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HSCP Strategic Plan Public Consultation
The West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (WDHSCP) has published a public consultation survey on its upcoming Strategic Plan for 2027-2032. Responses can come from anyone who lives in the West Dunbartonshire area and all answers will be anonymous. The survey is due to close on Monday the 30^th of November, at 9AM. You can find the survey link here. The data will help shape which priorities are chosen for the Strategic Plan. This will be published by the HSCP Board in early 2027.

Reforming Scotland’s local government
Scottish Government last week laid out proposals for a fundamental change in local government arrangements, replacing the current 32 local authorities with a smaller number of regional authorities, alongside a new tier of community authorities. This could reshape the delivery of public services, regional economic development and local democracy for decades to come. This Fraser of Allander podcast provides some important questions. Read more here

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026
Staying safe online isn’t about making one perfect decision. It’s about building habits and repeating them consistently in the small moments that happen every day. In doing this, we can all make life difficult for cybercriminals. Small actions make a big difference. We recommend starting with four easy steps anyone can take to boost their online safety:
– Use strong passwords or a passkey
– Turn on multifactor authentication
– Recognise and report scams
– Update your software
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is organised by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Local Place Plan Review
Scottish Government are doing a review of the effectiveness of Local Place Plans (LPPs) and the level of influence they are having. The review will also consider the resources available to support communities to prepare them. Scottish Government will report to the UK Parliament on the findings early next year. You can get involved by completing this survey before the end of October. They will also be holding online workshops on 22nd, 24th and 30th October. If you want to take part in a workshop, please contact chief.planner@gov.scot by Friday 16 October stating which workshop you would prefer to attend.

VIVA Awards: Open to Applications
The VIVA (Valuing Involvement and Volunteering Achievements) awards, organised by West Dunbartonshire CVS, will celebrate the unique contribution volunteers make across the authority. Submissions will be assessed by an independent judging panel, with three individuals or organisations shortlisted in each category. The Awards Ceremony will take place on December 2nd at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel. To find out more and to make a nomination go to our dedicated VIVA Awards page. Nominations will close on 14th October 2026.

Prevention under Pressure: the state of Community-led Health in Scotland
This report from Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing (SCHW) presents findings from engagement with Community-led Health Organisations (CHOs) across Scotland at a critical time for the sector. Participants reported unprecedented demand, increasing complexity, and crisis-level need alongside shrinking resources. Despite delivering vital support to thousands of people, often without public funding, they are frequently treated as non-essential. Download the report from the SCHW website