Annual performance spotlights
Connect outcome - Health and wellbeing
People live the healthiest lives possible
What communities told us:
- Isolation and poverty have a big impact on health and wellbeing
- Mental health is an issue that concerns many residents, especially as it affects children and young people
- Affordable and accessible activities – something for everyone whatever their ability or budget – are really important.
- Carers can feel isolated, undervalued and frustrated at the lack of opportunities to ‘make a better life’ for themselves and their families.
What success will look like:
- Increasing scores for resident life satisfaction, happiness and sense of purpose
- Improved life expectancy for males and females
- Increased number of people supported to live independently at home
Case study: Alcohol and Drug Problem Solving Court
The Pan Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Problem Solving Court commenced in December 2023 and is the product of a joint commitment by South Lanarkshire Council’s Justice Social Work and Hamilton Sheriff Court. Through a successful funding application from Corra via the Scottish Government’s Drugs Mission, Justice Services were able to create a Recovery Orientated Justice Social Work team with integrated nursing support and third sector support assistants with lived experience.
The problem-solving court provides people whose offending is directly linked to substance use the opportunity to be placed on a structured deferred sentence for six to nine months with the opportunity to engage with intensive support, medically assisted treatment and in-person support to wider recovery communities. This approach has the potential to transform the direction of national standards for the delivery of statutory orders across Scotland.
At the end of the period of intervention, the court retains the discretion to pass sentence in any manner that would have been appropriate at the time of conviction, but with the benefit of information from the supervising officer in relation to the period of deferral.
South Lanarkshire Justice Social Work services are passionate about supporting the reduction of these deaths and taking a public health approach to substance use in line with the Scottish Government’s National Mission and Changing Lives 2022 strategies. Through this dedication the ROJS team won the prestigious Scotsman’s Health Awards in the category of Integrated Care in November 2024.
