SLCVO

​​First steps are being taken to form an innovative community-led partnership with the aim of strengthening adult social care provision for rural communities across the Highlands.This comes in response to predicted fundamental changes in care provision by statutory bodies.

 

The movement, which started at a community care conference in Inverness last November, is being coordinated by representatives of eleven Highland communities stretching from East to West and South to North who recognise that in the face of plummeting investment in  frontline services in our communities, action is needed now to enable people to keep living full and fair lives here.

 

A steering group of eleven representatives, from community-based organisations, has met regularly to discuss the challenges, realising how much they have in common. The communities are agreed that working together will strengthen their ability to see change coming and to insist on an equal partnership with statutory bodies to co-design new services delivery models for adult social care delivery that are based on the unique geographical, demographic and cultural needs of each community. 

 

Their key demands are for:

 

• Fair and resilient resourcing of Highland communities to enable people of all ages and abilities to access health services and be supported to live well and meet their goals.

 

• A strong, transparent and honest relationship with NHS Highland, The Highland Council and other statutory bodies.

 

• A supportive collaboration between Highland communities to help each other with similar challenges in order to survive and thrive.

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Jo-Anne Ford of Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations is interim chair of the steering group. The steering group has asked Highland Hospice for secretarial support which they have kindly provided.

 

In their next step the steering group will shortly send two surveys out to an extensive list of potential partners across the Highlands beginning in May 2026.  One aims to reach more community-based organisations and third-sector bodies, while the other survey will be sent to a wide range of statutory bodies and agencies. Both will ask whether a Highland Community Health and Care Network is needed, what its specific roles should be, how it could help statutory bodies to meet their objectives and how it could be organised to ensure transparency and accountability.

 

Responses from both questionnaires will then be assessed to decide next steps. At the same time, the group will be writing to chiefs of statutory bodies and to political representatives to make them aware of their aims. 

 

The group notes that: “Communities have been told that there will be fundamental changes to the way care services are delivered in future. Yet there is no mechanism to help us to respond to these challenges to preserve our way of life in the Highlands. Many communities do not have the resources to even meet with statutory bodies and so will still be unaware of the changes to come. We want to create a network that will strengthen our collective voice and seek respectful and realistic changes.”

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If you have any questions or comments please email info@slcvo.org.uk

Highland Community Health
and Social Care Working Group Stakeholder Questionnaire

This survey is for stakeholders to inform the development process and to understand the value a coordinated Highland-wide network could bring to your work and shared strategic outcomes.

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Go to the questionnaire