TranslateOur Approach
We want to make sure people have a clear understanding of North Ayrshire Council’s operations, priorities and challenges and recognise the Council as a reputable and innovative local authority.
We will communicate with those who matter the most - the people, partners and communities we serve, the people we employ and those we do business with. By facilitating conversations and actively encouraging feedback, we will help shape future service transformation and improve service delivery.
All our communications activities are fully aligned to support the delivery of the North Ayrshire Council Plan, ensuring our key audiences and stakeholders have a shared understanding of North Ayrshire Council’s vision, values, ambitions and performance.
Our Standards
The style and standard of our communications reflects the culture of our Council and reveal who we are, what we value and our direction of travel - these are detailed within our Media Protocol.
All communications issued by the Council – both internal and external – are:
- Open and honest – Plain talking and direct as well as truthful and factual
- Timely – Up-to-date information communicated regularly, consistently and quickly
- Clear and concise – Easy to understand and jargon free
- Accessible – Easy to access through online and traditional channels
- Relevant – Targeted at the needs of the intended audience
- Inclusive – Designed to encourage and value discussion and feedback, with information available in formats suitable for people with disabilities and in a variety of languages
Our Core Principles
We will be driven by the following principles which will frame how we work and prioritise what we do:
- Digital by default – placing the strongest emphasis of our work on digital and social media activity. This increases efficiency, reduces costs and is environmentally friendly. Acknowledging the diversity of our population, a range of communications methods are deployed to reach all our audiences, including those with limited or no digital access
- Insight-driven – based on what we know our customers and stakeholders want
- Focused on audiences rather than policies
- Fully evaluated – so that we can tell what is working well and what needs to be improved
- Innovative – continually reviewing and testing our approach to ensure we deliver the right message, at the right time, in the right format
- Collaborative – working with internal and external partners to foster a culture of shared understanding and collective goals
Our Corporate Communications offering
Marketing Campaigns
Our multi-media marketing campaigns are recognised for their visual impact, sharp design, clear and compelling messaging and plain language. They reinforce the Council’s vision and mission and align with Council Plan priorities. They build awareness of Council policy and decisions and promote Council services. Each strategic campaign is evaluated for impact against objectives, using a range of analytic tools, with the results fed back to services to inform future work.
We are committed to ensuring that corporate communications materials are inclusive and available in a variety of formats that meet the needs of the intended audiences.
Our team designs graphics for social media, web and print. We create engaging videos from storyboarding and script writing to filming, voice overs, editing and subtitling. We take high quality photography at media calls and other Council events. This multi-faceted service allows us to showcase the diversity of people and work that takes place in our area.
Our team is also the custodians of the Council brand and ensures all marketing and communication materials and channels maintain a consistent brand identity that reflects the council’s values, leadership role and tone of voice.
Social Media and Digital Communications
Our digital channels form the backbone of our communications offering. They are easily the most effective, economical, and efficient means of sharing information and engaging with wide audience groups. Since we began our social media journey in 2009, we have built up a substantial social media audience and now directly engage with around £64,000 users across our corporate Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, What’s App and X accounts.
We continue to diversify the platforms we use and are alert to the shifting social media landscape that we encounter. We will continue to review and monitor the performance of our channels and adapt our offering when necessary. Our evidence-based Social Media Management Plan document sets out how each of our six corporate channels delivers targeted messaging which meets the needs of our distinctive audience profiles.
We support Services to create their own accounts where there is a clear need and have created a strong family of social media accounts across the Council providing best practice, advice and guidance.
Media Relations
We have sound relations with the media, founded on the principles of fairness and honesty, which allow us to rigorously promote and protect the Council’s reputation. We provide a full proactive media service - producing a constant flow of media releases and photocalls for local, regional, national and sectoral/specialist media outlets.
And we also offer a full reactive media service - responding to incoming media inquiries, ensuring that they are answered accurately, factually and timeously, reflecting the Council’s position.
Our Team provides public relations services for the Ayrshire Growth Deal, Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy and the shared Economic Development Service, which includes writing partnership press releases, organising media calls, event and conference support, social media content including videography and photography and copywriting for brochures and web.
