New approach to public service

An innovative approach to public service delivery was piloted in north Ayr last week.

From February 19- 23, the council and its partners including NHS Ayrshire & Arran, South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership,

Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue and the voluntary sector came together to deliver local services right in the heart of the local community.

It made it more easier for people to access the services they need.

Our People, Our Place saw the partners using Newton Primary and Ayr Academy as local community hubs where a wide range of drop- in services, as well as targeted support, were available to families and individuals.

Drop- in services including benefits support, employability and skills, health and wellbeing, housing support, mental health support for young people, and social work were available at the schools at various times throughout the week.

The week finished off with a marketplace on the Friday afternoon where all the partners and services will be available – including private one- to- one discussions – alongside a free community café.

Council leader Douglas Campbell, said: “The creation of local community hubs sits at the heart of our programme for governance.

“This was all about making it as easy as possible for people to access the help and support they need close to home and in a place they’re familiar with, rather than having to travel to central offices or waiting for an appointment.

“By putting services right at the heart of the community, we also want to encourage people who may be less inclined to engage with support services to take advantage of what’s on offer and reap the benefits of accessing that support.”

“We’ll then use the feedback from this pilot to inform our next steps as we work to expand Our People, Our Place across South Ayrshire.”