The Scottish Government wants to partner with Scottish councils and others to deliver 20 minute neighbourhoods in Scotland. Its intent to do so is included in the 2020-21 Programme for Government and many places in Scotland do seem to have the building blocks needed to become 20 minute neighbourhoods. However the same is also true of many other communities globally – and yet few have so far succeeded. So what does it take to move from just proposing 20 minute neighbourhoods to really delivering them on the ground in Scotland?

This conference will take place online.

Every public sector body wants and needs satisfied service users. People happy with the services they receive attach value to both the services and the organisation delivering them. However a negative experience can mean service users have toxically different views from the producer’s perception. Left unaddressed, complaints become grievances which cost time, money and potentially severe reputational damage. So what should organisations do to develop positive relationships with their service users? Is your service protecting itself effectively by valuing service users, fostering person-centred engagement and then intervening fast and well when complaints arise?

Online

Scotland’s care system is in desperate need of overhaul - capacity, funding, staffing and quality of care are all stretched beyond limits. The Scottish Government wants to address these challenges by creating a Scottish National Care Service. The proposals now cover adult, child, justice, substance misuse and some mental health services. And this new service would be accountable to Ministers. Is this the right approach, what exactly is being proposed, what would it mean for the delivery and quality of care services and what are the implications for your organisation?

Online

Achieving Net Zero will require big investment in sustainable infrastructure and services. It will mean new approaches to how communities are planned and function. It also demands very substantial change in consumer behaviour. However, while public concern about climate change is now at its highest level, this has not resulted in large scale changes in citizen and consumer behaviour. There is a wide gap between wanting to do our bit, but not doing enough. How therefore can consumers get from anxious to active? How can companies and organisations better drive - and be driven by - transformational consumer behaviour?

Online

Everyone wants to be able to be able to motivate, focus and present themselves as effectively as possible in any situation, both in person and online. Being able to do so directly affects how we are perceived at work and is also important for personal relationships. However,  most of us have found ourselves wishing we could just ‘get our act together’ at one time or another. The desire to make yourself seen, clearly heard and understood can often be inhibited. Sometimes that can be due to uncertainty about what you want to say. At other times the challenge is not what you want to say but how to convey it. Therefore, understanding how to unlock your confidence, positivity and self-belief is an essential tool in setting and reaching professional and personal goals.

Online

Scottish Government, councils, education departments, schools, teachers and third sector bodies all want to deliver real progress in tackling poverty and attainment. However its scale, nature and shape has worsened during pandemic. Everything that was already difficult is now more complex and more deeply seated. How therefore do we move forward? This conference will set out the strategic picture we now face, discuss the emerging evidence of what has been happening on the ground and give insight into effective interventions.

Online

By 2050 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Scotland’s urban places have mountains of data but also infinite demand for services, living spaces and economic activity. Placemaking is one obvious answer to making more sustainable, rational decisions on where and how we live. COP 26 showed that without change, many communities globally will die and others everywhere face a dismal future. However public bodies, private companies and our people all act separately. Individual plans, decisions and actions often work against each other. Left untouched we will make poorer decisions, storing up problems for the future rather than placemaking better ways of living now. Therefore, we need to collect and harness valuable data to see the true picture of how our urban spaces are working and being used. That in turn needs to inform joined-up decision making to make better, viable, sustainable places. The question is, how do we achieve that?

Online

Planners, developers and communities are anxious to secure a well-balanced national planning framework for Scotland through NPF4.  However, no final decisions have yet been made and Scottish Government continues developing policy proposals with stakeholders.  This webinar explores the key themes emerging from the NPF4 development process and explores what all stakeholders need to know about what is coming next.

Online

This conference – the 8th annual care of older people in Scotland conference – focuses on the core challenges facing care delivery for older people in the time of COVID and beyond. It examines the care of older people after pandemic and how we empower older people and value the care workers supporting them. It looks at what we need to do to get it right on frailty and pharmacy to drive up quality of life for older people. It is intended for all people and organisations involved in the care of older people in Scotland.

Online

Organisations in the public, private and third sectors all need to be able to communicate effectively with government and MSPs.  Often that communication can go badly due to misunderstanding of how government and MSPs work.  In a post pandemic world many voices will be seeking to influence what happens next.  Will yours be heard?

Online