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Community Planning is about bringing a wide range of groups together in partnership to achieve shared aims and objectives.

The East Lothian Community Planning Partnership was established in 1999, bringing together a range of agencies in partnership “Working together for a better East Lothian”.

Drawing together communities and agencies that deliver services such as health services, the police and the local authority as well as the voluntary and business sectors, the ELCPP aims to use all of this experience to improve the standard of living in East Lothian. A Community Plan covering 10 years provides the bias of our joint working, focusing on enhanced service delivery, clear joint working mechanisms and the active participation of communities. 

The partnership aims to do this by;

• working together
• sharing clear and realistic objectives
• sharing of information
• prioritising tasks
• encouraging community involvement

This is how the ELCPP works:

Community Plan
Overarching document covering a 10-year period, outlining a shared commitment to joint working and key targets linked to all partner organisations. A shared joint vision is key to this and is based, in part to the 2020 vision for East Lothian

Priority Areas
Within the 10-year Community Plan it has been agreed that the partnership make efforts to concentrate on particular priority areas over shorter time frames – 2/3 years. These priorities are to be determined via community involvement in selecting areas for concentration from partner agency commitments.

Community Planning Implementation Group
An overseeing, strategic group established to signpost work within the Partnership – with a work plan based on priority areas. Membership to be draw from key partners, elected members and affiliated groups attached to priority areas. The CPIG is to be chaired by the Chief Executive and will have expanded, thematic sessions during the ELCPP yearly cycle to draw in a wider range of partners/affiliated groups. Links national, regional and local level issues via membership and work plan.

Task Groups
Established by the CPIG to take forward specific, time limited, outcome based tasks. Membership to be drawn from affiliated groups.

Affiliated Groups
Existing groups/partnerships/forums/networks already taking forward outcome based activity such as, the community safety forum, the East Lothian Learning Partnership, COGs, Health Promotion Network. Linked to the CPIG via the Community Plan, annual reporting, communication mechanisms and co-opted membership to the CPIG based on priority areas.Key element is the production of a database of all groups to enable targeted communication and effective membership of Task Groups.

Local Level
Mapping of local level and building on current systems such as the TSIP structures in Tranent and the LMSG in Prestonpans. Also a link to the Patient Participation Forums to be established by the CHP, Community Councils, Tenants and Residents Panels.

Communication Mechanisms
Clear, well defined communication mechanisms, regular newsletters, accessible information, well defined and productive information sessions.

At the Heart of the ELCPP is the East Lothian Community Planning Implementation Group (CPIG) which has been established to oversee community planning in East Lothian. The first meeting of the CPIG is due to take place on 14 February 2006.