Community Planning
Community planning refers to the process where statutory bodies empower and work with local communities to design and deliver better services and improve peoples’ lives. All local authority areas in Scotland are required by the Scottish Government to support community empowerment and community planning.
North Lanarkshire Partnership
NLP is the “parent” partnership for North Lanarkshire with all other partnerships linking to NLP and supporting delivery of the Plan for North Lanarkshire as well as complementary strategies and plans on key issues such as economic regeneration, mental health and climate action - including the NLP Action on Climate Together Initiative
The North Lanarkshire Partnership (NLP) is our community planning partnership which has the following statutory partner organisations:
- North Lanarkshire Council
- NHS Lanarkshire
- Fire and Rescue Scotland, Lanarkshire Division
- Police Scotland, Lanarkshire Division
In addition, Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL) is an NLP partner organisation on behalf of the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS).
Priorities
NLP’s overall goal is to improve wellbeing and equality for its residents. NLP’s ambitions and priorities are set out in the Plan for North Lanarkshire and nine linked Local Outcome Improvement Plans, which were developed collaboratively with partner organisations, community and voluntary organisations and residents.
NLP has five priorities.
Improve economic opportunities and outcomes through, for example, economic development, improving housing, and improving our town centres and facilities.
Support all children and young people to realise their full potential through, for example, whole family support, education and action to tackle poverty.
Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities by tackling poverty; improving support for mental health and wellbeing; improving health and social care services; and providing leisure and cultural activities
Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities through environmental and climate action; digital inclusion; and community engagement.
Improve North Lanarkshire’s resource base including increasing available resources; sharing resources; improving use of our assets; designing services with residents and communities; and strengthening our workforce.
Delivery of the above priorities is supported by staff in all NLP partner organisations, working collaboratively with residents, CVS organisations and local businesses.
Ongoing community engagement is supported at locality level through Community Boards and complementary engagement activities.
There are nine Community Boards for following localities and surrounding areas - each of which have their own Facebook page to support engagement and information sharing.
- Airdrie - facebook.com/MyAirdrie/
- Bellshill - facebook.com/MyBellshill/
- Coatbridge - facebook.com/MyCoatbridge/
- Cumbernauld - facebook.com/MyCumbernauld/
- Kilsyth - facebook.com/MyKilsyth/
- Motherwell - facebook.com/MyMotherwell
- Northern Corridor - facebook.com/MyNorthernCorridor/
- Shotts - facebook.com/MyShotts/
- Wishaw - facebook.com/MyWishaw/
Membership of Community Boards includes residents and staff and/or volunteers from local CVS organisations as well as representatives from NLP’s partner organisations.
VANL staff work with staff from other NLP partner organisations to support community engagement in community planning in each of the nine localities through Local Partnership Teams.
North Lanarkshire wide leadership is supported by the NLP Strategic Leadership Board, which has membership of all partner organisations. The Community and Voluntary Sector being represented by a VANL trustee and the Chairperson of our sector’s Community and Voluntary Sector Partnership Group.
CommUnity Agreement
NLP’s CommUnity Agreement, which was launched in April 2004, sets out shared values and agreed ways of working for a better North Lanarkshire, by strengthening community empowerment and partnership working.
The agreement was developed collaboratively during 2023-24 with residents, community and voluntary and public sector colleagues, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach.
You can read the CommUnity Agreement and a supporting Implementation Statement here.
VANL staff worked closely with colleagues in the CVS and public sectors to support consultation and preparation of the Agreement and is fully committed to supporting implementation.
For more information please contact info@VANL.co.uk