TranslateCollaboration for Health Equity in Scotland
The Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) is a partnership involving North Ayrshire, Public Health Scotland and the Institute of Health Equity. In North Ayrshire, the programme is called Good North Ayrshire. It helps communities, services, and partners work together to improve health and reduce unfair differences in people's health.
We are starting with focused work in Irvine, the Three Towns and the Garnock Valley. We will learn from what works and use this learning across North Ayrshire.
Good North Ayrshire
We want North Ayrshire to be a place where everyone can be born, grow, live, work, and age well.
Too many people in North Ayrshire live shorter lives and spend more years in poor health than people in many other parts of Scotland. Good North Ayrshire brings communities and organisations together to help change this.
Shaping our health
Our health is shaped by more than healthcare or the choices we make. It is also affected by the building blocks of everyday life, including early years, good jobs, safe and affordable housing, education, healthy food, and support from our communities. When these building blocks are missing, people are more likely to experience stress, poor health and fewer opportunities.
National CHES reports
The Institute of Health Equity has produced three national reports to help explain the scale and causes of health inequalities in Scotland and identify what needs to change. The three reports focus on:
- Health Inequalities in Scotland - this report shows how health and life expectancy vary across Scotland and within the three CHES areas
- Social Determinants of Health - this report highlights income, education, work, housing, communities and other parts of everyday life affect health
- A Fairer Healthier Scotland - this report focuses on the structural drivers of health inequalities in Scotland and sets out recommendations for national and local organisations.
The full suite of Institute of Health Equity reports can be found on the Institute of Health Equity’s website.
Latest updates
Good North Ayrshire is moving from listening and planning into practical action. Communities and local organisations have helped identify priorities for Good Start in Irvine, Good Jobs in the Three Towns and Good Health in the Garnock Valley.
Each workstream is now testing new ways to make support easier to access and better connected. This includes more joined-up help for families, stronger links between health and employment support, and community-based work to prevent ill health.
We will work with communities and partners to understand what difference these changes make. What works well can then be developed further or used in other parts of North Ayrshire.
The Institute of Health Equity has completed two studies specifically for North Ayrshire. Its post-pandemic analysis found that North Ayrshire and other more deprived council areas generally experienced steeper declines across many indicators than less deprived areas. Its funding assessment concluded that current resources are not sufficient to fully meet ambitions to reduce economic, social and health inequalities. These reports highlight the need for sustained national investment linked to local need and levels of deprivation. Public Health Scotland is also examining how deindustrialisation continues to affect health and wellbeing, and the importance of hope and community confidence in supporting lasting improvement. Together, this work will inform local priorities and discussions with national partners about prevention, funding and public service reform.
A tri-annual CHES newsletter is also published:
Good Start - Irvine
Good Start brings families, schools, nurseries, health services and local organisations together to improve support for children and families in Fullarton, Castlepark and Bourtreehill. More than 200 responses have been gathered through early learning and childcare settings, health visiting, immunisation services and community conversations. This feedback is shaping plans for better-connected family support.
A six-month health visiting pilot is under way in Bourtreehill and is expected to support around 30 families. It introduces an additional visit for all children at 18 to 20 months, helping health visitors and families identify needs and offer support earlier. For children with no identified developmental concerns, the four-year assessment will move to an opt-in approach.
Partners are also developing a family hub approach to make services easier for families to find and navigate. A cross-partner workshop will identify practical actions to progress this model. Learning from the pilot, community feedback and work with NESTA and CELCIS on pregnancy and early-years support will inform the next steps.
Good Jobs - Three Towns
Good Jobs brings local people, employers and services together to improve access to fair work in Ardrossan Central, Saltcoats Central and Stevenston Hayocks. Community feedback has highlighted barriers including poor health, concerns about moving into work and limited access to flexible, high-quality jobs.
A Microsoft Teams hub is being tested to help employment, health, advice, community and family-support services share updates, connect the right people and coordinate support. Discussions are also progressing on a pilot with a Three Towns GP practice to connect people experiencing ill health with employability support.
Partners are developing more routes into training, work experience and volunteering for young people, including earlier support through schools. Local employers are helping to explore a Good Jobs Charter that would promote good employment practice and create more opportunities for local people. A Better Off in Work campaign is also being developed to explain the practical benefits of employment and the support available.
Good Health - Garnock Valley
Good Health brings communities, health services and local organisations together to help people in the Garnock Valley stay well and get support earlier. The work focuses on preventing ill health and making support easier to access within local communities.
A recent community event at Dalry Primary School offered targeted health screening and practical sessions on CPR, mobility, walking aids and other health issues. People identified through GP lists were invited, helping reach those who may not routinely use prevention services. Further work is progressing on cancer and cardiovascular screening, muscle and joint health, and support for people with learning disabilities.
Partners are strengthening the Kilbirnie Recovery Hub and exploring whether this support could be extended to Dalry, with stronger links to housing and homelessness services. Community workshops have also explored the local food environment, while training is being developed to help community organisations provide more early support and take action on the wider issues affecting health.
Have your say
Local knowledge and experience help shape this work. We will share opportunities to take part and tell us what matters to you through this page. For more information, contact the Good North Ayrshire CHES team.