Scottish Government Prevention Unit: Areas of Shared Interest

The Areas of Shared Interest

The Prevention Unit's Areas of Shared Interest are set out in Figure 1. These topics have been identified as areas of strategic importance for addressing key prevention challenges in Scotland and where further research, evidence and collaboration could help support the shift towards a more preventative system. They align closely with priorities set out in the Public Service Reform Strategy and have emerged through ongoing engagement with a wide range of partners.

Connecting, Embedding and Delivering Prevention

Preventable Outcomes and Demand

1. Investing in Prevention

2. Person-Centred Services

3. Prevention Through Community

4. Prevention Over the Life Course

5. Working Across Silos (Public, Private and Third Sector)

These areas also reflect the key fundamental considerations of implementing effective prevention policy – that is:

1. Ensuring investment and flexible, multi-year funding that is increasingly aligned and coherent (Investing in Prevention)

2. Through population-wide action combined with targeted and proportionate support, ensuring the greatest focus and resource is directed towards those experiencing the greatest need and disadvantage (Person-centred Services)

3. Through communities shaping decisions, priorities and resources, and through place-based support rooted in local assets, strengths and relationships. (Prevention through Community)

4. Designed with respect to life stages and transitions (Prevention over the Life Course)

5. Co-designed with and delivered across a range of partners (Working across Silos - Public, Private and Third Sectors)

6. To address key drivers of public service demand and negative outcomes in Scotland (Preventable Outcomes and Demand). Note this is considered at the “centre” of the Areas of Shared Interest, given the focus on preventing harm, improving outcomes and reducing demand on public services. This has also been included as a separate Area of Shared Interest to reflect how research/ policy covering the other areas and combine to focus on key outcomes.

For each area, we provide a summary which sets out:

• Why we are interested in the topic - The importance of that topic to prevention and the transformative impacts of getting it right.
• Description of existing work contributing to the evidence in these areas - Who across the Scottish landscape is already doing work in these areas.
• Key shared research and policy questions - What the key analytical and policy questions that, if answered, could help build the impact of prevention. What the gaps are that need filled.
• A plan for informing strategy, budgets and delivery – how we plan to use shared insight in prevention strategy and delivery.