Refocusing for greater impact: The next step for self management in Scotland

The Self Management Programme is changing to focus on the Fund, share learning, and support better health and wellbeing in Scotland.

Read on to find out about some upcoming changes to the ALLIANCE Self Management Programme.

Self management is a vital component of a healthy life. It is way of living and working that allows people to feel more in control of their own health and wellbeing. The Self Management Fund allows us to help promote this approach through granting funding to well-deserved Scottish self management projects. Since 2009, the ALLIANCE has distributed the Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. Over the years, the Fund has provided almost £30 million worth of funding to nearly 500 projects. With growing evidence showing the power of self management and its clear alignment to Scottish Government priorities, the ALLIANCE’s Self Management programme is sharpening its focus to drive even greater impact when it comes to our funded projects.

Moving forwards, our work will continue to strive to champion self management projects across Scotland; through another round of the Fund, gathering evidence of the impact of projects, and amplifying their learning. All this work is rooted in one goal; to better showcase how early, community-led support truly has the power and potential to transform lives.

By dedicating our efforts to understanding what works, and sharing those insights widely, we aim to strengthen Scotland’s preventative health landscape and ensure self management continues to grow as a cornerstone of better health and wellbeing.

This shift in direction means that resources will no longer be able to host  Self Management Week, the Self Management Awards, or Self Management Network Scotland.

This has not been an easy decision, as these platforms have been extremely powerful ways of celebrating the creativity and impact of projects and people championing self management across Scotland. They have brought us together is ways that truly matter. But looking ahead, to strengthen prevention and maximise the impact of self management, we need to redirect and refocus our efforts.

We continue to encourage anyone with an interest in self management to connect with the wider international community through the Self Management and Social Prescribing Special Interest Group. This international network brings together practitioners, researchers and people living with long‑term conditions who are passionate about strengthening self management and social prescribing. It remains a vibrant space for shared learning, collaboration and innovation.

As part of our restructure and our renewed commitment to focusing on the fund, we will also no longer be delivering Self Management Reflective Practice training sessions. These sessions have played an important role in supporting practitioners across Scotland, and we are currently collating the rich learning gathered from the many workshops delivered over the years. This resource will be made available in due course so that the insights are not lost and can continue to inform practice.

While change can feel bittersweet, this shift creates a powerful opportunity. By concentrating our efforts on the fund, we can deepen our work in gathering evidence, amplifying learning, and strengthening the national understanding of self management as a cornerstone of prevention. This renewed focus allows us to influence policy and practice more directly, ensuring that the experiences of people and organisations across Scotland shape the future of support.

We hope you’ll join us in looking ahead with optimism. Together, we can build on everything achieved so far and continue driving forward a proactive, person centred approach to health and wellbeing.

For any questions, you can get in touch with us at smns@alliance-scotland.org.uk.

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