VIP Visits and Corporate Events
Our team is responsible for providing communications support for all Council events, organising photocalls, issuing press releases, filming and photography and managing publicity and marketing materials for all Council services including the Provost’s Civic and Ceremonial events.
Filming requests
With a stunning coastline and breathtaking scenery, North Ayrshire is one of the most scenic locations across Britain. As such, we welcome requests to film on land owned by the Council. These range from small scale student films to larger productions involving dozens of crew, actors and vehicles. Working alongside colleagues from services such as Legal, Estates, Roads and Streetscene, we make arrangements to allow the production to take place, bringing positive exposure to North Ayrshire. As part of the filming approval process, we ensure that the production will not damage the reputation of the Council or the area, while also ensuring minimum inconvenience for neighbours.
We have introduced a charging schedule, with a sliding scale for commercial operators starting from £100, which covers the administrative costs of facilitating film crews, while retaining cost-free permits for filming which demonstrate educational or news value.
Emergency Communications
Local authorities have a statutory duty to warn and inform the public during significant incidents such as severe weather. In times of crisis, it is vital that the public and staff are provided with timely information to minimise impacts and support recovery.
Our on-call media service operates around the clock every day of the year to provide crisis communications support in the event of emergency situations. This involves: liaising with journalists to ensure accurate information is provided to media outlets; posting news alerts on our social media channels and website to provide service updates: giving advice and signposting to partner agencies, providing Elected Member briefings; and issuing staff alerts to ensure employee safety.
Our ‘Civil Contingencies Media & Communications Plan’ sets out how we work with multi-agency partners to communicate with the public and other stakeholders during a major incident to provide information in a transparent and accountable way. It is designed to help ensure that co-ordinated, accurate, consistent and trusted information is provided at all times.
Internal Communications
Every member of staff must understand their role as representatives of the Council and how their interactions with our customers help form that person’s impression and opinion of the whole organisation, a task ever more important since the introduction of the ‘No Wrong Door’ approach.
Our workforce can only fulfil their responsibilities if they have a clear understanding of the Council’s plans and how their work contributes to these priorities.
That’s why we place such high importance on getting our internal communications with staff right. We have a suite of channels we use to regularly communicate with staff and elected members, which comprise:
- weekly News in Brief emails
- quarterly Spotlight online magazine, highlighting how the work being delivered across Services contributes towards the priorities of the Council Plan
- our Staff News website, accessible for all employees whether in-office or based remotely
- North Ayrshire News, a dedicated quarterly newsletter for Elected Members ensuring they are kept up-to-date with service information
- our weekly media round-up which allows elected members, chief officers and locality officers to see the local stories we have been promoting or press inquiries we have responded to. It also highlights the best performing social media posts
Insight and Evaluation
We need to be able to show clear links between the communications activity we undertake and the difference this makes to the lives of North Ayrshire’s people and communities. This is why we monitor and evaluate all the work we carry out, sharing this intelligence with Services. This allows us to demonstrate impact and provides insight for continual improvement in the Communications offering we provide.
Highlights from 2025 to 2026
Corporate Social Media Platforms
Our corporate social media platforms continue to grow steadily and attract new followers:
- Over 12.4 million impressions across all corporate social media channels
- 3,331 new follows
- 728,786 engagements
Internal communications
Staff are kept informed through our Staff News website and via our weekly News in Brief update:
- 143,795 unique page views on Staff News
- 45,089 unique page views on News in Brief
- 6,167 unique page views on Spotlight quarterly online magazine
Press and Media Inquiries
The Media and Internal Communications Team continue to provide an efficient media service:
- 333 proactive press releases
- 301 press inquiries
- 14 filming requests
Communications Team Priority Campaigns
The Communications Team have developed content to highlight the four Council Priorities: Wellbeing, Climate Change, Sustainable Council and Communities & Local Democracy. The approach focuses on promoting positive community stories and giving 'real' people a voice. So far, the team have already issued three features and intend to spotlight one Priority Campaign per month in different localities for the coming months.
