Person-Centred Shetland

Person-Centred Shetland is focused on changing how services in Shetland work together to deliver better outcomes for people, now and in the future.  We are trying to shift the focus from organisational systems and processes to what matters most for individuals, families and communities.

This work is needed because the challenges people face are often complex and interconnected, and navigating support can sometimes feel difficult or disjointed.  Staffing shortages, rising demand, and high costs also impact on the system, making current approaches unsustainable. A Person-Centred Shetland requires services to work together more effectively - to understand what people need, and respond in ways that are not only joined-up, flexible and compassionate, but also sustainable.

Two people icons with their arms around each other. one is blue and one is purple.

We will do this by:

  • Supporting staff across different services to work and learn together
  • Proactively identifying people’s needs and responding earlier 
  • Offering strengths-based support tailored to individual needs
  • Ensuring there is “no wrong door” – so that people can access the range of joined-up support they need, no matter how or where they first meet services
  • Enabling real culture and system change that can be sustained long-term.

Delivered through:

Fairer Futures Partnership – Person-Centred Shetland is a whole-system approach that is being developed through a local Fairer Futures Partnership, building on the lessons learned from Shetland’s Anchor Early Action model. This involves formally establishing:

  • A System Change Board for strategic leadership, linking with existing partnerships to avoid duplication.
  • A practitioner-level learning network that will promote knowledge sharing and build confidence in applying person-centred approaches, emphasising prevention and earlier intervention.

Together, these this will enable practitioners to adapt support, work more collaboratively, and remove barriers to delivering the support the person in front of them needs.

Delivering on:

This work contributes to the delivery of a wide range of local and national plans and strategies, including: NHS Strategic Delivery Plan, IJB Strategic Commissioning Plan, Children’s Partnership Plan, Population Health Framework, NHS and SIC Digital Strategy (technology enabled health & care, innovative solutions for equitable access), Trauma-Informed Approaches, UNCRC, Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (Scotland), Good Mental Health for All in Shetland, The Promise.

Becoming a Person-centred system is also a key component and enables the delivery of the following existing programmes of work:

  • Shifting the Balance of Care Programme – supporting a move away from institutional care towards care at home or in community settings, closer to where people live.
  • Realistic Medicine Approach – encouraging personalised care, shared decision-making, and reducing harm and waste in health and social care.
  • Compassionate Shetland – supporting a culture of kindness, understanding and care in all our services and communities.
  • Local Child Poverty Action Reporting – understanding and addressing the root causes of poverty in Shetland with partners across sectors.
  • Whole Family Wellbeing – improving how services work together to support families with early, joined-up support and a focus on prevention.
  • Preventative and Proactive Care National Programme – promoting early intervention and anticipatory care to help people stay well and independent for longer.
  • Place-Based Working – tailoring support to the needs, strengths and circumstances of specific communities, recognising the value of local relationships and leadership.
  • Digital Inclusion – tackling barriers to digital access and confidence so that everyone can benefit from technology-enabled care and support.
  • Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing – delivering better access to support through joined-up early help.
     

Blogs and Updates

The person centred delivery icon (two people with arms round each other), surrounded by swirling lines, communication icons in yellow and three bubbles with people depicted in them.

Blog Post: Fairer Futures Partnership - What does it really take to change outcomes for children and families in Shetland?

Additional Information

Key Contacts:

Brian Chittick, Chief Executive, NHS Shetland

Lucy Flaws, Head of Planning, NHS Shetland

Sarah Dempster, Planning, Performance & Projects Officer, NHS Shetland

Resources:

Integration Joint Board, NHS, SIC commitment to shifting resources, Scottish Government investment in system change, population health, and whole family wellbeing.