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Single Outcome Agreements

As part of the 2007 spending review, a Concordat (external link) was established between the Scottish Government and local government. This agreement sets out to support the Scottish Government in delivering its purpose, strategic objectives and national outcomes and empowers local government and their partners to deliver on local priorities. It was developed through a relationship based on trust and parity of esteem, where the Scottish Government leads on over-arching outcomes, and stands back from micro-managing service delivery. Local government and its partners are free to meet local needs and priorities and will be subject to less bureaucracy.

This new relationship meant a huge culture change for all and councils and Community Planning Partnerships have been developing Single Outcome Agreements. These are based on the common framework of 15 national outcomes agreed in the Concordat, and are intended to streamline reporting arrangements for local authorities. By allowing councils and their partners flexibility in how they reach the national outcomes, the Single Outcome Agreement helps ensure that each area is able to focus its resources based on its local priority areas. A menu of local indicators has been developed for the councils and Community Planning Partnerships to use and add to as they believe appropriate.

Commitment to the Community Planning process is key as almost all the outcomes require effective partnership working. SOAs are developing over time to fully involve CPPs, communities and the private and third sectors. This developmental and cultural change process will require time and support. In the past, NHS Health Scotland has supported councils and CPPs with their outcome focused plans and performance management in the following areas:

• West Lothian: PSR health improvement pathfinder
• Angus: Focus on Alcohol project
• CPP consultancy work – Improving H&WB developing an integrated approach through community planning – summary & full document

Capacity Building for Outcomes Approaches

NHS Health Scotland has also recently taken forward a programme of capacity building support for outcome-focused planning and the use of outcome tools comprising engagement and awareness-raising events and a series of action learning sets.

Engagement and Awareness Raising Events

NHS Health Scotland has been involved in the delivery of several events designed to raise awareness around outcome-focused approaches. These include a two-day ‘Health Improvement Performance Management (HIPM)’ Engagement Event (June 2009). This event was designed to support local partners in applying outcome-focused approaches and was attended by 80 delegates from across the NHS, local authorities, Community Planning Partnerships, national agencies and the community and voluntary sector. The event included workshops exploring the use of the tools at a local level. Read the report of the event

A development workshop was also delivered in Renfrewshire (February 2010) to promote community-led outcome-focused planning. The workshop involved delegates who are working towards the Scottish Government’s ‘Meeting the Shared Challenge Programme’ that aims to encourage and support community-led approaches to health improvement throughout Scotland. Read more about Meeting the Shared Challenge (external link).

Action Learning

NHS Health Scotland has also delivered capacity building support through a series of Action Learning Sets designed to provide peer support and challenge to those taking forward outcome-focused approaches. A total of three Action Learning Sets are being delivered involving local partners from the NHS, local government and the community and voluntary sector.

The effectiveness of this approach will be evaluated in summer 2010 with both Action Learning Set participants and facilitators.

Reviewed 26 April 2010