The Dirrans Centre in Kilwinning, which is run by the HSCP. This showcased the difference staff are making to people's lives and features three service users in the video.
Engagements: 21, Video views: 4,891
Education officers from the STEM and Digital Learning team visiting the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) in Irvine with pupils from 13 schools, showing we are providing inspiring learning opportunities and future-proofing a skills pipeline for the STEM sector.
Engagements: 29, Video views: 10,851
Community engagement, demonstrating that we have a participation and engagement framework that ensures opportunities and support for residents of all ages to take part in influencing local democracy and Council and partner strategies.
Engagements: 15, Video views: 1,929
Key activities for 2025 to 2026
Our Communications activity has been aligned to support the delivery of the Council Plan and its four priorities. The sections below set out our strategic communications activities for the year and how we aim to position the Council’s priorities with our key stakeholders.
To achieve net-zero by 2030.
Key Communications Activity
Implement a programme of case studies which highlights the work undertaken to deliver the Climate Change priority focussing on energy, nature, transport, waste and adaptation.
Continue to promote how we empower community groups and our young people through community-led low-carbon initiatives across North Ayrshire
Highlight additional workshops offered by our Business Development Team to help businesses cut carbon and adopt circular economy practices through our successful Net Zero Accelerator Programme.
Develop and implement a communications plan to support the introduction of changes to kerbside bin collection frequencies for recyclable materials.
Communicate the importance that nature and biodiversity play in climate change. Promote the progress of North Ayrshire’s Nature Network and our Tree Planting Strategy. Highlight the work being undertaken to deliver the commitment to plant 108,000 trees by 2030.
Promote the benefits of our growing active and sustainable travel network, the significant expansion of the EV charging network across Ayrshire and progress towards decarbonisation of the Council fleet.
Support the introduction of a new litter, fly tipping & dog fouling strategy, to encourage action towards positive behaviour change within our communities.
Provide support for the introduction of a new Road Safety Plan.
Highlight the significant investment and positive impact to residents and businesses on Millport as the final elements of the flood protection scheme concludes with the works at Millburn.
Promotion of the journey to become a circular economy where we maximise reuse, recycle, repair and recovery of resources.
Report on climate change policy decisions, milestone moments in project delivery, promote support schemes to tackle fuel poverty and help with energy efficiency and promote changes to service delivery, including schools and carbon literacy training.
What Climate Change looks like for us
- Engaged communities and businesses playing their part in contributing to the Council’s journey to become net zero.
- Public awareness of the activities and actions the Council is carrying out to reduce its carbon emissions.
- Residents informed about how to access help and support to become greener and alleviate fuel poverty.
- Encouraging behaviour change for businesses and communities to make active and informed choices about reducing waste, minimising carbon footprints and becoming nature positive.
- Showcasing civic leadership in helping to drive down area-wide emissions such as delivering a sustainable construction programme, building green and active transport networks and supporting climate conscious communities.
To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivery prosperity, wellbeing, and resilience for local people.
Key Communications Activity
Implement a programme of case studies which highlights the work undertaken to deliver the Wellbeing priority.
Promotion of the capital investment programme comprising:
- the educational estate including the Ardrossan Community Campus and investment to help deliver free school meals
- the Council’s ambitious house building and improvement programme
- infrastructure projects including AGD projects such as i3 Flex space and Great Harbour, upgrades to the B714 and other road improvements, street lighting, flood protection works, bridges and active travel projects and
- investment into open spaces including play parks, cemeteries, war memorials, playing fields, residential greenspace, promenades and beaches.
Continue to promote the work of the CHES partnership as it develops and delivers place-based tests of change, in particular three programmes: “Good Start" for children and families in Irvine; "Good Jobs" for employability in The Three Towns and "Good Health" for better lives in The Garnock Valley.
Lead strategic communications across Ayrshire in promoting the Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy including the work of the new North - East Ayrshire shared service). Develop and launch an Ayrshire Region website which promotes the sectoral strengths of the area through case studies and success stories and acts as a key resource for stakeholders and partners.
Work in partnership to support and promote the legacy of 5GIR and the ongoing Ayrshire Digital Economy Ecosystem including the Impact Report and Digital Innovation Accelerator results.
