On December 13 Chief Medical Officer Harry Burns and others addressed an event organised by the Scottish Government in partnership with Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and Long-Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS) intended to initiate an Assets Alliance Scotland. Such an Alliance could encompass all who are interested in working in an assets enhancing way – from the public, private and community and voluntary sectors. Preliminary briefings for the event explained:

“While key components of the ‘assets approach’ – recognising that individuals and communities are part of the solution, working with people rather than viewing them as passive recipients of services, and empowering people to control their future – underpins the way many of us operate, there is a continual need to improve, learn and challenge what we are doing. This is about more than physical assets. We all need to identify and tap into the inner and innate assets of individuals and communities, so communities and local people can generate local solutions to local problems. In doing so we will improve people’s health and wellbeing, life chances, capacities and skills, and general aspirations”.

Options for the future form of an Alliance were left open on the day, but SCDC and its partners will be taking this work forward. One participant’s account