Annual Report 2024/25 - Monitoring Progress
Satisfaction with Public Services / People who felt they could influence decisions / People who want greater involvement in decision making / Community Council Seats Contested
Satisfaction with Public Services
In 2023, 53% of people were satisfied with public services, a 1% increase from 2022 but below the baseline of 59% and the 2021 target of 65%. Shetland has consistently had higher satisfaction rates with public services than Scotland overall, apart from 2018. In 2023, 43% of people in Scotland were satisfied with public services compared to Shetland's 53%, which was the joint sixth highest in Scotland alongside East Renfrewshire.
Looking at each public service individually, satisfaction with the quality of local health services in Shetland was 84%, much higher than Scotland's 67%. Satisfaction with the quality of local schools was 82%, compared to Scotland's 69%. Satisfaction with the quality of public transport in Shetland was 68%, above Scotland's 64%.
People who felt they could Influence Decisions Affecting their Local Area
In 2023, 24% of people felt they could influence decisions affecting their local area, marking the lowest level recorded since monitoring began in 2016. This represents a 6% decrease from the previous year. Despite this overall decline, Shetland, Stirling, and Fife had the joint second highest percentage of people who felt they could influence local decisions in Scotland. The trend has fluctuated since 2016, with the low of 24% in 2023 and a high of 34% in 2021. The Scottish average was 18%.
People who want Greater Involvement in Decision Making
30% of people said they wanted greater involvement in decision making in 2023. This is a decrease from the previous year's 37% and the 2018 baseline (41%). This could indicate there is more satisfaction with opportunities to get involved in decision-making, and the desire to be involved is more readily being met. Alternatively, it could indicate that there is an apathy towards decision-making, and the community are disengaged from participation processes.
Community Council Seats Contested
There have been no Community Council elections in this reporting period, therefore there are no updates to the number of Community Council seats contested. Shetland Islands Council completed a review of its Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in March 2025 where the Council approved a new Scheme. This covered a range of matters such as the number of Community Councils, Community Council areas and boundaries, election rules, the roles and responsibilities of community councillors, community council funding and other governance requirements. The next Community Council elections will be held in November 2025.