Partnership keeps communities safe, supported and financially stable

The East Lothian Partnership's Annual Review highlights the benefits of this multi-agency approach and the positive results for local people, helping them to be healthy, happy and secure in their communities.

In summary:

• A review of East Lothian Partnership's work has found communities are safer, have more access to support to care and are more financially resilient
• The East Lothian Partnership brings together a wide range of bodies to plan local services
• A new Partnership plan will be published this Spring focused on tackling health, safety and poverty

Established in law

Established in law as statutory bodies, Community Planning Partnerships bring together public organisations and communities to identify priorities and plan services. The East Lothian Partnership brings together a wide range of local agencies including East Lothian Council, Police, NHS, Fire Service and voluntary sector to address poverty and inequality. Its work is aligned with the council's vision for an even more prosperous, safe and sustainable county with a dynamic and thriving economy that allows people and communities to flourish.

A review of the group's key achievements in 2024/25 highlighted the benefits of this collective approach including:

• vital support for people living with dementia and their carers at the Musselburgh Meeting Centre. Regular sessions and peer support improved carers' wellbeing while encouraging an inclusive and compassionate approach to dementia in the wider community
• early work to tackle emerging issues on police incidents, fires and antisocial behaviour, and to provide multi-agency support to tackle wider issues where needed, such as supporting a resident after a fire at their home where mental health and substance issues were present
• among other cases an advice consortium supporting people with financial issues helped one local person write-off £72,000 on a mortgage shortfall that was being pursued despite the property being repossessed 11 years earlier

Each of these examples involved a group of agencies working together to provide joined-up support.

Health, safety and poverty

The Partnership is in the final stages of preparing its 2026-2036 Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP). Following extensive engagement health, safety and poverty emerged as the top issues affecting people in East Lothian which has resulted in the new plan adopting Money Matters, Keeping Safe and Living Well as its key themes.

Speaking on behalf of the East Lothian Partnership, East Lothian Council's Cabinet member for Community Wellbeing Councillor Colin McGinn said: "While a partnership approach makes sense from a resource perspective, it also reflects the realities of the issues we are dealing with. For example, poverty impacts physical and mental health, housing stability and educational attainment. It's complex and not something one agency can solve in isolation.

"The East Lothian Partnership's Annual Review highlights the benefits of this multi-agency approach and the positive results for local people, helping them to be healthy, happy and secure in their communities. I am pleased that this work will continue through the new Local Outcomes Improvement Plan with all partners playing their part to make a difference for East Lothian."

Find out more

Find out more about the East Lothian Partnership