The Edinburgh Partnership Board met to discuss the Service Delivery Review of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the third sector in Edinburgh, and the Edinburgh Partnership's work plan. They were also scheduled to discuss prevention terminology and the Living Well Locally scheme.

Edinburgh Partnership Workplan

The Edinburgh Partnership Board was scheduled to consider a report on the Edinburgh Partnership's Transformation and Improvement programme, incorporating the findings of a recent Improvement Service Community Planning Self-Assessment, and its implementation through three proposed core workstreams.

The report recommended adopting three workstreams for the Edinburgh Partnership:

• Ensuring that the governance, structure, reporting, administrative systems/tools and communication mechanisms are in place to support the EP.
• Progressing the objectives of the current Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and the development of Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships (NPPs).
• Developing a new LOIP for launch in 2028.

The report also recommended reinstating the Community Planning Support Team, with an initial commitment of one day per week of dedicated support from each of the partners with a statutory duty to support shared leadership and collective governance.

Improvement Service Community Planning Self-Assessment

The board was scheduled to note the findings of the recent Improvement Service National Community Planning Self-Assessment (CPSA), complete the re-opened IS CPSA survey by 7 October 2025, and participate in an Improvement Planning workshop facilitated by the IS during October/November 2025.

The self-assessment focused on the strategic board level and was based on the Public Service Improvement Framework Checklist Approach. The key aim of the self-assessment was to support the board in ensuring that the following areas of the self-assessment checklist are fit for purpose to achieve the outcomes of the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan:

• Shared Leadership
• Governance and Accountability
• Community Needs and Empowerment
• Effective Use of Joint Resources
• Reporting of Performance Management and Outcomes
• How the CPP is Making an Impact

Prevention Terminology

The board was scheduled to discuss a report providing an update on the development of shared definitions of prevention for the partnership.

The report noted that at a meeting on 12 June 2025, the Edinburgh Partnership Board agreed that it was important to have a single definition of prevention for the city, which all partners could use to guide their work and the collective work of the Partnership, given the Edinburgh Partnership's enhanced focus on prevention.

The report contained proposed definitions of prevention, early intervention and mitigation for use across the Edinburgh Partnership:

Primary Prevention Stopping problems happening in the first place. Primary Prevention addresses the root cause of poor outcomes and inequalities. Activities may focus on the general population (Universal) or a specific population (e.g. those with a protected characteristic). Activities may include strengthening the capacity of individuals and communities to prevent or reduce risk factors and build resilience. Early Intervention Reducing the negative impact of an emerging issue and/or stopping problems getting worse when they first occur. Activities seek to address emerging issues at an early stage, before they trigger a crisis response. Activities will likely focus on specific groups or vulnerable populations/individuals. Mitigation Managing issues/problems well, after they have arisen. Activities include intensive support services and potentially crisis support services as/ when required

The board was scheduled to direct the Chairs/Leads of the Strategic Partnerships to add a review of the proposed definitions to the agendas of their next Strategic Partnership meetings and provide feedback to the Community Planning Support Team, and to direct partners to share these proposed definitions with their respective leadership/membership and provide feedback to the CPST.

Living Well Locally/Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships

The board was scheduled to discuss a report providing an update on the progress of the Edinburgh Partnership Poverty Prevention Programme.

The report noted that the focus has been on creating the conditions to move the Living Well Locally work, particularly the establishment of Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships from strategy to delivery.

The report recommended agreeing to support establishing the initial NPPs in five areas: Pilton, Wester Hailes, Craigmillar, Restalrig/Lochend, Gracemount/Liberton.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: Service Delivery Review

The board was scheduled to receive information on the Service Delivery Review programme currently being progressed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The review aims to ensure that resources are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.

Within the SFRS City of Edinburgh Local Senior Officer Area, Crewe Toll Community Fire Station, Marionville Community Fire Station and Liberton Community Fire Station are affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete construction issues.

The change option configuration concerning the City of Edinburgh and surrounding area includes the following change option proposals:

• Closure of Marionville Community Fire Station and relocating the fire appliance and staff from that station to Newcraighall Community Fire Station.
• Closure of Musselburgh Community Fire Station and build a new fire station near Tranent that will have two fire appliances, one crewed by wholetime staff (relocated from Musselburgh) and one crewed by on-call staff.

Third Sector Review: Engagement Feedback and recommendations

The board was scheduled to consider engagement feedback and recommendations from a review of the third sector in Edinburgh.

Over a fourteen-week engagement period, there were around 239 participations in this work by third sector organisations, which included: 84 completed online surveys; 49 attendees at workshops hosted by third sector organisations in their buildings and facilitated by council colleagues; around 100 attendees at in-person and online meetings of existing networks of third sector and community organisations, with discussions facilitated by council colleagues; and 6 participants in individual or small group interviews.

The review noted that third sector organisations offer agility, person-centred service, trust, act as an information link, and offer lower costs.

The review also found that third sector organisations are experiencing a general reduction in the availability and reliability of funding from all sources, a decrease in volunteering in some areas, alongside higher expectations from prospective volunteers, and a period of high cost increases from general inflation, real living wage costs, and changes to national insurance.

The review also highlighted the one-year funding problem, where uncertainty for third sector organisations can, in extreme cases, lead to closure, and that in most cases it will lead to a loss of trained / qualified staff.

The review noted that the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has engaged with the third sector and since 2023 has advocated for what it calls Fair Funding of the sector, including funding for at least three years, funding that takes account of inflation and allows for a living wage, funding that is able to cover core costs, and monitoring/reporting that is proportionate to funding.

The review recommended assuming the financial risk for providing guarantees of longer-term funding for smaller third sector organisations, moving to three-year awards in most cases, giving consideration to real economic factors when making awards, avoiding any rolling funding arrangements, involving third sector organisations in discussions about future funding as early as possible, aiming to provide full cost recovery to meet any requests of the third sector not covered by an existing grant or contract, and using funds currently employed for one-year or in-year grant funding to address core staff and infrastructure costs instead of project costs.

Drug Harms Emergency Meeting

The board was scheduled to receive a verbal update on actions agreed at the Emergency Meeting of the Edinburgh Partnership Board on 11 July, following an increase in fatal and near fatal drug related deaths in the city.

The Drug Harms Emergency Meeting Background document noted that drug harms have been historically high in Scotland and Edinburgh, with 92 individuals sadly dying from drug related deaths in Edinburgh in 2024.

The document also noted that in June 2025, surveillance systems identified a localised increase in drug harms in central Edinburgh, associated with heroin and benzodiazepines potentially contaminated with synthetic opiates (nitazenes).

The document stated that at the Edinburgh Partnership Emergency Meeting further actions were proposed, including exploring opportunities for wider access to naloxone in the city, wider communications, further resourcing or outreach work and improved communication and reporting between the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership (EADP) and the Edinburgh Community Planning Partnership (ECPP).