The East Lothian Partnership includes East Lothian Council, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, charity organisations and education providers. Its first East Lothian Poverty Plan 2021-2023 was a key part of the county’s aim to build back better from the pandemic.

Ahead of presenting its updated version for 2024-2028, the East Lothian Partnership carried out a year-long period of engagement including online surveys, focus groups, consulting with lived experience groups including young people, sessions dedicated to specific themes such as gender, disability and childcare.

They heard of the significant impacts poverty is having on the lives of people in the county. This includes on their wellbeing, confidence and sense of worth. Respondents described how they were often faced with difficult choices including whether to heat their home or eat a meal. Their responses and the experiences they shared have directly shaped the new plan and its priorities.

Cabinet member for Community Wellbeing Councillor Colin McGinn said: “Poverty is about more than a simple lack of money. It is forced upon people through complex circumstances. It affects health and wellbeing and takes away people’s choices to live their lives to the fullest. The Poverty Plan sets out how, working together, the East Lothian Partnership will give back to people the ability to make their own choices.”

The plan’s main objectives, in line with those set out by the Scottish Government, focus on increasing people’s income and creating resilient communities that are ready for the future. The plan prioritises actions that will ensure:

• a supply of good quality jobs that pay fairly and supporting people to gain the skills and training needed to find and maintain work, in secure, flexible jobs
• residents get enough money from benefits, supporting people to claim the income that they are entitled to and provide support with the cost of living
• residents have good life with access to the essentials – housing, good health, quality food and a resilient community. This will prioritise a preventative approach to homelessness, hunger and health inequalities caused by poverty
• East Lothian is climate change ready by taking preventative action to protect and support communities from the effects of climate change

Community consultation also highlighted that how services are delivered is as important as what they hope to achieve. This includes ensuring those making budget decisions understand the impacts of poverty on local people, offering services in a way that is approachable, discreet and offers dignity, and understanding the impact of trauma and poverty on people accessing support.

The importance of strong, effective partnership working is embedded within the plan with a joint commitment to find tailored solutions that work for East Lothian’s communities.

Councillor McGinn added: “This new plan has been developed following wide public and stakeholder consultation on our previous plan and what it has achieved. This is so important as we know that, due to a number of factors including the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, poverty in East Lothian is rising.

“I’d like to say thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation, particularly those people who shared their own experiences of living in poverty. The choices you’re forced to make and the limits you have to live within shouldn’t be happening in this day and age and in our area. We have listened to what you have told us and included it in our actions. We and our Partnership will continue our work to create a poverty-free East Lothian that will benefit you and all our communities.”

A detailed action plan with activities will be published in due course.