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Input from the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme has helped to strengthen the facilitation of this work and has also identified specific actions to strengthen links with other local initiatives and target work to reduce inequalities. Specific impacts include:

• The Strategic Plan now features enhanced opportunities and support measures to tackle barriers to active travel and promote the more effective use of green space, providing an opportunity to recognise shared priorities and to work collaboratively
• Effective working has taken place with West Dunbartonshire Council and NHS colleagues to develop a property strategy for West Dunbartonshire, which considers improved planning on the location of services as part of a commitment to promoting active travel
• Active travel ambitions for West Dunbartonshire have been strongly embedded within the Strategic Plan and are strongly referenced within the Assisted Transport Policy
• Participants with a broad/wide range of expertise contributed to the Place and Wellbeing Assessment on the Clydebank Health and Social Care Centre’s Green Travel Plan which has helped to challenge thinking, promote collaboration and explore the need for leadership

Our story so far

During 2022, the Project Town of Clydebank had the opportunity to undertake a Place and Wellbeing Assessment on the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (H&SCP) 2023-2026 Strategic Plan whilst it was still in its draft stage. The purpose of an assessment is to consider the potential impacts of a plan or proposal on a place, to help mitigate adverse impacts, enhance positive ones and reduce social and economic inequality. It was clear to see the impact of the assessment process not only on the document itself, but on additional emerging areas of work after reading the final West Dunbartonshire Strategic Plan 2023-2026: Improving Lives Together following the Health and Social Care Partnership Board approval.

Within the strategic priorities section of the plan, there were enhanced opportunities and support measures to tackle current barriers to active travel and promote the more effective use of green space. Another emerging area of work where the impact of the assessment could be recognised was through working with council and NHS colleagues to develop a property strategy for West Dunbartonshire, which considered improved planning on the location of services as part of a commitment to promoting active travel.

Following on from the assessment report recommendations, active travel ambitions for West Dunbartonshire were strongly embedded within the Strategic Plan. The impact of the Strategic Plan’s commitment to ensuring the ambition was aligned with the Health and Social Care Partnership workforce and transport plans was already visible, with the recent board-approved Assisted Transport Policy including strong references to active travel.

The Strategic Plan refers to the health benefits of accessing green space and now commits to promoting more effective use of green space. This has provided an opportunity for West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership and West Dunbartonshire Council’s Planning team to recognise shared priorities and to work together with support from the Clydebank Project Team in relation to the Open Space Strategy being developed. This is also enabled by the Strategic Plan’s commitment to work and collaborate with partners.

Margaret–Jane Cardno, Chair of the Clydebank Steering Group highlighted that the Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan report which followed the assessment, had been positive.

As a consequence of the action travel ambitions identified in the Strategic Plan assessment, a Place and Wellbeing Assessment was subsequently carried out on the Clydebank Health and Care Centre’s Green Travel Plan.  With momentum building from progressing the previous assessment's recommendations, expertise brought to the session could be widened with additional participants and deeper conversations into the issues experienced by people living in Clydebank, exploring how these could be addressed with the local communities.

Another impact of this Place and Wellbeing Assessment includes the participants in the assessment. Members of the Clydebank Steering Group suggested that a wide range of expertise should be brought to the discussion. This helped to challenge current ways of thinking, explored the need for leadership to connect and champion key policy areas and promote collaboration. This supported the whole process.