Scottish Government Prevention Unit Plan

How we work

The Prevention Unit is a small team with a dual role: delivering a focused programme of work directly, while acting as a central point for connecting and supporting prevention activity across Scottish Government.

The Unit develops the tools, evidence, frameworks and strategic approaches needed to support prevention, working closely with policy and analytical teams to help embed these in decision-making, service design and investment processes. While the Unit leads the development of this infrastructure, delivery is shared across Scottish Government and its partners.

The Prevention Unit is also outward-facing and committed to working openly with partners across the public, third, private and academic sectors. External expertise, evidence and lived experience are essential to developing effective preventative approaches. To support this, the Unit maintains a dedicated presence on gov.scot and will continue to publish evidence, analysis, frameworks and other outputs that contribute to Scotland's prevention agenda.

The Unit also recognises the importance of wider networks that connect prevention activity across Scotland. In particular, the Unit will work closely with partners such as the Edinburgh Futures Institute Scottish Prevention Hub, helping to strengthen links between policymakers, researchers and practitioners, and ensuring that learning and innovation from across the system can inform policy and practice.