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When I started in post in October 2022 it was quickly apparent that there were two main differences for Fraserburgh as a Project Town within the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme. The first of those differences was the geographical location. The other five Project Towns (growing to six in January 2023 with the switch on of Dalkeith) were all located in the central belt of Scotland, placing Fraserburgh a little ‘out on a limb’ right up in the north east of Scotland. Whilst this geographical difference was obvious when looking at a map of the programme, any possible impact due to the location and associated distance from the other teams, was minimised and managed exceptionally well. Most of the collaborative work being undertaken between project teams was conducted online, with frequent meeting structures which ensured there was a constant sense of connection and support with the wider programme.

The support from the wider programme team was particularly evident with Fraserburgh being one of the last Project Towns to get ‘switched on’, as this meant that there was a wealth of prior experience and learning within the programme to help guide me. The other Project Towns had been working for approximately 12-18 months when Fraserburgh came onboard, and so the teams in the other Project Towns had already faced and overcome several challenges and teething problems, meaning they were able to point out some of the trip hazards as well as the possible solutions. Luckily for me, not only did these colleagues have this experience and knowledge, but they were all incredibly approachable and extremely willing to offer their support to me, with each of the Project Leads demonstrating great collaborative spirit, something that I truly believe helped in getting Fraserburgh up and running so quickly.

The second most apparent difference with Fraserburgh from the start, was the embedment of the project team within the local authority. Whilst the other Project Leads, and subsequently Community Link Leads, were all employed by the Improvement Service using grant funding from the Health Foundation and Scottish Government, I was employed directly by Aberdeenshire Council, in a post that had been funded by both Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership. This employment structure provided several opportunities very early into the project work within Fraserburgh, including access to existing community planning partnership groups and networks, support from colleagues with extensive knowledge, understanding and connections within the Fraserburgh area, access to additional data sources held within the local authority services and immediate investment and engagement from key organisations. Most notably, the recognition by the Area Manager for Banff and Buchan, Angela Keith, of the potential value of the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme for Fraserburgh, meant that there was a consistent high level of support from within Aberdeenshire Council from a very early stage.

Based on the different support structure for Fraserburgh, the approach to developing the Steering Group within this town was also slightly different. Whilst other Project Leads had started in post after their Steering Groups had already been set up and appointed, I was able to be involved in the creation of the Fraserburgh Steering Group. With the support and guidance of my colleagues both within Aberdeenshire Council and from the Shaping Places for Wellbeing team, I held two workshops prior to developing the Steering Group. These workshops were aimed at introducing the aims and objectives of the programme, as well as the possible areas of focus for Fraserburgh, based on initial quantitative data review. This allowed key stakeholders to develop a foundational understanding of the Programme and to explore how it may link to their own work in Fraserburgh. It also enabled them to challenge some of the initial information being identified within the quantitative data set, and to highlight where there may be additional data and information that could develop the understanding of inequalities being experienced within Fraserburgh.

As the project work developed in Fraserburgh the core deliverables aligned with that of the other Project Towns, with the development of core resources including the quantitative and qualitative data reports and infographics, as well as the undertaking of Place and Wellbeing Assessments on plans and strategies that would impact on Fraserburgh. These core activities were once again supported and guided by the shared leaning from the other Project Towns, with the opportunity to implement efficiencies and modifications based on the experiences and feedback from the wider team.

As the project progressed in Fraserburgh additional differences did manifest in some aspects of the work, including through the work undertaken by the Community Link Lead. Due to the recruitment process and timing of that process, Fraserburgh ended up appointing a full-time Community Link Lead for a 12-month period, whereas other teams had primarily recruited to a part-time post. Once again, this post was funded by Aberdeenshire Council and the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, with the post embedded within Aberdeenshire Council. The full-time allocation may have provided some advantages to this role, enabling Matthew Smart, the appointed colleague, to be more frequently accessible to the Fraserburgh community as he developed his network. As with the Project Lead role, Matthew benefitted from the previous experience of colleagues within the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme, notably the other Community Link Leads, most of which had started in post 6-10 months earlier. The full-time position also provided Matthew with the opportunity to explore additional opportunities to enhance connections within the community, leading to the development of the Fraserburgh Community Champions Group, the only example of this form of network across the whole Programme.

