Strengthening person-centred care in Angus: an ALLIANCE and Angus HSCP partnership

The ALLIANCE and Angus HSCP are working together to promote the power of kindness, compassion, and asking ‘What matters to you?’.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) is pleased to be working in partnership with Angus Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to support the ongoing shift towards more compassionate, person-centred care.

This year-long project, which places intelligent kindness at its heart, came to life after Jill Galloway, Chief Officer at Angus HSCP, heard Person Centred Voices (PCV) Lead Tommy Whitelaw speak in another area. Inspired by the impact of his message, Jill reached out to explore how the PCV programme could support a renewed focus on staff wellbeing and meaningful connection across Angus. She commented: “This programme is deeply rooted in the principles of Values Based Reflective Practice (VBRP), which empowers individuals to challenge themselves, think critically, and reflect on both past and present experiences in order to shape and improve future practice.”

Since the project launched, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with feedback including:

“Great session yesterday. Good to have you in Angus inspiring us all.”
“A very inspiring and thought-provoking session on how we can make our workplace a kinder and more compassionate place.”
“Best training I’ve ever attended. Touched my heart.”

Now at the halfway point, the we have spent 14 days in Angus, delivering 43 sessions across 25 venues and reaching over 520 people. We’re especially delighted to report that 40 ‘What Matters to You?’ Ambassadors have signed up, with one workshop already co-designed and delivered in partnership with the Angus team. Another workshop is currently being planned by Angus colleagues for April, building on the momentum and commitment seen across the region.

When asked about their hopes for the future of the project, the Angus HSCP team said: “Our ambition is to embed the ‘What Matters to You?’ approach across Angus and our partner agencies in the Independent and Voluntary Sector. By doing so, we aim to further promote intelligent kindness, with staff being even more caring, compassionate and person-centred in their daily practice.”

Commenting Irene Oldfather, ALLIANCE’s Director Strategic Partnerships, External Affairs and Outreach, said: “This partnership is more than a series of workshops – it reflects a growing movement to make care more person-centred and to embed kindness and compassion in our day-to-day interactions. By simply asking ‘What matters to you?’, we can begin to shift workplace culture, transform systems, and most importantly, improve lives – one conversation at a time.”

Tommy Whitelaw, PCV Lead, said on the progress so far: “It’s been fantastic and energising to engage with so many people across different organisations and localities in Angus. Staff across Angus HSCP have welcomed us with open arms. I always travel home feeling inspired – we are excited to continue this journey together and keep the momentum going. Look out for a short film this summer capturing the story of this partnership work!”

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