North Ayrshire CPP – podcast transcript .
I’m here with John Baillie, chair of the Accounts Commission to talk about a new report on North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership. 
John, can you tell me what this report is all about?
Well, community planning partnerships were set up ten years ago to bring together councils, health boards and other public, business and voluntary bodies to sit down together to tackle complex problems in the local community.
North Ayrshire got off the mark earlier than the rest of the country – this was back in 2000. This report is one of three pilot areas we looked at to help get a national overview of where community planning is now.
These partnerships deal with real nitty gritty problems which matter to people – reducing crime, how schools are doing, providing jobs, joining up health and social care, and reducing social and health inequalities.
So how has the North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership doing?
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag and North Ayrshire isn’t unusual in that respect. There is a lack of evidence that community planning partnerships across Scotland have made an impact on deep-seated problems such as reducing health inequalities. And they have not met the ambitious goals set for them.
North Ayrshire has particular problems – as one of the five most deprived local authority areas in Scotland. And it has made good progress in working together in some areas such as community safety and employment skills programmes. 
And where can it improve?
Well, on the plus side, North Ayrshire knows where it needs to improve but this is also where the wider picture comes into play. There is a strong drive now at national level for change.
Community planning in Scotland really does stand at a crossroads. There is now a real opportunity to seize the nettle and make it work effectively. The Scottish Government and councils are keen on this but it will need strong and sustained leadership and support from them to deliver it.
It’s not going to be easy in North Ayrshire or anywhere else. There is this opportunity now to establish a new system enabling partnerships to make a real difference on the ground. This requires fundamental changes in culture, shifting mainstream resources and seeing the wider benefit of necessary changes to make it work. And it is in that context, there are signs that North Ayrshire has a good solid foundation to build on. 
What do you want to see happen next?
Well, the review sets out the many challenges that lie ahead.  It is now up to the council council and its partners and the government to make effective community planning a reality.  And it they do succeed, I think North Ayrshire and indeed the other communities around Scotland will feel the benefit. 
John, thank you very much.