The strategic environment for health and social care has undergone significant change over recent years, mainly resulting from the impact of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, whereby elements of health and social care were required to integrate from the viewpoint of strategic planning and operational delivery.  As a result, health and social care is now coordinated through the South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board (IJB), whose membership includes representation from:

• South Lanarkshire Council;
• NHS Lanarkshire;
• Independent Sector;
• Voluntary Sector;
• Carers;
• Public Partnership Forum; and
• Trade Unions.

Poverty, deprivation and inequality are often the underlying determinants of whether people are healthy or not.  This is determined by their social and economic circumstances and wider environment.  Factors such as where we live, genetics, income, education, gender, social networks and access to health care services, all have considerable impacts on health and can also contribute to health inequality.

The context of people's lives determine their health and lifestyle choices.  Individuals are unlikely to be able to directly control many of the determinants of health and this contributes to health inequality.  Material factors such as poverty, as well as social, cultural and environmental factors impact on lifestyle behaviours, such as smoking, addiction or poor diet.  The Partnership in collaboration with Community Planning Partners and the wider community will focus our efforts on preventing the wider environmental influences and taking action to mitigate individual effects.

The Partnership is committed to the delivery of preventative and anticipatory care interventions, in order to optimise wellbeing and the potential to reduce unnecessary demand on our Health and Social Care system.  We work to improve the determinants of good health e.g. mental wellbeing, positive parenting and mitigate the determinants of poor health e.g. poverty and alcohol abuse.

The Partnership has an agreed vision and statement of ambition, which was formalised in 2015 following establishment of the Partnership.  This vision statement “working together to improve health and wellbeing in the community – with the community” reflects the Partnership’s commitment to fully involve and work with communities to improve their health and wellbeing. 

Whilst the Partnership recognises that the 'Strategic Commissioning Plan 2022-2025' will provide focus on all of the above, the Health and Social Care Partnership in a wider Community Planning context intends to work with partners to prioritise the following areas in relation to the Community Plan:

• Individuals, families and communities are empowered to take preventative action to support positive health and wellbeing with a focus on communities and groups whose health outcomes are poorest;
• Shifting the balance of care from hospital and residential settings to community based alternatives; and
• Carers and in particular those on low incomes are fully supported to access financial advice and information and practical wellbeing support.

The end goal

We’re working together to achieve the nine national health and wellbeing outcomes.  In essence, these outcomes provide the partnership with clear direction and are the goals – set down by The Scottish Government - we’re working at local level to attain.  They also set out the difference we intend to make to people’s lives from the people who use our services to staff and partners.  You can read more here.