Lead strategic media communications for the Ayrshire Growth Deal focussing on key events, milestone moments and benefits realisation.
Working in partnership across Ayrshire, support and deliver place promotion including North Ayrshire’s visitor and tourism offering, showcasing the area’s attractions and featuring our unique natural assets.
Support engagement with communities to inform the preparation of the proposed Local Development Plan (LDP3), focused specifically on the assessment of the Call for Ideas submissions.
Promote North Ayrshire’s inward investment offering, highlighting the progress being made in regeneration and place-based delivery programmes, including the Pride in Place Programme and targeted Pride in Place Impact fund.
Promote the commercial property and land available to purchase or let to maximise our assets.
Promote the employability supports in place for businesses and residents and ensure North Ayrshire is recognised as a fair work economy.
Promote pupil achievements throughout their education journey and report progress against national attainment levels and leaver destinations figures. Promote exam day results celebrating success and offering support routes.
Highlight the opportunities offered through lifelong learning and skills training pipelines, particularly in relation to sectors of economic strength for Ayrshire.
Provide communications support for the Health and Social Care Partnership to ensure information is provided to those in most need.
What Wellbeing looks like for us
- Pioneers of Community Wealth Building.
- Advocates for an inclusive, wellbeing economy which works for people and planet.
- The place where businesses are supported to grow and prosper. Attractive places and spaces for companies, communities, and visitors.
- Delivering a £324 million capital investment programme which drives forward regeneration of our communities and creates the right conditions for sustainable economic growth and a wellbeing economy.
- Championing a lifelong learning approach with clear career pathways and positive destinations where everyone has the opportunity to play their part in building a prosperous North Ayrshire.
- Clear signposting routes are promoted to encourage the uptake of entitlements and benefit supports available to alleviate cost-of-living pressures.
- Residents most in need of support have clear routes to access health and wellbeing services.
We will have active, inclusive and resilient communities.
Key Communications Activity
Implement a programme of case studies which highlights the work undertaken to deliver the Communities and Local Democracy priority.
Support work which reinforces safety messaging and showcases the work being carried out to protect our communities in relation to trading standards, antisocial behaviour, gender-based violence, road safety, fire safety and the Safer Shores summer safety campaign.
Continue to raise awareness of the array of work being undertaken by Council services to tackle child poverty and the cost-of-living, revealing the impact this work delivers to communities. Continue the Council’s active support of Challenge Poverty Week.
Continue to support the principle and process of Community Asset Transfers and the benefits of locally-based community ownership showcasing achievements and successes.
Support the five year refresh of the Arran and Cumbrae Island Plans promoting the actions and outcomes.
Continue to promote the wide range of arts, cultural and heritage experiences North Ayrshire has to offer residents and visitors.
Support the nomination and election process for the forthcoming MSYP elections in November.
Promote the variety of place-based community grants, to maximise uptake and further empower communities to grasp the opportunity of doing things for themselves.
Support and promote youth voice events including the Youth Conference, Joint Youth Forum, Joint Cabinet, Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Welcome to your Vote week.
Ensure our communications are inclusive and actively support all residents including our young people, care experienced, new Scots, refugees, elderly, vulnerable and those with protected characteristics.
Develop a series of features and case studies which demonstrate our Council’s continued commitment to the UNCRC, working across all services to ensure young people’s rights, youth voice and participation are at the forefront of everything we do.
Highlight the ongoing progress in delivering the Community Learning and Development Plan 2024-2027.
Promote the National Year of Reading and the events and activities that are in place across North Ayrshire.
Promote the annual Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, those theme this year is Reflections.
Following the refresh of the National Library Plan share how our work locally supports the ambitions of the National Plan.
What Communities and Local Democracy looks like for us
- Easily accessible and user-friendly public services.
- Showcasing best practice and highlighting the inspirational work that empowered local communities are carrying out.
- Demonstrating community wealth building in action delivering real results for local communities.
- Active and vibrant cultural heritage scene for residents and visitors to enjoy.
