, outlines the integrated approach to service planning for children and young people. The report detailed progress made in areas such as A Good Childhood, Whole Family Support, Planning and Building Capacity, and Supporting the Workforce.

Community Plan Delivery Groups Progress Reports

Progress reports were scheduled to be presented from various Community Plan Delivery Groups. These included written updates on Theme 2 (Learning, Skills & Economy), Theme 3 (Good Health & Wellbeing), and Theme 4 (Place, Community & Connectivity). A verbal update was also anticipated for Theme 1 (Poverty).

Quarterly Partnership Update

The meeting included updates from several key partnerships:

• Children & Young People's Planning Partnership: A written update was provided on their activities.
• Community Justice Partnership: A verbal update was expected.
• CLD Strategic Partnership: A written update was provided.

Forward Planner for Future Meetings

The Board was to review the forward planner, outlining the schedule and key topics for upcoming meetings. The focus for the next meeting was indicated to be Theme 1: Poverty.

Other Business

The agenda also included items for Any Other Business, the venue for the next meeting, and future meeting dates.

The meeting was scheduled to include discussions on the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) Report, detailing progress on employability and skills pathways, and the S4 Money Wise Evaluation, which assessed financial education sessions for young people. Updates were also expected on Theme 3: Good Health & Wellbeing, covering areas such as housing, screening, social prescribing, and women's health, and Theme 4: Place, Community and Connectivity, focusing on transport improvements. The Community Learning and Development Strategic Partnership Plan was also on the agenda, outlining priorities for collaborative action in areas such as accreditation, ESOL, digital inclusion, and youth work.