Highland Councillors have backed a fresh reset of the Highland Outcome Improvement Plan (HOIP) for 2024-2027, setting the stage for strategic actions to build a thriving, resilient Highlands.
With the world in flux since Covid-19, alongside cost-of-living pressures and public-sector funding challenges, Highland’s updated plan reflects the region’s changing needs and priorities.
Councillors on the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee praised the HOIP’s forward-thinking reset, and committee chair, Councillor David Fraser, expressed his support, calling it a key step to “deliver better outcomes in their communities” through strengthened and strategic community planning.
The plan, developed by the Community Planning Partnership, outlines three key pillars—People, Place, and Prosperity—to drive progress across critical areas and improve local outcomes.
The People priority seeks to empower residents to live independently, safely, and with a sense of wellbeing in their communities.
Place focuses on supporting sustainable, resilient local areas, while Prosperity aims to create economic opportunities that benefit people and places across Highland.
The action plan encompasses a series of targeted themes, each aimed at addressing specific needs and challenges in the region.
Themes include connecting people and places, whole-family approaches, employment, community wealth-building, housing, and shared commissioning practices to improve service efficiency.
Notably, the HOIP outlines steps to deliver multi-generational childcare models, which aim to support families, counter depopulation, and boost community access to services locally.
Underpinning each thematic area, the plan assigns a Chief Officer as a sponsor, tasked with overseeing implementation and ensuring resources are effectively aligned to maximise impact.
Progress will be monitored and reported regularly to the Community Planning Partnership Board, with an annual report to the Council scheduled for June.
Councillors have endorsed this renewed HOIP, recognising its potential to bring a positive shift across the Highlands.
The full 2024-2027 Highland Outcome Improvement Plan, along with its action plan, is available for public view under item 9 on the Council’s Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee agenda from 13 November.
This reset HOIP marks a step forward in securing a brighter, more inclusive future for Highland’s communities, with clear action paths for shared prosperity and wellbeing.
