Community Planning in Scotland
What is community planning?
Community planning connects public bodies with local communities to design, deliver, and improve public services, focusing on reducing inequalities. It was introduced under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and strengthened by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
What is a Community Planning Partnership (CPP)?
A CPP is the collective name for people who come together to take part in community planning. Scotland has 32 CPPs across the 32 local authority areas. They aim to reduce inequalities, improve outcomes, and develop areas by creating a local picture and a targeted approach.
How they organise varies across Scotland, but this could include bringing people together on boards, forums and working groups.
Five key partners have a statutory duty to oversee and deliver the community planning partnership in their area: the police, fire services, health services, the local authority, and Scottish Enterprise.
Colleges and universities have a statutory duty to take part in these meetings.
Considerations for SMHA project leads
- Find out who is responsible for engaging with community planning at your institution.
- Consider including how the institution engages with CPP’s and external partners in your Student Mental Health Agreement.
- CPPs don’t solely focus on mental health, but mental health and wellbeing are common themes. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the services available in the local area.
Community Planning in Scotland Guidance
The Improvement Service have a new induction resource which gives an overview of community planning in Scotland and includes:
- Statutory Duties of CPPs
- The role of the Scottish Community Planning Network (SCPN)
- The role of the Community Planning Improvement Board (CPIB)
- Guidance for CPP Board Members
Download the Community Planning in Scotland Guidance below.
