National Partnership for Culture recommendations: Scottish Government response

3. Health and Wellbeing

3.1 The Scottish Government should be charged with ensuring that culture is employed as a key part of delivering Health and Social Care priorities and contributing to an overall wellbeing economy.

This recommendation is in alignment with the Scottish Government's priority to develop a wellbeing economy and commitment to improve physical and mental wellbeing. This is outlined through the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (more information on Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation), which articulates a vision for Scotland of a wellbeing economy, thriving across economic, social and environmental dimensions.

There is significant work underway in this area across the Scottish Government, through programmes such as the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing fund (more information on the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund) for adults which has been allocated £21 million in 2021-22 and £15 million 2022-23. The Fund aims to promote wellbeing, mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and help tackle the impacts of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities on adults. It has been used to support almost 2000 grassroots mental health and wellbeing projects across Scotland, many of which involve arts based activities.

Bilateral discussions between the Culture and Health and Social Care Cabinet Secretaries have highlighted and consolidated areas of tangible crossover between health and culture priorities. The result of these bilateral meetings is a reinforced commitment for continued and strengthened collaboration to develop policy links across both Culture and Health and Social Care.

We are committed to continuing strengthening links at a Ministerial level to ensure culture is considered, and where appropriate featured, in the development of Health and Social Care initiatives. Where it is possible, we will take evidence and learning from existing projects in this space and work across the Scottish Government to share and promote the benefits of culture.

3.2 The Scottish Government should make connections at Ministerial and policy level to highlight the impact that social prescribing can play and identify the role of culture in nurturing and scaling work in this area.

The Scottish Government recognises the value of cultural initiatives and the benefits that they can bring to physical and mental wellbeing.

We are supportive of social prescribing through programmes to develop dedicated capacity in primary care and other key settings to provide integrated support to patients. These include the Community Link Worker programme which looks to improve patient health and well-being by working with patients to help them navigate and engage with wider services. There is a commitment in the 2021-22 Programme for Government that by 2026, every GP Practice will have access to a mental health and wellbeing service, funding 1,000 additional dedicated staff who can help grow community mental health resilience and direct social prescribing.

We will continue to work jointly across the Health and Culture portfolios to ensure culture is represented in social prescribing discussions, and is considered and featured in social prescribing initiatives where appropriate.

3.3 A dedicated funding stream for culture initiatives should be developed within the health portfolio.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the role of culture in helping to deliver health outcomes. However, the publication of the Resource Spending Review in May 2022 highlighted the challenging fiscal context and the Scottish Government is not in a position at this point to establish a funding stream dedicated entirely to culture initiatives within the health portfolio.

There are existing ongoing initiatives, and provision made for dedicated funds for social prescribing and community mental health. For example, the Scottish Government allocated £21m to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing fund for adults in financial year 2021/22, and £15m in 2022/23, which supports the development of an integrated culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities across Scotland, developing and building on existing capacity within community organisations and grass roots groups, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of individuals.

In addition, we support social prescribing through programmes to develop dedicated capacity in primary care and other key settings to provide integrated support to patients. There is support for the development of interfaces between healthcare practitioners and community-based initiatives, including the online 'A Local Information System for Scotland' (ALISS) service (more information on ALISS) which seeks to provide up to date information to general practices and people with long term conditions about available community services including culture opportunities.

We will work with delivery partners, and across other policy portfolios, to ensure culture is represented in health and wellbeing initiatives.