In a bid to address the nation’s most pressing social and health challenges, The Scottish Prevention Hub is pushing the boundaries of public service collaboration.

Led by Dr. Kristy Docherty, co-director of the Hub, the initiative unites key partners: the Edinburgh Futures Institute, represented by Dr. Docherty; co-director Clair Thomson, Collaboration Transformation Manager at Police Scotland; and Dr. Diane Stockton, Head of Clinical, Public Health Intelligence and Research at Public Health Scotland.

Over the past 18 months, the team has developed a new approach to policing that focuses on preventing harm and addressing vulnerability in the community.

According to Dr. Docherty, “around 85% of police calls are related to vulnerability, not crime. This shift in the nature of calls require police forces to realign themselves towards different modes of management and care – specifically, one that emphasises prevention and well-being.”

One of the key challenges for the Hub has been integrating traditionally siloed sectors within public services.

“We had to get the police out of their public estate, out of the police stations, and into Futures Institute to work alongside us,” said Dr. Docherty.

“The process was long and complex, mainly due to security concerns, but the partnership is now working collaboratively.”

Data and Insight Drive Change

A central element of the Scottish Prevention Hub’s work is the development of a common data platform for Scotland, which aims to provide near real-time data across sectors.

Dr. Docherty highlighted that the platform would help address the “interoperability of government systems,” and ensure that various organisations can share critical data efficiently.

However, the challenge isn’t just about data collection but also about storytelling – ie. Giving the opportunity to derive useful insight from data.

“It’s about how we represent the data in a way that’s relevant to organisations,” said Dr. Docherty.

“We’re working to reduce health and wellbeing inequalities, and we need to tell that story effectively.”

A key part of the initiative is building the capacity for collaboration across sectors, particularly in public service.

“This is relevant for all sectors, not just public services,” Dr. Docherty explained.

“The hub focuses on breaking down the cultural and systemic barriers that exist between sectors like police, health, education, and social services, all of which currently struggle to share data and coordinate their work.

“We believe that by working together, we can achieve better outcomes,” said Dr. Docherty.

“This is a public health approach to policing, where it’s not just about law enforcement but about how we address underlying societal issues.”

Addressing Broader Public Service Challenges

The hub also focuses on the integration of various forms of data – from education, housing conditions, to health records – to better understand the vulnerabilities children face.

“We are tracking children from conception through to age 18, integrating data from schools, health, and housing to identify risks early on,” Dr. Docherty stated.

The effort extends to public service reform. “We’re not just focusing on traditional leadership programmes,” said Dr. Docherty.

The health and wellbeing of the Scottish population is worsening. Most of Scotland’s Local Authority areas have seen a fall in life expectancy since 2017, and people are spending more of their lives in poor health with healthy life expectancy decreasing since 2014/15, according to (something missing)

Inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes across the life course are also worsening.

“This is about learning how to collaborate effectively within the workplace, and how to develop leadership skills in real-time.”

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As the initiative continues to build momentum, the Scottish Prevention Hub hopes to serve as a model for cross-sector collaboration and public service reform, working to improve health outcomes, address social inequalities, and reform the justice system.

Collaboration is complex – especially when public service organisations are involved. According to Dr. Docherty, we need to pay attention to collaborative leadership in practice and building the capability and capacity for the work.

Single organisations do not have all the answers, as generational harm cannot be undone easily. As such, wider partner involvement is essential – The Scottish Prevention Hub appears to be doing its very best to accommodate this.