Community Planning
Orkney Islands Council works closely with other organisations to provide services to the local community. A large part of the Council's joint working with local organisations is carried out through community planning.
Every local authority area in Scotland is required to have a community planning partnership. Community planning involves councils and other public bodies working with local communities, businesses, charities and voluntary groups. Together we plan and co-ordinate action and resources to deliver better services to improve the lives of local people. Community planning is based on the simple idea that if we all work more effectively together then public services will improve for those who use them.
Community planning involves many organisations. These partners have a legal duty to facilitate community planning: Orkney Islands Council, NHS Orkney, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Other organisations have a duty to participate in the process, have been co-opted or play an important part as members of one of our Delivery Groups.
How does it work?
Orkney's community planning partnership is called ‘The Orkney Partnership’ and it is the lead body for joint working in Orkney.
The Orkney Partnership Board is at the centre of our structure and has oversight of our shared challenges. It is assisted by an Executive Group, while three Delivery Groups lead each of the Board's strategic priorities:
- Sustainable Development - supporting Community Wealth Building and achieving Net Zero by 2030.
- Cost of Living Crisis - and tackling the underlying causes of poverty.
- Local Equality - so residents in all parts of Orkney have equal opportunities.
You can find links to the Board members’ websites from the 'Related Sites' section of this page. Orkney Health and Care pages are available from the 'Related Links' section of this page.
What does the Partnership do to make a difference?
The Orkney Partnership has developed the Orkney Community Plan as our commitment to the people of Orkney. It describes what we aim to achieve, working together in partnership, over and above what we could achieve as individual organisations. It contains our long term vision for Orkney, and some of the developments it describes will be part of our lives for decades to come. It also incorporates our Local Outcomes Improvement Plan with the Scottish Government.
Orkney Community Plan shares the ambition of Orkney's Local Development Plan:
To strengthen and support Orkney’s communities by enabling those developments which will have a positive and sustainable socio-economic impact, and utilise locally-available resources, whilst striving to preserve and enhance the rich natural and cultural heritage assets upon which Orkney’s economy and society depends.
Our vision is moving closer as many people living and working in Orkney do indeed enjoy an exceptional quality of life and a fulfilling career. But there is still work to be done, as others are held back from fulfilling their ambition by circumstances out with their control. We want everybody in Orkney to have an equal opportunity to share in its success, and we will stay focused on our vision until this has been achieved, in accordance with our shared mission: Working together for a better Orkney.
To find out more
You can find much more information on The Orkney Partnership website – you can access this from the 'Related Sites' section of this page.
