Dumfries and Galloway Community Planning operating context - working with and supporting our communities
A community planning approach was at the heart of Dumfries and Galloway’s response to Covid-19, with partners’ working closely together and sharing resources and intelligence to ensure that those most severely affected were able to receive the support they needed as a priority.
This collaborative approach led to relationships being strengthened with our local Third Sector partners, particularly around the co-ordination and deployment of volunteers, food sharing approaches, medicine and other essential supplies.
This was further enhanced through focused support to help tackle digital exclusion with devices being issued along with digital skills support being provided to help combat both rural and social isolation.
The strong foundations laid over the last few years is now proving integral to further developing relationships and a shared understanding with the Third Sector and our communities around the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Our focus will be on developing a well-being economy in partnership with our communities, where people and the planet are put at the heart. We aim to:
- support our communities to thrive
- address sector priority workforce shortages and skills
- tackle inequalities and the longer-term mental, physical health and wellbeing issues which have affected our communities
- improve digital and transport connectivity
- tackle climate change; and
- help build capacity and resilience within our communities
As part of our Community Planning approach within Dumfries and Galloway, our Poverty and Inequalities Partnership is key in bringing together partners to tackle the root causes of poverty; sharing resources and expertise; learning from lived experience; targeting support at our most vulnerable and being recognised as the single place for our partnership response to the Cost of Living Crisis and this is a critical part of our Community Planning model going forward. Our Employability and Skills Partnership complements this work by actively supporting people into employability and therefore increasing household incomes to help combat poverty.
Community Planning Partners are embracing the concept of Place Planning by adopting a bottom-up approach using community engagement and involvement to help improve local services and population health outcomes. We also wish to capitalise on local and national investment opportunities through the adoption of a Community Wealth Building approach.