Working Together to Improve Lives: The Shetland Partnership

The Story so Far

Front cover of Shetland Partnership Plan

The Shetland Partnership has been working on a ten-year plan since 2018. When that plan reaches its conclusion in 2028, a new plan will be established, focused on the new and evolving challenges of the next decade or so.

It’s a legal requirement for local authorities in Scotland to have what’s known as a Local Outcomes Improvement Plan for a local authority. Here in Shetland we call ours the Shetland Partnership Plan. The aim is simple; to offer everyone in Shetland the best possible quality of life and opportunity. Shetland can have a prosperous economy and a thriving, resilient community if we all work together. To achieve this, we have to focus on what organisations can do, working with communities, to reduce things that are unequal for people and communities across Shetland.

Delivery Plan

How we plan to achieve and maintain that, is in what we call the Delivery Plan.

There are four priorities included in that Delivery Plan:

Three figures in a line, one in green, one in purple and one in orange. There is a white arrow, outlined blue, curving from bottom left to top right, pointing upwards.

To grow a skilled workforce, increase productivity and innovation, bring clear improvements to the island economy and local communities, with a focus on ensuring all households can benefit, through good wages for all.

An image of the world, with blue sea and green land outlined by a white line.

To play our part in reducing man-made climate change and build a green economy while protecting the natural environment. 

An orange outline of a large hand with a smaller hand laid across the palm.

To build a compassionate, respectful Shetland without stigma and discrimination on any aspect of our lives. 

to figures with their arms around each other, one blue and one purple.

To give everyone the opportunity to improve their lives and circumstances and to offer all the support they need to achieve that.

These are linked together – looking at what one community or area needs, and getting everyone living, working and delivering services to work together to help make it better for all – focusing on what’s important to the people who live there. This is, not least, because every locality, every island and every community has their own individual challenges and requirements.

There is already what’s known as a Locality Plan, setting out how to meet the needs and aspirations of the communities in Fair Isle, Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour and Skerries.

a collage of 5 photos, one of each of the islands of Fetlar, Papa Stour, Skerries, Foula and Fair isle

Useful Information

A collage of the Shetland Partnership indicator graphics, with white graphics over the relevant priority colour.

Evidence, from national and local data sources, and from collating the views of people living in Shetland, is useful to shape conversations about Shetland’s future, and what needs to change, as well as to monitor the impact of what we do.

We bring together information from a number of different sources, such as National Records Scotland (NRS), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the census, along with local data, such as the NHS Shetland Population Health Survey.

Recently we have focused on areas of particular concern – population change, inequalities and climate change.  This shows us that: our working age population is decreasing at a faster rate, particularly in Lerwick and our more remote communities, people are experiencing a poorer quality of life than is expected, compared to other areas; and we are experiencing the impact of climate change.

There are also ‘locality profiles’ prepared for each island and regions of Shetland, identifying their distinctive needs.

locality profiles