- Informed communities who are aware of the signposting routes and channels to access local information for funding and other supports.
- Ensuring all residents have the opportunity to have their voices heard and can play an active role in contributing and participating in their communities.
A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources on our priorities.
Key Communications Activity
Promote and encourage people to use their vote and ensure residents are well informed about the election process. Develop a communications plan for the 2027 Scottish Local Government elections.
Support a programme of early budget engagement ensuring our approach is inclusive and we secure participation from as wide a demographic as possible.
Continue to participate in resilience and civil contingency training and exercising, to ensure that the Communications Team is well placed to respond to incidents and emergencies including weather related issues and is able to fulfil its statutory duty to warn and inform the public.
Continue to provide a suite of internal communication channels to ensure staff and elected members are well informed and kept up-to-date about council news.
Promote Council income opportunities including uptake of advertising on roundabouts and the council fleet, commercial waste, hall and venue rental and Eglinton Country Park dog park.
Review the introduction of our refreshed approach to processing filming requests, actively promote North Ayrshire as an outstanding filming destination with key national filming organisations and production companies.
Continued participation on the National Communication Group to share learning, best practice and discuss issues and opportunities facing Scottish Local Authorities.
Promote the Council as an employer of choice and raise awareness of the range and quality of vacancies the Council has on offer and employee benefits staff can access.
Continue to deliver a public campaign which advocates treating staff with respect and dignity and promotes the commitments set out in UNISON’s Violence at Work Charter recognising the importance of staff safety.
Develop a regular Leader’s Column to highlight Council policy in action.
Continue the series of staff and community engagement visits led by the Chief Executive to learn about the work the Council is carrying out in communities.
Provide daily updates and monitoring of the Council’s seven corporate social media accounts and continue support, guidance, and best practice updates for the Council’s networks of 120 social media accounts.
What a Sustainable Council looks like for us
- Delivering positive change and transformation to ensure our services are efficient and targeted towards priority areas.
- Clear evidence-based decision making which informs policy and draws on first-hand experiences of residents and communities.
- A good employer supportive of the living wage and fair employment practices.
- Well-managed and maintained customer communication channels, responsive to customers’ needs.
- Demonstrating innovation and best value by maximising the value of our assets.
Promotion of work that aligns with our visions, values and principles – our vision being that “All people who live in North Ayrshire are able to have a safe, healthy and active life”.
Key Communications Activity
Support Children’s Services to grow pathways of support for Care Experienced Children and Young People. This will include recruitment campaigns for Fostering, Supported Carers, Short Break Carers, and to promote events and interventions designed to support our Care Experienced Community, including the Boyle Street step-down model.
Updates on neuro developmental services, pathways and supports for Children and Adults, including the NEST service and new digital pathways.
Promotion around the official opening of the Foxgrove National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service, based at Ayrshire Central Hospital campus in Irvine.
Awareness raising campaign around new social care eligibility criteria from April 1.
Promotion around the new ADP Strategy and work of national and local missions to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths. This includes implementation of MAT Standards and access to Residential Rehabilitation services, as well as the work being done by local recovery groups and positive engagement actions led by North Ayrshire ADP in our schools and communities.
Recruitment promotion across services in the HSCP, particularly for difficult to fill roles and localities, as well as engagement and communication around service changes aligned to our proposals for 2026-27.
Promotion of the expansion of our moving and handling base at Castleview to offer an equipment and technology hub for staff, carers and members of the public, with the aim of supporting earlier intervention, greater independence and reduced reliance on traditional care packages.
Communications Outcomes for NAHSCP
- Promotion of strategies, projects, services and engagement opportunities that will help us to enable our North Ayrshire communities.
- Promotion of recruitment, training, policies, strategies, events and opportunities that will help us to develop and support our workforce and promote health and social care as a career path.
- Promotion of activities, projects, services and strategies that will help us provide early and effective support to North Ayrshire residents.
- Promotion of activities, projects, services and strategies that will help us to improve the mental health and physical health and wellbeing of North Ayrshire residents.
- Promotion of strategies, projects, services and engagement opportunities that will enable us to tackle inequalities in North Ayrshire.