Person-Centred Shetland - Fairer Futures Partnership Blog Post

Working Together to Tackle Inequality through System Change in Shetland

What does it really take to change outcomes for children and families in Shetland?  The Fairer Futures Partnership is beginning to explore that question – not through shorter-term fixes, but by looking at how the whole system can work better for people.

Fairer Futures, part of the wider Person-Centred Shetland programme, emerges from the ambition to create a more equitable, person-centred approach to the delivery of support services, bringing together colleagues from health, education, social work, early years and community sectors. This is not about creating more layers or launching standalone projects – it’s about understanding the system as a whole and working differently within it.

We’re building on the learning from Shetland’s Anchor for Families model, and from other Fairer Futures areas. The first step here is about laying strong foundations. A System Change Board is now being set up, bringing together senior leaders from across the public and third sectors to support alignment, challenge thinking, and steer progress.  At the same time, work has started on developing a practitioner-led learning network – a space where frontline staff can share learning, explore real issues, and support each other.

While the national Fairer Futures programme is focused on reducing child poverty and driving public service reform, Shetland’s approach is looking more broadly at how we reduce inequalities across the board, using principles from GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) and GIRFE (Getting it Right for Everyone) to shape a more joined-up, compassionate response.

Over the coming months, system mapping will help us better understand what’s happening now and where the gaps are. We’ll also be putting in place a monitoring and evaluation approach to help track progress and keep learning as we go – drawing on tools used in the Anchor Project. The emphasis will be on building confidence across the workforce and creating space for open, honest dialogue.

This work recognises that shifting systems takes time – but that change starts with relationships, with people coming together to understand what’s really getting in the way. Change will not come from one solution alone. But by taking a whole-system view and listening closely to families, practitioners and partners, the Fairer Futures Partnership is setting the stage for meaningful, lasting change.

If you're interested in getting involved in the network, feel free to get in touch with me by email on sarah.dempster2@nhs.scot

Person-Centred Shetland sits alongside a number of other key Improvement Projects being taken forward through the Shetland Partnership – all aligned with the community planning priorities set out in the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan. These include:

• EmPowering Shetland:  strengthening financial wellbeing and tackling hardship
• Compassionate Shetland:  embedding kindness and mental wellbeing into communities
• Climate Conscious Shetland:  addressing climate change through local action and sustainability

Together, these projects are helping to put the Shetland Partnership’s vision into practice — building a more inclusive, connected, resilient, and future-focused Shetland where services follow people, not the other way around. More information on these Improvement Projects is available here.