A Place and Wellbeing Assessment brings together a group of stakeholders to inform decision-making by identifying how a plan, policy or proposal will affect a place and its impact on the wellbeing of people and planet.
It provides a means to take a place-based approach and activate the Place Principle within a plan, strategy or proposal. The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme launched the use of the assessments as an integral part of its ambition to improve Scotland’s wellbeing by reducing the significant inequality in the health and wellbeing of its people With so many stakeholders involved in every place, this can be a challenging ask. The programme used Place and Wellbeing Assessments to address this challenge, by offering a starting process to support decision-makers in raising awareness of their impact on place.
Each Place and Wellbeing Assessment ends with the production of a report recommending how a more place-based approach could be taken. Throughout 2022 and 2024 over 30 Place and Wellbeing Assessments were completed covering a range of plans and strategies across different stakeholders. You can review the reports on the Place and Wellbeing Assessment - Our Work So Far webpage.
Place and Wellbeing Assessment: How To Guide
The Place and Wellbeing Assessment: How to Guide sets out the context to consider whether to undertake a Place and Wellbeing Assessment as well as being a practical guide to the process of completing one.
The guide assumes that users already have some basic understanding of the impact of the places where we live, work and play on the wellbeing of people, the planet and reducing inequalities. An understanding of the contribution of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes to improve places is also helpful. The guide highlights how to use the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes to enhance our consideration of place when making decisions that impact upon it.
Former Project Lead for Dalkeith, Susan Rintoul, explains the importance of considering place in decision-making processes, why Place and Wellbeing Assessments are used within the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme and what the process of undertaking a Place and Wellbeing Assessment is.
If you are looking at place-based approaches, or if the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme sounds like something you would like to know more about, please contact Irene Beautyman, Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead, below or follow us on X (Twitter) @place4wellbeing to keep up to date with all of our latest news
Irene Beautyman - Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead
Phone: 07908 930763
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Planning for Place Programme
The Planning for Place Programme supports councils and their partners to collaborate around place, seeking to encourage place-based approaches to joint planning, resourcing and delivery of places that enable all communities to flourish.
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National Planning Improvement Programme
The National Planning Improvement Champion is responsible for monitoring the performance of planning authorities and providing advice to them (and others) on what steps might be taken to improve their performance.
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Planning Skills
The Planning Skills Programme co-ordinates training events for public sector planning officers, with the aim to develop the skills required to deliver better places.
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Digital Planning
The Digital Planning team at the Improvement Service collaborates with local government to enhance and unify data related to planning and building standards. This work aims to develop a cohesive national data landscape, fostering insights and supporting informed decision-making.
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Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme
The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme is a joint delivery partnership between the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. This forum is for those interested in our work supporting the role of place to reduce inequality and improve the wellbeing of people and planet.
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Place Network
For those interested in the importance of place as a working approach to delivering national outcomes around improved wellbeing and inclusive growth.