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The Communities Team

The Communities Team works in partnership to reduce poverty and health inequalities and promote inclusion.  The team leads on the co-ordination of project activities that build the capacity of partner agencies and communities to improve public health and wellbeing.

Key Priorities include:

  • Health Inequalities & Anti-Poverty
  • Food Security, Physical Activity & Diabetes Prevention
  • Covid Isolation Recovery

 The Communities Team make a contribution to national policy and local strategy and action plans including:

  • Scotland’s Public Health Priorities
  • Scottish Borders Child Poverty Plan
  • Community Learning & Development’s Strategic Plan
  • Scottish Borders Energy Efficiency & Affordable Warmth Strategy
  • Scottish Borders Older People’s Planning Partnership
  • Scottish Borders Community Growing Strategy
  • Scottish Borders Anti-Poverty Strategy

The Communities Team delivers this through:

  • A Whole Systems Approach to healthy weight, physical activity and diabetes prevention with regional and local partnerships
  • Acting to prevent isolation and loneliness and increase social connectedness
  • Preventing child poverty and promoting financial inclusion through early intervention and prevention activities 
  • Providing capacity building training to enable participants to develop their health improvement knowledge, skills and application in their own settings
  • Commissioning projects that bring a health improvement perspective to service settings

 *New*

Climate Change Health Impacts

A new report has been published about the health impacts of climate change in the Scottish Borders. This has been produced in partnership with Public Health Scotland and other local and national organisations. You can download the full report HERE (PDF)

Community Benefits Gateway

The NHS Scotland Community Benefits Gateway is now live for the Scottish Borders. The aim of the Community Benefits Gateway is to connect Third Sector Organisations and NHS Scotland Suppliers who may be able to support local project needs with an "in kind" offer. Click here for more infomation.

Eyemouth Whole Systems Approach

A whole system approach involves applying systems thinking, methods and practice to better understand public health challenges and identify collective actions. Adopting a whole system approach to Scotland’s Public Health Priorities is a long-term endeavour. It requires new partnerships between a broad-range of stakeholders to deliver better lives for the people of Scotland. Click here for more information.

The Eyemouth community have used a Whole Systems Approach to support healthy weight; by eating well and being physically active.  With a focus on children and families and reducing health inequalities, the project is known locally as Eyemouth Gateway to Good Health. Click here for more information.

Click here to see our new report.

 

 For more information about health improvement and the work we do, please contact us at Health.improvement@borders.scot.nhs.uk