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Good Practice in Rural Development
No.8
Innovative Methods of Service Delivery in Rural Scotland:A Good Practice Guide

7. Key issues and common themes

The underlying themes of this report correlate with previous research which argued that services to the public have social and information facets as well as primary physical elements ⁷. For example, the physical element of a doctor's surgery is primary health care with information available in the form of leaflets. The social element is represented through interaction with the health staff and other waiting patients.

The same research goes on to suggest that mobile facilities and the use of new technology eradicates the social elements inherent in providing services from a fixed location. Therefore, the NREC research, advocates the sharing of premises to enhance the social element.

The case studies have illustrated that the sharing of premises is not always the best option for service delivery. Mobile facilities are expensive to run and do not necessarily reach out to vulnerable people in remote areas. Good practice could be identified, therefore, as linking community transport initiatives with outreach services. Furthermore, floating support can be seen as a complimentary service which provides outreach services to people with restricted mobility.

The use of new technology may be cost-prohibitive to some people but the issue of access is arguably the most important issue for people living in rural areas. New technology does not, as stated earlier, promote social inclusion directly but for those people partaking in ICT with others it does allow for increased social interaction. The value of ICT training for people in rural communities is further recognised given the growth of banking and retail services via the internet. The success of ICT projects are dependent not on the hardware available but on the commitment and approachability of support staff and volunteers.

The onus on statutory bodies as sole service providers has shifted with increased recognition of the work carried out by voluntary organisations, communities and partnership working. However, capacity building takes time and many of the case studies emphasised that three years of funding is not always sufficient ⁸. Some community-run services may find the application and monitoring processes for funding onerous. Consequently, local statutory bodies and community development agents must operate in a multiple capacity to provide advice, support and/or encouragement. Capacity building hinges on building confidence for both individuals and communities.

Whilst not all the case studies could best be described as truly innovative they do represent examples of good practice, as many of the projects have proved to be sustainable over the course of time. All of the case studies have significant physical, social and information facets; many utilising mixed methods to deliver services. The case studies have been fitted into thematic categories in this report. In reality, many provide a diverse range of services in various ways as illustrated in the table below. Consequently, the thematic sections overlap and are not mutually exclusive as illustrated below:

A diverse range of joined-up approaches to service delivery, designed to compliment each other, is required to match the diverse range of needs in rural Scotland. There is no best solution to addressing service needs of local people but there are numerous examples of good practice, some of which are contained in this report.

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