In undertaking the core business of Place and Wellbeing Assessments within Fraserburgh, an opportunity was identified to explore how these assessments could compare or add value to the current statutory Integrated Impact Assessment process. Due to the internal connections with Aberdeenshire Council services, links were easily developed with the Learning Estates Team, to undertake a Place and Wellbeing Assessment on one of their existing projects, the merging of two Fraserburgh Primary Schools into a new purpose-built school. This project had undergone an extensive Integrated Impact Assessment and so it was identified that it would be an appropriate plan to assess through the Place and Wellbeing framework. The connection, assessment and subsequent outputs led to the adoption of this approach by the Learning Estates Team for projects out with the Fraserburgh area, with the Clatt Primary School assessment being the first example of the Programme expanding wider into the Local Authority area of an existing Project Town. To date Aberdeenshire Council’s Learning Estates Team have plans for up to five additional Place and Wellbeing Assessments across the Aberdeenshire area.

The Learning Estates Team has provided clear feedback to the Programme, with all colleagues identifying key aspects of the assessment process that have added value to their current practice:

• Providing the opportunity for collaborative discussions across stakeholders
• To inform decisions impacting on the educational benefits and social wellbeing of children and young people, whilst allowing for the consideration of the wider reaching impacts within communities.

The final and most notable difference associated with the work undertaken in Fraserburgh, has been the links with the wider development of a corporate-level Place Strategy and Policy within Aberdeenshire Council. In July 2024 elected members from across Aberdeenshire approved the council's new Place Strategy and Policy, recognising the desire of the organisation to formalise its commitment to adopting and implementing place-based working across all services within the local authority. This approach built on the excellent work done across the local authority over several years, where a variety of different place-based approaches and projects have been implemented, with the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme in Fraserburgh being one example. Along with several other successful place-based projects and examples, the learning from the work in Fraserburgh helped to inform the development of the Place Strategy and Policy, with the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes included as the key framework. In addition to embedding the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes into the strategy, this corporate shift also highlighted the importance of being data-led when working across localities and communities, recognising the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data, to inform decision-making and provide context.

Writing this blog has provided me with the opportunity to review and ponder on the work undertaken in Fraserburgh, and to acknowledge the support and guidance provided from numerous colleagues and collaborators, including the Banff and Buchan Area Team, the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme team, the members of the Fraserburgh Steering Group and the volunteers and professionals within the Fraserburgh community. This opportunity for reflection has highlighted to me how the support received helped to shape the approach taken in Fraserburgh, providing clear benefits for this Project Town, but also how it has enabled myself and my Community Link Lead, to extend the reach of the Programme and this place-based approach into the wider Aberdeenshire area. The approval of Aberdeenshire Council’s Place Strategy and Policy, along with the updated Council Plan, clearly demonstrates the direction of travel for Aberdeenshire Council and the desire of the organisation to continue to support the needs of the Aberdeenshire residents, and I am proud to have been a part of that work and to have made a small contribution.

As part of the Programme, we have evaluated our work and shared our learning across all stages. One way we have done this is through the ‘Shaping our thinking, sharing our learning’ blog series.

Between 2022 and June 2024 the Programme worked locally in seven towns across Scotland supporting councils, health boards and other stakeholders to develop the resources to take a place-based approach in their decisions and actions. This blog series reflects the work undertaken during this time, and also the work undertaken to support place-based work across Scotland from July to December 2024. Find out more about the Programme’s approach and the work undertaken between 2022 and 2024 in our 7 Project Towns.

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

Email: placeandwellbeing@improvementservice.org.uk